Monthly Archives: October 2011

USGCRP draft strategic plan

Posted on October 8, 2011 by | 282 comments

by Judith Curry

The public comment period for the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s (USGCRP) 2012-2021 Strategic Plan is open until November 29, 2011.  Lets take a look at the draft plan.

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282 Comments

Posted in Policy

IPCC discussion thread

Posted on October 6, 2011 by | 721 comments

by Tony Brown

Posts in the thread on uncertainty guidance for the IPCC have raised a basic question regarding the credibility of the IPCC as the world’s foremost source of information on climate, and hence its future relevance.

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721 Comments

Posted in IPCC, Sociology of science

2011 Nobel Prize Winners in Physics and Chemistry

Posted on October 5, 2011 by | 120 comments

by Judith Curry

There are some climate-relevant stories associated with the 2011 Nobel Prize winners in Physics and Chemistry.

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120 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Climate crises: half a millennium ago

Posted on October 4, 2011 by | 299 comments

by Judith Curry

[A] key message within Gore’s Climate Reality Project was that our recent strange weather and accompanying social problems are inextricably linked to the climate crisis. And say what you will about Gore, that part seems increasingly true. What’s more, there’s nothing new about such cause-and-effect. According to a new study, climate change has played a significant role in several of the  crises of pre-industrial Europe and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere over the course of the 300 years.

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299 Comments

Posted in History

Climatic Change special issue on uncertainty guidance for the IPCC

Posted on October 4, 2011 by | 190 comments

by Judith Curry

It is now published:  the Climatic Change Special Issue on Guidance for Characterizing and Communicating Uncertainty and Confidence in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climatic Change.

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190 Comments

Posted in Uncertainty

Sceptical about scepticism

Posted on October 3, 2011 by | 352 comments

by Judith Curry

Nature Climate Change published a review of the James Lawrence Powell’s book “The Inquisition of Climate Science.”  The review, written by Fred Pearce, is titled “Sceptical about Sceptics.”

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352 Comments

Posted in Skeptics

Wedges reaffirmed(?)

Posted on October 2, 2011 by | 254 comments

by Judith Curry

Robert Socolow of Princeton University has written and essay “Wedges Reaffirme,” that examines the impact of  his 2004 paper with Stephen Pacala, entitled  “Stabilization Wedges: Solving the Climate Problem for the Next 50 Years with Current Technologies”.

Its core messages are as valid today as seven years ago, but they have not led to action.

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254 Comments

Posted in Energy, Policy

Liability(?) of scientists

Posted on October 1, 2011 by | 195 comments

by Judith Curry

Six Italian seismologists and one government official went on trial for manslaughter in Italy last week. The unusual trial stems from accusations that the seven failed to adequately communicate the potential for a major earthquake to the population around the central Italian town of L’Aquila, which was hit by a devastating magnitude 6.3 earthquake in the predawn hours of April 6, 2009.

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195 Comments

Posted in Ethics