Monthly Archives: September 2010

Arctic Sea Ice Shrinks to Alarmingly Small Range

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Scientists have been measuring sea ice very carefully since 1979. Prior to that, there are estimates that are of varying degrees of usefulness. I know for a fact that many New England lighthouses were attached to land by winter-long ice in places that have not had sea ice in any living person’s memory, and there are similar bits and pieces of historical data suggesting that sea ice was once much more extensive in the Northern Hemisphere than at present.

Since 1979 there have been three years in which Arctic sea ice reached a rather alarming minimum size prior to reforming. We are in one of those years now.

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Daily Arctic sea ice extent on September 10, 2010 was 4.76 million square kilometers (1.84 million square miles). The orange line shows the 1979 to 2000 median extent for that day. The black cross indicates the geographic North Pole. (From the NCIDC)
Continue reading Arctic Sea Ice Shrinks to Alarmingly Small Range →

Two search engines with somewhat different foci

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First, we have SeekFind, the “Christian Search Engine” where you will not find anything that conflicts with the bible. Click here. I entered “Australopithecus” and got 163 results almost all from the Institute for Creation Research.

Second, we have the skeptical search engine, click here, which provides results from science oriented and skeptical sites. The search engine needs updating to include some of the new science blogging networks, but it still works pretty well the way it is. I entered “Bible” and got this:

Continue reading Two search engines with somewhat different foci →

Science proves that your friends are more important than you!

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Editor’s Selection IconThis post was chosen as an Editor's Selection for ResearchBlogging.orgThe other day a friend of mine bumped into some news that concerned her. She could have asked a random person about this to find out more information, but there was a bit of information that came with the news indicating that I might know more than the average person about it. So, she asked me, and as it turns out, I did not know anything. But, having heard the news from her, I noticed a different bit of information that came along with it that told me exactly who would know everything about it, so I sent along a question …. “What’s going on with the [deleted]?” I got back a message almost immediately.
Continue reading Science proves that your friends are more important than you! →

Intelligent Design’s Legal Status after Dover

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ResearchBlogging.orgFirst, there was plain and simple creationism, a Christian idea that, in an ideal Christian world, would be taught as part of any science dealing with the past, including biology (evolution), geology, and presumably history.

But the constitution stood in the way of implementing basic Christian teachings in public schools in the United States, though that battle took decades. Just as creationists were being driven off he landscape, a sort of Battle of the Bulge occurred, in the form of Intelligent Design.
Continue reading Intelligent Design’s Legal Status after Dover →

Help Out Al Franken’s Friend

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I just got the following email from Al Franken:

Dear Greg,

Believe me, the last thing a Vikings fan like me would ever think to support is something called a “Cheddarbomb.”

But while the Packers may be our rival, I’d do just about anything to help out my friend Russ Feingold.

His football allegiances aside, Russ is one of the most courageous and dynamic progressives in the Senate — and he’s facing a tough fight this November. Russ’s opponent is spending millions of his own dollars attacking him.

Click here to join Russ Feingold’s oddly named but absolutely critical “Cheddarbomb” today!

If you care about civil liberties, you want Russ Feingold in the Senate. If you care about fair elections, you want Russ Feingold in the Senate. If you care about keeping political courage as part of the Democratic Party platform, you need Russ Feingold in the Senate.

That’s why I hope you’ll take a look at the email below and join me in supporting Russ’s “Cheddarbomb.” And, if you’re a Vikings fan, just think of it as compensation for stealing Brett Favre.

Thanks,

Al

I had no idea Russ Feingold was in trouble. That’s very bad news. Here’s the link Al sent me.

Anthropogenic Climate Change: It’s for real.

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I’ve noticed that a lot of smart people who nonetheless “did not accept” AGW, or at least, denied the “A” part of it, have stoped talking about it lately. I’m speaking here of people I know personally. You know who you are, and you know you were wrong, and I just wanted to say that I forgive you. Mostly.

In the mean time, have a look at this:

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Continue reading Anthropogenic Climate Change: It’s for real. →

Public perceptions of energy consumption and savings

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ResearchBlogging.orgThere are two quick and fairly easy approaches to reducing US emissions of CO2 by several percent. These reduction would be at the household level, possibly decreasing the household cost of energy by between 20 and 30 percent (or more, depending on the household) and decreasing national total CO2 emissions by around 10% or so.

But these approaches are nearly impossible to implement. Why? Because people are ignorant and selfish.
Continue reading Public perceptions of energy consumption and savings →

Carne Ross: An independent diplomat

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After 15 years in the British diplomatic corps, Carne Ross became a “freelance diplomat,” running a bold nonprofit that gives small, developing and yet-unrecognized nations a voice in international relations. At the BIF-5 conference, he calls for a new kind of diplomacy that gives voice to small countries, that works with changing boundaries and that welcomes innovation.

Continue reading Carne Ross: An independent diplomat →

Rob Dunbar: Discovering ancient climates in oceans and ice

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This Rob Dunbar is NOT Robin Dunbar the Archaeologist.

Rob Dunbar hunts for data on our climate from 12,000 years ago, finding clues inside ancient seabeds and corals and inside ice sheets. His work is vital in setting baselines for fixing our current climate — and in tracking the rise of deadly ocean acidification.

Continue reading Rob Dunbar: Discovering ancient climates in oceans and ice →

Texas Governor: Evolution vs Creationism in Texas Schools

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Governor Rick Perry’s position is that he believes in “Intelligent Design” as a matter of faith and intellect. Well, his faith is out of place (did he not swear to protect and defend the US constitution? On a bible?) and his intellect is clearly damaged by exposure to those wide open Texas spaces. Between his ears.

Here’s the story, where you can see the news bit and if you like leave a comment! (I did.)

Notice the major blunder the reporter in this video makes: Explicitly distinguishing between creationism and intelligent design. Also, of course, the unquestioning assumption that public opinion is the arbiter of what is valid scientifically.

Texas. Jeesh.

Before and after public pressure

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Before:

Irish science minister boosts antievolution blarney

The Irish minister of state for science is to appear at a launch party for a self-published antievolutionist book, according to the Irish Times (September 13, 2010). Conor Lenihan, who represents Dublin South West for Fianna Fáil in Dáil Ã?ireann (the lower house of the Irish parliament) and serves as Minister of State for Science, Technology, Innovation, and Natural Resources, is billed as launching John J. May’s The Origin of Specious Nonsense (Dublin: Original Writing, 2010) at a September 15, 2010, event in Dublin.

(source, more)

Continue reading Before and after public pressure →