Richard Littlemore's blog

Sun, 2012-12-09 10:21Richard Littlemore
Richard Littlemore's picture

Do the Math! A Surprisingly Optimistic Video

University of Lethbridge Prof Jim Byrnes weighs in with a short video with survey of numbers both frightening and reassuring. The conclusion is obvious. There's no question we can "afford" to fix the climate problem - only a more pressing question as to why we have not even begun ...

Climate Change DO THE MATH! from Scientia Productions on Vimeo.

Read more: Do the Math! A Surprisingly Optimistic Video
Wed, 2012-08-15 17:55Richard Littlemore
Richard Littlemore's picture

Enbridge Video Stunningly Misleading

For compulsive watchers of Enbridge Inc., the spill-crazy pipeline company that wants to pipe tar sands crude to the Canadian West Coast - or just for students of the barefaced lie - this video can't be beaten.

It purports to show the pipeline route, including an open sea exodus where tankers will pass from the proposed Kitimat, British Columbia oil port.

But as this video documents, the Enbridge auteurs airbrushed out 1,000 square kilometres of islands and rocks within the exit channel.

Given the criticism, the company has added a note saying, "The animation is for illustrative purposes only. It is meant to be broadly representational, not to scale."

Broadly representing a completely false image.

Read more: Enbridge Video Stunningly Misleading
Tue, 2012-08-07 14:17Richard Littlemore
Richard Littlemore's picture

Arctic Ice Decline Much Worse Than Expected

As the extent of Arctic sea ice declines to levels unrecorded since satellite monitoring began, the National Snow and Ice Data Center has released a new analysis that shows the situation to be worse by far than even the most pessimistic models predicted.

It's a perverse endorsement of one of the most popular denier memes - that you can't rely on climate models because the world is too complicated to be reduced to a compilation of computer data. But, thanks to the expertise (and conservative nature) of the scientists behind this work, the models have shown the direction with perfect accuracy: it's the terrifying extent that they have failed to anticipate.

In addition to the catastrophic conditions currently prevailing in the Arctic, the NSIDC has also drawn attention to the dramatic melting occurring this year in Greenland. And all this is supported and reinforced by the Polar Science Center's ongoing calculation of Arctic ice volume.

The trends are all down. Or as James Hansen put it in the Washington Post last week, "Climate change is here - and it's worse than we thought."

Read more: Arctic Ice Decline Much Worse Than Expected
Wed, 2012-05-16 16:51Richard Littlemore
Richard Littlemore's picture

Heartland's Joe Bast lashes out at Institute's own "friends"

The somewhat hysterical Heartland Institute President Joe Bast has lashed out at the lengthening list of "friends" who are trying to distance themselves from the institute's increasingly embarrassing anti-science antics.

In a letter to one of the "scholars" who have asked to be removed from the list of "Heartland experts" (BigCityLiberal is keeping a good headcount here), Bast complains that his institute has always tried to stay "above the fray," and it's now being victimized "by ideological extremists as part of the ongoing attack on us and our donors."

In that light, Bast scolds his former supporter:

So John, I’m disappointed that you would side with folks who would use such tactics. if you want to stand up for truth seeking and honesty, for taking an unpopular stand against prevailing wisdom, then you should be speaking up for me and The Heartland Institute, not abandoning us in this moment of need.

Read more: Heartland's Joe Bast lashes out at Institute's own "friends"
Sun, 2012-05-06 11:26Richard Littlemore
Richard Littlemore's picture

Diageo: Liquor giant backs away from science-dissembling Heartland Institute

The London-based liquor giant Diageo has joined the companies that are criticizing or cutting off the Heartland Institute in protest over its campaigns to confuse people about climate science and to cast prominent climate activists as "murderers, tyrants and madmen."

As Leo Hickman reports in the Guardian, a Diageo spokester said: "Diageo vigorously opposes climate scepticism and our actions are proof of this. Diageo's only association with the Heartland Institute was limited to a small contribution made two years ago specifically related to an excise tax issue. Diageo has no plans to work with the Heartland Institute in the future."

This news came a day after Microsoft also criticized Heartland, (although the world's second-richest computer company has not indicated that it will STOP supporting Heartland in the future). Auto giant General Motors cut off its funding of Heartland in March in apparent embarrassment over being associated with the Chicago-based "think" tank's anti-science activism. (Heartland is a big promoter of tobacco as well as a dissembler about climate science.

Look here for an excellent compilation of all the public corporations that have or continue to support Heartland (and hat's off to Brad Johnson and ForcastTheFacts.org.)

Read more: Diageo: Liquor giant backs away from science-dissembling Heartland Institute
Sat, 2012-05-05 12:28Richard Littlemore
Richard Littlemore's picture

Microsoft Fail: Computer company criticizes Heartland but won't withhold future support

Microsoft is finally taking a clearer position denouncing the Heartland Institute's irresponsible position on climate science, but the computer megacorp still won't shut the door on providing Heartland with free software in the future.

In the wake of Heartland's highly offensive advertising campaign, in which Heartland said, flatly, "the most prominent advocates of global warming aren't scientists; they are murderers, tyrants and madmen," Microsoft''s Director of Corporate Citizenship Steve Lippman distanced his company from the Heartland position:

"The Heartland Institute does not speak for Microsoft on climate change. In fact, the Heartland Institute’s position on climate change is diametrically opposed to Microsoft’s position. And we completely disagree with the group’s inflammatory and distasteful advertising campaign."

But he went on with this unconvincing dodge:

"Heartland did participate in our global software donation program in 2010, as did thousands of other nonprofit organizations.  It’s important to point out that hundreds of environmental and conservation groups also took advantage of the same program, and received over $13 million in free software to pursue their missions."

Read more: Microsoft Fail: Computer company criticizes Heartland but won't withhold future support

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Richard Littlemore's blog