https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2020/01/top-uk-climate-change-sceptics-group-is-stronger-than-ever/
This article seems to be simply alarmist propaganda which is generally incorrect. To pick a few examples.
It is written:
On page 18 of the lecture document Kelly wrote: ”In the 1990s the global average surface temperature had been rising sharply for 15 years, and many predicted that this rate of warming would continue, when in fact it has halved. This lesson of history is regularly ignored as the current level of climate alarm is cranked up.”
This is apparently refuted by this graph-
In reality the current state of the science is that the rate of increase has approximately halved. From the IPCC AR5 Working Group 1 ‘The Physical Science’ comes this graph and statement:
http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/uploads/hartmann13agu_U22A_final.pdf
I consider 0.05°C per decade to be less than half of 0.12°C per decade.
The graph that in the article is not referenced but seems to be adapted from this set on the GISS website:
https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs_v4/
It is interesting that is titled ‘Global Mean Estimates based on Land and Ocean Data’.
Also in the set is ‘U.S. Temperature’ which appears to be a measured rather than estimated dataset that also shows the reduced rate of warming in recent times.
Is the statement by Mr (Professor) Kelly correct? Yes. This may change with the publication of the IPCC AR6 in 2021/22 but today the ‘pause’ is part of the science.
The article then goes on to challenge a GWPF Tweet:
‘don’t let the climate alarmists take our natural gas! All the major political parties at this election are planning to remove your gas boilers/cookers as part of their Net Zero plans ’.
A quick look at the mainstream media seems to support that the Net Zero plans do want to remove gas from domestic properties:
New rules for low carbon heating in Scots homes
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-50993183
Central heating boilers 'put climate change goals at risk'
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50041077
In Holland as well
https://www.hollandtimes.nl/articles/national/the-netherlands-to-go-completely-gas-free-in-the-future/
And from the UK Climate Change Commission:
https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/uk-housing-fit-for-the-future/
This quote is from the executive summary 0n page 9 of the report.
Do the Net Zero plans aim to remove gas cookers and boilers? I think so.
There is then a block of financial conspiracy theories which I cannot comment on followed by Bob Ward of the Grantham Institute attacking the blogger Paul Homewood.
This is very much ‘sour grapes’ as Paul Homewood was involved in an investigation which resulted in a paper supported by Jeremy Grantham, who funds the Grantham Institute, being shown to be incorrect. In Mr Homewood’s own words:
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2019/02/12/bbc-repeat-fake-disaster-claims/
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2019/03/01/bbc-retract-fake-ippr-extreme-weather-claims/
And in italics at the end is the retraction from the BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47203344
Based on this sample I would expect to find other significant errors and falsehoods. May be someone else will check a few points? Is this the standard we expect from E&T?
Best Regards
Roger
