NZ Herald acknowledges climate change

Bullshit from 350.org

"Time is really running out if we're going to stop the warming at 2C. We've only got about 20 years (sic) to reduce the rates of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Every country in the world has to meet their target."

Half-truths from the New Zealand Herald and Dr.Renwick. See below to see how far below the 8 ball he is.

Warning sounds on global warming

The record warm start to the year will be the new normal within the next few generations, scientists say.

NZ Herald,

1 July, 2016

The first six months of 2016 have been the warmest since records began, but these temperatures may soon seem on the cold side, climate scientist James Renwick says.

"We're going to see more and more of these record warm months and years and in 50 years' time this year's record warm might be normal or even cool. What we think of as warm now is going to be average in a generation or so."

Northerly wind flows had contributed to warmer temperatures and a milder autumn this year, but Dr Renwick said it was the backdrop of climate change combined with weather patterns that created the record temperatures.

His predictions were echoed in climate change projections released by the Ministry for the Environment yesterday, which found average temperatures in New Zealand were expected to rise by up to 1C by 2040 and by up to a further 2C in the 50 years after that.

The report also predicted the number of hot days would increase by 40 to 100 per cent by 2040, while the number of cold nights would decrease by 30 to 50 per cent.

Rainfall would decrease in the north and east of the North Island, but increase elsewhere. The number of dry days each year would increase, as would the intensity of droughts.

The country would have more anticyclones in summer, the report said, and stronger southwesterlies in the winter. Daily extreme winds would rise, especially in the east.

Urgent action was needed by the Government to cut carbon emissions by the levels agreed to in Paris last December, Dr Renwick said. Its post-2020 climate change target is to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.

"Time is really running out if we're going to stop the warming at 2C. We've only got about 20 years to reduce the rates of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Every country in the world has to meet their target."

Trading in carbon credits wasn't good enough, Dr Renwick said, because it was not a problem any country could buy its way out of.

Yesterday, climate action group Generation Zero presented their own draft of a Zero Carbon Bill during a protest outside Parliament.

Calling the Government's targets "meaningless", spokeswoman Lisa McLaren said its bill was based on Britain's 2008 Climate Change Act.

Winter's warmer than usual start has already affected retail and recreation. Mt Ruapehu yesterday had to push back its slope openings, scheduled for this weekend. South Island skifields Mt Hutt and Treble Cone also delayed opening day.

For some farmers, the warmth has exacerbated a lingering drought.

Yesterday, the Government pledged an extra $88,000 to drought recovery co-ordination as the medium-scale drought classification was extended to the end of the year.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said it would mean the North Canterbury area had been in drought for nearly two years.

Retail NZ said sales of winter woollies were down, but that had been offset by more DIY spending.

The warmth has led to reports of a rise in the number of rats invading houses. Pest Management Services owner David McPhee, of Dunedin, said his company's rat control jobs were up by 50 per cent on the same time last year.

Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett said the Government was committed to carbon trading, but it could use other tools too.

"That's why we're investing a record amount in research to find effective ways to reduce agricultural emissions. We're also investing in public transport and promoting the uptake of electric vehicles ... There is still more to be done."

I am reposting this article - this is what we are up against!

I would like to be diplomatic and respectful but listening to our climate change spokespeople interviewed yesterday I am unable to restrain myself

"For the globe as a whole that’s less of an issue."

Have New Zealand’s climate academics been asleep?
Seemorerocks

My first response to seeing a full half-hour on Waatea TV devoted to 400 ppm of CO2 and climate change was that this was something we have been waiting for.

But on listening expectation gave way to disappointment and a distinct feeling that  there is no one in this country left to speak out about the climate emergency except for a a small handful of intrepid bloggers and activists.

Yesterday's effort was designed to lure us back to sleep.

Don't worry, little hobbits!

Despite the valiant attempts of Martyn “Bomber” Bradbury to bring things back to reality it would be the grossest understatement to say that every single one of his guests failed miserably to use the opportunity given them to speak out about the climate emergency.

I would give each of them (with the honourable exception of Mr. Bradbury) grades of between 'C-minus' and E.

Firstly Jim Salinger.

For all his great achievements, Jim Salinger sounds as though he is stuck in 2007 and delivering basically the same, slightly—modifed message.

He seemed singly unable to come out and say clearly that scientists in this country are being muzzled and that it is this government that is reponsible.

But what really made me wake up from my torpor was when I heard him say there has been a "1 degree Celsius temperature increase in about the last one hundred years".

One degree?

There's lots of fudging of the figures but even the most conservative media reports are saying that temperatures have gone up at least 1.3 degrees since the pre-industrial age.

Don’t take my word for it. Listen to this. This is the sort of context that's asked for.

Kevin Trenberth on the 2015 Temperature Record

We have experienced 20% of all anthropogenic global warming in the last year.

That by definition is runaway Global Warming.

If Industrial Civilisation survives until November 2016 Professor Guy McPherson and I will tour NZ discussing the environmental and geo-political implications of this unfolding disaster nation wide, stand by for details on the blog and look out for a Facebook ” Event”.

https://kevinhester.live/2016/06/04/kevin-trenberth-on-the-2015-temperature-record/

What is it that is stopping Jim Salinger from acknowledging this and singing from the rooftop about this alarming fact.

Why downplay it?

****

After listening to Mike Smith, an esteemed activist, saying that people are “worried”, we have to “get our head around major problems”, “anticipate and prepare” 

And then there was Megan Woods MP - Labour Party spokesperson on Climate Change whom I could not bear to listen to (she’s the one with the ‘E’ grade) 

And now we come to the other expert, Professor James Renwick.

This was the segment that caught my attention.

After agreeing, in response to a strongly-worded question, Prof, Renwick agreed, yes we do have a problem in the Arctic but - wait for it “in the Arctic it is getting into a runaway situation” but for the globe as a whole that’s less of an issue”

Did I hear that right?!

"For the globe as a whole that’s less of an issue."

And then he goes on to say that we might see a lot of warming 10-12 degrees

(“something crazy like that”) - it might be catastrophic for humanity – but it wouldn’t just keep getting hotter, like on Venus.

Great news folks!

But the climate could change enough so that food and water availability “would go out the window”...that would be a bad thing for humanity”

Well,Professor, I suppose it would.

Here's the discussion:

From yesterday as well - the professor is among those in this country who are "puzzled" by the record autumn tnmperatures.

Apparently we need more research to reinvent the wheel.

"Exactly why that's happened is subject to ongoing research. We have yet to work out what is going on there."

I can think of quite a few people who are not "climate scientists" and not only more erudite than esteemed professor., but more informed as well

To whit:



It does make me wonder how they award professorships in this country these days.

Here is the discussion which brings to mind,not Monty Python,but NZ's own John Clarke ("Fred Dagg")

In fact there IS an example where someone, the chief forecaster at NIWA demonstrated some urgency (and passion) in getting the message out.

But that was before he was turned into a whimpering public servant by his superiors.

*****

I really do have to finish off my rave with this bit of climate change nonsense straight from RT America.

We still have Thom Hartmann on RT America, I suppose.