Environmental News

People unfamiliar with Dr. Judith Curry may be interested in her website:

https://judithcurry.com

Which posts her writings, those of guest authors, and many blog replies.

One would be remiss to not also mention:

https://www.realclimate.org/

Speaking for the other side. As it were.

 

Curry’s Climate Etc. posts do as much as one could find to emphasize climate-change uncertainty, while retaining mooring to objective scientific research. So it certainly serves a purpose. The payoff there (or ‘tell’ as Bob would say) is in its’ comments section where folks really ‘out there’ argue with a few climate mainstreamers who are willing to engage in vituperation. At least it accomplishes a goal of demonstrating how much people disagree (I suppose that is a goal, but other might disagree).


Real Climate posts do as much as one could find to emphasize climate-change certainty, and also criticize web talk by folks really ‘out there’. I find their comments section less interesting for being moderated (or censored, if you prefer) and dominated by climate mainstreamers. But there I am more likely to see mention of climate-related publications I had missed. As such, it supports my need for a literature-searching assistant.


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One new to our climate discussions found Stossel’s interview of Curry to be remarkable. C’mon man, work upstream, at least as far as Daily Caller! More than a decade of churn came before. No effort made -> no reward.


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I find this to be a fascinating ecosystem of conflicting information and tribal confirmations, with troubles on both ‘sides’. But I gotta tell ya, it did not start a few days ago.

 

I have no problem with Judith Curry's science, insofar that none of her publications (I've read) contained statements or conclusions that should have been dismissed at the journal review stage. System is designed to admit ideas so that they can be further tested later.
I have no problem with Judith Curry's company CFAN. She sells products and people buy those. If customers are dissatisfied, they would go elsewhere.
I have some problems with Judith Curry's Congressional testimony, because in my opinion she has made misstatements of facts, deemed sensible because of her academic qualifications. But hey, it's Committees' work to find purveyors of facts, and those who can dispute non-facts.
I have some problems with Judith Curry's Climate Etc. website. It provides a platform for authors and blog responders to mislead readers. But hey, internet should not be fettered unless threats against life or property are made or succored. Caveat lector.

 

On the subject of scientific journal publications getting far 'out there', today I see:

https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/S0169-5347(23)00189-1

This journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution publishes important things, some of which might not be accommodated elsewhere. Y'all might peruse.

This article has ways (I have not read them) to define 'environmental users'. If I tweeted (X-ed), I am not sure that it would seem appropriate to identify or filter or characterize my tweets or Xs. But through all that I say let the journals join the Internet Bazaar. Let readers decide if it becomes too wild.

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Attempting to tie up my multi-post package here, there are scientists having trained for years, journals looking for prominence, or subscriptions or money other ways, and the internet. All seek to promulgate ideas. All 3 interact in ways that changed when internet arrived.

I only know the environmental area well. COVID dragged me to understand 'medical' better. 'Science' has informed the human enterprise for a short time, it you think about it. Our current triangle of understanding and dissemination is new and unsettled. It might ever remain so.

 

Russia's Luna-25 lander is on the moon, but not in a good way

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Russias_Luna-25_probe_crashes_on_the_Moon_Roscosmos_999.html

India's Chandrayaan-3 is in lunar orbit, intending to make gentler contact on August 23, 18 hrs India standard time.

 

Steam is the 'working fluid' in thermal power plants. Here is a way to improve efficiency by 2%

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-40229-6

Separately the article has a very amusing jargon title.

 

Environmental DNA describes genomic sequencing for organisms living in some place. It has been extracted in many different ways, now including clay bricks:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-38191-w

Modern bricks are heated in ovens so no DNA from those. Unfired bricks are common in many places.

 

Chandrayaan-3 has a rover. Not clear to me that it is planned to function after lunar illumination period (14 is earth days). Quite cold during the dark fortnight. Batteries don't like being that cold.

 

If you have fatigue reading about fossil-fuel subsidies, just let this one slide on by

Fossil Fuels Consumption Subsidies 2022 – Analysis - IEA

 

IEA is global not USA. I think USA increase is tied to the IRA. Not yer retirement account

 

Japan JAXA has a moon probe waiting to launch. Main aim is precision landing (with 100 meters) and will report some observations from surface, if it lands as hoped. No rover or digger. Landing site intended is about 13 degrees south of lunar equator so this is not going polar.

For fuel economy, it will take 4 (?) weeks, which apparently include Earth swingbys. Hypermiling 'out there' is all about near misses.

 

There's the beef:

How a mere 12% of Americans eat half the nati | EurekAlert!

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Most plants are animal pollinated.

90% of flowering plant species rely on animal | EurekAlert!

Crops not pollinator dependent are well known. I could tell ya...

 

I thought I had written about Panama Canal recently. Original version used Lake Gatun water to fill the locks, with all of that draining to the sea (on whichever side). A total loss system.

Upgrades completed in 2016 created larger locks accommodating larger ships, and storage ponds so that 60% of water could be recycled after each lock cycle. Also the water-supplying area was enlarged.

Even so, Panama has years with diminished rainfall (including current El Nino year) during which less cycling can happen.