Inaugural Conference 2013: The Solar-System Dynamic Theory of Climate

Introduction
We intend to hold a conference in September 2013 to discuss the new knowledge in the literature in relation to the theory of climate we have been developing here at the Talkshop. Because this is a first event, places will be limited, along with the budget.  I suggest you register your interest early to secure a place as a speaker or attendee. Speakers,  sponsors and poster presenters will get priority for accommodation at the venue itself, but there are many places offering lodgings nearby at prices to suit every budget. This will be a professionally presented event, planned and run by   experienced conference organisers at a fit for purpose venue in the vicinity of The university of Leeds and the city centre.

Background
The radiatively based theory of climate is so deficient that its models are now falsified. The Talkshop has hosted discussion of many papers and articles over the last two years which demonstrate the radiative theory’s inadequacy, and many of these also offer an alternative description of the underlying dynamics of the atmospheric and oceanic processes involved in determining the way energy flows into, is absorbed by, redistributed, and finally re-emitted from the Earth’s envelope. We are now at a stage where we are ready to develop an alternative body of theory which can be quantified and assessed.

Our man in Hawaii, on gas, drought and snow.

Kilauea image courtesy milazinkova via wikipedia, click image for details

Doug Protor writes: -

“I’m on the Big Island, Hawaii right now. There is a “drought” here: at the Volcano Winery just outside the Kilauea crater, they are only getting 110 inches of rain a year, instead of 180 inches of rain. Been going on for 7 years. The vineyards need irrigating and the grasslands are yellow and dry, in an extreme hazard for fire.

But still 110 inches of rain. The term “drought” as used by McKibben, clearly has a use aspect, not just a technical term of quantity. If your vineyards need water, it is a drought. If your cactus farm is drowning, it’s a record flood. If you are doing nothing with it, it is dry, which it sometimes does, and the resultant fires put nutrients into the lava fields.

Go figure.

Royal Society: Uncertainty in Weather and Climate Prediction

I’ve been away for a few days as an invited participant at The Royal Society’s 2012 meeting on ‘Handling Uncertainty in Weather and Climate Prediction, With Application to Health, Agronomy, Hydrology, Energy and Economics’, organised by Prof. Tim Palmer. Unlike the 2010 meeting, this wasn’t held at The Royal Society’s London HQ, but at Chicheley Hall, in the Buckinghamshire countryside near Milton Keynes.

It was a wide ranging, detailed and very interesting meeting, with some 20 speakers (Audio here) and 70 or so more participants, and doing justice to the occasion is going to require several posts. To Set the scene, I’ll start with a few photos I took around the venue and some description gleaned mostly from the Royal Society fellow-in-residence, lucky man.

Chicheley Hall owned and restored by the Royal Society since 2009

The hall was completed in 1723 by the Chester family, who owned it until the middle of the C20th when it was sold to 2nd Earl Beatty (b. 1905, son of the famous World War I admiral). The Royal Society acquired it in 2009 and commenced refurbishment and alteration. The 75 acres surrounding the house contain the gardens, parkland and interesting corners for inquisitive visitors to discover.

Visit to Scott Polar Research Institute

Ian Laidlaw (left) with old colleague Prof Julian Dowdeswell, Head of the Scott Polar Research Institute

Yesterday I was privileged to make a visit to meet Prof. Julian Dowdeswell, the head of the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge. This was enabled by one of Julian’s former colleagues at Aberystwyth University, Ian Laidlaw who now lives in my home town of Leeds.  Along with another friend, Susan, we made the four hour journey down in atrocious rain conditions in Ian’s car, battling through near zero visibility as we passed trucks throwing huge spray plumes off the motorway road surface. Julian had an equally difficult drive from his home in Bristol. We laughed it off, when I commented that it wasn’t so bad in comparison to the conditions Scott and his party suffered in the Antarctic.

Harrison Schmitt: Eulogy for Neil Armstrong

Reposted from http://americasuncommonsense.com

AUGUST 28, 2012

Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong is a true national and international hero in the classic sense. His intellect, dedication and skills made him absolutely the best choice to be the first American and first human to step foot on the Moon in 1969 as Commander of Apollo 11. Quiet, thoughtful celebration of his life honors the man and his achievements.

Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012)
Source: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Armstrong conducted himself at the highest levels of professionalism – quick to make good decisions in service to his country, as a test pilot, and as an explorer in the best traditions of Lewis and Clark. He often stated, however, that our successes in these difficult arenas only come from the magnificent efforts of hundreds of thousands of others.

One of my many favorite Armstrong memories from Apollo relates to a spur of the moment decision he made late in his walk on the Moon. We all trained to focus on collecting the greatest variety of Moon rocks possible in the time available. But, having already quickly collected one of the finest sets of lunar samples, Neil thought the partially filled rock box needed something more. He rapidly filled the box with a large amount of the Moon’s soil. This soil became one of the most important samples ever returned from the Moon. Neil’s 30 minutes of sampling decisions at Tranquillity Base remain the most productive half hour in lunar exploration.

Neil was a gifted speaker, historian and professor. He did not give a large number of speeches or interviews, but all had been extensively researched and delivered with remarkable clarity and insight. Neil fascinated audiences with his clear articulation of historical events and the relation of technology, aeronautics and space to human activities in the past and future.

I had the great privilege to have known Neil as both a colleague and friend. Teresa and I give our heartfelt condolences to the extended Armstrong family and to his legion of friends, colleagues, and others so profoundly influenced by the life of Neil Armstrong. His historical insights, good nature and extraordinary professionalism will be missed more than my words can convey.

-Harrison Schmitt-

Something nice from the Royal Society

Well this is great. Judy Curry and Peter Webster will be presenting at this event, so I’ll get the chance to meet up with them again too. I’ll try not to be pushy here, but I hope I’ll be able to garner some interest in our techniques in the foyer and coffee bar as well as listening carefully to the tone and approach being offered by the various speakers during the formal sessions.

Handling uncertainty in weather and climate prediction, with application to health, agronomy, hydrology, energy and economics

Thursday 4 – Friday 5 October 2012

The Royal Society at Chicheley Hall: Home of the Kavli Royal Society International Centre, Buckinghamshire

Organised by Professor Tim Palmer FRS

For the attention of: Roger Tallbloke

Bishop meets his subject

Andrew Montford (Bishop Hill) has posted his report about his trip to London where he finally meets the man about whom he in essence wrote a beautifully penned book as only a master can do.

“As readers have probably gathered, I have been in London for the last couple of days. The main purpose of the trip was to visit the Spectator, for the Ridley Prize for Environmental Heresy of which I’m one of the judges.”

…

“The other purpose of the trip was to meet Steve McIntyre.”

http://www.bishop-hill.net/blog/2012/8/15/trip-report.html

Steve McIntyre in London Aug 2012

Steve: -

“I’m speaking in London on August 16:

When: Thursday, 16 August 2012, 3pm
Where: Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, 1 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5DB

The talk is public. It is hosted by the Global Warming Policy Foundation. I’m going to be talking about events over the past year, but will mostly be talking about the increased emphasis by the climate “community” on Climate Extremes, paying particular attention to the IPCC Special Report on Extremes (SREX) published in March, which was the basis of WG2 Co-Chair Christopher Field’s recent testimony to Congress.”

http://climateaudit.org/2012/08/10/london-august-16/

Bow shock shock: Its slower than we thought

Here’s a snippet from the Institute of Physics website at physicsworld.com. This is of interest in relation to Dayton Miller’s interferometry results from the 1930′s, which measured anisotropy in the speed of light.

New analysis of IBEX data – which has been carried out by David McComas of the Southwest Research Institute in Austin, Texas, and an international team – suggests that the bow shock does not exist after all. In other words, the solar system is not moving as fast as we though relative to the interstellar medium.

Launched in 2008, IBEX orbits the Earth and is designed to study fast-moving neutral atoms. What McComas and colleagues did was to use IBEX to characterize neutral atoms from the interstellar medium that cross into the heliosphere. Because these atoms are not electrically charged, they are not affected by magnetic fields – and so their speed should correspond to the relative velocity of the interstellar medium.

Quote of the Week: Giordano Bruno on regaining perspective

The Nolan, in order to cause completely opposite effects, has freed the human mind and the knowledge, which were shut up in the strait prison of the turbulent air. Hardly could the mind gaze at the most distant stars as if through some few peepholes, and its wings were clipped so that it could not soar and pierce the veil of the clouds to see what was actually there. It could not free itself from the chimeras of those who, coming forth with manifold imposture from the mire and pits of the earth (as if they were Mercuries and Apollos descended from the skies), have filled the whole world with infinite folly, nonsense and vice, disguised as so much virtue, divinity and discipline. By approving and confirming the misty darkness of the sophists and block-heads, they extinguished the light which made the minds of our ancient fathers divine and heroic. Therefore human reason, so long oppressed, now and again in a lucid interval laments her base condition to the divine and provident Mind that ever whispers in her inner ear, responding to suchlike measures: