October 08, 2008 | Graham

Oceans drive climate

Climate skeptics are frequently incredibly bad at arguing their case. I’ve been following the greenhouse issue since I was a kid back in the 60s, so I should have heard all of the persuasive arguments by now. But I read a very persuasive one today that I had never […] Continue Reading…

Posted by Graham at 9:26 pm | Comments (4)
Filed under: Environment

October 06, 2008 | Graham

Ronan Lee puts LNP one closer to winning

New Greens MP Ronan Lee has probably handed the Liberal National Party its first seat at the next election. Lee, until yesterday the Labor member for Indooroopilly, is unlikely to hold the seat for the Greens. His defection should cause enough problems for the ALP that the LibNats will […] Continue Reading…

Posted by Graham at 12:10 pm | Comments (10)
Filed under: Australian Politics

October 05, 2008 | Graham

How good are climate models?

The only way General Circulation Models can produce catastrophic CO2-induced warming is to introduce positive forcings from other agents, such as water vapour. Without these forcings temperature increases are relatively benign. What most don’t understand is that the values attributed to these forcings are largely imaginary.
I’ve just come across […] Continue Reading…

Posted by Graham at 8:27 am | Comments (10)
Filed under: Environment

October 04, 2008 | Ronda Jambe

The biggest power grab

Tonight is the final debate for the US Presidential election. I will get to watch it live, with a choice of commentary in Spanish or English. It remains to be seen if Obama will offer a critique of the additional bank buy-back announced in the past few days. This […] Continue Reading…

Posted by Ronda Jambe at 12:33 am | Comments Off on The biggest power grab
Filed under: US Politics

October 03, 2008 | Ronda Jambe

The bailout -stealing in plain view

It is almost beyond belief that the Congress of the US is likely to pass the huge bailout. Can it be the pork features that have been added, such as a half billion dollar tax cut for the film industry and subsidies for manufacturers of wooden arrows, have been […] Continue Reading…

Posted by Ronda Jambe at 12:18 am | Comments (2)
Filed under: Economics

October 02, 2008 | Graham

‘P’ stands for ‘Petrac’ and ‘Pear-shaped’

Things look like they have turned pear-shaped for Queensland developer Petrac. Last year they had $200 million in projects, this year it is $100 million – same projects, different value. They were not shy borrowers, so somewhere between the two values lies the loss that their lenders are likely […] Continue Reading…

Posted by Graham at 5:58 pm | Comments (3)
Filed under: Economics

September 29, 2008 | Graham

It had to happen sometime

It’s semi-official. Global warming is taking a back seat to the economy. The Lowy Institute has just released the results of their 2008 pollwhich finds, amongst other things:
Australians see protecting their jobs and strengthening the economy as more important foreign policy goals than tackling climate change according to the […] Continue Reading…

Posted by Graham at 12:00 am | Comments (8)
Filed under: Environment

September 27, 2008 | Ronda Jambe

100% pure Costa Rica?

In many ways, Costa Rica reminds me of New Zealand.
Their national motto, Pura Vida! is not so different from the New Zealand catch-cry.

Both countries look small on a world map, but expand on the ground into amazingly extensive and diverse terrains. Both have approximately 4 million people, and both […] Continue Reading…

Posted by Ronda Jambe at 10:49 am | Comments Off on 100% pure Costa Rica?
Filed under: Resources

September 27, 2008 | Ronda Jambe

Looking for the last California

Many years ago I wrote an article for the ACT Labor newsletter about Australia as ‘the last California’. Those forms of local participation no longer exist, but the phrase still seems useful. Perhaps more so, as globalisation has made the movement of people almost as fluid as cash. People […] Continue Reading…

Posted by Ronda Jambe at 10:14 am | Comments Off on Looking for the last California
Filed under: Housing

September 22, 2008 | Graham

Sub-prime and climate change

Is there a link between the demise of Lehman Brothers and global warming? Jennifer Marohasy certainly seems to think so, but she doesn’t say why. There is a spate of theories from her commenters.
I think that there is a link, but it’s not specific to Lehman Brothers, but rather […] Continue Reading…

Posted by Graham at 10:20 pm | Comments (17)
Filed under: Environment
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