Hi Max,

Yes, I think that was one of Lomborg's points, that we have to find ways of making renewable energy sources so cheap, and coal so much more expensive, that the world will switch to renewables.

BUT in the meantime, have we the right to deprive developing economies of the benefits that we have so obviously enjoyed over the past two hundred years, a doubling of life expectancy for instance ?

As well, Lomborg, if I understand his position correctly, is confident that innovations in science will most likely find ways to minimise CO2 production, and find ways to remove CO2 already in the atmosphere. I suspect that those benefits of scientific innovation and enterprise may occur much earlier than the doom-sayers like to believe.

And were you suggesting, in a roundabout way, a switch to nuclear energy ?

Cheers,

Joe

Max,
What has fallout from coal burning got to do with CO2?
Oxygen is part of that chemistry too.
And how much coal dust is now being filtered out at the source due to modern science and technology? And how much more may be filtered out in future? But yes, air pollution is a problem.

Strangely you fail to comment on unprecedented nutrient overload pollution that coincides with unprecedented human activity-linked ocean algae plant matter as raised on page 4 of this thread.

Boycott on talk about warmth in ocean algae is allowing ongoing damage to property and loss of life associated with increase in storm activity that could otherwise be reduced or perhaps prevented by complete science.

Nobody has the right to deny humans their right to understand it is algae and not CO2 causing devastation of traditional seafood supply for seafood dependent islanders.

The tourism industry and surfing people also have a right to understand algae is also linked to devastation of fish stocks associated with change in feeding habits of sharks and attack on humans. N.B Ballina NSW yesterday, etc.

Being torn apart while you are alive is quite different to sniffing some coal dust.

But what about warmth in algae plant matter, is it true or not true? I submit it inevitable science answers that question.
Meanwhile consider relevant impact and consequences from further delay with solutions.

Hi,
I haven't read a lot about warming & algae. I would have thought that was to do with nutrient flows from nearby farms, especially the massive brown floods that run down the rivers from the banana industry.

As to fish stocks, that depends on so many factors. Overfishing, nutrient flows, coral health (impacted by acidity, predation by Crown of Thorn Starfish, warmer oceans due to climate change, more nutrient flows, cloudy water due to dredging, our over-hunting of top keyline predators, etc), and many other factors. That's kind of getting off topic, but I do note that 'global warming' should really be called 'ocean warming' given most of the heat ends up in the oceans... and then gets burped back up during an El Nino year like this one.

I'm amazed we're not already in a drought.

JF, there is no doubt that algal blooms do much damage to the marine environment, the shell fish industry off the West Coast of the US had to be closed earlier in 2015, warnings have been given about algal blooms off the East Coast of Tasmania. Scientists specialising in Oceanography certainly discuss the impact of algal blooms, from what I have read there are no references to a huge amount of heat being created. Do you have references, if so, please provide them. Marine scientists are in accord with anthropogenic climate warming.

Max, the film This Changes Everything showed how many coal power plants were scheduled for India, Indian citizens took exception to those developments which had a huge impact on the development of coal power. The film intimated that the citizens had won their battle against coal power interests after some fearsome demonstrations.

An interesting article in relation to temperature, el nino and polar amplification:

http://robertscribbler.com/2015/11/10/more-weather-weirding-godzilla-el-nino-vs-a-mean-polar-amplification/

Max Green,

Thank you so much for commenting.

With absolute respect to you, I have a question.
Have you ever read anything about warmth in algae, if so, what do you remember and where can such literature be found?

Nutrient from all sources adds to a total that sometimes becomes an overload causing nutrient pollution.
Runoff from farms only occurs in association with rain whereas human sewage is dumped daily.

Re fish stocks. All the fishing regulations in the world have not stopped fish stock devastation that has occurred.
Right now 70 percent of fish used in Australia is imported.
Local supply has been decreasing for a long time, it's just not duly reported.
Evidence of substance on hand indicates nutrient proliferated algae has damaged and destroyed the majority of seagrass that small fish depend on as nurseries, worldwide.

I submit warmer oceans are due to algae, not due to CO2 and climate change as you indicate.

I think all possible relevant factors are on topic.
How else can reality of climate change and correct solutions be urgently found and put in place?

Beginning 1982 after producing an underwater film, it was protein deficiency malnutrition among seafood dependent islanders that led me to understand some aspect/s of algae.
Turbidity and matter and light penetration in water is key to exposing film

I have known about warmth in algae from the wool industry about 60 years ago. LOL

Ant,

Trickery or spin with words about climate can be noticed.
I suggest the majority marine biologists and other scientists are not in consensus anthropogenic emission of CO2 is the cause of climate change.

As for toxic algae, toxic algae blooms in the news are not the only algae.
In reality, toxic algae blooms are few and far between compared to common algae. There is so much algae and over 4,000 species.

CSIRO and other government funded climate science have a duty to inform Australians about algae, including about all the green that can be seen in waves in surfing video and news, and all the green in the Caribbean for example.

How much algae plant matter exists and what chemistry is involved?
Even algae growing on coral, killing the coral, takes up warmth during photosynthesis.

To my knowledge scientists have not been taking action to reduce the total nutrient loading entering the ocean ecosystem. The nutrient loading being dumped is not measured and managed

The onus of proof must be on scientists paid by government to do science. Those scientists must prove if possible that there is no warmth in ocean algae plant matter and that such warmth is not warming ocean currents at all.

Environment Minister Hunt has advised he knows of no peer reviewed paper about warmth in ocean algae.
To my knowledge, warmth is ocean algae being linked to change in climate is new information.

Ant, warmth can be felt on the back of a human hand when touching a mat of algae floating in water in a pond on a sunny day.