World temperature …

Arctic ice at record lows, Antarctic ice at record highs.

All to be expected in a warming world says Seth Borenstein …

Shifts in wind patterns and the giant ozone hole over the Antarctic this time of year — both related to human activity — are probably behind the increase in ice, experts say. This subtle growth in winter sea ice since scientists began measuring it in 1979 was initially surprising, they say, but makes sense the more it is studied.

Of course it makes sense, warmer water more ice. That must be why the experts predicted the opposite, as catalogued by Jo Nova …

The IPCC Experts in AR4 prediction (thanks to Bishop Hill)

“In 20th- and 21st-century simulations, antarctic sea ice cover is projected to decrease more slowly than in the Arctic (Figures 10.13c,d and 10.14),”

See also IPCC #15.4.4where they discuss the impact of decreasing sea ice, but not of the possibility it might increase.

USGS (2010):

Ice shelves are retreating in the southern section of the Antarctic Peninsula due to climate change. This could result in glacier retreat and sea-level rise if warming continues

British Antarctic Survey:A thaw of Antarctic ice is outpacing predictions by the U.N. climate panel and could in the worst case drive up world sea levels by 2 meters (6 ft) by 2100, a leading expert said on Wednesday.

Byrd Polar Research Center at Ohio State University:

Most models predict that both precipitation and temperature will increase over Antarctica with a warming of the planet.

Al Gore, Jan 2012

What happens to the rest of the world as that frozen water is released, at ever increasing rates, as a result of the rising temperatures caused by climate change?

[In 1988] Scientists expected that as climate change accelerated, Antarctica would be one of the fastest warming areas of the planet. This prediction has proven true

Well not according to the …

Latest ICEsat estimates thanks to Zwally et al:

“During 2003 to 2008, the mass gain of the Antarctic ice sheet from snow accumulation exceeded the mass loss from ice discharge by 49 Gt/yr”

Latest GRACE satellite data also shows Antarctica is gaining ice mass.

And how quickly are we warming, take a look at the latest Hadcrut 4 data …

 

Over the last 15 years you’d have a lot of trouble picking a signal out of the noise.

Oh, why won’t the climate do what the models tell it to?

A Vic Spring …

Spent a very pleasant weekend at my little farm in Victoria’s Goldfields.

The Flame Robins are long gone back up into the high country. The summer visitors are returning. The very welcome song of the Rufous Songlark was music to my ears on Saturday. It seems a little late this year but the weather has been a bit cold.

Grass is growing well, must have the firebreaks cut by the end of the month.

Slow and steady …

Fair Work Australia takes yet another slither forward …

The FWA, which spent three years investigating Mr Thomson’s lavish spending as HSU national secretary from 2002 to 2007, said it will be seeking “pecuniary penalties, as well as compensation” from the embattled MP.

Mr Thomson is accused of misusing his union credit card for cash advances without receipts, while the FWA also found the MP had splurged hundreds of thousands of dollars on prostitutes, air travel and other personal spending without authorisation. (Herald Sun).

In response Mr Thomson …

“Clearly Fair Work Australia has felt pressured into responding this way given the political process which it is part of.”

The proceedings against Mr Thomson will begin in the Federal Court in December.

We await with bated breath.

Juxtaposition …

Greg Combet told ABC television on Sunday.

People outside politics would ‘prefer politicians to get off name-calling and get on with the business of government’, he said.

Asked whether he thought Mr Abbott was a misogynist, Mr Combet said: ‘He’s a very aggressive, arrogant sort of fellow and he likes to lead a lynch mob.’

Sky News.

Hello possums …

As a scion of Moonee Ponds once said.

The Liberal state council has called unanimously for the Baillieu Government to investigate birth control for the “destructive, costly, dirty pests”, no not members of parliament who use their allowances to run their hardware businesses, possums.

You’ve got to hand it to Ted, big cats and possums … corruption will have to wait.

 

Mr. Shaw …

Corruption in office stinks.

The ombudsman, George Brouwer, has found that Liberal MP Geoff Shaw inappropriately used his parliamentary vehicle for commercial purposes. An excerpt from his report …

Misuse of parliamentary resources

Parliamentary vehicle

44. At interview, Mr Shaw gave evidence that he knew his parliamentary
vehicle could not be used for commercial use. However, my investigation
identified that Mr Shaw used his parliamentary vehicle for a commercial
trip to Sale and that he used his parliamentary fuel card to purchase fuel
for a private vehicle on one occasion, in contravention of the Members of
Parliament Motor Vehicle Plan (the plan).
45. Mr Shaw’s parliamentary vehicle was also used by Southern Cross
Hardware for commercial use, including interstate trips. My investigation
established, on the balance of probabilities, that Mr Shaw had knowledge
his employees were using his vehicle in this way.

Mr. Baillieu has a problem. He has a one seat majority and a by-election in Frankston may not go his way. Does he do a Julia and prop up someone guilty of misusing the opportunities that come with office or does he stick to principle and let him go?

Trust the electorate, Ted, you’ve done nothing to offend them. Indeed you’ve done nothing … it worked for Bracks.

Brazil …

The Brazil travel series has been a great success for the blog … traffic has increased dramatically. Thank you to every one that has visited, do come again it ain’t finished yet.

But now seems a good time to say a few thank yous.

A wildlife trip to foreign parts is a complex undertaking. If you were to organise it yourself you’d have to research the places, the animals, the accommodation, connecting travel and more. And you still wouldn’t be as up to speed as the local talent.

Australia is home, here I do my own leg work. Overseas I go to Zegrahm Expeditions, they have taken me to both ends of the earth and many places in between. They deliver a superb product.

The trip to Brazil was led by Mark Brazil, yeah, really. He is English, lives in Japan and leads trips to some magnificent wild destinations. I first met him on a trip to Iceland. He has a PhD in avian ecology. He is very generous with his knowledge but just as importantly he will look after you while you are his guest.

 

The local talent was Frederico Tavares cofounder of Brasil Aventuras. Brazilians are an open warmhearted people but Fredge stands out as even more warmhearted than the rest. This man knows his wildlife, shares his knowledge and will shepherd you through airports where English may not be spoken and procedures may be a little different. These two guys have been working together for a few years now and have ironed out most of the wrinkles but they are not resting on their laurels. After our trip was over they were off to research more sites of interest, check out the accommodation and look for ways to make a trip to Brazil even better.

Thanks guys, many thanks.