I am thankful for scientists with integrity that are willing to state the truth. I worry about those who bend and dissemble when the truth becomes inconvenient. This article from one Dr. David Evans sounds like the result of the integrity we should be applauding in the scientific community. No doubt, he will be called names and cast out. However, I doubt anyone will challenge him on his science. He was a believer in anthropogenic global warming, but he has since changed his mind due to the lack of evidence.

My title here refers to one of the basic reasons why AGW should not be believed:

The greenhouse signature is missing. We have been looking and measuring for years, and cannot find it.

Each possible cause of global warming has a different pattern of where in the planet the warming occurs first and the most. The signature of an increased greenhouse effect is a hot spot about 10km up in the atmosphere over the tropics. We have been measuring the atmosphere for decades using radiosondes: weather balloons with thermometers that radio back the temperature as the balloon ascends through the atmosphere. They show no hot spot. Whatsoever.

If the science that predicts catastrophe also predicts this hot spot, what should it do when the hot spot cannot be found? Is it sane to act like the science is still correct? Maybe a reevaluation is in order?

He also reiterates my favorite evidence that it’s time to step back and consider the consequences of any further actions to abate CO2: The fact that the warming trend that scared everyone to death actually stopped seven years ago.

The satellites that measure the world’s temperature all say that the warming trend ended in 2001, and that the temperature has dropped about 0.6C in the past year (to the temperature of 1980). Land-based temperature readings are corrupted by the “urban heat island” effect: urban areas encroaching on thermometer stations warm the micro-climate around the thermometer, due to vegetation changes, concrete, cars, houses. Satellite data is the only temperature data we can trust, but it only goes back to 1979. NASA reports only land-based data, and reports a modest warming trend and recent cooling. The other three global temperature records use a mix of satellite and land measurements, or satellite only, and they all show no warming since 2001 and a recent cooling.

What would you call those who disguise or ignore the truth and tell the public something contrary to it? Should we choose to turn our economy and lifestyle upside-down to accommodate the predictions of these prophets without evidence? Is it politically incorrect to at least request a clean analysis of climate change based on currently known data and not just predictions from the last decade or two?

Why does anyone listen to these people anymore?

Dr. Evans comes to the very same conclusion in regards to his home country of Australia that I do in regards to the United States:

The onus should be on those who want to change things to provide evidence for why the changes are necessary. The Australian public is eventually going to have to be told the evidence anyway, so it might as well be told before wrecking the economy.

Still think AGW is real? Prove it.

Well, he made it. There were times in the past when we weren’t sure what he would be like at 16, but we are very proud of the young man David has become. Despite our best efforts, David did not want a big party. In fact, he preferred to not have much of a party at all. He just wanted his pie.

The gifts this year turned more musical as David pursues his passion for drumming and Rock Band. I have to admit (although I am biased), the kid has talent. I am blown away by his ability to pick up beats and riffs quickly and play them well. Some day he may even let us listen in while he practices!

You can see more pictures from his birthday in the gallery here.

Happy Birthday, Son. You are making us proud and we can’t wait to see what God has in store for you!

 

I have been remiss in not updating you all earlier, but David has passed another milestone in his educational career. Oregon state law specifies that homeschoolers are tested by a third party after the third, fifth, eighth, and tenth grade years. David took that test last month and, once again, did quite well.

You get all kinds of strange numbers to measure his scoring, but the most easily understandable is the “Grade Equivalent”. If he receives a GE of 11.3, that means he scored as well as the average student in the 3rd month of the 11th grade would have scored on the same test. 13.0 is the maximum and implies the student did as well as a college student would have on the same test.

The battery of tests includes two focused on reading, two focused on language arts, and two focused on math. His GE score was 13.0 on all but one of those and the outlier was still ranked 11.4. The overall GE was 13.0. A smashing success in all respects.

What makes this year even more exciting is that this is the last year David will have to take the state test. He is about to enter his junior year, so we actually have more pressing matters to plan. Up next in the coming school year will be the SAT and the ACT. The SAT didn’t scare David until I explained that he would have to arrive at the local high school at 8:00 AM on a Saturday morning to take them. That is, by far, the worst part for him.

To say that we are proud of his accomplishment is an understatement. He continues to do better and better each year and we can’t wait to see how well he does on the “bigger” tests. The implications are staggering for us, though, too. The fact that he will be taking the SAT and ACT within a year only means that college is right around the corner. That’s just amazing that it has arrived so soon.

Way to go, David! Keep up the great work!