Reblogged from NoFrakkingConsensus:

In a blog post yesterday climate scientist Judith Curry wrote: It is fine for people (and scientists) have political ideologies. The problem comes in when you…use science to demand policies. In my view, many climate scientists behave oddly compared to other kinds of experts. In criminal trials the role of expert witnesses is limited and clearly defined. They testify about their direct observations – or the results of tests they have performed. Not for one moment does anyone think it is the role of a …

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“Leaked Documents From Heartland Institute Cause a Stir—But Is One a Fake?” by Megan McArdle, The Atlantic, February 16, 2012.

An interview on video of Joe Bast, President of the Heartland Institute, has been released by The Wall Street Journal with the title “The Purloined Climate Papers.”

Also, there is an interesting commentary, “Is Stealing OK? Alarmist Climate Scientists Don’t Know – “in Tumult!’” in the JoNova website.

Further Analysis of the “Confidential Memo: 2012 Heartland Strategy” document:

“Global Warming Alarmists Resort to Hoax” by John Hinderaker, Powerline, February 21, 2012.

“Peter Gleick Confesses to Obtaining Heartland Documents Under False Pretenses” by Megan McArdle, The Atlantic, February 21, 2012.

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“‘Fakegate’ A Climate Scam Backfires” by Jonathan DuHamel, TucsonCitizen.com, February 22, 2012.

“Fakegate: Global Warmists Try to Hide Their Decline” by Robert Tracinski, Real Clear Politics, February 23, 2012.

“The Most Surprising Heartland Fact: Not the Leaks, but the Leaker” by Megan McArdle, The Atlantic, February 22, 2012.

Reblogged from Ecocentric:

Last week the climate world was rocked — or at least, strongly buffeted — by the publication of memos that were allegedly from the Heartland Institute, a nonprofit research group that takes a strongly skeptical attitude toward climate science. The memos detailed budget information — including news that groups like the archconservative Koch Foundation and corporations like Microsoft had donated money to Heartland — and detailed strategies that included fighting the teaching of climate science in …

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In today’s Austin American-Statesman, there is an article about a company in Kyle that makes battery backup available.

“Kyle Energy Storage Company at Center of Key Debate over Power Rates” by Laylan Copelin, Austin American-Statesman, February 19, 2012.

There still may be problems with cost effectiveness for power generated from wind or solar farms even with battery backup.

See, for example,

“A (Load) Balancing Act: The Challenge of Clean Power” by Lauren Sommer, npr, August 18, 2010.

Wind Turbine by Lake Pflugerville

Windfall, a documentary movie about the bad experience of the upstate New York town of Meredith with proposals for placing wind turbines in the local area, opened in New York City recently. The movie has also been shown at a number of film festivals.

Laura Israel was the Director/Producer of the movie and Brian Jackson was the Director of Photography.

A movie trailer and some reviews (click “PRESS”) of the movie are available at the Windfall website. Links to two of the reviews are listed below.

“Tilting at Windmills” by Robert Bryce, New York Post, February 6, 2012.

“Wind Power: Renewable Resource, or Another Corporate Scam?” by Andrew O’Hehir, Salon, February 1, 2012.

The approximately 25-foot wind turbine by Lake Pflugerville pictured above is much smaller than the 400-foot turbines mentioned in the movie that present serious noise problems. Yet, the smaller turbine is not silent on a very windy day and is not a fixture that a person may want to put up with in a neighboring yard.

Added February 19, 2012:

“National Trust Comes Out Against ‘Public Menace’ of Wind Farms” by Louise Gray, The Telegraph, February 12, 2012.

Reblogged from pflugervillereadsonebook:

Hello Pf-Readers! I hope you are enjoying our story so far. I didn’t realize the chapters were so short or I would have suggested we read more than just the first! In Chapter One: The Cyclone, we are introduced to Aunt Em and Uncle Henry and of course Dorothy and her beloved little dog Toto. We know that they live in Kansas and are farmers and from the description of the land, house and people we know life is fairly harsh, so much so that the sound of Dorothy’s laughter startles her Aunt. We also learn …

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See “Is Huhne’s Green Dream Dead Too? Tories Hope New Man in the Job Will Ditch Policies as Cameron Plans Reshuffle” by James Chapman, Mail Online, February 3, 2012.

Background References:

“Huhne Pays for His Infidelity: Minister’s Career in Ruins as Feud with Ex-wife Lands Them Both in Court” by James Chapman, Mail Online, February 4, 2012.

“MPs’ Bid to Halt Hot Air Chris Huhne’s Wind Farms” by Kirsty Buchanan, Express .co.UK, January 22, 2012.

“How Green Zealots Are Destroying the Planet: The Provocative Claim from a Writer Vilified for Denying Global Warming” by James Delingpole, Mail Online, February 4, 2012.

Added February 5, 2012:

“101 Tories Revolt over Wind Farms” by Patrick Hennessy, The Telegraph, February 4, 2012.

“Wind Power: Why the MPs Have Written to the Prime Minister” The Telegraph, February 5, 2012.

Added February 8, 2012:

“The Compelling Case Against Ed Davey” by Melanie Phillips, Mail Online, February 7, 2012.

The cartoon displayed above has been posted here in accordance with the provision in Cartoons by Josh that it can be shown on non-commercial blogs.

Dates:

Thursday, February 2 at 7 PM

Friday February 3 at 7 PM

Saturday, February 4 at 7 PM

Sunday, February 5 at 2 PM

Place: The Gerrell Moore Performing Arts Center at Hendrickson High School

More Information:

“Hairspray @ HHS = 36 lbs of Glitter” The Hawks Eye, January 23, 2012.

Tickets:

Students, $8; Adults, $10; VIP (first two rows), $20

What is Hairspray about? –

About.com review of the 2007 movie

Some of the companies such as Renewable Resources, LLC., that may be expected to include parts of their activities in locations in Pflugerville have direct or indirect connections to the business of the construction of wind farms.

Whether wind farms rate high in cost effectiveness in comparison to other sources of energy is controversial.

In the Netherlands, there has been a movement away from wind farms because of a perception that they are not cost effective.

In the United Kingdom, the Duke of Edinburgh (Queen Elizabeth’s husband) is reported in a newspaper to have described wind farms in a conversation as “absolutely useless,” “completely reliant on subsidies,” and “an absolute disgrace.”

The United Kingdom may believe that it has little wiggle room because its Climate Change Act of 2008 commits it to an 80% cut in greenhouse gases by 2050. So it is likely to continue to build wind farms whether this makes sense or not.

Another prominent critic of wind farms is Maurice Newman who was until very recently Chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, but is now retired. His article entitled “Against the Wind” appeared in the January issue of The Spectator Australia. Here is an excerpt:

“Even before they threatened my property, I was opposed to wind farms. They fail on all counts. They are grossly inefficient, extremely expensive, socially inequitable, a danger to human health, environmentally harmful, divisive for communities, a blot on the landscape, and don’t even achieve the purpose for which they were designed, namely the reliable generation of electricity and the reduction of CO2 emissions.”

Inasmuch as a solar farm has already been planned for the Pflugerville area, it is not inconceivable that a wind farm will eventually be proposed to be built here as well. This may happen in spite of the changing attitudes developing in some other parts of the world toward such installations.

An important problem associated with wind farms that can affect the quality of life of those living near them is the problem of noise. This is a timely issue because just this month, it was announced that the Canadian government will undertake the preparation of guidelines for setting the distance between a wind turbine and a residence. This can be quite controversial. Some maintain that approximately 1500 feet is adequate. Others maintain through medical studies that the distance should be greater, that as much a mile or more should be specified to preserve the health of those living in the vicinity of wind farms.

It seems sensible to call attention to the health issue now before any progress is made in planning any wind farms in or near Pflugerville.

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Links to references are posted at Wind Farms: Some References.

Video: Available by clicking on “10B – Discuss and consider action to approve a Pflugerville Community Development Corporation (PCDC) performance agreement and the sale of six (six) acres by” on this City of Pflugerville web page.

Also see:

“Energy park deals approved” in Community Briefing (look for PFLUGERVILLE heading), by Marques G. Harper, Austin American-Statesman, July 24, 2012.

The company name used in the meeting agenda was Renewable Resources LLC.

The names used in the newpaper article were Renewable Property Group LLC and Renewable Resource Consultants.

The cartoon displayed above has been posted here in accordance with the provision in Cartoons by Josh that it can be shown on non-commercial blogs.

Added January 26, 2012:

“Pflugerville City Council OKs Land Sales for Renewable Energy Park” by Christine Bolaños, Cummunity Impact, January 26, 2012.

Added January 27, 2012:

“Green Energy Isn’t Always Good Energy” in The Christian Science Monitor, January 27, 2012.

Added January 29, 2012:

“B Is for Basics” Better Plan, Wisconsin, December 12, 2008.

Please see “Pflugerville Reads one book — The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!”

A free Kindle edition of the Wizard book is available from Amazon, but it does not include a table of contents and illustrations. A free pdf version with a TOC and illustrations by W. W. Denslow is available here from a link partway down the web page.

The 1939 movie version is considerably different from the original book. Many of the differences are described in

“L. Frank Baum: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by Annika, Wicked Oz, May 13, 2009.

A commentary by Henry M. Littlefield and another by David Schoenbrod show how the characters and plot of the original book fit into the context of the history and political situation of the time in which the book was written.

More about Symbols in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz:

“Symbolism of the ‘Wizard of Oz‘” in Wicked Tour.

Added January 26, 2012:

Website for Pflugerville Reads: http://www.pflugervilletx.gov/index.aspx?nid=1618

Added February 2, 2012:

Pflugerville Reads One Book: Online Book Club!