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Saturday, February 2, 2019
CBC admits it wrongly reported hyped-up insurance ‘climate risks’
http://bit.ly/2UzmZCQ Terence Corcoran The Insurance Bureau of Canada's decades-long campaign to raise alarms about the ravages of floods continued last week with an appearance by Blair Feltmate, a favourite star climate-change witness for the biggest insurers, at the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority's annual meeting. Feltmate heads the industry-funded Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at [...]
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Wild claim: America colonisation ‘cooled Earth’s climate’
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UK Climate Change Committee head, @lorddeben facing calls to resign over what appear to be ‘colossal’ and ‘scandalous’ conflicts of interest
David Rose exposes another apparently corrupt green politician: Tory peer in £600,000 conflict of interest: Climate Change chief John Gummer faces calls to quit over payments from 'green businesses' to his family firm… Conservative peer's family-run consultancy been paid huge sums by businesses MPs say Mr Gummer should have declared the payments – but he…
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UK Climate Committee head facing calls to resign over ‘scandalous’ conflicts of interest – ‘Payments from ‘green businesses’ to his family firm’
http://bit.ly/2BiztHC Anthony Watts / 58 mins ago February 2, 2019 David Rose exposes another apparently corrupt green politician: Tory peer in £600,000 conflict of interest: Climate Change chief John Gummer faces calls to quit over payments from 'green businesses' to his family firm… Conservative peer's family-run consultancy been paid huge sums by businesses MPs say Mr Gummer should [...]
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Bitter cold shows the reliable energy sources of coal, natural gas & nuclear are critical
http://strib.mn/2DKOALy By Isaac Orr This week's bitter cold had the potential to be deadly. But thanks to reliable forms of energy like coal, natural gas and nuclear power, it wasn't. Lawmakers considering doubling Minnesota's renewable energy mandate to 50 percent by 2030 should use this week's weather as a moment to reconsider their plans to [...]
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Tips & Notices – February 2019
Tips & Notices for February 2019 Continue reading →
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Cold Waves and CO2
To put this year's winter cold into perspective, there is an informative article by Jon Erdman at weather.com America's Coldest Outbreaks January 17 2018 Excerpts with my bolds and references to CO2 concentrations at the referenced dates. Note that temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit.
The Clear Number 1 February 1899: Atmospheric CO2 295 ppm.
The cold wave during the first two weeks of February 1899 is by far and away the gold standard for cold outbreaks in U.S. history.
What made this outbreak worthy of its lofty status was the magnitude, areal coverage and longevity of the cold.
For the first and only time on record, every state in the Union (recall, there were only 45 states at the time) dipped below zero. Subzero cold invaded parts of south-central Texas, the Gulf Coast beaches and northwest Florida.
Tallahassee, Florida, dipped to -2 degrees on Feb. 13, 1899, the only subzero low in the city's history. This remains the all-time record low for the Sunshine State.
All-time record lows were set in a dozen states, from the Plains to the Ohio Valley, Southeast and District of Columbia. In addition to Florida, state record lows in Louisiana (-16 in Minden), Nebraska (-47 in Camp Clarke) and Ohio (-39 in Milligan) still stand today.
Dozens of cities still hold onto their all-time record low from this cold wave, including Atlanta (-9), Grand Rapids, Michigan (-24), and Wichita, Kansas (-22). Temperatures as frigid as -61 degrees (Montana), -59 degrees (Minnesota) and -50 degrees (Wisconsin) were recorded.
The Mississippi River froze solid north of Cairo, Illinois, and ice not only clogged the river in New Orleans, but also flowed into the Gulf of Mexico a few days after the heart of the cold outbreak.
Ice jams triggered floods along parts of the Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland and James Rivers. Ice skating was the activity of choice as the San Antonio River froze.
Lacking snow cover, the ground froze to a depth of 5 feet in Chicago, damaging water, gas and other pipes.
New York City engineers found trusses on the Brooklyn Bridge had contracted 14 feet due to the cold, according to Extreme American Weather, by Tim Vasquez. Due to frozen aqueducts from Catskills reservoirs, the city of Newark was forced to draw water from other rivers and bays.
Adding insult to injury, a massive snowstorm punctuated the cold outbreak from the Gulf Coast to New England Feb. 11-14.
Cape May, New Jersey, picked up 34 inches of snow, the nation's capital was buried by 21 inches and 15.5 inches fell in New York City, overwhelming city crews and isolating suburbs.
In Florida, snow fell in Fort Myers, Tampa saw measurable snow for one of only two times in its history, and Jacksonville picked up 1.9 inches of snow. New Orleans was blanketed by 3 inches of snow.
Here are some other notable cold outbreaks since the massive 1899 outbreak.
Winter 2013-2014 Atmospheric CO2 399 ppm
Ice builds up along Lake Michigan as temperatures dipped well below zero on January 6, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago hit a record low of -16 degree Fahrenheit as an arctic air mass brought the coldest temperatures in about two decades into the city.
(Scott Olson/Getty Images)
– December 2013 – February 2014 was among the top 10 coldest such periods on record in seven Midwest states.
– An early January 2014 outbreak brought the coldest temperatures of the 21st century, to date, for some cities.
– The winter was among the top five snowiest on record in at least 10 major cities.
Late January-Early February 1996 Atmospheric CO2 363 ppm
– Minnesota state record: -60 degrees near Tower on Feb. 2, 1996. WCCO radio's Mike Lynch broadcasted live from Tower that morning, during which he blew soap bubbles which then froze on the ground as a crowd watched.
– All Minnesota public schools shut down.
– Fears of natural gas shortage in northern Illinois prompted requests to reduce consumption.
Mid-Late January 1994 Atmospheric CO2 359 ppm
– 14 cities set all-time record lows, including Indianapolis (-27), Cleveland (-20) and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (-22). Pittsburgh (-22) beat its previous all-time record set during the February 1899 outbreak.
– Both Pittsburgh (52 hours) and Cleveland (56 hours) set their record stretch of subzero cold.
– Indiana state record low set: -36 degrees at New Whiteland on Jan. 19
– 35 counties in Ohio plunged to -30 degrees or colder on Jan. 19.
– Worcester, Massachusetts, had seven straight days with subzero lows, a record stretch.
– Crown Point, New York, dipped to -48 degrees on Jan. 27.
– Coldest month on record in Caribou, Maine, with an average temperature of -0.7 degrees.
December 1990 Atmospheric CO2 356 ppm
– Most destructive freeze in California since 1949. Fifty percent of California's citrus crop damaged.
– Record 18-day freeze streak in Salt Lake City
– 2,000 children stranded in Seattle schools due to heavy snow on Dec. 18
– Randolph, Utah, bottomed out at -45 degrees on Dec. 22.
December 1989 Atmospheric CO2 354 ppm
– All-time record lows in Kansas City (-23), Topeka, Kansas (-26), Lake Charles, Louisiana (-4), and Wilmington, North Carolina (0).
– First Christmas Day snow (trace) on record in Tallahassee. Miami had a rare freeze while Key West dipped to 44 degrees.
– 14 inches of snow fall at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Christmas Eve.
– At the time, it was the fourth coldest December on record for the entire U.S.
President Reagan Inauguration – Jan. 1985 Atmospheric CO2 346 ppm
Due to the cold, President Ronald Reagan takes the oath of office for his second term as President in the Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 21, 1985.
– 13.2 inches of snow in San Antonio, Texas (Jan. 12), crushed the previous 24-hour snow record, there. Austin and Houston (3 inches each) also were blanketed by this snowstorm.
– All-time record lows were set in Chicago (-27), Jacksonville, Florida (7), and Macon, Georgia (-6)
– State record lows were set in Virginia (-30 at Mountain Lake) and North Carolina (-34 atop Mt. Mitchell).
– $1.2 billion in damage to Florida's citrus crop
– Ronald Reagan's second inauguration was the coldest Inauguration Day on record (7 degrees). The ceremony was moved indoors and parade cancelled.
Late December 1983 Atmospheric CO2 343 ppm
– $2 billion damage to agriculture, mainly due to freezing temperatures in central and northern Florida.
– As measured using the old formula, wind chills reached 100 degrees below zero over much of North Dakota on Dec. 22.
– Williston, North Dakota tied its all-time record low (-50) on Dec. 23. (Check out the hourly observations from that day.)
– Sioux Falls, South Dakota, remained below zero from the morning of Dec. 16 until Christmas Day afternoon.
– Over 125 daily low-temperature records were broken on Christmas Day. Tampa's Christmas Day high was only 38 degrees.
Remembering the "Freezer Bowl AFC Championship game in Cincinnati, Ohio on Jan. 10, 1982.
January 1982 Atmospheric CO2 341 ppm
– 85 deaths were attributed to the cold wave, according to the National Climatic Data Center.
– Chicago's O'Hare and Midway Airports set all-time record lows (-26).
– Milwaukee, Wisconsin, plunged to -26 degrees on Jan. 17, their coldest temperature in 111 years.
– Montgomery, Alabama (-2), Jackson, Mississippi (-5), and Atlanta (-5) each plunged below zero.
– Snow at rush hour on Jan. 11 slickened streets, stranding motorists in Atlanta.
– Natural gas lines froze, and up to 7 million experienced brownouts, according to Tim Vasquez.
– The second coldest game in National Football League history, the "Freezer Bowl", was played in Cincinnati, where a kickoff temperature of -9 degrees greeted the warm-weather San Diego Chargers.
– Hundreds of cases of frostbite were treated at the stadium, including Bengals quarterback Kenny Anderson's frosbitten ear.
Tonawanda, New York – Post Blizzard of 1977
Photo of a house almost completely buried in snow in the aftermath of the "Blizzard of '77" in Tonawanda, New York. (Jeff Wurstner/Wikipedia)
January 1977 Atmospheric CO2 334 ppm
– 69 first-order weather stations shivered through their record coldest month, according to Weather Underground's Christopher Burt.
– South Carolina state record set: -20 degrees near Long Creek
– Temperatures did not rise above freezing the entire month in a swath from eastern Iowa to western Pennsylvania northward, according to Burt.
– Snow fell as far south as Miami and Homestead, Florida, the farthest south occurrence of snow in the U.S. Two inches of snow fell in Winter Haven, Florida.
– 35 percent of Florida's citrus crop was damaged; rolling blackouts were needed in Florida due to heavy power demand.
– President Jimmy Carter walked 1.5 miles in the Inauguration Parade with temperatures just below freezing on Jan. 20.
– The "Buffalo Blizzard of '77" added a foot of snow to the 33 inches of snow on the ground, accompanied by wind gusts to 75 mph, producing snow drifts up to 30 feet high, paralyzing the city.
January 1949 Atmospheric CO2 311 ppm
– Coldest month on record in Boise, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington.
– Coldest winter at virtually every weather station in California, Nevada, Idaho and Oregon, according to Burt.
– A series of blizzards in the Great Basin and Plains claimed 150,000 sheep and cattle, isolating ranches from Wyoming to South Dakota.
– The Army airlifted supplies to snowbound ranchers.
– Snow fell in San Diego. One of only three measurable snowfalls on record in Downtown Los Angeles, as well.
– All-time record low set in San Antonio, Texas (0 degrees).
Winter of 1935-1936 Atmospheric CO2 310 ppm
– Coldest Plains winter of record.
– Low temperatures dropped below -50 degrees on four separate days in Malta, Montana.
– Parshall, North Dakota, plunged to -60 degrees on Feb. 15, still the state record low today.
– Langdon, North Dakota, remained below zero for an incredible 41 straight days, the longest stretch on record in the Lower 48 states, according to Burt.
Winter of 2019 Atmospheric CO2 409 ppm
Ice builds up along the shore of Lake Michigan as temperatures dipped to lows around -20 degrees on January 31st, 2019, in Chicago, Illinois. Businesses and schools closed, Amtrak suspended service into the city, more than a thousand flights were canceled, and mail delivery was suspended as the city coped with record-setting low temperatures. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
A cyclist rides through the falling snow in the Financial District, January 30th, 2019, in New York City
(Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Frost forms on the back of Galloway cows on February 1st, 2019, in Crainlarich in Scotland. Temperatures plummeted to -15 degrees Celsius on the coldest night of the year. (Photo: Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)
Summary
Clearly CO2 neither causes nor prevents outbreaks of arctic cold invading North America. Concerning ourselves with GHGs is no substitute for ensuring reliable, affordable energy and robust infrastructure.
Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been an incurable weather geek since a tornado narrowly missed his childhood home in Wisconsin at age 7.
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Scientist who rejects warming named to advisory board
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Recycling of crushed waste rock as backfilling material in coal mine: effects of particle size on compaction behaviours
Abstract
Crushed waste rocks can be used as materials for backfilling goafs, so as to achieve the simultaneous goals of processing solid waste and controlling surface subsidence; however, particle size distribution directly affects the compaction of crushed waste rocks. Therefore, by employing a self-designed bidirectional loading test system for granular materials, this study tested compaction characteristics of crushed waste rocks with four different particle size distributions. Moreover, this research tested the changes of parameters in lateral and axial loading of crushed waste rocks and analysed the influence of particle size distribution on lateral strain, axial strain, porosity, lateral stress, and lateral pressure coefficient during compaction. The test results show that (1) particle size distribution affects porosity, strain, and lateral pressure coefficient of crushed waste rocks under lateral and axial loading. (2) For the samples under particle size distribution ranging from 0 to 10 mm, the initial porosity is low and deformations are small under axial loading, so that particles can make contact and bear effective stress in grain-grain contact. Therefore, more stress is transferred to the lateral direction. (3) After compaction, the curves of the samples of crushed waste rocks under four particle size distributions all shift upwards in comparison with those before compaction, indicating that particles are crushed and the proportion of small particles constantly increases. (4) A reasonable particle size distribution can significantly improve stress characteristics, reduce crushing of particles in the samples, and increase the stiffness of the samples, so as to achieve better compaction effects.
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Evidence of non-DDD pathway in the anaerobic degradation of DDT in tropical soil
Abstract
DDT transformation to DDD in soil is the most commonly reported pathway under anaerobic conditions. A few instances of DDT conversion to products other than DDD/DDE have been reported under aerobic conditions and hardly any under anaerobic conditions. In particular, few reports exist on the anaerobic degradation of DDT in African tropical soils, despite DDT contamination arising from obsolete pesticide stockpiles in the continent as well as new contamination from DDT use for mosquito and tsetse fly control. Moreover, the development of possible remediation strategies for contaminated sites demands adequate understanding of different soil processes and their effect on DDT persistence, hence necessitating the study. The aim of this work was to study the effect of simulated anaerobic conditions and slow-release carbon sources (compost) on the dissipation of DDT in two tropical clay soils (paddy soil and field soil) amenable to periodic flooding. The results showed faster DDT dissipation in the field soil but higher metabolite formation in the paddy soil. To explain this paradox, the levels of dissolved organic carbon and carbon mineralization (CH4 and CO2) were correlated with p,p-DDT and p,p-DDD concentrations. It was concluded that DDT underwent reductive degradation (DDD pathway) in the paddy soil and both reductive (DDD pathway) and oxidative degradation (non-DDD pathway) in the field soil.
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Notes On Julia – The Language
So what's a good language for concurrent programming and parallel execution? Might it be Julia? Continue reading →
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Sulfur dioxide induces apoptosis via reactive oxygen species generation in rat cardiomyocytes
Abstract
Epidemiological evidence suggests that the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular diseases are closely related to sulfur dioxide (SO2). In the present study, H9C2 cells were incubated with 100 μM NaHSO3 with or without pretreatment of an antioxidant, N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC). The changes of apoptosis rate, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), ATP content, caspase-3 activity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected. Rats were inhaled 7 mg/m3 SO2 and/or intraperitoneal injected with 50 mg/kg (bw) of NAC for 30 days. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein levels of apoptosis-related genes. We found that the apoptosis of H9C2 cells was induced by NaHSO3, which decreased the content of MMP and ATP, and induced the expression of caspase-3. NAC can inhibit the apoptosis induced by NaHSO3 treatment. SO2 and NaHSO3 decreased the expression of Bcl-2 and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax, increased the expression of Bax and P53 accumulation and phosphorylation, and activated caspase-9 and caspase-3. Whereas NAC can reduce the changes of apoptosis-related proteins in rat heart. Our results suggest that SO2 induces ROS-mediated P53 and caspase-dependent mitochondrial signaling pathways in H9C2 cells and rat hearts. Antioxidant therapy can reduce the adverse reactions of SO2 and lead to a decline in the cardiovascular disease induced by SO2.
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Endocrine disrupting pesticides in soil and their health risk through ingestion of vegetables grown in Pakistan
Abstract
A comprehensive study was conducted to appraise the concentrations of 30 endocrine disrupting pesticides (EDPs) in soil and vegetable samples collected from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The sum of 30 EDPs (Σ30EDPs) ranged from 192 to 2148 μg kg−1 in the collected soils. The selected EDP concentrations exceeded their respective limits in most of the tested soils and showed great variation from site to site. Similarly, high variations in Σ30EDP concentrations were also observed in vegetables with the highest mean concentration in lettuce (28.9 μg kg−1), followed by radish (26.6 μg kg−1), spinach (25.7 μg kg−1), onion (16.2 μg kg−1), turnip (15.6 μg kg−1), and garlic (14.7 μg kg−1). However, EDP levels in all studied vegetables were within FAO/WHO limits. The mean bioconcentration factor values were observed < 1 for all the studied vegetables. The health risk assessment revealed that the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) of Σ30EDPs associated with vegetable ingestion was below the acceptable risk level (1 × 10−6), showing no cancer risk to local inhabitants. However, exposure to endocrine disruptor and probable carcinogen heptachlor epoxide poses a potential non-cancer risk (hazard quotient (HQ > 1)) to children through vegetable consumption. The presence of banned EDPs in soils and vegetables of the study area indicates the stability of these legacy chemicals in the environment from over usage in the past or illegal current application for agricultural purposes.
Graphical abstract
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Phytoextraction of heavy metals from contaminated soil, water and atmosphere using ornamental plants: mechanisms and efficiency improvement strategies
Abstract
Accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in soil, water and air is one of the major environmental concerns worldwide, which mainly occurs due to anthropogenic activities such as industrialization, urbanization, and mining. Conventional remediation strategies involving physical or chemical techniques are not cost-effective and/or eco-friendly, reinforcing the necessity for development of novel approaches. Phytoextraction has attracted considerable attention over the past decades and generally refers to use of plants for cleaning up environmental pollutants such as HMs. Compared to other plant types such as edible crops and medicinal plants, ornamental plants (OPs) seem to be a more viable option as they offer several advantages including cleaning up the HMs pollution, beautification of the environment, by-product generation and related economic benefits, and not generally being involved in the food/feed chain or other direct human applications. Phytoextraction ability of OPs involve diverse detoxification pathways such as enzymatic and non-enzymatic (secondary metabolites) antioxidative responses, distribution and deposition of HMs in the cell walls, vacuoles and metabolically inactive tissues, and chelation of HMs by a ligand such as phytochelatins followed by the sequestration of the metal–ligand complex into the vacuoles. The phytoextraction efficiency of OPs can be improved through chemical, microbial, soil amending, and genetic approaches, which primarily target bioavailability, uptake, and sequestration of HMs. In this review, we explore the phytoextraction potential of OPs for remediation of HMs-polluted environments, underpinning mechanisms, efficiency improvement strategies, and highlight the potential future research directions.
Graphical Abstract
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Obliquity, inclination and eccentricity of Earth – a model: Part 1
Earth's Axial Tilt, or Obliquity [Credit: Wikipedia]
First let's get the approximate target numbers for the model.
'The inclination of Earth's orbit varies with respect to the solar system's invariant plane with a period of roughly 71000 years.
. . .
Taken in conjunction with the 26000-year spin-axis precession, the 71000-year orbit precession causes a 41000-year oscillation in the tilt of the earth's axis, about plus or minus 1.3 degrees from its average value of 23.3 degrees. This number is not absolutely stable – it depends on the combined positions of all the planets through time.'
Astronomy: precession of Earth (Washington State University)
– – –
Origin of the 100 kyr Glacial Cycle: eccentricity or orbital inclination?
'Spectral analysis of climate data shows a strong narrow peak with period ~ 100 kyr, attributed by the Milankovitch theory to changes in the eccentricity of the earth's orbit. The narrowness of the peak does suggest an astronomical origin; however the shape of the peak is incompatible with both linear and nonlinear models that attribute the cycle to eccentricity or (equivalently) to the envelope of the precession. In contrast, the orbital inclination parameter gives a good match to both the spectrum and bispectrum of the climate data.'
Richard A. Muller — University of California, Berkeley and
Gordon J. MacDonald — University of California, San Diego
Let obliquity (tilt) = letter 'O'
Model assumption:
Inclination (estimated as 71000 years) = Geometric mean of 1*O and 3*O
Eccentricity (estimated as 100000 years) = Geometric mean of 2*O and 3*O
For two numbers, geometric mean = the square root of their multiplied value:
Square root of 1 * 3 = 1.7320508
Square root of 2 * 3 = 2.4494897
If O = 41000 years:
Inclination = O * 1.7320508 = 71014 years (~99.98% match to target)
Eccentricity = O * 2.4494897 = 100429 years (~99.57% match to target)
– – –
So that's the basic idea with Part 1 this model: inclination and eccentricity can be derived from obliquity, according to these results.
In Part 2 the orbital factor comes in, with relevant supporting numbers. It will also show where the idea of the obliquity multiples (2 and 3) originates from.
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We must hope Dr. Soon is right …
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Climate Foundation Calls Belgian Manifesto By “3400 Academics” Alarmist, Pseudoacademic And Even Refuted By IPCC
What follows is translation of a guest contribution from the Climate Intelligence Foundation in response to a manifesto by 3400 Belgian academics who in lock-step claim "it is five to twelve". According to them, draconian measures are necessary to save the world.
Hat-tip Dr. Hans Labohm
It's an as outstanding rebuttal as you'll ever find, and it follows below in English (NTZ has added the main-point titles in bold).
====================================
Terrifying climate propaganda
Irresponsible misuse of models
Science differs from religion because theoretical claims have to be verified with observations. If model results can predict measurements in advance (which is quite different than explaining them afterwards!) then you can say the model validated and then apply it in practice. But if that is not the case, then you cannot sell the model as truth and using it in practice is irresponsible.
Far more complicated than simple, linear CO2 relationship
The current climate model ('IPCC model') systematically yields highly overstated predictions compared to measurements and can therefore not be used to form climate policy – especially if that policy results in extremely high costs and destabilises vital parts of the energy infrastructure.
We are not just saying that. Already some of the most renowned scientists have preceded us (e.g. Freeman Dyson, Frederic Seitz, Robert Jastrow, William Nierenberg), including Nobel Prize winners (e.g. Ivar Giaever and Robert Laughlin). They also argue that the earth's climate is far too complicated to be explained by a simple one-dimensional CO2 relationship.
Modern warming in large part natural
In the following we will briefly comment on the claims made by the Belgian signatories.
1. The earth is warming up. Worldwide, the average temperature has already risen by about 1°C (compared to the average temperature between 1850 and 1900)."
Yes, the earth is warming up. But that is business as usual. Earth's history tells us that climate change has always happened. The geological archive shows very nicely that hot and cold periods have alternated regularly. This happened with sudden jerks and jolts, two steps forward and then one step backward.
We really don't have to go back to the great ice ages. Archaeological information shows that around the year 1000 we knew the Medieval Warmth Period. Back then there was plenty of agriculture in Greenland! And in the golden age we were in the middle of the Little Ice Age. The great Dutch and Belgian paintings show beautiful ice scenes from that cold period. From the end of that small ice age, around 1850, we entered a warming period, of course again with fits and starts. Nothing special. These are the natural movements in the climate system. Soon the temperature will drop again. Ecosystems have always moved along successfully and will do so again now.
"Scientific evidence inconclusive…unsustainable"
2. Almost 100% of the observed warming is due to human activities."
This certainty is shocking. This is indeed what the IPCC believes. However, the scientific evidence is far from conclusive. It is also highly unlikely that the natural movements would have stopped abruptly after 1850. And that since that time suddenly only man would be responsible for that warming.
But what caused the Little Ice Age, when glaciers expanded en masse? And what caused the Warm Medieval Period? As long as climate science does not have a good answer to such questions, modesty suits us.
Even today nobody understands exactly what the complex interactions are between the sun's radiation, the dynamic cloud cover, the inhomogeneous earth surface, the energy-rich currents and the water vapour-rich atmosphere. Nor do we know exactly how much human CO2 contributes to global warming. The great certainty that the IPCC wants the world to believe that man is responsible is scientifically unsustainable.
Alarmists the true "climate deniers"…"have been seduced"
3. Already with the current warming of 'only' 1°C we are confronted with increasing and stronger weather extremes such as heat waves, droughts and floods. As global warming continues, extremes will become more common. Moreover, when global warming rises above 2 degrees, the chance that global warming will strengthen itself increases enormously. A kind of snowball effect that makes it even warmer."
The authors and signatories of the letter appear here as the true climate deniers. Downright astonishing. Because the last three relevant IPCC reports (SREX, AR5 and SR15) clearly state that there are no discernible trends in droughts and floods. So there are no more or less than before, and they have not become worse or less bad. The IPCC does state that heat waves are more common in certain areas. But this is also tentative because in the US for example the dust bowl period of the 1930s still dominates all record books.
The fact that the authors allow themselves to be seduced by such exaggerations, which even contradict various IPCC reports, and suggests that their critical scientific view has been clouded by their activism.
CO2 as control knob is delusion
4. Limiting climate change and preventing self-reinforcing feedbacks is highly necessary. To limit global warming to 2 degrees, CO2 emissions must be reduced by about 25% by 2030 and by about 85% by 2050. To stay below 1.5°C, emissions must even be zero net by 2050. In order to be able to achieve this now, far-reaching and structural measures must be taken immediately – NOW. The longer we wait to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the greater the efforts will the needed to keep the warming (well below) 2 degrees.
The success of the climate movement is a simple message: "Human CO2 is the cause of global warming; global warming is causing a catastrophe; if we turn the CO2 knob, everything will be fine again." But for the above claims there is no proof. How did we get these detailed certainties? The general public is rightly asking the climate movement for hard evidence. There is convincing evidence, also published scientifically, that climate models are hypersensitive to CO2 and therefore generate too much warming. Any future warming by CO2 will therefore be much more gradual than the models indicate. But the forces of nature can also cause a turnaround to cooling.
Bizarre and worrying demands
Since CO2 reduction is very expensive at the moment, and sun, wind and biomass are far from sufficient to supply modern societies with energy, we will have to work on future technologies with which an (ideologically desired) CO2 reduction might become affordable. Nuclear energy is the most likely option. Strangely enough, Belgium plans to close all its nuclear power plants and replace them with gas power plants. This cannot be explained in the context of CO2 policy, and it is bizarre and worrying that nothing is said about this in the open letter. If the authors are really serious about CO2, they should be making a massive plea for keeping the existing nuclear power plants open for as long as possible.
Paris allows emissions to keep rising
5. Current policy measures fall far short of what is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CO2 emissions are still increasing worldwide, so we are not emitting less, but more and more every year. The opposite of what needs to be done. Moreover, the proposed policy measures are still miles from what is necessary to drastically reduce emissions, and that applies at local, Belgian, European and global levels. With the proposals currently on the table, the world is heading for more than 3°C warming by the end of the century. That may sound little, but the consequences are enormous."
The fact that CO2 emissions are still increasing worldwide was simply agreed on in the much applauded Paris Climate Agreement. All countries were there. China and India can and will continue to emit more CO2 until 2030.
Gigantic costs, with literally no impact
If we still insist on CO2 reduction for ideological reasons, we should not close the relatively clean power plants in Western Europe, but the many polluting power plants in Asia. China, for example, is going to greatly expand its polluting coal-fired power stations and turn them into an export product.
What we in the Netherlands and Belgium contribute to CO2 is miniscule, but reduction will cost many hundreds of billions of euros. For example, if we in the Netherlands achieve the target of 49% CO2 reduction by 2030 (more than the authors of the open letter propose), it would result in 0.0003 degrees less warming by 2100 – negligible and immeasurable. And if Belgium closes its nuclear power plants, there would be no other choice but to rely on fossil fuels. That is the reality!
0.05°C less warming for $1 TRILLION per year
6. Action against climate change is much more economically advantageous than not taking action. In the longer term, the costs of inaction are much higher than the investments to reduce emissions. Doing nothing leads to enormous costs, including damage from floods, storms and forest fires. Extreme droughts and resulting food shortages can cause social unrest in many countries and lead to global migration. The transition to an emission-free society, on the other hand, is economically much more advantageous and even creates additional jobs. Moreover, the direct subsidies for fossil fuels worldwide amount to more than 500 billion dollars annually. This amount, or even only part of it, would, for example, facilitate the transition to a carbon-neutral society."
These are highly dubious claims. The claim that doing nothing will entail much higher costs is but very questionable. The cure can be worse than the disease and we believe that current climate policy is a typical example of this. Bjorn Lomborg calculated, for example, that if all countries honour their voluntary commitments under the Paris Agreement, the temperature effect in 2100 will be only 0.05 degrees Celsius. This is also negligible. According to Lomborg, the policy is already costing USD 1000 to 2000 billion a year, mainly as a result of reduced economic growth. This is a major problem for developing countries. They are still working hard to bring their citizens up to the same level of prosperity as we have in the West.
Green economy in fact leads to net job losses
The suggestions that climate policy will create extra jobs are also misleading. Of course, you create jobs if you put hundreds of billions of public money into the energy transition. However, the question is how many jobs are lost elsewhere and what the net effect is. Experience in Germany and Spain shows that green jobs are extremely expensive jobs and therefore harm the economy. So it is scientifically all very embarrassing what is being claimed here.
Confused academics
7. Knowledge and technologies needed to drastically reduce CO2 emissions already exist. It now requires foremost the political courage to take the necessary structural measures and to fully commit to the transition to a society without greenhouse gas emissions. After all, the transition will only be possible if, among other things, the supply of renewable energy is rapidly and strongly expanded, buildings become power stations instead of energy guzzlers, mobility is reformed, deforestation is prevented here and elsewhere and trees are planted where possible, and if the emissions caused by the enormous livestock population are also tackled. These investments also offer the opportunity for positive change in many other areas. For example, cleaner air and sufficient food and drinkable water for everyone."
Here climate change and environmental issues are completely mixed up. The confusion caused by these two problems is considerable. Many people who say they are very concerned about climate change actually mean that they are very concerned about the natural environment, such as soot and fine particles in the air and plastics in the oceans. From a historical perspective, the great forces of nature seem to play a prominent role in the change of the earth's climate, yet in the deterioration of the environment, man is undoubtedly dominant.
Two final comments from the Foundation:
Lost scientific independence "extremely worrying"
a) The greatest value of a scientist is his or her independence. We see that scientists are becoming increasingly financially dependent on government and industry. Political and commercial interests have become an increasingly important part of research. As a result, many scientists have lost their independence. The Belgian manifesto makes this painfully clear once again. That is extremely worrying. Are there still independent teachers to be found today?
The history of science tells us time and again that scientific progress has never gained from consensus, but from stubborn scientists who dared to question existing concepts. It is in the interests of science and humanity that these dissidents do not become silenced, as is currently the case with the IPCC, the public media and commercial lobby groups.
Skepticism is the basis of all scientific progress. People who no longer doubt and are convinced that they are right, do not ask questions but argue. That's why we aren't making any headway in the climate debate.
Child being misused by alarmists
b). In Belgium, the climate movement has now also started using children for their ideological cause. A rather peculiar strategy. What children need to learn is to take a critical look at the facts. So what is happening now goes against everything that education should stand for. We are increasingly seeing children being abused to achieve goals.
Who remembers that washed ashore refugee boy on the beach, an image that was frequently used by refugee organisations, or the asylum boy who had a microphone pushed under his nose with TV crew chairman Dijkhoff, or the crying Lili and Howick in the NOS news, etc.? Anyone who wants to be proved right by putting children at the front of their causes is morally reprehensible. Teachers who work in this manner should be deeply ashamed.
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Relationship between arsenic accumulation in tissues and hematological parameters in mullet caught in Faro Lake: a preliminary study
Abstract
The authors investigated the arsenic (As) accumulation in different tissues (muscle, gill, liver, stomach, and intestine) and the possible correlation between tissue concentration and hematological parameters in mullet (Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758) caught in Faro Lake (Messina, Sicily, Italy). On all fish, hematological analyses of blood samples, measurement of biometric indices, and the removal of the muscles, gills, liver, stomach, and intestine for the determination of arsenic concentration were performed. A hemogram was performed to find effects of arsenic concentration in tissues on hematological variables. One-way analysis of variance showed significant differences of arsenic concentration in different tissues, with higher values in the gill. The correlation between hematological parameters and tissue arsenic concentration showed a statistical significance for red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), and hematocrit (Hct) with the liver As concentration. Biometric indices (weight, length, and fork length) showed a significant correlation with As concentration of the muscle and liver also. Our results indicate the role of some hematological parameters as biomarkers useful to monitoring anthropogenic load of arsenic in water and sediment, because variations of these parameters represent one of the effects that arsenic exposure can have on fish.
from Climate Change Skeptic Blogs via hj on Inoreader http://bit.ly/2MQlmOA
Synergistic effect and degradation mechanism on Fe-Ni/CNTs for removal of 2,4-dichlorophenol in aqueous solution
Abstract
Fe-Ni bimetallic nanoparticles supported on CNTs (Fe-Ni/CNTs) were synthesized, characterized, and applied for removal of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in aqueous solution. The removal performance was enhanced drastically on Fe-Ni/CNTs with respect to monometallic Fe/CNTs. The synergistic effect between Fe-Ni nanoparticles and CNTs has been studied in detail. The research results indicated that the doping of Ni played an important role in promoting the catalytic degradation of 2,4-DCP. And the presence of CNTs not only could effectively reduce the aggregation of nanoparticles but also facilitate the mass transfer of 2,4-DCP and the formation of active atomic hydrogen during the catalytic process. In addition, the removal kinetics of 2,4-DCP by Fe-Ni/CNTs were in agreement with a pseudo-first-order model, and the rate constants were dependent on a number of factors including the initial concentration of 2,4-DCP, the dosage of Fe-Ni/CNTs, pH value of the solution, and doping amount of Ni. The degradation mechanism involved the adsorption by CNTs and catalytic reduction by Fe under the stimulating of Ni, and the preferred dechlorination followed the order of para-Cl > ortho-Cl. The study confirmed that Fe-Ni/CNTs had a potential to be a promising catalytic material for removal of chlorophenol and had a great prospect for practical application.
from Climate Change Skeptic Blogs via hj on Inoreader http://bit.ly/2DOEf17
Flashback to 2007: Snowdon will be snow-free in 13 years, scientists warn
By Paul Homewood
h/t Joe Public
Only one year to go then. They'd better get their blowtorch out!
Those who originally named the peak spoke as they probably found it, calling it "Snow Dun", from the Saxon for "snow hill". But Snowdon may lose its snow cover within 13 years as a result of climate change, Welsh scientists say.
Snow has been disappearing for some time from the peak, the highest in Britain south of the Highlands, but the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) disclosed that this winter's accumulation is the lowest since records began 14 years ago. With only a couple of snowfalls this winter, the total depths measured are way down on previous years and, if the trend continues, any kind of the cover could disappear by 2020.
The loss of snow is already threatening the rare Snowdon lily, a relic of the last ice age, which relies on harsh winters to survive and is losing its habitat to bracken and other plants.
Lembit Opik, the leader of the Liberal Democrats in Wales and the MP for Montgomeryshire, said: "Snow-capped Snowdon has been an iconic Welsh image for centuries. It is shocking to think that in just 14 years, snow on this great mountain could become nothing but a permanent and distant memory."
Currently Snowden is covered in the white, thing of the past:
from Climate Change Skeptic Blogs via hj on Inoreader http://bit.ly/2ShKlPX
Evidence Mounts Against Climate Prediction That Inspired ‘Day After Tomorrow’ Disaster Flick
from Climate Change Skeptic Blogs via hj on Inoreader http://bit.ly/2MNnaHM
Climate change spreads AIDS
Yesterday lots of people died and made the climate change. Today climate change is causing more AIDS and killing people.
It all goes to show that climate change is the most useless phrase in the English language.
It's able to be used in so many contradictory ambiguous ways, as to mean everything, and therefore, nothing.
It's useless to anyone who wants to convey information, but pretty handy for those who want to convey fog instead. Anyone want to prey on the good-but-confused?
How climate change is undermining the war against HIV in Africa Widespread poverty and worsening droughts, floods and other climate risks make Africa particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate changeClimate change is always 50 shades of evil:
Yaounde — Teenage girls growing up in Lesotho in areas hit by harsh drought and other climate shocks are more likely to drop out of school, start having sex earlier and contract HIV, researchers say.
Even the IPCC doesn't really pretend in their scientific hearts that we can predict or attribute the causes of drought and flood, yet here it gets bundled in with "climate change" as if everyone knows that droughts are getting worse (they're not) and [...]
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‘Little Ice Age’ which froze the River Thames caused by Americas genocide, study finds
http://bit.ly/2RYEqQh The Inca ruler Atahulpa supplicant before the conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1533 The Inca ruler Atahulpa supplicant before the conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1533 CREDIT: HULTON ARCHIVE Henry Bodkin, science correspondent 31 JANUARY 2019 • 3:31PM Follow The "Little Ice Age" of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was triggered by the genocide of indigenous [...]
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BBC: STUDY: American genocide of Indigenous Peoples during colonisation ‘cooled Earth’s climate’ – Caused a ‘genocide-generated drop in CO₂’
https://bbc.in/2Tnz2TD America colonisation 'cooled Earth's climate' By Jonathan Amos BBC Science Correspondent 31 January 2019 Share this with Facebook Share this with WhatsApp Share this with Messenger Share this with Twitter Share Media captionMark Maslin and Chris Brierley: "A genocide-generated drop in carbon dioxide" Colonisation of the Americas at the end of the 15th Century [...]
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[ASAP] Tunneling Diffusion of Excess Protons in Amorphous Solid Water at 10 and 80 K
The Journal of Physical Chemistry C
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.8b11829
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This Week In Doom — Men Can Have Abortions Edition
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D.) commented Wednesday about a controversial 40-week abortion bill and in so doing said the law allows an abortion to take place after the infant's birth.
"If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother," Northam said, alluding to the physician and mother discussing whether the born infant should live or die.
Please re-read this essay about women's "rights".
Item Man interrogated by police for liking a 'transphobic' tweet
Harry Miller, who believes 'trans women are not women', says the formal probe by Humberside Police was into his 'thinking' and his reasons for liking the limerick on Twitter. The limerick referred to trans women as 'stupid' and made comments about vaginas and 'synthetic' hormones.
Mr Miller, who used to be a policeman, says an officer told him he was investigating reports of a hate crime. 'Cop said he was in possession of 30 tweets by me,' he recalled on Twitter. 'I asked if any contained criminal material. He said "No." 'I asked if any came close to being criminal and he read me a limerick. Honestly. A limerick. A cop read me a limerick over the phone.' After telling the PC he did not write the limerick, he reportedly said: 'Ah. But you liked it and promoted it.'
He concluded: 'It's not a crime, but it will be recorded as a hate incident.'…
'Lastly, he told me that I needed to watch my words more carefully or I was at risk of being sacked by the company for hate speech.'
Urgent reader task: Anybody know what the limerick is? Will post it in next Doom.
Reality, as we have long stressed, is now illegal in many venues. Speaking of Reality is a 'hate' crime. Threatening and carrying out violence on those who admit Reality is, as it does not need saying, an efficient method to silence.
Item 9 Arrested In Climate Change Protest At Rockefeller Center: Cops
A banner draped across a statue at Rockefeller Center read "climate change=mass murder."…
The demonstration at Rockefeller Center was staged to protest climate change. Photos posted to social media showed protesters participating in a "die-in" at the ice skating rink. Photos also showed a banner draped across a statue at the rink that read "climate change = mass murder."
The Facebook event for the protest, named "Rebellion Day One," says the goal of the group organizing the protest — Extinction Rebellion — is to get to net zero emissions by 2025 by participating in mass civil disobedience.
I am saddened to report to you that this was not a real die-in, but a simulated die-in. These millennials have no commitment. Let's all encourage them to do better next time!
Item The World Health Organization Says "Men" Can Get Abortions
he World Health Organization (WHO) has issued medical guidance on abortion intended to reflect the latest scientific evidence in the field. However, its most apparent change was cultural rather than medical. This new report began by insisting it is not only females who can become pregnant, but so can women who think they are men, that is, "those with varying gender identities."
The guidance further stated that abortion must be provided in a manner promoting health and human rights "including sex and gender equality," implying a sharp distinction between the two….
If a healthcare employee objects to abortion as a matter of conscience, the guidance offers only the suggestion that task-shifting to nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and other health care employees might "reduce the burden" and ensure abortion access is unimpeded. In an earlier 2012 technical and policy guidance on "safe abortion," WHO instructed that conscientious objectors must provide a timely referral. If this is impossible, WHO insists the objector "must provide abortion to save the woman's life or to prevent damage to her health."
Since killing the lives inside would-be mothers is the goal of abortion, it is, of course, impossible not to damage the health of these lives.
Item Proposed law would make animal cruelty a felony across the U.S.
Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives re-introduced a bill last week that would make malicious acts of animal cruelty a felony nationwide. A person convicted of the crime could face a fine or up to seven years in prison, or both.
The bill, known as the Preventing Animal Cruel and Torture (PACT) Act, is co-sponsored by Democrat Ted Deutch and Republican Vern Buchanan. PACT would criminalize "crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating and impaling animals." The measure would also address bestiality and other attempts to sexually exploit animals.
It is, of course, a good thing to criminalize bestiality, but not if it's done for the wrong reason ("…the final treason"). It should be illegal because it goes against man's nature, not because it frightens the horses.
Here's a law they'll use, we might guess, to start banning some meats. Not immediately. But it will be judged this or that farming or slaughter or hunting practice is cruel. And what is cruel will slowly expand to acts such as axing a turkey's head or placing a bullet between the ribs of wild animals. Maybe these pushes stall at first, but PETA-type organizations will absolutely attempt to use the law as a wedge.
And then comes animal "rights." It will be call the "true equality". Wait and see.
Item Financial Blacklisting: NewsGuard Advises Advertisers to Avoid Pro-Trump Media
NewsGuard, the news-filtering browser extension recently partnered with Microsoft and run by neoconservatives, Obama-Clinton alumni, and other assorted Trump haters, has advised advertisers to withdraw their business from websites on its blacklist of "unreliable" news websites — a list that includes Breitbart News, The Drudge Report, and the Daily Mail.
Labeling Drudge and DM "right" wing is amusing, so let's first chuckle. The real meaning is the media on the dissident right is going to have to find another way to fund itself than via advertising. Most capital is now woke. Ads therefore are out. We're going to have to self fund.
Item Catholic Church in Texas Names Nearly 300 Priests Accused of Sex Abuse
The Roman Catholic Church in Texas on Thursday released the names of almost 300 priests who it said had been credibly accused of child sex abuse over nearly eight decades.
Not that these largely homosexual predators are innocent, but I'm struck by how the phrase credibly accused entered our vocabulary so quickly as a synonym of guilty.
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Chinese rover finds lunar nights ‘colder than expected’
View from the Moon [credit: NASA]
Quoting from another report: 'Data from the Apollo missions had already revealed that the moon's sunlit surface can climb to 260 degrees Fahrenheit (127 degrees Celsius) during the day, and drop to minus 280 F (minus 173 C) at night. But all of that data comes from the side of the moon that faces Earth.' They think the answer to the mystery lies in the soil, which might raise other questions about the rotating sphere with no 'sides' that the lander is on.
China's lunar lander has woken from a freezing fortnight-long hibernation to find night-time temperatures on the moon's dark side are colder than previously thought, the national space agency said Thursday.
The Chang'e-4 probe—named after a Chinese moon goddess—made the first ever soft landing on the far side of the moon on January 3, a major step in China's ambitions to become a space superpower, says Phys.org.
Temperatures on the moon's surface plummeted to minus 190 degrees celsius (-310 degrees Fahrenheit) during the probe's first lunar night, which "was colder than scientists expected," the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.
The night-time temperatures were recorded by the Chinese probe after it became active on Wednesday, following a slumber that lasted for about two earth weeks.
They were lower than those recorded by previous US missions to the near side of the moon, Zhang He, executive director of the Chang'e-4 mission, told Xinhua news agency.
"That's probably due to the difference in lunar soil composition between the two sides of the moon," he said.
Full report here.
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Ice Floes on Lake Michigan
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Immunostimulating effects of Ginkgo biloba extract against toxicity induced by organophosphate pesticide, diazinon in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss : innate immunity components and immune-related genes
Abstract
The immunostimulating and therapeutic properties of Ginkgo biloba (GB) have always been the focus of traditional medicine over thousands of years. During last decade, special attentions were paid to use of GB in aquaculture to enhance fish health and survival. In the present study, we investigated for the first time the immunogenic effects of dietary GB against oxidative and toxicity induced by organophosphate pesticide, diazinon. In non-diazinon-exposed fish, the plasma total immunoglobulin, lysozyme activity, and peroxidase activity significantly elevated after 60-day experiment in fish supplemented with 1 and 2 g GB/kg diet (p < 0.05). The respiratory burst activity and complement activity significantly increased only in groups supplemented with 0.5 g GB/kg diet (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the peroxidase activity, total immunoglobulin, and lysozyme activity significantly declined in groups supplemented with 4 g GB/kg diet during feeding trial (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in expression of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) genes in kidney between control group (non-GB-supplemented fish) and GB-supplemented fish (p > 0.05). In diazinon-exposed fish, all immunity components significantly decreased during exposure in control and those fed 0.5 and 4 g GB/kg diet (p < 0.05). In fish fed 1 and 2 g GB/kg diet, no alternations were found in immunity components during exposure period (p > 0.05). In addition, diazinon induced the expression of IL-1β and TGF-β1 genes in control and fish fed 0.5 and 4 g GB/kg diet (p < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in expression of IL-1β and TGF-β1 genes in fish supplemented with 1 and 2 g GB/kg (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest an immunogenic role for dietary GB at optimum dietary levels (1–2 g GB/kg diet) against toxicity induced by diazinon. Nevertheless, GB at high dietary levels (4 g GB/kg diet) showed immunosuppressive effects, which makes it necessary to optimize its levels in diet.
from Climate Change Skeptic Blogs via hj on Inoreader http://bit.ly/2SmrR0x
Optimization of physical parameters for enhanced production of lipase from Staphylococcus hominis using response surface methodology
Abstract
Lipase, a versatile hydrolytic enzyme, is gaining more importance in environmental applications such as treatment of oil and grease containing wastewater, pretreatment of solid waste/industrial wastewater for anaerobic treatment. In the present study, the attempts have been made to improve the production of lipase from Staphylococcus hominis MTCC 8980 by optimization of pH, temperature, and agitation speed in lab scale shake flasks culture. The experiments were designed using the full factorial central composite design of experiment. A total of 20 experiments were conducted, and the optimized pH, temperature, and agitation speed were found to be 7.9, 33.1 °C, and 178.4 rpm, respectively. The results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test revealed that the linear terms for temperature and agitation were significant (p value < 0.05). Interaction for pH and agitation speed was found to have a significant effect on lipase production from S. hominis MTCC 8980. A 150% increase in enzyme activity was observed under the optimized conditions with the maximum lipase activity of 1.82 U/ml. Further enhancement of enzyme activity can be expected from the optimization of medium components.
from Climate Change Skeptic Blogs via hj on Inoreader http://bit.ly/2HLDAl7
A regional data assimilation system for estimating CO surface flux from atmospheric mixing ratio observations—a case study of Xuzhou, China
Abstract
Carbon monoxide (CO) emission inventory data are crucial for air quality control. However, the emission inventories are labor-intensive and time-consuming and generally have large uncertainties. In this study, we developed a new regional data assimilation system (TracersTracker) for estimating the surface CO emission flux from continuous mixing ratio observations using the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD)-based four-dimensional variational (4D-VAR) data assimilation method (POD-4DVar) and a coupled regional model (Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) with the Models-3 Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model). This system was applied to estimate CO emissions in Xuzhou city, China. An experiment was conducted with the continuous hourly surface CO mixing ratio observations from 21 monitoring towers in January and July of 2016. The experimental results of the system were examined and compared with the continuous surface CO observations (a priori emission). We found that the retrieved CO emission fluxes were higher than the a priori emission and were mainly distributed in urban and industrial areas, which were 104% higher in January (winter) and 44% higher in July (summer).
from Climate Change Skeptic Blogs via hj on Inoreader http://bit.ly/2SkIrOo
A mini review of bisphenol A (BPA) effects on cancer-related cellular signaling pathways
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a plasticizer used widely in many industrial products and is now well established as an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC). BPA readily leaches out from these products into the environment and into foodstuffs (from packaging materials) and human exposure can be considerable. Many studies have shown that BPA exposure is associated with a range of chronic human health conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, polycystic ovarian disease, hepatotoxicity, and various types of cancer. BPA exerts its effects through deregulating cell signaling pathways associated with cell growth, proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis. Previous studies on the molecular mechanisms of BPA have illustrated a variety of pathways impaired at very low exposure concentrations and that stimulate cellular responses relating to tumorigenesis both in cancer onset and progression. In this mini review, the recent advancements made through in vitro analyses are reported on for the effect of BPA on various cellular signaling pathways focusing on the signaling pathways that play a major role in carcinogenesis.
from Climate Change Skeptic Blogs via hj on Inoreader http://bit.ly/2HN6Zvs
Soil amendments for cadmium phytostabilization by five marigold cultivars
Abstract
In recent years, ornamental plants have come under investigation as phytoremediation agents. In addition to reducing contaminant concentrations in soil, such plants support local economies by serving social (e.g., religious) and decorative purposes. Greenhouse studies investigated the phytostabilization potential of soil cadmium (Cd) by five cultivars of marigold (Tagetes erecta), a common ornamental flower in Asia. The effects of organic (cattle manure and pig manure) and inorganic (leonardite and Osmocote®) amendments in supporting plant growth and enhancing Cd uptake were also examined. Marigold cultivars Babuda and Sunshine grown in soil supplemented with pig manure produced the greatest biomass and experienced greatest Cd accumulation and flower production. In all treatments, plant parts accumulated Cd in the following order: root > shoot ≈ flower. Furthermore, Babuda and Sunshine cultivars had a high phytostabilization potential as evidenced by translocation factors < 1 and bioconcentration factors > 1 for roots. It is proposed that Babuda and Sunshine marigold cultivars be applied toward Cd phytostabilization while enhancing local economies as an ornamental species.
from Climate Change Skeptic Blogs via hj on Inoreader http://bit.ly/2SnhdGO
Nitrogen transfer from one plant to another depends on plant biomass production between conspecific and heterospecific species via a common arbuscular mycorrhizal network
Abstract
The formation of a common mycorrhizal network (CMN) between roots of different plant species enables nutrient transfers from one plant to another and their coexistence. However, almost all studies on nutrient transfers between CMN-connected plants have separately, but not simultaneously, been demonstrated under the same experimentation. Both conspecific and heterospecific seedlings of Cinnamomum camphora, Bidens pilosa, and Broussonetia papyrifera native to a karst habitat in southwest China were concurrently grown in a growth microcosm that had seven hollowed compartments (six around one in the center) being covered by 35.0-μm and/or 0.45-μm nylon mesh. The Ci. camphora in the central compartment was supplied with or without Glomus etunicatum and 15N to track N transfers between CMN-connected conspecific and heterospecific seedlings. The results showed as follows: significant greater nitrogen accumulations, biomass productions, 15N content, % Ntransfer, and the Ntransfer amount between receiver plant species ranked as Br. papyrifera≈Bi. pilosa > Ci. camphora under both M+ and M−, and as under M+ than under M− for Ci. camphora but not for both Bi. Pilosa and Br. papyrifera; the CMN transferred more nitrogen (15N content, % Ntransfer, and Ntransfer amount) from the donor Ci. camphora to the heterospecific Br. papyrifera and Bi. pilosa, with a lower percentage of nitrogen derived from transfer (%NDFT). These findings suggest that the CMN may potentially regulate the nitrogen transfer from a donor plant to individual heterospecific receiver plants, where the ratio of nitrogen derived from transfer depends on the biomass strength of the individual plants.
from Climate Change Skeptic Blogs via hj on Inoreader http://bit.ly/2HNAygf
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This is the fourth in a series of posts based upon Jordan Peterson's book Maps of Meaning, published in 1999 after 17 years of researc...
