Dan

Tilting at Windmills…

by

I read some articles a few weeks ago about a study which found wind farms causing localized ground surface warming in certain regions because they mix the higher, warmer air with the cooler air closer to the ground at night. The headlines were predictably misleading at first, saying things like “Wind farms causing climate to warm.” In a few days, things settled down and the people who understood the study responded with explanations… no, they’re not causing global warming. It’s localized warming. It’s at night. Here’s what happens. etc… etc…

So most headlines were more accurate from that point. Not all. There were still plenty of misleading ones, just not as prominent or numerous. What I found funny, however, was the collection of headlines in my Google News feed on the subject (ordered and formatted here as it showed up in my feed). Note the headline message… and the news source. One of these things is (predictably) not like the others. Ha!

Don’t believe the headlines. Wind farms do not cause ‘global’ warming.
Christian Science Monitor – ‎20 hours ago‎
A recent study published in Nature Climate Change suggests that large wind farms could be pulling down hot air at night, raising the average temperature of the local region.

No, wind farms are not causing global warming
Washington Post (blog)

Myth-busting claims that wind farms cause global warming
Alaska Dispatch

In Depth:Wind farms are causing global warming, researchers say
Fox News

Gas prices

by

Interestingly, back when gas prices were hitting the $4.00 per gallon mark, the right-wing was absurdly shouting blame at President Obama for the increase. Now that gas prices have dropped around sixty cents, I don’t think I’ve read or heard a single peep from that same right-wing group thanking the president for lowering prices… or even acknowledging the drop.

It’d be nonsense, either way, since the president has little, if anything, to do with gas prices, but it’s amusingly hypocritical. No doubt, there would be some "explanation" about how Obama was responsible for the increase, but not the decrease.

The Common Loon

by

The Common LoonAt the "State" Fair at my daughter’s school today (where all the students show off the projects they did about their selected US state), I just found out that the state bird of Minnesota is the Common Loon (also known as the Great Northern Loon).

It struck me as wholly appropriate, given that Minnesota is the home state of Michele Bachmann.

It’s got to be a coincidence, right? Right?!

Carl Sagan on Silent Assent

by

If we offer too much silent assent about mysticism and superstition – even when it seems to be doing a little good – we abet a general climate in which skepticism is considered impolite, science tiresome, and rigorous thinking somehow stuffy and inappropriate. Figuring out a prudent balance takes wisdom.

– Carl Sagan

Great quotes about marriage equality

by

I had planned to write something about Obama’s announcement regarding his support for marriage equality (which was long overdue, I think), but decided to just post a couple quotes I found in a discussion thread started by Phil Plait.

From Steve Keller:

"Language and culture" do not define marriage or its purpose. The laws put in place that provide the legal benefits and responsibility of marriage do. Being denied those benefits and responsibilities because someone else says you don’t deserve them – well, that right there is the very definition of a civil rights violation.

From Owen Roberts:

It is a VERY simple issue. You either believe in human rights or you don’t. i.e. You believe that the same rights apply to ALL humans, or you believe that some are more deserving than others.