Author Archives: Blair

The implication of "Professionalism" in Climate Change discussions.

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Blair

 I had a fascinating discussion today with an anonymous academic who reports himself (my bias? the commentor may be female but for the purposes of this discussion I will use male pronouns) as being “a professional and active scientist who … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Climate Change Politics | 43 Comments

On Appeals to Authority, “Climategate” and the Wizard of Oz: a Personal Journey from "Trust Me" to "Show Me"

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Blair

In the comments section of an earlier posting I have been in discussion with a prominent former modeller (Dr. Michael Tobis) and the author of a blog on climate science (…and Then There’s Physics). My initial posting included the following … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Climate Change Politics | 81 Comments

Climate Science: The “pause”, the “warmest year”, the “picnic” and where do we go from here?

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Blair

Those of you who have been following me from the beginning know that this is not a climate science blog. To this point most of my posts have involved energy use, energy supply and renewable energy. I started this blog … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Climate Change Politics | 8 Comments

Does the Climate Change Debate Come Down to Trust Me versus Show Me? – Further thoughts on Error Avoidance

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Blair

Author’s Note: This post represents a follow-up to an earlier post on Type I and Type II Error Avoidance and its Possible Role in the Climate Change Debate. For those of you returning to this posting you will note that … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Climate Change Politics | 33 Comments

Type I and Type II Error Avoidance and its Possible Role in the Climate Change Debate

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Blair

As I mention in my “about me” section, I have been reading the climate change literature since the early 1990’s. In doing so I have developed my personal views on the topic that are loosely defined as those of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Climate Change Politics | 23 Comments

Thoughts on blogging about renewable energy alternatives, Energiewende and how BC can do better

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Blair

So I have been writing this blog for about three weeks and have been both pleased and surprised by the positive and negative reviews. The most fascinating responses have been, not unexpectedly, from non-scientists of the progressive ilk. The number … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmentalism and Ecomodernism, Renewable Energy | 8 Comments

On Renewables and compromises, Intermission: Energy Density and Power Density

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Blair

So I want to get to the obvious next steps in the world of renewables: solar, wind and tide. Don’t get excited though because before I do I have to introduce you to a couple important topics in any discussion … Continue reading →

Posted in Renewable Energy | 4 Comments

Fukushima “fallout”: issues in reporting scientific research in the popular media

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Blair

I had other articles planned but a news report just popped up on my twitter feed that just begs to be discussed in the context of issues in reporting scientific research in the popular media. The article appeared in our … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian Politics | 2 Comments

On renewables and the need for compromise Part IV: biofuels – just bad or really bad?

Posted on December 28, 2014 by Blair

So I have threatened you all with a post on biofuels for a while and I suppose it is time to actually give it to you. A quick look at the post title gives you a hint of my personal … Continue reading →

Posted in Renewable Energy | 18 Comments

On renewables and the need for compromise, Part III: Geothermal redux

Posted on December 27, 2014 by Blair

So after preparing my first post on geothermal energy and the need for compromise, I was challenged by the Executive Director of DeSmogCanada who asked “Who has actually opposed geothermal? I haven’t heard any backlash“. My response was muted as my … Continue reading →

Posted in Renewable Energy | 7 Comments