Climate: A More Objective Measure?

It has been almost 10-years since we heard about Climategate.  That was the story of the jiggered-data that went into the global warning data tossed around in 2009 (November) at Copenhagen.

As Wikipedia sums it:

“The Climatic Research Unit email controversy (also known as “Climategate“) began in November 2009 with the hacking of a server at the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia (UEA) by an external attacker,copying thousands of emails and computer files, the Climatic Research Unit documents, to various internet locations several weeks before the Copenhagen Summit on climate change.

The story was first broken by climate change denialists, with columnist James Delingpole popularising the term “Climategate” to describe the controversy. Several climate-change “skeptics” argued that the emails showed that global warming was a scientific conspiracy and that scientists manipulated climate data and attempted to suppress critics.The CRU rejected this, saying that the emails had been taken out of context and merely reflected an honest exchange of ideas.”

We’re not sure even now whether the pejorative “denialists” is proper.  After all, the climate fear-mongers say stupid things with an incredible degree (if you’ll pardon the pun) of regularity.

The fundamental problem with climate is the data has been mostly “cooked.”

Not only is the financial district of New York not underwater yet, but the latest NOAA data argues persuasively that the Sun will be in a lengthening cool spell for at least three more years – and maybe much longer.  Worse, there’s some fear that there’s a new Modern Minimum  to echo the Maunder Minimum which saw its own “little ice age in the 1645-1715.”

Problem today is that a replay of such events would likely lead to massive famine in many parts of the world.  Not that it has to, but it will.  Because some business models are decidedly anti-human.  You see, while the Earth can probably make enough food, even when cooled a bit, is not the point.  Food is controlled by entities which demand payment and some profit.

You see, financial interests control the “middle chain” which is what regulates the arrival of the food (from the farmer’s property) to the final retail outlets in the distro scheme of things.

While at one time there was a reason to have commodity markets – to let companies lock in prices well in advance so they could plan production – there’s a food tax on everything – a tax which goes to “investors” who add to the actual cost of food and offer little, if anything, in return..

Getting rid of how our economic system “works” (or arguably doesn’t) is complicated stuff.  Because the Financial Classes of owners, large investors and the banksters have no real purpose except to form a kind of leech class that feeds off “the rest of us.”  Which, ‘fraid to admit, is why Elaine and I moved out to the Outback of East Texas 15-years ago.  With heritage seeds and such, we are not terribly worried about “famine.”

We beheld the evolution of “Global Warming” to “Climate Change” when cooling didn’t show up and New Yorker’s didn’t buy Aquanlung’s, except those produced by Jethro Tull.  We expect that in another five years of less, Global Cooling will be the problem that alarmist fund-raisers will turn to next.  Sometimes in Winter, huh?

All the while, we have been peacefully enjoying our deer herd wandering through the property and tending to a few small plants that are about to move from the comfort of the green house to the reality of the “great outdoors.” Some of the earlier tomatoes will go out next week, or maybe tomorrow..

There are times when I feel remiss not talking more about the practical economics of food and “policy” so today I’d like to introduce a new measurement of time.  Applicable only in East Texas, it’s a period of about 30-days duration, I have named it…

The First of Magnolia (which was last Saturday)

We only have a few real “purdy” trees on the property.  Red Bud, Dogwoods, and our favorites:  Magnolias and a few Gardenias.  Our utility carbon sequesterers are Oak and big Pine.  The First of Magnolia appeared last Saturday and to us, it’s a real, quantifiable measure of where climate is.

Last year, the Magnolia tree issued its first blossom in the first week of May.  We noticed that we didn’t get the first blossom this year until Saturday, May 18.

We got to thinking about it and decided that the “Month of Magnolia” is what matters most, not that silly strict calendarist month of May.

This is a very good proxy for when things are big enough to come out of the greenhouse and live under the open sky and when the year has told the trees and plants “It’s safe to come out, now…” 

It’s starting to warm up quickly now.  Here are some Beefsteak Tomatoes that popped up in just 4-days…faster than normal, but the greenhouse gives those of the thumb a chance to bend Nature up a bit:

When it comes to things like climate, I consider Elaine and I to be the “Practical Experts.”  I lived on a sailboat for 10+ years and sailed  the Pacific from the Charlotte’s (Haida Gwaii now) down to Mexico.  I’ve got lots of “face-time” with Ma Nature from this.

And 15+years in East Texas?  Well, everything from a mini tornado taking out some of trees 8-years ago to this, a particularly cool and moist spring so far.

So we’re offering the First of Magnolia as a practical metric of Climate.  Give it 15-days either way from May Day, and you’re onto something.

If you really want to get a sense of “climate change” don’t listen to the left-wing shills in liberal media.  Talk to people who are old enough to know that “climate change” is really “just the weather.”

Or, try eating out of your own garden for a year, or two.  It’s a humbling experience and quality face-time with Nature.

You wouldn’t be so stupid as to let a radical rabble-rouser upset about medical costs perform an operation on you, would you?  No, of course not.  Real doctors, real farmers on the land is the point.

Don’t look now, but when we talk to local people who make their living off the land, “climate” comes down to how many cuttings of hay in a season, or how’d the peach crop or berries look. In some areas of the Midwest, it’s too wet and cold to get crops in this year.  Too hot?  Too cold?  It’s all lied into a ball of spin to follow.  Charlatans all.

Talk climate here in rural America and people who work under the sky, not under fluorescent lights, will gladly give you directions to the nearest freeway to get you back to the big city.  “You go down to the light and take the first left….”

The same computer-based delusions that get people thinking flight simulators are “just like real flying” should realize “climate change hype on the new data” hasn’t impacted food production out of ordinary bounds.  If it does, you’ll hear it from the people who grow the food, not the left agenda-types.

Just as “seasonal adjustment” in a statistical technique in economics to bury data you don’t like.

Climateers could learn a thing or two from economics:  If you don’t like fluctuations, don’t bury them is statistical notions that are flawed.  Own it.  Own real data.  Statistical adjustments are the well-spring of delusion.

On the Peoplenomics side today there is a rough of a first chapter of my next book “The 100-year toaster.”  Because the problems ahead are not climatic.  They are socioeconomic.  They are the byproduct of excess market, excess production, and excess disposables.

The world is working too hard…consuming too much.  And if you’re not yet gardening and making due with used goods from Craigslist and “Offer-Up” time to sober up.

We’ve seen it coming and how to cope for better than 30-years.  The only way to muddle-through is by down-scaling and we’ve gone that voluntarily.  There is still time to accomplish it, to get some independence, and some ownership of your personal future.  But the hangover of the excess consumption, and resource stripping models will be a bitch.

Sooner than later, too.

Write when the crops come in…

george@ure.net

5 thoughts on “Climate: A More Objective Measure?”

  1. George

    I understand your thinking on Bitcoin! To a certain point I agree with you about it’s nature. If we are ever to escape the tyrants of the central banks we need an alternative.

    I read this article on zerohedge this morning and you might get some insights on what certain economist think about crypto currencies.

    “Bitcoin, Gold, & The Battle For Sound Money”

    Have a peaceful Memorial Day.

  2. I totally agree with you on gardening – for those who can. I spent five years and many hundreds of dollars trying to learn this skill, including joining a gardening club. I got as far as a few shoots coming up and then being immediately eaten by something. Not all of us are good at everything, and I’d love to partner with someone that has green thumbs. I don’t, and learning that might take a lifetime, if even possible. I’ve nursed a few cactus plants for years and know I should do more with them, but they’re not a staple food. The bottom line is that for those of us who are not natural gardeners and can’t even fake it, we’re better laying in large stores that are properly preserved, eat them in rotation, and hone those skills that are useful and that we really are good at. I’d rather work with electronics/electricity and heavy mechanical than gardening, since the results are assured. We’ll always have need for productive people and I’m sure that some trade will remain, even if we go into the real dark ages.

  3. “a replay of such events would likely lead to massive famine in many parts of the world. Not that it has to, but it will.”

    The hidden hand (anunnaki relics?) knows this. It’s a way to thin the herd, so Enlil ‘can get some sleep’ at last.

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