Over the past several years I've written a few pages about climate. they don't really go together, but they're not completely independent, either. There's a good chance I'll write more or split the climate change page into sections, so I decided to write this home page now instead of later.

• State of the Climate - 2009 - New!
  I hope this is the first of a series of reports of what's happening in climate research today, what's interesting, and where we're heading. Even if I don't have time for an update next year, this will be a useful snapshot. This report features the impact due to the PDO shift, notes about the Society of Environmental Journalists, and the release last year of a paper that reports evidence that sunspots will fade from view around 2015. (Please make it be 2016! See below.)

• Science, Method, Climatology, and Forgetting the Basics
  What passes as debate about climate change seems to involve people who do not understand science and scientists who have forgotten what science is all about. Recent events are giving us the chance to get things back on course and inspired me to write this essay. If it works, it will explain to lay people the basics about the scientific method, describe the leading theories behind climate change, and get scientists from both sides of the debate to invite the other to their next picnic. I will then move onto bringing peace and prosperity to the Middle East. Actually, I'll be happy if it gets a few people thinking and watching what may be a very important period in climate study.

• 1816: The Year without a Summer
  This was inspired by finally hunting down a granite monument to this year that is close to one place I lived. I created a geocache for that I named Summerless

• 2016: The [Next] Year without a Summer
  When the movie "The Day after Tomorrow" came out, I just had to write something about the bad science in it. Besides, the director said he hoped the movie would inspire discussion. Ice cores from Greenland show the climate there can change in a couple of decades, and this page looks at some of the real science behind it. I never really finished the page as the movie didn't inspire much discussion at all.

• Glacial Retreat of 5,000-7,000 Years Ago
  Much handwringing has been expended over the current glacial retreat. While it may indeed be unrelated to past retreats, there is ample evidence that we have had much less glacial ice in the not too distant past.

The following are documents I've written to various organizations in response to announcements of public hearings or to explain my views to public figures.

• Testimony for the NH Governor's Climate Change Task Force
  The task force was formed from representatives of various organizations and produced a series of documents that are long on reducing CO2 emissions and short on climatology. I also have Joe D'Aleo's testimony and Fred Ward's testimony they presented at the session. The only media present was the Hippo Press, and their reporter, Jeff Mucciarone, summarized the event well in Hot enough for you? Residents have their say at climate change meeting

• Lewis Gordon Pugh and a kayak expedition to the North Pole
  This is Email I sent to the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming after I heard this fellow was invited to address them. This boondoggle was inspired by predictions that ice at the North Pole might melt this year, 2008. It didn't.

• Re: Gore's Message To Climate Change Skeptics
  This is a letter I wrote to 60 Minute's correspondent Lesley Stahl about a segment that seems to be a kickoff for a $300,000,000 effort to get people excited about global warming. Gore says "I think that those people are in such a tiny, tiny minority now with their point of view, they're almost like the ones who still believe that the moon landing was staged in a movie lot in Arizona and those who believe the world is flat. That demeans them a little bit, but it's not that far off." I couldn't let that pass.

The following are the very best of the best external sites about climate science. I do intend to write a page to host a wider selection of links, but these deserve recommendation here, probably even after I write that other page. All three of the authors once felt that global warming was human-caused but after into the subject found that is likely not the case.

• Watts Up With That?
  This is a blog by Anthony Watts, a meteorologist from Chico CA and founder of Surface Stations, a grassroots effort to document the weather stations used in the US climate record. Anthony has managed to capture a sweet spot with his blog - not too technical, definitely not pablum, opinionated, but peer pressure helps keeps the ad hominem insults down. All sides get aired, participants range from just plain folks to top scientists.

  There are other important blogs and sources, but their important stories wind up here within hours. Making this your daily starting point will keep you up up-to-date.

• Curious Anomalies in Climate Science
  This is a wonderful adjunct to my Science, Method, Climatology, and Forgetting the Basics. The author is an environmentalist and her essay traces her journey from belief in global warming to realizing that the emperor has no clothes. Her journey is not unique, in fact many people now convinced that CO2 is not the demon Al Gore and the IPCC make it out to be, have followed similar journeys. This one is the best documented and one made after much good material has become available on the Web. Her collection of links provides great support and backup.

• Editorial: The Great Global Warming Hoax?
  I think this started as an editorial but has grown into a comprehensive account shedding light in many more corners than I have time to study. It keeps getting better over time. The author, Jim Peden, started out as an atmosperic scientist, but is happy to be called Dad and would make a very good teacher.

• The Skeptics Handbook
  The Skeptics Handbook by Joanne Nova is a good guide to more of the science than I have and is written for a wide audience.

Contact Ric Werme or return to his home page.

Last updated 2009 February 25.