Global Warming "Hockey Stick" Scientist Michael Mann says it was "Somewhat misplaced"?....

Michael Mann says hockey stick should not have become 'climate change icon'

The scientist behind the controversial 'hockey stick' graph has said it was 'somewhat misplaced' to make his work an 'icon of the climate change debate'.

The U.K. Telegraph has this report that the infamous "Hockey Stick" graph developed by then UVA Scientist Michael Mann now has Mann saying it should have never become the icon it has...
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This is the guy, along with the University of Virginia which continues to refuse to release the data that he used to come up with this "icon" and big part of Al Gore's argument regarding global warming...
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In fact it is Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli who has been trying to get the data regarding the Hockey Stick model but the University of Virginia now refuses to release the data, which came as the result of numerous TAXPAYER FUNDED grants that Mann , to the Attorney General...
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But the graph was questioned by sceptics who pointed out that is it impossible to know for certain the global temperature going back beyond modern times because there were no accurate readings.

The issue became a central argument in the climate change debate and was dragged into the 'climategate' scandal, as the sceptics accused Prof Mann and his supporters of exaggerating the extent of global warming.
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So where was the Professor Mann when his Hockey Stick model was being used without question or allowed "peer" review???...
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The graph was used by Al Gore in his film 'An Inconvenient Truth' and was cited by the United Nations body the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as evidence of the link between fossil fuel use and global warming.
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If there is no doubt to the data and it's conclusion, Turn over the data?
And ask Gore about that @2 million he was worth once he left the VP spot to the $100 million he is worth now...

Florida Keys visit and response to Oil Spill...

Took a ride down to the Florida Keys and Key West to visit with friends and visit the town I lived in for 6+ years while working on a Sportfishing boat and taking some marine biology classes...

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Nice to get back to the Keys and stop by several familiar places discovered over the years. I was also interested to see how the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was effecting the area and the residents of the Keys and other "mainland" communities...

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One thing I learned while living in Key West and the Florida Keys is that these people are not quick to panic when a possible disaster may be heading their way. During several hurricanes I observed many locals helping each other prepare for possible disasters and damages. It was good to see this same attitude regarding the possible shift of oil towards the Keys and other coast towns.

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I had the opportunity to stay with friends and visit with sportfishing Captains that I weathered several of the storms with and had the opportunity to sit and talk with many of them. In fact I was able to sit in on the weekly radio show "This week in fishing" with Captains Jim Sharpe and Mike Weinhofer who had Marine Scientist David Vaughn from the Mote Marine Lab as the guest speaker.

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It was a great opportunity to sit and talk with Vaughn and to get a straight scientific viewpoint from a local resident without any political, environmental, or skewed spin to it...

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Here is a video that local sportfishing guide Jose Wejebe did with Vaughn regarding the oil spill situation and appears on the Spanish Fly website...

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Jose Wejebe speaks with scientists from Mote marine laboratory who have been deploying AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) into the loop current to assess the present situation with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in regards to South Florida and the Florida Keys.

It was good to see that the locals once again are not in a panic or standing around waiting for the government to come to the rescue. Many have become pro-active in their stance and are preparing for whatever may come their way. The businesses are starting to see a decline in visitors and future bookings are down without there being any actual oil found in the Keys or offshore of the gulf coast as of yet. Water is still crystal clear and the fishing is still great with a fishing story of a monster Tarpon being caught to be posted soon here on this site...

Permit fishing in Key West...

Key West 2010...

Just returned from a week in the Florida Keys and Key West where I once lived for a bit. First walk down Duval street I found the above resident walking with this sign. I must admit I was surprised with the attitude towards President Obama from this Liberal city and residents...

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I was also surprised by the attitude in the Keys regarding the Oil spill in the Gulf and with it being a very "Environmental" and sometimes "enviromaniac" attitudes. The working people of the Keys acknowledge the incident and effects in the Gulf but are more interested in preparing for any oil that may come their way and what they can do to attack the problem. I did not see anybody crying for a handout or blasting blame...

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Good to see old friends and get to sit in with some of those from the scientific community dealing with this impending problem...

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Truth about "Hydro-fracing" you will not find in the local media hype articles...

Once again the reliable Vanity Fair people have come out with an article that attacks the practice of Hydraulic Fracturing to extract Natural Gas from underground formations...

As we've discussed on this blog, hydraulic fracturing is the tried-and-true oil and natural gas-field practice. It forces water, sand and trace amounts of chemicals into the wellbore under high pressure to create fissures allowing the energy resources to flow up to the surface.

Over at the Energy Tomorrow blog they provide a link to the Vanity Fair article as well as providing actual facts regarding the process....
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