Week in review – science edition

by Judith Curry
A few things that caught my eye this past week.

Re-evaluating the ocean conveyor belt [link]
More robust #climate projections of #Arctic sea ice only possible by improving physics in simulations e.g. accounting for melt ponds & the loss of drifting snow [link …
Key Role of Internal Ocean Dynamics in Atlantic Multidecadal Variability During the Last Half Century [link] 
NASA update: Snowfall accumulation in parts of Antarctica increased in the 20th century. The added precipitation has led to some mitigation of sea level rise. Overall, Antarctica still lost more ice than it gained. [link]
Air‐Sea CO2 Flux Estimates in Stratified Arctic Coastal Waters: How Wrong Can We Be? [link] 

Dynamical Precursors of Stratospheric Sudden Warmings [link] …

More glaciers in East Antarctica are waking up [link]

Quantifying uncertainty from aerosol and atmospheric parameters and their impact on climate sensitivity [link]
Outer space may have gotten a bit closer [link]
Ocean carbon inventory under warmer climate conditions – the case of the Last Interglacial [link] 
Natural ocean fluctuations could help explain Antarctic sea ice changes [link 
Nerem & Fasullo 2018, Observations of the Rate and Acceleration of Global Mean Sea Level Change [link]
What is the most appropriate palaeo period for comparison? Under RCP8.5, we end up with a mid-Pliocene climate by 2030 and the Eocene by 2150. With RCP4.5, we stabilise in the Pliocene [link]
Role of stratosphere, tropics and oceans in skilful forecasts of extreme NH wintertime storms [link] …
Some parts of Tehran are falling by as much as 25 centimetres a year. [link]
An ancient case of the plague could rewrite history [link]
On the effects of increased vertical mixing on the Arctic Ocean and sea ice [link]
Spatial analysis of early-warning signals for a North Atlantic climate transition in a coupled GCM [link]
Hydro-climatic variability in the southwestern Indian Ocean between 6000 and 3000 years ago [link] 
Heat waves in Berlin and Potsdam, Germany–Long‐term trends and comparison of heat wave definitions from 1893 to 2017 [link] 
Explaining asymmetry between weakening and recovery of the AMOC in a coupled climate model [link]
link between global warming, ocean oxygen loss, and mass extinction at the end of the Permian, 252 million years ago. [link]
Soil is the biggest terrestrial carbon sink, but land degradation is reducing its ability to mitigate climate change [link] 
Global Carbon Budget 2018 just published [link 
Isaac Held has a new essay on “100 Years of Progress in Understanding the General Circulation of the Atmosphere” [link …
Differences in seasonal energy exchanges in regions of sea ice retreat drive uncertainty in Arctic amplification. [link]
Pacific Decadal Oscillation and recent oxygen decline in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean [link]
Social science & policy
New technologies, not Paris climate agreement, will do the job [link]
Unintended consequences: “Oregon planning to increase CO2 emissions by taxing plastic bags and banning straws.” [link] …
Long, informative read:  problems with California’s cap-and-trade system [link]
Jonah Goldberg: Climate change frenzy clouds our judgment [link]
Protecting climate by protecting nature [link]
On the present improbability and future necessity of carbon pricing [link] …
Explaining differential vulnerability to climate change: A social science review [link] 
Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal [link]
‘Climate campaigners must now ask themselves which they prefer, renewables or the stable and long-term reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, for it is increasingly clear that they cannot have both. ‘ [link]
Climate policy backlash: “Activists and delegates in Poland begin to realize that a comprehensive transitioning over to green energies is not going to happen any time soon because their proposals are unmistakably generating anger.” [link] …
Lucas Bergkamp: As often in climate policy matters, the US is right: states should note, but not endorse the IPCC’s findings. A thorough debate on the limits of climate science is required before any IPCC findings are used to develop policy.  Climate science on 1.5C erased at UN talks as US and Saudis step in [link]
Liebrich:  Two business cycles to prepare for a low-carbon world [link]
The story behind the PG&E transmission tower that failed minutes before #CampFire roared to life. [link].
The moral assumptions embedded in economic models of climate change [link]
Can the climate movement survive populism? [link]
An approach called sponge cities can more effectively lessen #floods, save water for dry spells & reduce #water #pollution. [link]
Reiner Grundman:  Rightful Place of Expertise. [link] …
Observed and Projected Impacts from Extreme Weather Events: Implications for Loss and Damage, “No substantial evidence is present for long-term increases in normalised losses” [link]
About science & scientists
Extraordinary interview with 15 year old Greta Thunberg, who spoke at at COP24 [link]
@MichaelEMann receiving Climate Communications Prize at #AGU18.
“Left-wing scientific denialism now poses a greater threat to academic freedom than right-wing scientific denialism.” [link]
Heterodox Academy:  A teachable moment at Sarah Lawrence College (of relevance to the Cliff Mass imbroglio)  [link]
How can universities can better support public engagement activities, especially for geoscientists. [link]
This is a statement signed by 363 censorship advocates at Williams College. A perfect encapsulation of the fundamentalism sweeping America’s elite colleges.  A collective student response to the “Chicago Statement” (also of relevance to the Cliff Mass imbroglio) [link]
Heterodox academy: Using open letters to shame and silence scholars undermines open inquiry and constructive disagreement. [link]
“Are Academics Cowards? The Grip of Grievance Studies and the Sunk Costs of Academic Pursuit” [link]
A far cry from its mission, academia today resembles “a priesthood or a guild,” or even a “cult“, with peer review serving an essential administrative need in a system of promotion, tenure, funding, & accolades designed to maintain the established order. Academia’s case of Stockholm Syndrome [link]
 
 

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