Table of Contents
- This and That
- About Project Connect
- News from Climate Blogs
- European Windfarm Issues
- About Three Blogs: Bohls Neighborhood Talk, Pflugerville News and Commentary, Pflugerville Book Talk
- More Book Talk
- Contact Information
- Question, In the News, and Links
This and That
May 28, 2012:
There is a lot of activity today in climate-related blogs.
May 27, 2012:
Some good news provided in “Green Power Failure: Climate mania impoverishes electricity customers worldwide,” a May 11, 2012, National Post article by Lawrence Solomon, is that, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, electricity rates will decrease by 27% in the United States over this decade and then stay level until 2035.
In many other parts of the world the outlook is bleaker. In the Canadian province of Ontario, for example, which it is noted has been working toward becoming a green leader, the Solomon article reports that there are estimates that the electricity rates will increase by as much as 100% or more over the next five years.
Inasmuch as Pflugerville has essentially been described as on a pathway toward becoming the green energy capital of Texas, it is difficult to be optimistic that electric rates here will undergo the kind of future decrease expected for the nation as a whole.
May 24, 2012:
At the PCDC meeting broadcasted on Channel 10 this evening, there was an agenda item about the planned manufacture of portable units fashioned from FEMA trailers fitted with solar panels and wind turbines for emergency use. But what if an emergency occurs at night and the wind is not blowing?
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The text of the speech by Czech President Václav Klaus at the 2012 Heartland Institute Conference on Climate Change has been reblogged from the Watts Up With That? WordPress website into this location in Bohls Neighborhood Talk.
Concern was expressed in the speech that there is becoming less interest in public discussion of the global warming issue. A danger seen in this is that the indoctrination of children through the past influence of global warming alarmists may become lasting if public discussion is not continued.
One of the speakers at the Heartland Conference was Lord Christopher Monckton. A lively and entertaining description of a lecture that he gave at Union College in Schenectady together with some questions and comments from students and staff in the audience is available at this Watts Up With That? post dated March 10, 2012.
A video of the closing keynote talk by James Delingpole at the 6th Heartland Conference last year is available here. It is preceded by a very short commercial.
"Three hopefuls challenge Travis County commissioner" by Farzad Mashhood, Austin American-Statesman, May 21, 2012.
Hooray for single-stream recycling! Things could be a lot worse. See "Richard Madeley reveals that the green blight has finally sunk Cornwall" by James Delingpole, The Telegraph, May 17, 2012.
Early voting began Monday (May 14, 2012). A link to a LWV guide is posted in the "In the News" section farther down this page.
Friday May 25, was the last day for early voting. Tuesday, May 29, 2012, is election day.
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May 26, 2012:
An article entitled “Key question at Climate Talks: Is China poor?” by Karl Ritter appeared on page A2 in the print edition of today’s Austin American-Statesman under a different title. Since it is difficult to reach agreement on the question of which nations are rich and which are poor, no further international progress is apparently being made in managing climate change. Perhaps this is just as well in view of increasing doubts about the validity of catastrophic anthropogenic global warming theory.
About Project Connect
Item 3B on the agenda for the regular Pflugerville City Council meeting on May 22, 2012, was
"Presentation regarding Project Connect as a regional high-capacity transit implementation effort and Project Connect North to include an alternatives analysis of the north corridor that includes potential future service through Pflugerville via the MoKan corridor."
There is an announcement in the Austin American-Statesman about Item 3B under the heading "Council to hear details on mass transit project" in the Community Briefing section dated May 21, 2012. The announcement includes a reference to www.cconnectcentraltexas.com for more information.
The cost effectiveness of rail transit for the Austin metrropolitan area has been questioned by the Coalition on Sustainable Transportation.
"In its search for rail cash, Austin may turn to Capital Metro" by Ben Wear, Austin American-Statesman, May 20, 2012.
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A Project Connect: North Corridor Open House will be conducted at the Pflugerville Justice Center on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, from 5 PM to 8 PM. At the city council meeting, Pflugerville residents were strongly encouraged to attend the open house and provide public input.
Please see Connect Central Texas for more information.
"Pflugerville council likely to consider resolution opposing MoKan railway" by Blake Rasmussen, Community Impact, May 22, 2012.
News from Climate Blogs
Pflugerville seems interested in going intensely green and promoting green energy. The rationale for doing this is presumably based in part upon concern over catastrophic anthropogenic global warming (cagw). Many, however, are skeptical about the validity of cagw theory, but there is little in the mainstream media about the case presented by the skeptic side. Much of the missing news coverage is currently being provided by blogs. Some of these are Bishop Hill, Climate Audit, Climate Depot, The Hockey Schtick, JoNova, NoFrackingConsensus, NoTricksZone, Tallbloke's Talkshop, and Watts Up With That? Titles of some articles of possible interest appearing in climate-related blogs began to be posted here on a daily basis on May 7.
May 28, 2012:
"Myles Allen and a New Trick to Hide-the Decline" Climate Audit, May 26, 2012.
"Climategate and HADCRUT" Bishop Hill, May 28, 2012.
"Memorial Day Tribute -- USS Iowa final voyage this weekend" Watts Up With That? May 28, 2012.
"EU Carbon trading crashes: German bourse closes and Irish end rort" JoNova, May 29, 2012, Australian time.
"This new paper may explain the widespread belief in the value of Michael Mann's methods and the 'bet' on the Hockey Stick" Watts Up With That? May 28, 2012.
"New PNAS Paper Shows Light Causes Atmowpheric Aerosols to Grow -- Impact Our Climate" NoTricksZone, May 28, 2012.
"I'll Take My Bear Medium Rare" Real Science, May 28, 2012.
May 27, 2012:
"$700,000 for believers to convert skeptics -- but nothing for skeptical science" JoNova, May 28, 2012, Australian time.
May 26, 2012:
"Is the 'follow the money' argument correct? In the climate science, the answer is Yes. Why?" The Reference Frame, May 26, 2012.
"Lüning: Major Austrian Study Showing 'Fewer Weather Extremes Today' Causes Jaws to Drop" NoTricksZone, May 26, 2012.
European Windfarm Issues
“EU violates Aarhus Convention in ‘20% renewable energy by 2020’ program” is the title of a May 19, 2012, blog entry in Watts Up With That?
Here it was reported that the Compliance Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) was critical of the way in which the EU had determined its renewable energy policy.
It was noted that the committee’s draft findings and recommendations were made available to the European Platform against Windfarms (EPAW).
The EPAW website provides considerable information about a variety of windfarm issues. Included is a video of a media conference on April 25, 2012, at which Donald Trump expressed his objection to the future placement of a windfarm next to a golf course opening in July that was built in Scotland under his direction. He maintained that he was led to believe that the windfarm would not be built.
About Three Blogs
New content will be added now and then to blogs at
Weather Station Run by Danny Mathews
(Newest: "Sun and Climate," May 5, 2012, "A Dispute about a Billboard near Chicago," May 5, 2012, "A Pflugerville City Council Agenda Item about a Former Library Building." May 11, 2012, "About the Unified Development Code Diagnosis Project," May 17, 2012, and "Text of Václav Klaus Heartland Institute Conference Speech," May 23, 2012.)
There is a poll about the billboard issue at the end of the May 4, 2012, entry ("Heartland's Billboards and Romm's stunning hypocrisy") in the Watts Up With That? blog.
Added May 25, 2012:
"About Project North Corridor"
2. Pflugerville News and Commentary3. Pflugerville Book Talk (Latest postings, May 2, 2012: About Roosters of the Apocalypse. May 4, 2012: About The Heretic)
May 16, 2012: Some additional material has been added to the blog entry "About The Heretic." May 17, 2012: Still more added.
More Book Talk
A new book by Bob Tisdale has just become available on Kindle. The title is If the IPCC Was Selling Manmade Global Warming as a Product, Would the FTC Stop Their Deceptive Ads?
The Introduction, Table of Contents, and the Closing can be read here.
Also see:
“Tisdale on the ’17 Year Itch' – Yes, There Is a Santer Clause” in Watts Up With That?
“Bob’s Book” in Bishop Hill.
April 29, 2012
Added May 12, 2012:
"Tisdale: An Unsent Memo to James Hansen" Posted on Watts Up With That? on May 12, 2012, by Anthony Watts.
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An interview of Bob Carter on Climate Change by Hereward Fenton provides information that counters the usual arguments put forward by global warming alarmists. The interview can be found on a Truthnews Australia web page. (Click on the Part 2 of 2 segment.)
Bob Carter is the author of Climate: The Counter Consensus.
Contact Information:
Carl Wasmuth
cw78660-bntalk@yahoo.com
Links:
Key to the City May 25-31, 2012 With Project Connect North Corridor Info
2011 Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR and other City of Pflugerville financial documents)
Bohls Crossing Weather Station
Development Activity -- May 2012
Facebook and Your Privacy (From Yahoo News)
Lawn and Garden Watering Restrictions
About SH 130/45 Corridor Zoning Regulations
Pflugerville 2030 Comprehensive Plan
Official Website of the City of Pflugerville
Pflugerville Community Almanac
Climate Debate: Glikson versus Nova
Question:
Should More Be Done to Facilitate Allowing the Public to Guide City Growth in Pflugerville?
In the News:
"As City Council gets set to vote on electric rate increase, new question arises: who should run Austin Energy?" by Marty Toohey, Austin American Statesman, May 26, 2012.
"Redistricting Wars: The hidden story of the 2012 elections" by Steven Malanga, City Journal, Spring 2012.
"If this is Britain's energy policy, we're toast" by James Delingpole, The Telegraph, May 25, 2012.
"Climategate Continues" by Andrew Montford and Harold Ambler, National Review Online, May 24, 2012.
"Welfare to work scandal: the inevitable consequence of Cameronomics" by James Delingpole, The Telegraph, May 24, 2012.
"ERCOT: State faces potential power shortages for the next decade" by Laylan Capelin, Austin American-Statesman May 22, 2012.
"SouthWest Water Co. to limit Windermere sludge truck traffic" by Blake Rasmussen, Community Impact, May 10, 2012.
"2012 Texas Primaries Voter's Guide" by the League of Women Voters (Austin Area), Austin American-Statesman, May 13, 2012. This PDF may take a few minutes to download.
This is no longer the website of the Bohls Neighborhood Association. Some links to BNA reference materials are available in this orange box for information.
The address of the Bohls Neighborhood Association is P.O. Box 2484, Pflugerville, TX 78691-2484.The email address is bohlsneighborhoodassociation@gmail.com