The glacier on Mt. Kilimanjaro is melting. If you were watching NBC "Nightly News" Nov. 19 you probably would think that ice is declining because of "climate change."
After all, "Today's" Ann Curry said it: "Mt. Kilimanjaro has become a kind of poster-child for climate change. Eighty-four percent of the ice has disappeared in less than 100 years and by 2020, scientists expect as early as that it could all be gone."
Despite Curry's "Ends of the Earth" report as part of NBC Universal's "green" week chock full of global warming alarmism, climate scientists other reasons for the volcanic glacier's ice loss.
Curry didn't tell viewers that "most scientists who study Kilimanjaro's glaciers have long been uneasy with the volcano's poster-child status," according to Seattle Times science reporter Sandi Doughton.
Why were those scientists "uneasy?" Because despite its status as an "icon of global warming," climate scientists like Philip Mote say Kilimanjaro's melt hasn't been caused by greenhouse gases "from cars, power plants and factories."
"Kilimanjaro is a grossly overused mis-example of the effects of climate change," Mote told the Seattle Times. Mote co-authored an article in the July/August 2007 edition of "American Scientist" magazine and is not exactly a global warming skeptic. He told the newspaper global warming is the cause of glacial melting around the world - just not Kilimanjaro.
According to Doughton's article, the ice loss on the Tanzanian glacier "seems to be driven by two factors: a lack of snowfall and sublimation."
Unquestioning loyalty to climate change hype is typical of Curry, who has become an advocate on the issue. In 2007 as "Today" ramped up for its "Ends of the Earth" adventure, Curry declared that the "mission" was to "find evidence of climate change."
NBC's 2008 "Green is Universal" week started on Nov. 16 and will continue through Nov. 22, according to an article in the Nov. 11 issue of PROMO magazine. NBC Universal will be "presenting 150 hours of environmental programming on air and online" during that time period. That will include ad spots from NBC's on-air talent pushing eco-awareness and segments during the networks' news coverage.
—Julia A. Seymour is an assistant editor for the Business & Media Institute.
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Comments Policy
Global warming found in swing-set!
November 20, 2008 - 15:06 ET by Mica the MagnificentRemember when ABC News wanted everyone to look in their backyard for signs of global warming?
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=2094224
MSM will never give up, way too invested in the propaganda
It didn't last
November 20, 2008 - 19:20 ET by NorthCoasterToo many people like me, sent in snarky comments about late season snowfalls etc., and they stopped the column.
Julia.. the 1912 pic vs the 2006 pic??
November 20, 2008 - 15:11 ET by Gary HallJulia.. thnks for the great post - they just don't give up.
In the linked Seattle Times' article, did you take a close look at the 1912 pic vs the 2006 pic of Mt. Kilimanjaro's?
Although the article is quite favorable to the cause of sensible scientific debate - and even more so, is refreshing to the cause of journalism, it notes: "Yes, ice cover has shrunk by 90 percent, they say."
Both pics are taken from the same vantage point, albeit one is a closer zoom. But on closer examination, about the only difference I see as far as the extent of glacier ice (not seasonal) is, well nothing of great significance - except that the 1912 picture is graced with a recent snowfall. Just the same I've watched a few spots that do indeed show that the permanent ice has diminished a great bit, but the pictures presented sure cast a bit of doubt on the 90% figure. (;~? gary
Regarding photos
November 20, 2008 - 16:45 ET by Julia A. SeymourHi Gary,
I just looked at those photos again and you may have a point there. At least Seattle Times wasn't foolishly claiming that Kilimanjaro is an example of melting because of climate change. I'm perfectly willing to accept that the glacier is melting/has melted ... just not that it's due to global warming when scientists say that's not the reason.
btw - have you seen the two studies the Business & Media Institute has done on global warming? If not, you should check them out: Fire & Ice and Global Warming Censored.
Re: the photos's
November 21, 2008 - 17:24 ET by Gary HallIn case you pop back by, Julia. Sure I'm famaliar with the studies you referenced. Great material. The Seattle piece was rare, indeed.
You know, on the glacier melt on Kilmanjaro, there is no doubt it's diminished significantly over the past century or so -- I've seen pictures which indeed do tell the tale. Perhaps it's just these two pictures, color film was just recently commerically available in 1912 - but still the color caught my attention. Can't help but wonder. gary
Social Engineering...
November 20, 2008 - 15:23 ET by unkeeafNot at all surprised by this story, though it is still very troubling. They have absolutely no consideration for the truth, it's clearly all about the agenda.
On another note, has anyone noticed any changes with ESPN's on-air talent over the past 18 months? To anyone who watches the network (I do frequently), it has become apparent that they have gone out of their way to stack their shows and games with African Americans. Please don't take this as a racist rant - it's absolutely not - just an observation on how another liberal outlet is trying its hand at social engineering.
MSM = PR firm for the Democrat Party
Will wonders ever cease
November 20, 2008 - 15:32 ET by dboWow, imagine that. A mountain 200 miles from the equator is losing snow. Now there's proof of global warming.
Ridiculous
November 20, 2008 - 15:32 ET by EurikaI just read an interesting article on the 'non'-rising of sealevels.
It is stated in the article, that the ice on Kilimanjaro is dissapearing, because of the extinction of rainforests around it's base.
http://www.larouchepub.com/eiw/public/2007/2007_20-29/2007-25/pdf/33-37_725.pdf
Ah, what a week this
November 20, 2008 - 15:37 ET by SickofLibsAh, what a week this was!
Curry wimps out on Mt. K, turns back; Viera bitten by rare penguin; Roker plummets into crevasse in Icelandic darkness after 14 vodkas; Lauer found asleep in hotel lobby.
I missed it.
November 20, 2008 - 19:18 ET by NorthCoasterWere these "journalists" overtaken by Nature?
Thanks for the chuckle....lets see......just visualizing here.
Hmmmmmmm..............
Oh the horrors! Does no
November 20, 2008 - 15:53 ET by JerryOh the horrors! Does no one care about those poor Mt. Kilimanjaro polar bears? I can just see them standing around on rapidly diminishing small chunks of ice, afraid to get off and unable to forage for food.
I'm starting a "Save the Mt Kilimanjaro Polar Bears" fund. Please, call 1-800-YOU-RDUM immediately, before it's too late.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
Off the air
November 20, 2008 - 17:50 ET by Ozark_SunshineThey should be fined and taken off the air. We now find out that the data which NASA has been using to declare everything so hot, was bogus data, not verified coming from Russian sources. This was the main data used in computer models because it showed the most increases. Al Gore, the scientists from NASA and the Democratic Party with the environmentalists should be held accountable and fined and put in prison. Over 30,000 scientists have now signed on to an Oregon Tech Study that disproves global warming, with several thousand of them being PhDs. I no longer wathc anything on the big three stations because even their shows try and push enviromental issues with lies. I love seeing them lose money.
The melting there started
November 20, 2008 - 18:10 ET by ckc1227The melting there started before Hemmingway wrote his book, lol.
I've also read
November 20, 2008 - 19:15 ET by NorthCoasterthat human deforestation and farming has changed the amount of moisture available upwind of the volcano. This in turn created the microclimatic conditions that rediuced the amount of precipitation (snow) on the mountain top and accelerated the sublimation because of these dryer winds blowing over the mountain.
Roger Pielke and Roger Pielke Jr. have written extensively on human factors affecting climate changes like this.
you can add this to the mix...
November 20, 2008 - 19:38 ET by wizardjrThe Atlanic Decadal Oscillation is a major forcer of rainfall in that latitude of Africa. It has been in a 'dry' mode for decades now. We had something like it in the American Northwest with the PDO and some other large scale oceanic current events. Now the American mountain snow depths are increasing but you won't hear that.
The Alpine glaciers were the poster children for 'diaster in our time'. A study of more than the two glaciers the idiot brigade kept pointing to found that above the freezing level (i.e., middle and high altitudes) the snow pack has been increasing all along. Ooops. Never mind.
Kilimanjaro has nothing to do with Global Warming
November 20, 2008 - 20:20 ET by PopularTechDeforestation behind loss of Mt Kili snow (IPP Media)
Kilimanjaro, On Africa’s Roof, Still Crowned With Snow (The New York Times)
Kilimanjaro's ice set to linger (BBC)
The Woes Of Kilimanjaro: Don't Blame Global Warming (Science Daily)
Censored Global Warming Videos
Pop Tech
November 21, 2008 - 12:29 ET by NorthCoasterThanks for the cites. Anyone wanting to look into this further could got to this site: http://icecap.us/index.php for a starter. This is Joseph D'Aleo's, (one of the founders of the Weather Cannel), site. This site is particularly good because Joseph is a meteorologist who is respected by many on both sides of the Global Warming issue.
There are other exceptional sites on the sceptic side. The most reasonable participants realize that there is always going to be Climate Change, but they don't believe that much of what we experience is caused by CO2. In fact the latest temperature records show decreasing global temps even while CO2 is rising. The most likely major contributor to Climate Change, appears to be Sun activity/inactivity.
I already wrote the book on AGW
November 21, 2008 - 13:30 ET by PopularTechThe Anti "Man-Made" Global Warming Resource
Censored Global Warming Videos
Here is the list of Skeptical Websites
November 21, 2008 - 13:33 ET by PopularTechClimate Audit (Stephen McIntyre, B.Sc. Mathematics, Canada)
ICECAP (International Climate and Environmental Change Assessment Project, USA)
Junk Science (Steve Milloy, B.A. Natural Sciences, M.S. Health Sciences, USA)
Planet Gore (National Review Online)
The Reference Frame (Luboš Motl, Ph.D. Theoretical Physicist, Czech Republic)
Watts Up With That? (Anthony Watts, Meteorologist, USA)
- SurfaceStations.org
Scientists:
Benny Peiser (Benny Peiser, Ph.D. Professor of Social Anthropology, UK)
- Cambridge Conference Network (CCNet)
Climate Police (Joseph Conklin, M.S. Meteorology, USA)
Climate Science (Roger A. Pielke (Sr.), Ph.D. Meteorology, USA)
Climate Skeptic (Warren Meyer, B.S. Mechanical Engineering, USA)
CO2 Web (Tom V. Segalstad, Ph.D. Professor of Environmental Geology, Norway)
Comment & Information on Climate Change (Robert M. Carter, Ph.D. Professor of Environmental and Earth Sciences, Australia)
EcoMyths (Graham Smith, Associate Professor of Geography, Canada)
Global Warming Comments (Hans Erren, M.Sc. Geophysics, The Netherlands)
Global Warming Issues (John McLean, Climate Data Analyst, Australia)
Global Warming Politics (Philip Stott, Professor Emeritus of Biogeography, UK)
Greenie Watch (John J. Ray, Ph.D. Psychology, Australia)
Johnston's Archive - Environmental Topics (Wm. Robert Johnston, B.A. Astronomy, M.S. Physics, USA)
Number Watch (John Brignell, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Electronics & Computer Science, UK)
Prometheus - The Science Policy Blog (Roger A. Pielke (Jr.), Ph.D. Political Science, USA)
Ross McKitrick (Ross McKitrick, Ph.D. Economics, Canada)
Science & Environmental Policy Project (S. Fred Singer, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Environmental Sciences, USA)
ScienceBits (Nir J. Shaviv, Ph.D. Astrophysicist, Israel)
Science is Broken (Gary Novak, M.S. Microbiology, USA)
The Global Warming Challenge (J. Scott Armstrong, B.A. Applied Science, B.S. Industrial Engineering, Ph.D. MIT, USA)
The Politics and Environment Blog (Jennifer Marohasy, Ph.D. Biology, Australia)
William M. Briggs (William M. Briggs, B.S. Meteorology and Math, M.S. Atmospheric Science, Ph.D. Statistics, USA)
World Climate Report (Patrick J. Michaels, Ph.D. Ecological Climatology, USA)
Carbon Sense Coalition
Climate Change Fraud
Climate Debate Daily
Climate Resistance
CO2 Science
CO2 Skeptics
E-Team
Environmental Capital
Environmentalism is Fascism
EnvironmentNC
Facts on Energy
False Alarm
Global Warming.org
Global Warming and the Climate
Global Warming Debunking News and Views
Global Warming Petition Project
Global Warming Heartland
Global Warming Hyperbole
Global Warming Hysteria
Global Warming Information Center
Global Warming Scam
Global Warming Science
Global Warming Skeptics
Models, Methods, Software
Not by Fire but by Ice
NC Media Watch
Omniclimate
Ponder the Maunder
Really Real Climate
Spiked - Environment
Still Waiting for Greenhouse
TCS Daily - Energy and Environment
- Science Roundtable
The Blackboard
The Carbon Sense Coalition
The Climate Scam
The Global Warming Hoax
US Senate Environment & Public Works Committee
Warming Scare Tactics
Warwick Hughes - Free Lance Science Research
- Errors in IPCC Climate Science Blog
Organizations:
AccuWeather - Global Warming (USA)
American Enterprise Institute - Climate Change (USA)
American Land Rights Association (USA)
Business & Media Institute - Environment (USA)
Canada Free Press - Global Warming (Canada)
Cato Institute - Global Warming (USA)
Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change
Competitive Enterprise Institute - Climate Change (USA)
Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment (FREE) (USA)
Friends of Science (Canada)
Frontier Center for Public Policy - Climate Change (Canada)
George C. Marshall Institute - Climate Change (USA)
Grassfire.org (USA)
Heartland Institute - Global Warming (USA)
Institute for Energy Research - Climate Change (USA)
International Climate Science Coalition (Canada)
John Locke Foundation - EnvironmentNC (USA)
National Center for Policy Analysis - E-Team (USA)
National Center for Public Policy Research - Environment (USA)
Natural Resources Stewardship Project (Canada)
New Zealand Climate Science Coalition (New Zealand)
Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (USA)
Pacific Research Institute - Environment (USA)
Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) (USA)
Science & Public Policy Institute (USA)
The Association of British Drivers - Environment - Global Warming Links (UK)
The Australian APEC Study Centre - Environment (Australia)
The Center for Science and Public Policy (USA)
The Fraser Institute - Environment (Canada)
The Heritage Foundation - Energy and Environment (USA)
The Independent Institute - Environment (USA)
The Lavoisier Group (Australia)
Censored Global Warming Videos
End of the world Global warming
November 20, 2008 - 20:32 ET by ChattychitoRead your Bibles according to Ezkiel, Zacariah and Revelation the global temprature will get 7 times hotter before the Lord Jesus Christ returns to set up His kingdom from Jerusalem.
Men will curse God because of the heat. which is meant to help them repent and turn to God. However they curse him and repent not of their wickedness, sorceries and fornication.
The Bible tells us God has promised he will not Flood the world again with water. the next time God purges teh earth he does so with fire after ALL men are judged.
Let's Sue NBC
November 20, 2008 - 21:30 ET by pbthinkerI believe that NBC is guilt of journalistic malpractice, as regards Mt. Killimanjaro. The facts, and there is concensus on the facts, are that global warming has nothing to do with it. Perhaps, if these media outlets had to defend their articles, they would start taking this issue more seriously. Right now, it appears, they are in the politics mode, supporting whatever the democrats say they should support, with little regard for the facts.
There have been so many stories the MSM has trumpeted recently, that have been debunked, and yet they refuse to put the debunking on television. I believe a good lawyer could, should he desire, successfully sue them and force them to, not only prove their case but also, in fairness, present information that is contrary to the stories they've presented as fact.
This issue is too important to have the inmates running the asylum.
Democrats: Stuck on Stupid since 2000.