A freak heatwave has pushed the North Pole temperature to above freezing, about 20°C above average.
Nearby:
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An Arctic monitoring point 300 kilometres from the Pole that had been recording -37°C on Monday had shot up to -8°C by Wednesday.
All posts by Brian
The tip of an iceberg, or a broadbrush smear?
Terry Sweetman in the Courier Mail has raised a real question about the objectivity of Commissioner Dyson Heydon’s report on trade unions.
- the part of the iceberg he can identify is populated by about 30 unionists and 16 executives from large commercial organisations who are adversely mentioned or recommended for possible prosecution.
Sweetman says the misconduct identified by Heydon stems from just six of the 132 unions in Australia (Heydon’s figures). Continue reading The tip of an iceberg, or a broadbrush smear?
Saturday salon 2/1
1. Arise Sir Lynton!
At first I thought it was a joke, but apparently it really happened! Lynton Crosby was knighted for services to the realm!
As far as anyone can see he was knighted for doing a party political job for which he had already been paid handsomely – £500,000 ($A1,015,500). Continue reading Saturday salon 2/1
The year that was – 2015
Ian MaAuley hopes “we will make progress to becoming a real “developed” country, and not just a third world country temporarily enjoying a first world living standard.”
- Donald Horne wrote 50 years ago, “Australia is a lucky country, run mainly by second-rate people who share its luck.”
Well, we’ve run out of luck, and make that third rate people. Continue reading The year that was – 2015
Taking out the garbage
While we are all at the beach and otherwise distracted, Malcolm Turnbull has been doing some house cleaning.
Liberal MP Mal Brough will stand aside, pending a police investigation of the Peter Slipper matter, while Jamie Briggs has tendered his resignation as Minister for Cities and the Built Environment following a late-night incident involving a female public servant in a Hong Kong bar during an official overseas visit last month. Continue reading Taking out the garbage
Happiness is…
At this time of the year we invariably wish for people to be happy.
I recently came upon an article where Tiffany Watt Smith was interviewed about how language affects emotion. It seems that the assumption that happiness could be within our reach is a relatively new phenomenon. Not so long ago we aspired to be sad: Continue reading Happiness is…
Sunday penalty rates
Almost everything conservative commentators say about the industrial relations system is wrong, says Peter Martin. It works well, it isn’t creating wages explosions, and it isn’t pricing people out of work.
What do the conservatives think about Sunday penalty rates? Mark Kenny explains: Continue reading Sunday penalty rates
Saturday salon 26/12
1. Spanish elections
Wall Street Journal has the story, or you could try The Guardian, or The Independent.
The ruling conservative Popular Party was reduced to 28.7% of the vote, followed by the main socialist party PSOE with 22%. These two parties normally win 70-80% of the vote, now reduced to around 50%. Third was Podemos, a far-left anti-austerity party less than two years old. Next was Ciudadanos, a centre-right party, with 13.9%. Continue reading Saturday salon 26/12
Seasons greetings
Climate Plus wishes you a pleasant Christmas/New Year and health and happiness for 2016.
It’s quiet this year, but I intend to keep blogging as time permits. Continue reading Seasons greetings
Climate clippings 161
1. Lakes warming faster than atmosphere
Courtesy of John D, from Gizmag, an item that has implications for algal blooms, health of species, food and methane emissions.
- Specifically, the results show that the average temperature in the lakes has been rising by 0.61 degrees Fahrenheit every 10 years. While that might not seem too significant, it’s a higher rate of warming than witnessed in either the atmosphere or the ocean, and the long-term effects could be pronounced… Continue reading Climate clippings 161
There’s no such thing as a ‘male’ or ‘female’ brain
It is said that men are from Mars and women are from Venus, but in fact it seems both are very much from Earth. New research finds that while there are sex/gender differences in the brain, human brains do not belong to one of two distinct categories: male brain or female brain. Continue reading There’s no such thing as a ‘male’ or ‘female’ brain
Saturday salon 19/12
1. Almost 600 major corporations did not pay tax last financial year
Companies not paying tax include include Qantas, Virgin Australia, General Motors (owner of Holden), Vodafone, petrol company ExxonMobil, online betting shop William Hill, Warner Bros Entertainment, property developer Lend Lease and media company Ten Network Holdings. Continue reading Saturday salon 19/12