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A funny thing happened during Australian climate change professor Chris Turney's venture to retrace a 1912 research expedition in Antarctica and gauge how climate change has affected the continent: Two weeks into a five-week excursion, Turney's good ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy got trapped in ice. It turns out, global warming notwithstanding, that there's so much ice down under that two ice-breaking vessels sent to rescue the research team cannot reach the Australasian Antarctic Expedition.

Years ago, global warming believers renamed the phenomenon "climate change" -- probably because of pesky details such as unusually cold weather undercutting the warming argument. Now, just as advocates argue that earth is approaching a tipping point, there's so much ice floating in Antarctica during the Southern Hemisphere's summer that the Australasian Antarctic Expedition posted in a statement: "We're stuck in our own experiment."

Does this incident mean that climate change is an illusion or a hoax? Of course not. Even during its summer, Antarctica is subject to extreme weather. "Bad weather is the norm in Antarctica," climatologist Roy Spencer observed.

But it does show that like the rest of us chickens, scientists have feet of clay. Turney had told journalists that his expedition wanted to collect data that could be used to improve climate models. Too bad the folks who are supposed to predict climate decades into the future are guided by scientists who could not manage to avoid ice floes during a five-week trip.

"We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Turney told Fox News. He believes that the ship was stuck in old ice from a 75-mile-long iceberg that broke apart three years ago.

Fair enough. But there's still the issue of ice volume. Climate changers usually warn about Arctic ice, which has been receding over the past few decades, but rarely address the overall growth of ice in Antarctica.

"I'm sure some researchers can find a possible explanation where humans are causing both Arctic ice melting and Antarctic ice growth, but I'm skeptical of scientists who blame every change in nature on human activities. Nature routinely causes its own changes, without any help from us," quoth Spencer, himself a climate change contrarian.

"Sea ice is disappearing due to climate change, but here ice is building up," the Australasian Antarctic Expedition acknowledges. It's a conundrum. If warming is melting ice in the Northern Hemisphere, why isn't it melting ice in the Southern Hemisphere?

Believers seize on all manner of weather -- less Arctic ice, more Antarctic ice -- as proof of climate change, but as Spencer notes, there is no climate change without man-caused global warming.

Turney told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that his goal is to excite the public about science. As for climate change, "in the scientific community, it's remarkably solid." And "self-evident."

He pushes a framework of science being data-driven and free from politics. Yet it's hard to escape the suspicion that whatever the icebound researchers experience, they will frame it as proof that climate change is unassailable.


http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/12/31/global_warming_re
searcher_gets_stuck_in_ice_121091.html#ixzz2pC80w9sL

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An Australian icebreaker has abandoned its attempt to rescue a Russian-flagged ship stuck in sea ice in Antarctica due to adverse weather conditions.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) says the Aurora Australis made it to within 10 nautical miles of the stricken ship but was forced to turn back to open water.

AMSA says poor weather had made it unsafe for the Australian Antarctic Division's icebreaker to continue.

The Akademik Shokalskiy had been retracing Sir Douglas Mawson's Antarctic expedition and conducting scientific research when sea ice closed in about 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart.

The 74 people on board, including scientists, crew members and paying passengers, have been stranded since Christmas Eve.

AMSA says the area where the expedition ship is beset by ice is currently experiencing winds of up to 30 knots and snow showers.
Destination Antarctica
Read more from Professor Chris Turney about the Australasian Antarctic Expedition's adventure to Antarctica.

Another attempt to reach the vessel will be made when weather conditions improve, AMSA added.

"The Aurora Australis will be monitoring the weather and seeing how it pans out," AMSA's Lisa Martin said.

"There could be further attempts if the master feels the weather conditions are OK to do that attempt, to get further into the ice fields."

In an earlier attempt to reach the stricken ship, a Chinese icebreaker was also forced to turn back after encountering ice that was too thick.

Despite the delays, spirits remain high on the Akademik Shokalskiy and expedition members continue to post messages and videos online.

"It's blowing an absolute blizzard here, there's a total white-out, there's snow blowing everywhere and it's damn cold outside," said expedition member John Black in his latest video message.

"Everybody's fine on board... it's a fantastic adventure we're having."

Expedition spokesman Alvin Stone says the group is not worried about spending New Year's Eve on the ice.

"They've got a good two weeks of fresh food and if that runs out they've got another two weeks of dehydrated food, so I suspect New Year's Eve will still be a pretty good time," he said.

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Two weeks into a five-week excursion, Turney's good ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy got trapped in ice. It turns out, global warming notwithstanding, that there's so much ice down under that two ice-breaking vessels sent to rescue the research team cannot reach the Australasian Antarctic Expedition.

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Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
It's total spin by the climate change deniers.

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Sigh...yup, as his own article states quite clearly: "Does this incident mean that climate change is an illusion or a hoax? Of course not. Even during its summer, Antarctica is subject to extreme weather. "Bad weather is the norm in Antarctica," climatologist Roy Spencer observed."

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He's a AGW "denier".

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In TCS Daily, Spencer wrote, "Twenty years ago, as a PhD scientist, I intensely studied the evolution versus intelligent design controversy for about two years. And finally, despite my previous acceptance of evolutionary theory as 'fact,' I came to the realization that intelligent design, as a theory of origins, is no more religious, and no less scientific, than evolutionism.

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"I finally became convinced that the theory of creation actually had a much better scientific basis than the theory of evolution, for the creation model was actually better able to explain the physical and biological complexity in the world

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You think Roy Spencer is the only one who has a bias for things he wishes were true ?

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Originally posted by kpo:

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You think Roy Spencer is the only one who has a bias for things he wishes were true ?

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No. But if 99 experts believe one thing, and one expert believes another, that lone expert is either brilliant, contrarian, or biased. I think we have our answer for this particular climate skeptic (and most of the others).

It's not personal. It's just war.

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Originally posted by Niki2:
Nothing changes the facts and figures I posted, which explain all the snarks in Rap's article, and Rap is merely interpreting Spencer's remarks as "sarcasm"; there is no indication it is such.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:
The author, not Spencer, was who I was saying was being sarcastic.

Good grief, children. Get a clue .

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

The author was being sarcastic. NOTHING, not even getting stuck in ice, will deter the AGW folks from seeing the truth.

And are you unfamiliar with Roy Spencer ?

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Or he's simply correct.

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Originally posted by Niki2:
...aaand, here comes the very first one:

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"Good grief, children. Get a clue ."

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Raptor, 1/1/2014:

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My posting of FACT does not, in any realm, equate to being nasty or denigrating, in the least.

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Does this incident mean that climate change is an illusion or a hoax? Of course not. Even during its summer, Antarctica is subject to extreme weather. "Bad weather is the norm in Antarctica," climatologist Roy Spencer observed.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:
M52 - read the gorram article I posted . I didn't spin any damn thing. If you don't like/ agree with the article, fine. But don't claim * I * am spinning anything. I'm not.

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Originally posted by Niki2:

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Originally posted by Niki2:

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A rescue mission to evacuate scientists, tourists and journalists from a ship trapped in ice off Antarctica has passed off smoothly, with 52 people removed from the stricken vessel.

A helicopter sent from the Chinese icebreaker Xue Long landed next to the trapped Akademik Shokalskiy on Thursday afternoon and the first group of passengers were evacuated shortly after 8pm local time (7am GMT). The passengers were taken off in five groups, with two further flights to pick up their baggage. Each flight took around 20 minutes each way.

Four expedition staff were the last to leave the trapped ship. The Russian crew will remain aboard to free the ship when the ice around it breaks up – possibly when there is a change in wind direction in a few days.
This picture, taken by the expedition doctor Andrew Peacock, shows a helicopter from the Xue Long This picture, taken by the expedition doctor Andrew Peacock, shows a helicopter from the Xue Long approach passengers from the Akademik Shokalskiy. Photograph: Andrew Peacock/AFP/Getty Images

The original plan had been to take the passengers to the Xue Long, but it was later decided to airlift them to an ice floe near the icebreaker Aurora Australis, which had tried but failed to break through to the trapped ship earlier this week.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), which has been co-ordinating the rescue, tweeted: "Aurora Australis has advised AMSA that the 52 passengers from the Akademik Shokalskiy are now on board."

We've made it to the Aurora australis safe & sound. A huge thanks to the Chinese & @AusAntarctic for all their hard work! #spiritofmawson
— Chris Turney (@ProfChrisTurney) January 2, 2014

To the crew of Aurora Australis + Xue Long - heartfelt thanks from all on the Shokalskiy. We know how far out of your way you all went (1/2)
— Alok Jha (@alokjha) January 2, 2014

Expedition leader Prof Chris Turney tweeted: "We've made it to the Aurora australis safe & sound. A huge thanks to the Chinese & @AusAntarctic for all their hard work!"

The passengers were greeted on the Australian vessel with tea and coffee plus dinner. They will also have to get used to moving five time zones westwards because the Aurora australis is operating on west coast Australia time (Western Standard Time), rather than the New Zealand time zone.

Guardian journalist Alok Jha, who is one of the evacuees, tweeted: "To the crew of Aurora Australis and Xue Long – heartfelt thanks from all on the Shokalskiy. We know how far out of your way you all went."

AMSA released a statement at 12.45 pm on Thursday saying the safest option was to do the rescue mission in one operation. "AMSA understands that current sea ice conditions prevent the barge from Aurora Australis from reaching the Chinese vessel Xue Long (Snow Dragon) and a rescue may not be possible today," a spokeswoman said.

"The Xue Long's helicopter is unable to land on the Aurora Australis due to load rating restrictions. It is not safe to land the helicopter next to Aurora Australis at this time.

"The preferred and safest option at this stage is to ultimately transfer the passengers onto Aurora Australis."

Jha earlier said the mood was subdued but optimistic and people had kept themselves busy. "If there is any anger/upset etc I haven't seen any," he said in an email.

"I imagine some people have had private moments of anxiety or frustration but there's no feeling of threat or any worry about danger. No one seems scared."

The Akademik Shokalskiy became stuck in thick pack ice on Christmas Eve and the Aurora Australis and Xue Long, which are both icebreakers, had to abandon attempts to reach the trapped ship.

An attempt on New Year's Day to evacuate the passengers by helicopter was also abandoned because of heavy rain, strong winds and cloud.

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Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
The spin is taking a story, any story and making it political. I see it in almost every story that comes out of the US and its tedious beyond belief.

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Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
Only this story isn't about climate change. Only you and your denier 'scientist' have spun it that way.

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Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
Another example of YOUR spin on this story. Keep the examples coming, they just keep proving what I say.

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Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
And you wonder why you get accused of trolling....

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Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
Yes indeed.

I've noticed that climate skeptics have softened over the past few years, from outright denial to 'it's happening but not as fast as predicted' and 'not entirely man made'.

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My understanding is that the opposition is paid for by industries who have a vested interest in not making changes because those changes will affect their profit margins.

It seems super clear to me.

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