WWF on human rights abuse charges

The charity Survival International is reporting that the OECD is going to investigate allegations that WWF has been funding human rights abuses in Cameroon.

Survival submitted the complaint in February 2016, citing numerous examples of violent abuse and harassment against Baka “Pygmies” in Cameroon by WWF-funded anti-poaching squads. Survival also alleges that WWF failed to seek communities’ free, prior and informed consent for conservation projects on their ancestral land.

This is the first time a non-profit organization has been scrutinized in this way. The acceptance of the complaint indicates that the OECD will hold WWF to the same human rights standards as profit-making
corporations.

WWF funds anti-poaching squads in Cameroon and elsewhere in the Congo Basin. Baka and other rainforest tribes have reported systematic abuse at the hands of these squads, including arrest and beatings, torture
and even death, for well over 20 years.

FoE in full flight

The Advertising Standards Authority has been conducting an investigation into Friends of the Earth's wild stories about unconventional oil and gas in recent weeks. Today it was announced that our green friends have decided that a hasty retreat is in order. Rather than fighting the allegations against them they have decided to promise to stop telling said porkie pies rather than wait for an official ruling that they are, in fact, wholesale purveyors of baked meat products.

Use and abuse of climate simulations

Some of you may be interested in Gavin's Schmidt's forthcoming talk  at Exeter University. It's hard to deny his expertise in the area.

Climate change is now a constant presence in the media with many stories about the latest records in global heat, Arctic ice loss, sea level rise, or the potential for changes in extreme weather. But many people still have questions about how scientists study the Earth system, where the dramatic predictions of future change come from, and how credible they are.

In this talk Dr Schmidt will discuss the use and abuse of climate simulations, how they are used to attribute changes in the past and what they suggest for the future. He will specifically discuss how global society now has to choose its own adventure and what the implications of these choices will be.

Details here.

Decorative diesel

From the Guardian

South Pacific island ditches fossil fuels to run entirely on solar power

Using more than 5,000 solar panels and 60 Tesla power packs the tiny island of Ta’u in American Samoa is now entirely self-sufficient for its electricity supply – though the process of converting has been tough and pitted with delays.

From the website of the government of  American Samoa

The project description lists 1,410 kW of Solar panels and 6,000 kWh of battery storage.  Also, three new 275KW Cummins Diesel Generators...

The latter presumably for decoration.

Trumped - Josh 386

He did it. I am not sure how but he did. What a year.

Cartoons by Josh

Update on Nov 9, 2016 by Josh

Trump Picks Top Climate Skeptic to Lead EPA Transition

Cartoons by Josh Calendar 2017

It’s been another hilarious year and the Cartoons by Josh Calendar is just the way to remember throughout 2017.

You can pre-order the Calendar here.

The calendar will be printed after 8th November and pre-order deliveries will be made the week of the 21st November.

As a special offer I am including a second calendar for half price for all orders before the 8th November.

And if you don't want to know the result - Josh 385

The 2016 US Presidential election - what can one say?

Cartoons by Josh 

Madhouse Mann - Josh 384

Michael Mann has a book out called "The Madhouse Effect' with cartoons by Tom Toles. 

Click to read more ...

Bulldog Bob

To tell the truth, there has been very little that has piqued my interest in the climate scene since my long break began all those months ago.

But my goodness, David Rose's splash in the Mail on Sunday over the weekend was something else wasn't it? Those paragons of virtue at Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, overseen by our old friends Nick and Bob, have been, well, nicking other people's results and passing them off as their own, the better to fleece the taxpayer of a bob or two (or nine million).

That certainly made me sit up and take notice.

Here's Josh's take...

GWPF Annual Lecture 2016 - Cartoon notes by Josh

Last night Matt Ridley gave an excellent lecture titled 'Global warming vs global greening'. You can read the text and slides here.

Cartoons by Josh

Playing the fool - Josh 383

Actor and activist Leo DiCaprio: 

“If you do not believe in climate change, you do not believe in facts, or in science or empirical truths and therefore, in my humble opinion, should not be allowed to hold public office,” he said.

The irony is that DiCaprio has come under fire for taking private jets around the world and renting out superyachts for lavish parties — that’s a big carbon footprint for a climate crusader.

Hacked Sony emails showed DiCaprio used private jets to fly between New York to Los Angeles six times in six weeks during 2015.

The Academy Award winning actor even flew 8,000 miles to receive an environmental reward — enough carbon dioxide was burnt to power 20 U.S. homes for a year.

Read the article here. 

Cartoons by Josh

Dark down under - Josh 382

In the news this week:

A dramatic, sudden loss of wind power generation was the root cause of South Australia’s state wide blackout last week.

Read about it at The Global Warming Policy Forum

Cartoons by Josh

Clexit - Josh 381

At 'The London Confrence' there was also discussion about 'Clexit' - like Brexit but a 'Climate Exit' - a new initiative by Viv Forbes - read about it here. I drew some cartoon notes along with those below but thought it was worth its own post.

Click to read more ...

The London Conference - Josh 380

You might have read about 'The London Conference on Climate Change: Science and Geoethics' organised by Nils-Axel Mörner. It was two days of scientific presentations and discussions. I managed to be there for around half of the talks, which were fascinating although sometimes quite technical, and drew some cartoon notes...

Click to read more ...

No room for St Jeremy - Josh 379

Another completely off topic Corbyn cartoon - he is a bit of a gift really and I couldn't resist. 

H/t to Marcus Leroux and The BBC

Cartoons by Josh