By Paul Homewood
http://www.yhref.org.uk/pages/climate-change-plan-yorkshire-and-humber
In 2008, the UK government asked every region to set up their own Climate Change Plans. The one for Yorkshire was funded by a series of quangos, themselves publically funded such as Yorkshire Forward, and the Regional Assembly. It seems that Friends of The Earth also got themselves involved.
The purpose of the plan was to “set a strategic direction for managing and combating climate change in the Yorkshire and Humber region”. The plan itself admitted that “The plan does not list lots of detailed actions. It is not specifically linked to CO2 targets and cannot provide a breakdown of how they will be achieved”.
Never mind though! It did include lots of self important waffle and management speak about strategy, delivery, challenges, integrating, robust monitoring arrangements, and emerging governance structures. We’ll all be able to sleep safely in our beds now!
But let’s take a look at what climate changes they were predicting for the region, and compare that with what has actually happened since.
Annual Temperatures
CLAIM – Increase of 1.8C – 1.9C
FACT – Annual average between 2008-2012 was 0.58C lower than 2003-2007, and only 0.11C higher than the 1981-2010 baseline.
Summer Temperatures
CLAIM – Increase of 2.1C – 2.5C
FACT – Summer temperatures between 2008-2012 averaged 0.67C lower than 2003-2007, and 0.02C lower than 1981-2010.
Extreme Hot Temperatures
CLAIM – Extreme hot temperatures up 2.8C to 3.2C
FACT – Absolutely no upward trend in either the number of hot days, or their severity. There have been no days at all over 30.0C in Sheffield since 2006.
Annual Rainfall
CLAIM – Annual rainfall down by 6%.
FACT – Up by 10% on 1981-2010.
Winter Rainfall
CLAIM – Winter rainfall up 12 to 17%
FACT – Effectively no trend since 1981. Three of the last four years are below the mean.
Summer Rainfall
CLAIM – Summer rainfall down 22 to 26%
FACT – Up 33%
Winter Snowfall
CLAIM – Snowfall down by 54 to 68%
FACT – No trend in air frost days since 1990. (The Met Office do not keep snowfall statistics). As with most of the UK, heavy snowfall has occurred in every winter since 2007.
Sea Levels
NORTH SHIELDS
http://www.psmsl.org/data/obtaining/stations/95.php
CLAIM – Sea level increase of 0.35M by 2050.
FACT – No acceleration of rate of rise since the early 20thC. From the start of the record in 1896, sea levels at North Shields have risen 231mm, a rate of 19.7mm/decade. Between 2001 and 2011, the rise was 5mm. (No figures are available yet for 2012).
Furthermore, the land in the North East of England is sinking by about 0.8mm/year, as a result of isostatic rebound. This accounts for most of the increase seen in the last century.
Rates of Isostatic Rebound in Great Britain (in mm/yr)
Conclusions
There is absolutely no justification at all for the scaremongering presented in this report, though it no doubt makes the politicians, scientists, committee members and other assorted busybodies feel very self important.
Whatever may happen to the climate as we approach 2050, it is clear that the scientists and their models have no earthly idea about it. Spending billions of pounds addressing problems that may not occur, or worse still addressing the wrong ones, cannot be justified.
You may have noted that this plan runs only up to 2014, but the gravy train will carry on.
It is time to end the nonsense.
References
All climate data is from the Met Office