Yes, the Deep Climate blog is finally returning after a hiatus of several months. Over the next few months, look for at least two or three posts per month, as I gradually return to former activity levels. Thanks to everyone for their patience.
Here are some topics that could be discussed on this open thread.
1) Margaret Munro of Post Media has reported on the latest initiative to fight muzzling of Canadian scientists by the Harper government.
Federal Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault is being asked to formally investigate the way the Harper government has been “muzzling” and restricting access to federal scientists.
The request, accompanied with a report [7Mb PDF] on the government’s “systematic efforts” to obstruct access to researchers, was made jointly on Wednesday by the Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria and Democracy Watch, a national non-profit group.
2) The IEA Energy Technology Perspectives 2012 report has just been issued, together with a detailed online presentation. In my opinion, this is “must read” for anyone interested in climate policy, and realistic pathways to avoiding the worst effects of climate change. There is, of course, still a yawning gap between current government policies and policies required to limit global warming to about 2 deg C above pre-industrial levels.
3) Russell Seitz has started a very entertaining blog entitled VVattsUpWithThat (yes, that’s a double V!). A recent post discusses the conviction of Heartland Institute science director Jay Lehr for defrauding the EPA in the early 1980s.
Deep Climate 
Welcome back , we have missed you. Those links look good.
Good to see you return..
Our friend Joe Oliver is back with Orwell-speak as he brazenly describes the oil sands as ‘green’ .
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/ottawa-pitches-the-oil-sands-as-green/article9306257/
Relying on Canadian crude imports is the best choice for the United States – not just because it’s reliable and secure but because of Canada’s unmatched environmental record, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said Tuesday.
I supposed our environmental record truly is unmatched, just not necessarily in a good way.
“…Canada’s unmatched environmental record…”
How would the Minister know? No one’s allowed to do any research or to talk about it in public anymore.
“Canada’s unmatched environmental record”
I didn’t think we were “that” bad!
Welcome back DC! You have been missed, probably not by the “skeptics” though.
Good to see you back in the action DC.
As another Minnesota born hydrogeologist who studied at UofA, I’ll say that Lehr is an embarrassment to his profession, and I’m appalled by his involvement with Heartland. On the other hand, maybe it keeps him from further malpractice out in the real world, and Heartland can have him. Perhaps his face belongs on one of those Heartland billboards asking, “This convicted felon still doesn’t believe in man-made climate change. Do you?” Or, “Pssst, wanna buy a doctored-up phony climate report?”
Lots of posts and articles about the muzzling in the past few days. Twitter hashtag #unmuzzlescience is in use now; and here’s a way to find earlier tweets on the subject:
https://twitter.com/softgrasswalker/status/309011440839294976
DC,
Any thoughts on Marcott and the throwing of toys by the usual suspects, including Pielke? It would be nice to have an incisive debunking and audit of claims made by them on the record.
My take on what I’ve read so far: The large 20th century uptick in Marcott et al Fig 1 may well be an artifact of proxy dropout in the modern era, plus erroneous dating of three proxy “tops”. But Marcott et al conclusions about relative warmth of current temperatures to the Holocene, and the coming breakout in this century well beyond previous temperature in the 11000 years of the Holocene, does not rely in any way on this uptake. Rather, they cite Mann et al 2008 reconstruction, instrumental temperatures and modeled scenarios, and compare these to the broad contour of the past 11,000 years.
Some useful links from Tamino Open Mind:
Marcott et al FAQ:
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2013/03/response-by-marcott-et-al/
Stoat/William Connolley on RP jr:
http://scienceblogs.com/stoat/2013/04/01/rp-jr-is-a-tosser/
Fraser Institute salaries and funding:
http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2013/04/04/sunshine-listing-the-fraser-institute/
And a rebuttal to their study on public salaries:
http://cupe.ca/paul-moist/national-president-responds-fraser
Muzzling of artists now:
http://artthreat.net/2013/04/calgary-artists-oil-free-coast/
So the exhibit could stay until today but they were not allowed to publicize it. This news clip shows there are some beautiful paintings there. I wish I had known about it sooner.
http://globalnews.ca/video/487014/controversial-exhibit-stays-at-city-hall
Meanwhile “Environment Canada” has been removed from the weather website: http://elizabethmaymp.ca/news/publications/press-releases/2013/04/17/environment-canada-disappears-from-government-of-canada-site/
But there is stiall an Environment Canada website, at least so far:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/?lang=En
DC,
Are there any plans by a Canuck to address Oliver’s latest nonsense?
Yes, although I’ll only be able to scratch the surface for now.
Levant giving a talk on “Ethical” Oil:
http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=cbb6f0017dee43246a5ca825f&id=d71154f509&e=d055aecb81