At http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2012/05/1859s-great-auroral-stormthe… … in 1859 Richard Carrington spotted a peculiar sun spot and drew and plotted some intensely bright patches that he was flash through his telescope. A huge solar flare had erupted in the direction of the Earth and 12 hours later there was a massive auroral storm. Electro-magnetic gusts enveloped the globe and it seems the newly emergent telegraph system was able to work without batteries – there was so much electricity in the atmosphere. The pieces goes on to present a series of eye-witness reports of the phenomenon.
Meanwhile, at http://phys.org/print255598816.html … a species of Antarctic octopus appears to show that the West Antarctic ice shelf disappeared about 200,000 years ago. The paper, in Molecular Ecology, makes some interesting claims based on non-movement of the particular species that is said to favour the shelf system and avoids deep water. It could not have migrated around the peninsular. What this seems to be showing is that at one time there was open water across what is now a large section of the peninsular, a discovery that appears to gel with a 2010 study (also reported on In the News, at the time) based on other criterion. This means, it is thought, that CAGW is capable of causing a collapse of the ice sheet on the peninsular, a somewhat unlikely scenario as the Antarctic ice sheet appears quite robust. What it might show, and never be admitted by the consensus science of several disciplines, is that the peninsular may once have been located somewhat further norht in relation to the South Pole than it is nowadays.
At http://notrickszone.com/2012/05/07/70-of-swedens-local-politicians-dont-… … a survey claims 70 per cent of local politicians in Sweden are sceptical of global warming and science modelling process. Seems like people aren't so easily taken in by all the hype – much to the annoyance of the committed minority. They are accusing them of being small minded provincials.
At http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/05/07/solar-grand-minima-linked-to-cooli… … is about the sudden cooling that took place 2800 years ago, and mentioned by Mike Baillie. It was possible there was a catastrophic angle to the event around 800BC but in this paper in Nature Geoscience it is suggested it involved a solar minimum.In NW Europe, including the Celtic Iron Age in Britain and Ireland, the climate swung to one that is reminiscent of the Late Roman period and the Little Ice Age – wet and dreary and cold at times. It is being called the Homeric Minimum and it seems the climate changed in less than ten years – or almost immediately. However, they can't explain the forcing mechanism but the inference is that solar effects were significant.
At http://tallbloke.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/poetry-corner-reflections-on-t… … a bit verse on CAGW is breaking out across the blogosphere. This is the latest example.