'Pure journalistic drivel': How does Reuters spin GROWING Arctic ice? By reporting on 'predictions' of an ice free Arctic

'Reuters is all too happy to help present a virtual world where scary scenarios can be effortlessly painted'

Thursday, October 15, 2009By Marc Morano – Climate Depot

Climate Depot Editorial - Serving as the Media's Ombudsman

Despite the fact that 2009 has officially been “declared year the media lost their faith in man-made global warming fears,” there still remains many deep-seated journalistic failings when it comes to the mainstream media's global warming coverage.

The global warming fear promoting media is particularly faced with a difficult challenge when it comes to the Arctic. How do you counter the climate reality of the latest inconvenient data about the expanding Arctic sea ice? See:

1) Arctic sea Ice GROWS by 'area one and a half times the size of Texas' - September 20, 2009

2) NYT: 'Spread of Thicker Arctic Ice Seen Last Summer' -- 'A substantial expansion of the extent of 'second year ice' - 'Gives some hope of stabilizing the ice cover over the next few years' - October 6, 2009

Despite this latest data, Reuters has made a woeful attempt to spin the reality of growing Arctic ice and ended up with a truly embarrassing article. An October 15, 2009 article by Peter Griffiths of Reuters, is so poorly written that it belongs in the same league as a press release for an environmental group. (Publicly available email address is: peter.griffiths@reuters.com)

In the article, entitled: “Arctic to be ice-free in summer in 20 years: scientist,” Griffiths refers to the green pressure group WWF, as an "environmental charity." How noble sounding and pure Reuters makes WWF sound.

Reuters Unabashedly Promotes UN Climate Treaty

The Reuters article also noted that "scientists" say the new Arctic sea ice predictions "should send a warning to world leaders meeting in Copenhagen in December for U.N. talks on a new climate treaty." Reuters cites a Britain's Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband who boldly announces the new Arctic ice prediction "further strengthens the case for an ambitious global deal in Copenhagen."

Gee. No ulterior motives by Reuters, WWF or Miliband are noticeable in this article, are they? In fact, the article drips with pure propaganda and pre-planned political activism to coincide with pending UN climate meeting in Copenhagen in December. Reuters seems to believe that “predictions” about Arctic ice conditions decades into the future are the some sort of “evidence.” Reporter Griffiths of Reuters does not even attempt to allow one sentence in his article to any scientist or study skeptical of the Arctic claims presented. (Note: The media's coverage of Arctic ice issues has always been problematic. See: Media Charged with Performing 'Climate Porn' on Arctic Ice Shipping Claims - Sept. 14, 2009)

'Pure journalistic drivel'

The Reuters article is pure journalistic drivel. As the real world data fails to match the global warming claims, all the climate fear promoters have left are "scary" predictions of the future. When present day reality fails to alarm, Reuters is all too happy to help present a virtual world where scary scenarios can be effortlessly painted, all the while promoting the urgency of agreeing to a pending UN climate treaty.

Floating sea ice raises sea level?

The article claims "Global warming will leave the Arctic Ocean ice-free during the summer within 20 years, raising sea levels and harming wildlife such as seals and polar bears, a leading British polar scientist said on Thursday."

First off, it is hard to fathom how floating sea ice will "raise sea levels." (Yes, there is land based ice in Greenland, but Reuters specifically refers to "sea ice.") But that aside, the article -- in true "climate astrology" fashion -- is peppered with such phrases as "will be" and "melting will take place."

Winter Arctic Ice to Disappear?

Reuters cites one scientist, Peter Wadhams, professor of ocean physics at the University of Cambridge, as the premiere authority on Arctic ice. The article notes: "...the melting will take place within a decade, although the winter ice will stay for hundreds of years."

Huh? What does Reuters mean by "winter ice will stay for hundreds of years." Is Wadhams predicting or implying the loss of WINTER ice in several hundred years? If so, it would seem the more shocking lead of this article should have been something like: "Scientist claims Arctic WINTER ice will disappear in hundreds of years!"

For this feat to occur, it would likely mean there entire Northern Hemisphere winters would have to disappear completely. (Note: Obama science Czar John Holdren has also made this same incredible claim. See: Arctic could 'lose the WINTER sea ice' suggests Obama's Science Advisor John Holdren! - Warns of Year round ICE FREE Arctic - Feb. 6, 2009)

Reuters cites the Catlin Arctic Ice survey and presents their findings uncritically. But the ice survey has been surrounded in controversy. See: Meteorologist: 'The Top Ten Reasons why I think Catlin Arctic Ice Survey data can't be trusted' - October 15, 2009 & see: Arctic Comedy: Global warming trek 'makes it less than half way' to North Pole due to temps dropping below -40C! - May 13, 2009

A Prediction is Not Evidence

As for the Reuters uncritical reporting of "predictions", a healthy dose of skepticism is in order on any climate predictions. See: Top forecasting experts now say the models violate the basic principles of forecasting. 1) Ivy League forecasting pioneer Dr. Scott Armstrong “Of 89 principles [of forecasting], the UN IPCC violated 72.” – January 28, 2009
2) Forecast Pioneers: Climate modelers violated 49 principles of forecasting - June 16, 2009

See more on climate models "predictions" here. For information countering the alleged Polar Bear extinction fears, see: U.S. Senate Report on Arctic & Polar Bears: Scientists and Recent Studies Cast Challenge Man-Made Melting Of Arctic Claims - Jan. 30, 2008

Here is an Arctic reality check:

Climate Depot Arctic Fact Sheet - Get the latest peer-reviewed studies and analysis

Arctic sea Ice GROWS by 'area one and a half times the size of Texas' - September 20, 2009

NYT: 'Spread of Thicker Arctic Ice Seen Last Summer' -- 'A substantial expansion of the extent of 'second year ice' - 'Gives some hope of stabilizing the ice cover over the next few years'

Alarming Advance Continues: 'At the present rate of advance, Arctic sea ice will consume Washington, D.C. in only 89 years' :)

Analysis: 'CO2 is not melting the Arctic'

Which is it? NYT's Andrew Revkin calls Arctic ice gains in 2009 'essentially meaningless' -- But suggested Arctic ice loss in 2007 was 'irreversible'