Walrus nonsense

According to the ABC everything can be blamed on climate change:
Climate change blamed for beaching of 35,000 walruses on Alaskan coastline

At least 35,000 Pacific walruses have beached themselves on a remote Alaskan coastline in a phenomenon blamed on the melting of arctic ice due to climate change, experts say.

Of course finding that this event is not unprecedented casts a long shadow over such claims. We are surprised again that ABC's reporters are unable to do basic research. 

Here's a start for ABC's sheltered workshop ....
Mass haulouts of Pacific walrus and stampede deaths are not new, not due to low ice cover

Large haulouts of walruses — such as the one making news at Point Lay, Alaska on the Chukchi Sea (and which happened before back in 2009) — are not a new phenomenon for this region over the last 45 years and thus cannot be due to low sea ice levels. Nor are deaths by stampede within these herds (composed primarily of females and their young) unusual, as a brief search of the literature reveals.

Pays to read the source

ABC once again push the panic button on a WHO report on a Health Risk Assessment of the Fukashima Nuclear Disaster. The ABC story by Reuters fails to adequately explain the WHO findings.

The source document is quite clear and succinct on the risks. Here are a few things missing from ABC's report.
This from the report's executive summary:
"Outside of the geographical areas most affected by radiation, even in locations within Fukushima prefecture, the predicted risks remain low and no observable increases in cancer above natural variation in baseline rates are anticipated."


"The estimated dose levels in Fukushima prefecture were also too low to affect fetal development or outcome of pregnancy and no increases, as a result of antenatal radiation exposure, in spontaneous abortion, miscarriage, perinatal mortality, congenital defects or cognitive impairment are anticipated."


The Exec. summary states: "In the two most affected locations of Fukushima prefecture, the preliminary estimated radiation effective doses for the first year ranged from 12 to 25 mSv."

However ABC's report claims:
"The report found that these people received a lifetime radiation dose of up to 50 milli-Sieverts (MSV) and therefore have a significant, but relatively small, additional risk of contracting cancer in later life."

ABC's report states:
"In the most contaminated area, the WHO estimated there was a 70 per cent higher risk of females exposed as infants developing thyroid cancer over their lifetime.
The thyroid is the most exposed organ as radioactive iodine concentrates there and children are deemed especially vulnerable."

 ABC fails to add the important follow on information explaining the risk for Thyroid cancer:
"Due to the low baseline rates of thyroid cancer, even a large relative increase represents a small absolute increase in risks. For example, the baseline lifetime risk of thyroid cancer for females is just three-quarters of one percent and the additional lifetime risk estimated in this assessment for a female infant exposed in the most affected location is one-half of one percent."

It was only in the geographically smaller areas where exposures were higher that the increased cancer risks are significant. For thyroid cancer the actual increase in risk is one-half of one percent.

Nothing ABC loves more than a beat up!

Death threats a beat up

Turns out the recent claims aired by ABC news (twice) and others about death threats to Australian Climate Scientists is a beat up, based on just two threats, one posted in 2006-07, and the other an offhand remark made in person, 12 months ago. The threats so innocuous they were not officially reported to police.

Today's Telegraph have the facts. We look forward to seeing ABC's correction, or will they let their audience continue to be mis-informed about the nature of the threats?

Carbon death threats go cold

CLAIMS prominent climate change scientists had recently received death threats have been revealed as an opportunistic ploy, with the Australian National University admitting that they occurred up to five years ago.

Only two of ANU's climate change scientists allegedly received death threats, the first in a letter posted in 2006-2007 and the other an offhand remark made in person 12 months ago.

Neither was officially reported to ACT Police or Australian Federal Police, despite such crimes carrying a 10-year prison sentence.

The outdated threats raised question marks over the timing of their release to the public, with claims they were aired last week to draw sympathy to scientists and their climate change cause.

The university denied it was creating a ruse, maintaining the initial report, in the Fairfax-ownedCanberra Times last week, failed to indicate when the threats were made.Reports also suggested the threats had forced the ANU to lock away its climate change scientists and policy advisers in a high-security complex. The Daily Telegraph has discovered the nine scientists and staff in question were merely given keyless swipe cards - routine security measures taken last year.

Tim Blair has more under the header...False Alarmists

UPDATE May 3, 2012. Claims Debunked!