Friday, July 04, 2014

9th ICCC, Las Vegas

The 9th International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC) will be held next week in Las Vegas, USA. It is an annual, sometimes twice a year (2009, NYC and Wash DC; 2010, Chicago and Sydney) conference sponsored by the Chicago-based free market think tank, the Heartland Institute.


I was able to attend the 2nd ICCC in March 2009 in NYC, and the 4th ICCC in Chicago in May 2010. In both instances I was given a travel grant by Heartland because MG Thinkers was among the minor NGO co-sponsors of the event, courtesy of our membership at the IPN-initiatied Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change (CSCCC).

I really learned a lot from those two conferences. Listening to famous climatologists, geologists, solar physicists, meteorologists, biochemists and other natural scientists from many countries was sort of a mind-blowing experience for me. Seeing dozens if not hundreds of graphs, charts and tables per day from different panels for 2 1/2 days was conversing to a Greek-speaking person for me in the 2nd ICCC in 2009. Not so when I attended the 4th ICCC in 2010 because I became familiar with many literatures and a number of key speakers then.

The topics and speakers in the ICCC next week are "salivating", to say the least. If I have modest funding, I definitely would have liked to attend this conference and fly back immediately. I hope that I can find a sponsor, or have money of my own, to be able to attend the ICCC next year.

Here is the list of panel discussions and their respective speakers.

July 07

Dinner, Opening Keynote Speakers and Awards
Meteorologist Joe Bastardi and Congr. Rohrabacher (invited) will open the program and  set the tone for the conference.. The first of a series of awards will be given for Outstanding achievement in science, communication, and other fields.

July 08

Breakfast Speakers and Awards
Dr. Patrick Moore, a cofounder of Greenpeace, and John Coleman, founder of the Weather Channel, plus awards

Panel 1. Climate Change and the Hydrosphere
Oceans have a major effect on the planet’s climate, and global temperatures are strongly affected by changes in ocean currents. What does the latest science say about how ocean cycles and related factors drive climate change?

Dr. John Dale Dunn, M.D., Emergency Physician, Brownwood, Texas - Moderator
Dr. William Kininmonth, Australian meteorologist
Dr. William Gray, Colorado State University
Dr. Roy Spencer, University of Alabama in Huntsville

Panel 2. Carbon Taxes and the Social Cost of Carbon
Are carbon taxes a market-friendly solution to global warming? An expert panel address es the pros and cons of carbon tax schemes.

James L. Johnston, The Heartland Institute - Moderator
Dr. David Kreutzer, The Heritage Foundation
Marlo Lewis, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Kenneth Haapala, Science and Environmental Policy Project

Panel 3. Combating Climate Myths with Science Facts
Media outlets and global warming activists present a constant parade of asserted global  warming impacts. A panel of experts discuss how they separate fact from fiction when talking with reporters and making public presentations.

Norman Rogers - Moderator
Tom Harris, International Climate Science Coalition
James Taylor, The Heartland Institute
Walter Cunningham, Apollo Astronaut, NASA (retired)

Panel 4. NIPCC versus IPCC: Physical Science
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Non governmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC) have released several dueling reports on recent climate change. How does their physical science compare?

Craig Idso, Center for the Study of CO2 and Climate Change - Moderator
Dr. Willie Soon, solar physicist and geoscientist
Dr. S. Fred Singer, Science and Environmental Policy Project
Dr. Robert M. Carter, Institute of Public Affairs

Panel 5. Who Benefits from Alarmism?
The global warming debate is filled with accusations of financial gain and personal self-interest. Who really benefits from alarmism, and how?

James L. Johnston, The Heartland Institute - Moderator
Ron Arnold, Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise
Dr. Sonja Boehner-Christiansen, editor, Environment & Energy
Larry Bell, author, Climate of Corruption

Panel 6. The Right Climate Stuff
A team of scientists and engineers who worked with NASA to put men on the moon have looked carefully at the science of climate change. They will discuss what they found.

Leighton Steward, Plants Need CO2 - Moderator
Thomas Wysmuller, meteorologist, NASA (retired)
Dr. Hal Doiron, rocket scientist, NASA (retired)
Walter Cunningham, Apollo Astronaut, NASA (retired)

Lunch Speakers and Awards
Dr. Patrick Michaels, senior fellow with the Cato Institute, and Hon. George Christensen, member of the Australian House of Representatives, plus awards

Panel 7. Solar Science and Climate
Scientists have long observed a close correlation between solar variance and the Earth’s climate. How big is the effect, and what is the mechanism? What does solar activity tell  us about future climate?

Dr. Jay Lehr, The Heartland Institute - Moderator
Dr. Sebastian Luning, co-author of Die kalte Sonne (The Cold Sun)
Dr. Habibullo Abdussamatov, Space Research Sector of the Pulkovo Observatory (St. Petersburg, Russia) Dr. Willie Soon, solar physicist and geoscientist

Panel 8. Costs and Benefits of Renewable Energy
The urgent need to “stop global warming” is often cited as the reason for subsidizing renewable fuels such as wind, solar, and ethanol. Are these efforts to force a transition from fossil fuels necessary? How much do they cost, and how effective are they?

Tiffany Roberts - Moderator
Dr. Howard Hayden, University of Connecticut (retired)
Steve Goreham, author of The Mad, Mad, Mad World of Climatism
Marita Noon, Energy Makes America Great

Panel 9. Communicating Climate Change: The Blogosphere
Media bias has forced global warming skeptics to turn to the Internet to share discoveries and express their views. Three prominent bloggers share inside tips, stories, and advice.

Craig Rucker, CFACT- Moderator
Marc Morano, Climate Depot
Tony Heller, Real Science
Russell Cook

Panel 10. All Things Cold – Ice Age Conditions, the Cryosphere, and Recent Cold Winters
How did carbon dioxide levels effect past ice age glaciations? What are historical ice observations in the Arctic? What is responsible for cold North American winters?

Craig Idso, Center for the Study of CO2 and Climate Change - Moderator
Dr. Howard Hayden, University of Connecticut (retired)
Joseph D’Aleo, ICECAP
Fred Goldberg, Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm, Sweden, retired)

Panel 11. Climate Change, Human Health and Adaptation
The IPCC claims climate change and warming temperature will harm human health. A panel of experts examine the evidence and provides the best available science on climate change and human health, as well as the Obama administration’s abuse of adaption plans.

Dr. E. Calvin Beisner, Cornwall Alliance - Moderator
Dr. Craig Loehle, National Council for Air and Stream Improvement
Dr. John Dale Dunn, M.D., Emergency Physician, Brownwood, Texas
Myron Ebell, Competitive Enterprise Institute

Panel 12. International Perspectives on Climate Change
The climate change debate is taking place around the world, with skepticism receiving a chillier reception in some places and a warmer reception in others. These speakers discuss what is happening around the world.

Dr. Madhav Khandekar, Environment Canada (retired) - Moderator
Lord Christopher Monckton, Great Britain
Hon. Barry Brill, New Zealand
Dr. Sebastian Luning, Germany

July 09

Breakfast Speakers and Awards
Dr. Roy Spencer, a climatologist and former NASA scientist, and Dr. Jay Lehr, science director of The Heartland Institute, plus award presentations.

Panel 13. Climate Change, Water, and Human Wellbeing
How is climate change affecting sea level, rainfall and water availability? Will a warming planet complicate or alleviate water challenges?

Dr. John Dale Dunn, M.D., Emergency Physician, Brownwood, Texas - Moderator
Dr. Jennifer Marohasy, Central Queensland University
Dr. Nils Axel Morner, Stockholm University (retired)
Dr. S. Fred Singer, Science and Environmental Policy Project

Panel 14. Weather and Climate Change
Is climate change affecting weather patterns and events? If so, how? A panel of meteorologists provide the latest science on weather and climate change.

Paul Driessen, Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow - Moderator
Dr. Madhav Khandekar, Environment Canada (retired)
Joe Bastardi, Weatherbell Analytics
Dr. Stanley Goldenberg, Hurricane Research Division, AOML/NOAA

Panel 15. How Reliable are Temperature Records? Is Global Warming Rapid and Dangerous?
Satellite instruments, ground-based thermometers, and sea surface instruments provide varying and often contradictory temperature histories. How reliable are the various temperature datasets?

Norman Rogers - Moderator
Anthony Watts, Watts Up With That?
Richard Keen, University of Colorado
Dr. Larry Gould, University of Hartford

Panel 16. NIPCC versus IPCC: Biological Impacts
How have animals and plant life responded to climate change? How are they likely to respond in the future? A panel of experts tackles the issues.

Craig Rucker, CFACT - Moderator
Dr. Craig Idso, Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change
Dr. Craig Loehle, National Council for Air and Stream Improvement
Dr. Robert Carter, Institute of Public Affairs

Panel 17. Peer Review, Herding, and the Reliability of Climate Science
The science community has been rocked by allegations of academic fraud, retractions, and published research that cannot be replicated. How serious is the problem, and what can be done?

Tom Harris, ICSC - Moderator
Dr. Patrick Michaels, Cato Institute
Dr. Tim Ball, author, The Deliberate Corruption of Climate Science
Dr. Sonja Boehner-Christiansen, editor, Environment & Energy

Panel 18. New Estimates of Climate Sensitivity
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, but just how sensitive is the Earth’s climate to carbon dioxide emissions? The answer to this question is one of the most important points of contention in the climate change debate.

Myron Ebell, Competitive Enterprise Institute - Moderator
Robert Armstrong, Cosy.com
Dr. Anthony Lupo, University of Missouri (Colum

Lunch Speakers and Awards
Lord Christopher Monckton, former science advisor to Margaret Thatcher, and Sen. James M. Inhofe (invited), and award presentations.

Panel 19. Looking Ahead: Future Climates
What does the latest science tell us about future climate change? Will there be catastrophic warming, mild warming, mild cooling, or even catastrophic cooling?

Marlo Lewis, Competitive Enterprise Institute- Moderator
Dr. Don Easterbrook, Western Washington University
Willis Eschenbach, independent climate researcher
Dr. Terrence Flower, St. Catherine University

Panel 20. The Global Warming Debate in Australia
Australia offers a window into what the global warming debate in the U.S. might look like in a few years. The country adopted a carbon tax and other policies at the peak of public and political interest, and is now repealing those policies.

Dr. Robert Carter, Institute of Public Affairs - Moderator
Hon. George Christensen, member of the Australian House of Representatives
Dr. Jennifer Marohasy, Central Queensland University
Dr. William Kininmonth, Australian meteorologist

Panel 21. Global Warming as a Social Movement
Global warming advocates often talk about the moral necessity of battling climate change.             Do sustainability, carbon taxes, and carbon   restrictions really benefit human health and welfare? Is this a moral issue?

Rep. Pat Garofalo, Minnesota - Moderator
Dr. E. Calvin Beisner, Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation
Paul Driessen, Committee for a Constructive
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See also:
Chicago, 4th ICCC, day 1, May 17, 2010
Sea level, the Sun and climate, May 20, 2010
2nd ICCC in New York, March 2009, March 05, 2014
4th ICCC in Chicago, May 2010, March 05, 2014
Climate Tricks 31: High Intolerance by the Alarmist Camp, May 14, 2014
Free Market Environmentalism, June 07, 2014

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