Les Routledge

Aided by at least $43 million in assistance from the government of Massachusetts and an innovative solar energytechnology, Evergreen Solar emerged in the last three years as the third-largest maker of solar panels in the United States.

But now the company is closing its main American factory, laying off the 800 workers by the end of March and shifting production to a joint venture with a Chinese company in central China. Evergreen cited the much higher government support available in China.http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/15/business/energy-environment/15solar.html?_r=1&hp

I guess governments in Canada and the USA could counter this move by requiring projects receiving government support to be supplied by domestic suppliers as Ontario does under its Feed in Tariff program.  The problem with that approach is that China is on the road to being the largest market for renewable energy systems, so manufacturers will be inclined to locate there to access their domestic market.

In climate science, the AGW hypothesis states that human GHG emissions significantly affect the climate. As such, the null hypothesis is that human GHG emissions do not significantly affect the climate, that the climate variations are the result of natural processes. This null hypothesis is what Doctor T wants to reverse.

As reported in Der Spiegel, a new study published in the journal “Science”, provides the first annualized accurate climate history of Europe for the past 2500 years.

In general terms, the study indicates that periods of warm weather coincided with periods stability and growth.  On the other hand, periods of cooler weather coincided with periods of turmoil and societal upheaval.  The following is a rough Google translation of the Speigel article….

As it gradually became warmer [around] 300 BC, while relatively much rain fell, the Roman Empire flourished. The climate helped the Romans to the rise, as historians have noted, “The harvest yields, increased mining areas could be developed, Northern Europe, was recognized as soon as the road passable in the winter was over the Alps. Even in England the flourishing vineyards.

The researcher’s description of the study contains some imprecise language.  For example,

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Planet+faces+great+glacier+meltdown+2100+study/4082733/story.html

“The study estimates 21% of the glacier ice will melt away by 2100”

Or

“The study concludes that by 2100 the sea level will rise about 12 centimetres”

As with any study, this one assesses the possible impacts of alternative scenarios that may MAY OR MAY NOT occur in the future.  Indeed, the methodology employed by the study used inputs of possible weather scenarios from computational models to set the parameters of their analysis.  These inputs are not predictions but instead are possible scenarios of future global weather patterns or climatic conditions that may or may not occur.  These models are not designed “to predict” localized future weather conditions and as such they cannot realistically provide accurate predictions of weather that might occur in localized areas such as mountain glaciers.  As such, the study does not have the ability to predict “will occur” scenarios.  All of its analysis should be describe as “X may occur if Y weather conditions develop”.

While most people do not read The Australian, I do on a regular basis. The attached article by Lord Monckton effectively demolishes an alarmist article that The Australian published recently.