I could be wrong, but I have seen early indication that the Australian winter will be colder than usual (75 % chances). Most likely a Polar Vortex will come closer to our shore, while below certain southerly latitudes, the temperature will climb. The difference between the two (Australia and Antarctica) will still be in global warming territory record, but because Sydney, Melbourne Canberra will get colder than usual weather, the denialists will come out in force. Be prepared.

And by the way, the DT is in full form this morning as the "newspaper of the people", explaining how the NSW minister for sports will solve the "stadium conundrum" for sport lovers (mostly brawn on legs) and everyone will be happy having THREE stadiums for the price of two, including a new one taking park lands in moore park...

Meanwhile of course, the ordinary people's newspaper (The Daily/Sunday Telegraph) pisses on Labor (the political party of ordinary people) as usual, with an opinion piece from Miranda devine and other titbits to the glory of the Liberals (CONservatives). Piers Akerman is nowhere to be seen, unless buried between advertisement for cans of bake beans.

It is difficult to know if an article by Adam Morton in the SMH is trying to praise or damn Larry Marshall, the head of the CSIRO. Marshall wants to cut the "observation" of climate change because "the case is settled". At this stage, Gus-the-Idiot panics.

We actually should double our effort to observe global warming in conjunction with our modelling predictions and be comparing both, like mad people. I make some wild predictions and they are not often based on the study of number compilations by scientists. But I use the scientific compilations to confirm or deny my predictions which to say the least are often on the knocker, better than the other computer models.

I study small but significant natural variations in the behaviour of plants and animals especially birds and butterflies.

I also study the weather variations and atmospheric disturbances which to anyone with a finger pointed in the air would have now become an obvious warming trend for the last 40 years —EVEN WITHOUT INSTRUMENTATION. This is why we need to double our efforts — or start to panic. When the signs "become obvious" to observant people (including the DAILY TELEGRAPH, see at top), it's not going be pretty.

We need to be able to predict with more rational evidenced-based studies what is going to happen. By now we might have to start digging underground shelters while avoiding radon gas, who knows. But we need to know when we should start digging.

According to uncle Gus, we have about 16 years left before a major climatic flip... when the weather is going to hit the fan. What we have seen and felt so far is small beer. But my predictions alone are not sufficient. The CSIRO NEEDS TO MONITOR THE TREND AND ITS VARIATION. The CSIRO needs to tell us when the bus is going to hit the wall. We know we have to lift the pedal off the emission accelerator, but guess what? Since the removal of the carbon "tax" electricity CO2 emissions have risen 5 per cent... DUMB! And NOTHING in the Liberal (CONservative) Direct Action plan is going to work in limiting emissions (the direct action plan is mostly fudging accounting). And yes Larry Marshall is to be blamed — as much as Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and their Liberal (CONsevative) mates for the crap. No need to try and polish the entire governmental turd.

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There is evidence the international scientific community is watching closely. Shortly after Marshall appeared before a Senate inquiry into the cuts on Thursday, David Carlson – the head of the World Meteorological Organisation's climate program – emailed Marshall and journalists reporting on the issue to express his surprise that the CSIRO chief said he had not heard international concern about the cuts.

Carlson said he wanted to relay, again, what he described as "messages of international outrage", including a letter of protest signed by more than 3000 scientists from across the globe.

Those concerned at home include Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, who convened a meeting of major sciences in a bid to find a solution. As Fairfax Media revealed, among the options floated was a Bureau of Meteorology proposal that it take over some climate programs and hire up to 50 CSIRO scientists – if the funding could be found.

Exactly what CSIRO plans to axe remains unclear – Marshall says the organisation is only midway through working out the details of its plan. He says up to 350 jobs could go, but replacement staff will be hired in new areas of focus. Food and nutrition, land and water, manufacturing, and data all face cuts.

Bleaching occurs when high heat and bright sunshine cause the metabolism of the algae — which give coral reefs their brilliant colors and energy — to speed out of control, and they start creating toxins. The polyps recoil. If temperatures drop, the corals can recover, but denuded ones remain vulnerable to disease. When heat stress continues, they starve to death.

Damaged or dying reefs have been found from Réunion, off the coast of Madagascar, to East Flores, Indonesia, and from Guam and Hawaii in the Pacific to the Florida Keys in the Atlantic.

The largest bleaching, at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, was confirmed last month. In a survey of 520 individual reefs that make up the Great Barrier Reef’s northern section, scientists from Australia’s National Coral Bleaching Task Force found only four with no signs of bleaching. Some 620 miles of reef, much of it previously in pristine condition, had suffered significant bleaching.

In follow-up surveys, scientists diving on the reef said half the coral they had seen had died. Terry Hughes, the director of the Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Queensland, who took part in the survey, warned that even more would succumb if the water did not cool soon.

read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/10/world/asia/climate-related-death-of-coral-around-world-alarms-scientists.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0