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French government fines TV news for allowing a skeptic to speak without being challenged

Octupus News
© joannenova.com.au
We know what secrets they fear the most, by how they overreact

In France, the second largest news network let an economist go on air and declare he thought global warming was a lie and a scam used to justify State intervention. He even went on to say it is a form of totalitarianism. Shockingly (to the regulators Arcom), the CNEWS TV hosts did not contest this, and nor did anyone else in the studio. For this, 11 months later, the TV channel is being fined €20,000.

Too close to the truth then?
A popular French rolling news channel has been fined for broadcasting climate scepticism unchallenged

By Saskia O'Donoghue, EuroNews

During the programme, prominent economist Philippe Herlin shared personal climate scepticism - but was not contradicted by anybody else in the TV studio, including the hosts.

"Anthropogenic global warming is a lie, a scam... Explaining to us that it is because of Man, no, that is a conspiracy, and why does that have so much weight?", Herlin said. "Because it justifies the intervention of the State in our lives, and it absolves the State from having to reduce its public spending... It is a form of totalitarianism."
Apparently, the real crime here is not that he said the unthinkable, but that the TV crew didn't correct him:
After investigation, Arcom found that CNews' lack of reaction was a "failure" to meet the obligations of the channel ...
Perhaps if they'd laughed at him, called him petty names, and treated him like a leper it would have been OK? (No, seriously, there is a razor point here. There are bound to be past examples where the only response to a skeptic was to call them a climate denier, and Arcom was apparently happy with that, since they've never used this fine before.) Does Arcom approve of namecalling or social approbation as a "balanced response"? Oh. Yes. They. Do.

The regulators go on to explain that the channel:
"...is required to ensure an honest presentation of controversial issues, in particular by ensuring the expression of different points of view".
Which must be a new requirement since French TV has relentlessly hammered the establishment line in a one sided way for thirty years without needing any balance at all. And Arcom didn't fine them for shamelessly promoting government propaganda. Perhaps a French skeptic could ask Arcon if controversial government opinions need to be balanced "in an honest presentation" or whether it's only critics of the government who need to be held to account?
Arcom found that the views shared "contradicted or minimised" the scientific consensus on climate change "through a treatment lacking rigour and without contradiction".
Since when was it the job of journalists to promote government approved "science"?

Snowflake

Snow in the Kalahari desert, Namibia

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The Kalahari, notorious for its high summer temperatures, is currently experiencing a snowy winter.

The area recently saw a significant drop in temperature, resulting in frost and snow.

A video shared with Informanté captured the snowfall at the Kalahari border between Namibia and South Africa.

This is among several areas that recently encountered a notable temperature decline, with the Kalahari being particularly affected.

The Namibia Meteorological Services predict that several other interior areas will experience extreme cold weather and potentially frost this week.



Cloud Precipitation

Best of the Web: Extreme weather in Europe taking toll on food supply chains - 48% increase in extreme weather events in 2 years

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© Inverto
The frequency of extreme weather events in Europe has risen by 48% over the past two years. This has caused a spike in food supply disruptions, according to research from Inverto, a subsidiary of Boston Consulting Group.

From 2021 to 2023, the number of extreme weather events in Europe increased from 11,442 to 16,956 recorded events. Those include things like large hailstorms, heavy rain or snowfall, damaging lightning strikes, droughts caused by hot weather, and even tornadoes.

This damaging weather has had a dramatic negative effect on food crops in Europe, leading to shortages and higher prices for certain products. Just one hailstorm last year caused an estimated €40 million in damages to crops, to give one example.

Snowflake

Scottish ski centres get July snowfall

Glencoe this morning - 4 July, 2024
Glencoe this morning - 4 July, 2024
After weeks of increasingly cold and stormy weather since the summer solstice, blamed on the jet stream, Scottish ski centres have reported snowfall on high slopes this morning.

After weeks of increasingly cold and stormy weather since the summer solstice, blamed on the jet stream, Scottish ski centres have reported snowfall on high slopes this morning.

WinterHighland's webcam captured the fresh snow at Glencoe this morning, and snow flurries were also forecast for high peaks across the Highlands, including on the slopes if Cairngorm above Aviemore.

Snowflake

Heavy snow threatens the livelihood of animals in Argentine Patagonia

ganado argentina
© X @Ejercito_Arg
Breeders in Argentine Patagonia went wild on social media after heavy snowfalls completely covered their animals placing around 1 million of them in danger of starving to death as the region goes through one of its coldest winters in the last decades. A video that went viral on social media shows the shooter walking through thick snow in the province of Chubut, with sheep fully under the snow except for their heads.

Under the present conditions, pastures were rendered unattainable, thus endangering cattle livelihood. The Argentine Rural Confederation (CRA) described the situation facing the sector as "dramatic."

"The situation in Santa Cruz is very complex, the snowfall extends from north to south and from the central strip towards the west affecting 50% of the cattle and sheep 'stock', about 40,000 cattle and 1 million sheep," said Enrique Jamieson, president of the Federation of Agricultural Institutions Santa Cruz and of the Rio Gallegos Rural Society.


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Massive avalanche hits Gandhi Sarovar on hills behind Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand, India

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A massive avalanche occurred over Gandhi Sarovar in Kedarnath on Sunday. A video showing the avalanche rushing down the slopes went viral on social media.

However, no casualties have been reported so far.

An avalanche occurred around 5 a.m. on Sunday morning on the snowy mountain located behind Kedarnath Dham.

"There was an avalanche from above Gandhi Sarovar in Kedarnath at around 5 am today. There was no loss of life or property," Rudraprayag senior superintendent of police (SSP) Dr Vishakha Ashok Bhadane said, news agency ANI reported.


Snowflake

Ski Portillo, Chile, has surpassed its average yearly snowfall and it isn't even open yet

Hard at work to get the mountain open.
© Ski PortilloHard at work to get the mountain open.
The fantastic early season continues in South America with many resorts reporting record snowfall. Multiple storms have blanketed resorts in Chile and Argentina helping some areas open two to three weeks earlier than normal. Usually, the ski season in South America lasts from June to September, but because of the large amounts of snowfall, this season is expected to last until mid to late October.

Incredibly, one resort has already surpassed its yearly average for an entire season and it hasn't even opened yet. That resort is Ski Portillo which has been blanketed with 224 inches of snowfall this season, far surpassing its seasonal average of 200 inches. For those counting that is 19 feet of snow that hasn't even been touched except for maybe some lucky ski patrollers.

Comment: Too much early snow delays South American ski area opening dates - 19 FEET of snowfall for the season already


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Avalanches leave dozens isolated in multiple Chilean towns

Multiple avalanches have left dozens of people trapped in Chile.
Multiple avalanches have left dozens of people trapped in Chile.
Several avalanches have left at least 62 people stranded in two small towns and a ski center in central Chile's Maipo province. According to Reuters, a heavy amount of snow and rain has lead to a blanketing of avalanches throughout the mountainous region on Monday, June 24.

At the Lagunillas Ski Center, 33 people, including eight children, were trapped by the slides. Chilean national police officer Lieutenant Colonel Bernardo Leiva reports that food had been brought to those individuals, and that nobody was injured.

Meanwhile, a second avalanche blocking a mountain access road has left nine people stuck in the town of Banos Morales and 20 people stuck in the town of Lo Valdes. 33 feet (10 meters) of snow has built up along the roads following the avalanches.


Comment: Related: Too much early snow delays South American ski area opening dates - 19 FEET of snowfall for the season already


Yoda

Three top atmospheric scientists say Net Zero will prevent almost zero warming

William Happer atmosperic scientist
© Gage Skidmore/flickrWilliam Happer is a Princeton atmospheric scientist who is doubtful of the dangers of climate change
Recent calculations by the distinguished atmospheric scientists Richard Lindzen, William Happer and William van Wijngaarden suggest that if the entire world eliminated net carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 it would avert warming of an almost unmeasurable 0.07°C. Even assuming the climate modelled feedbacks and temperature opinions of the politicised Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the rise would be only 0.28°C. Year Zero would have been achieved along with the destruction of economic and social life for eight billion people on Planet Earth. "It would be hard to find a better example of a policy of all pain and no gain," note the scientists.

In the U.K., the current General Election is almost certain to be won by a party that is committed to outright warfare on hydrocarbons. The Labour party will attempt to 'decarbonise' the electricity grid by the end of the decade without any realistic instant backup for unreliable wind and solar except oil and gas. Britain is sitting on huge reserves of hydrocarbons but new exploration is to be banned. It is hard to think of a more ruinous energy policy, but the Conservative governing party is little better. Led by the hapless May, a woman over-promoted since her time running the education committee on Merton Council, through to Buffo Boris and Washed-Out Rishi, its leaders have drunk the eco Kool-Aid fed to them by the likes of Roger Hallam, Extinction Rebellion and the Swedish Doom Goblin. Adding to the mix in the new Parliament will be a likely 200 new 'Labour' recruits with university degrees in buggerallology and CVs full of parasitical non-jobs in the public sector.

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Snowflake

Best of the Web: Too much early snow delays South American ski area opening dates - 19 FEET of snowfall for the season already

Valle Nevado
Valle Nevado
Remember the 2022-2023 ski season in North America? Of course you do. The endless powder days, Mammoth Mountain's absurd late-season campaign—it's pretty impossible to forget.

Now, South America is getting its own taste of what could become a mythically deep ski season.

PowderQuest, a guiding company that operates in South America, among other locales, reported yesterday that Ski Portillo, Chile, and Las Leñas, Argentina, had both delayed their official opening dates due to excessive snowfall causing road closures and high avalanche danger.

Thanks to the snowfall earlier this month, Portillo opened earlier than usual, offering skiing and riding on a weekends-only basis throughout June. They managed to open June 1st and June 2nd with stellar conditions, but the back-to-back storms prevented the rest of the pre-season dates.