{"id":324961,"date":"2024-04-30T07:36:06","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T05:36:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=324961"},"modified":"2024-04-30T07:36:09","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T05:36:09","slug":"reuters-joins-bbc-in-failed-fact-check-of-daily-sceptic-arctic-sea-ice-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=324961","title":{"rendered":"Reuters Joins BBC in Failed \u2018Fact Check\u2019 of Daily Sceptic Arctic Sea Ice Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From The Daily Sceptic<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BY\u00a0CHRIS MORRISON<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another day, another fatuous \u2018fact\u2019 check from Reuters. This time the news agency accuses the Daily Sceptic<\/em> of \u201ccherry-picking\u201d Arctic sea ice extent data to provide a \u201cmisleading\u201d story<\/a>. Being accused of \u201ccherry picking\u201d by an outfit that funds a course for journalists<\/a> that encourages them to pick a fruit such as a mango and discuss why it isn\u2019t as tasty as the year before due to climate change is beyond ridicule. Taking lectures on responsible journalism from a Net Zero-obsessed operation that has promoted a course speaker who has suggested \u201cfines and imprisonments\u201d for expressing scepticism about \u201cwell supported\u201d science is laughable, if also a tad sinister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the activists called to admonish the Daily Sceptic<\/em> with a \u2018straw man\u2019 argument was Walt Meier, a research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Centre, who said: \u201cComparing two specific years is not an indicator for or against long-term changes\u201d. The Daily Sceptic<\/em> did not do that<\/a>. Interestingly, this would appear to be the same Walt Meier whose comments on \u201dmind blowing\u201d low winter levels of Antarctica sea ice last year made headlines around the world. Meier claimed at the time that it was \u201coutside anything we have seen\u201d. Happily, the Daily Sceptic <\/em>was able to remind Meier<\/a> that he had been part of a team a decade ago that cracked open the secrets of early Nimbus weather satellites and found a similar sea ice low in 1966. At the time, Meier commented that the Nimbus data show there is variability in Antarctica sea ice \u201cthat\u2019s larger than any we have seen\u201d since 1979.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This latest fact check was similar to the failed attempt<\/a> made recently by the BBC statistical programme More or Less<\/em>. In both cases, exception was taken to our reporting that on January 8th this year, Arctic sea ice extent had soared to its highest level for 21 years. This was factually correct as both the BBC and Reuters confirm. Since the article went viral on social media, the attack focused on a claim of \u201ccherry picking\u201d, despite the article clearly placing the statistic in the context of long-term changes in Arctic sea ice. In the third paragraph it was noted: \u201cWe must be careful not to follow alarmists down their chosen political path of cherry picking and warning of climate collapse on the basis of individual events.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The article featured the work of Danish scientist Allan Astrup Jensen who observed that the summer Arctic ice plateaued from 1979-97, fell for 10 years and then resumed a minimal downward trend from 2007. We also noted the work of climate journalist Tony Heller who used a four-year moving average, shown below, that revealed that the Arctic sea ice\u00a0 extent at its minimum level in September has been stable for over a decade.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

None of this material appeared in the Reuters hit-job, although the criticism of the earlier BBC fact check was made available to the authors ahead of publication. What it did of course was cherry-pick the year 1979, when Arctic sea ice was at a probable 100-year high, and draw a line straight down to the present day. It is not in dispute that Arctic sea ice is currently at a lower level than the 1979 high point, which happened to coincide with the arrival of consistent satellite data. But Reuters<\/em> used the testimony of an \u201cexpert in the modelling of the sea ice\u201d, Miguel Maqueda of Newcastle University, to state: \u201cThere is no evidence nor reason to believe that the downward trend in winter sea ice extent in the Arctic is coming to an end.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the article fairly explaining the cyclical long-term trends in Arctic sea ice, a subject ignorned in most current mainstream media for political purposes, Reuters saw fit to headline its article: \u2018Climate change sceptics use misleading Arctic ice data to make case.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That, more or less to coin a phrase, sums up the blinkered approach that keeps climate catastrophists and their mainstream messengers focused on  the fear-mongering prize. There is plenty of evidence in the historical record to show that Arctic sea ice is cyclical and the recent trend points to recovery and a possible upturn. After all, you don\u2019t need a climate model to work that one out, just look at the data. Not to point this out is, how shall we put this, \u2018misleading\u2019. Those less charitable might prefer a considerable harsher verdict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we have seen in past editions, Reuters is up to its neck in Green Blob attacks on independent climate journalism. So-called \u2018fact checks\u2019 from operations like Reuters are frequently used by malevolent players attempting to destroy the possibility of competitors receiving online advertising revenue. In effect they are a form of trade protection warfare. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mango nonsense, meanwhile, is promoted in the six-month study sabbatical offered to journalists around the world by the Oxford Climate Journalism Network. Immersion in the correct political narrative surrounding climate collapse, the ludicrous idea of \u2018settled\u2019 science and the need for extreme Net Zero measures, whatever the cost, is the order of the day. The obvious aim is to insert fear mongering stories into all sections of the media. Current attendees include BBC \u2018disinformation\u2019 reporter Marco Silva. The course is run by the Reuters Institute and funded by the Thompson Reuters Foundation. Direct funding has been provided by the Laudes Foundation and the European Climate Foundation. The latter operation is heavily supported by past Extinction Rebellion paymaster Sir Christopher Hohn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reuters is also one of the partners of Covering Climate Now (CC Now), a billionaire-backed offshoot of the Columbia Journalism Review. This operation claims to feed over 500 media operations with free, pre-written climate catastrophising stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guaranteed, no doubt, to be spared a \u2018fact check\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris Morrison is the<\/em> Daily Sceptic\u2019s Environment Editor.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Another day, another fatuous \u2018fact\u2019 check from Reuters. This time the news agency accuses the\u00a0Daily Sceptic\u00a0of \u201ccherry-picking\u201d Arctic sea ice extent data to provide\u00a0a \u201cmisleading\u201d story. Being accused of \u201ccherry picking\u201d by an outfit that\u00a0funds a course for journalists\u00a0that encourages them to pick a fruit such as a mango and discuss why it isn\u2019t as tasty as the year before due to climate change is beyond ridicule. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":324966,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691819671,691818389,691818951,691819134,691819743,691821755,691818154,691822535,691818895],"class_list":{"0":"post-324961","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-arctic-ice","9":"tag-bbc","10":"tag-censorship","11":"tag-climate-alarmism","12":"tag-climate-propaganda","13":"tag-fact-check","14":"tag-net-zero","15":"tag-reuters","16":"tag-sea-ice","18":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0rsz_arctic_sea_ocean2.jpg?fit=1280%2C850&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1mxj","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":315581,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=315581","url_meta":{"origin":324961,"position":0},"title":"BBC\u2019s Failed \u2018Fact Check\u2019 of Daily Sceptic Report on Arctic Sea Ice","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/04\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The BBC\u00a0More or Less\u00a0radio programme recently \u2018fact checked\u2019 the\u00a0Daily Sceptic\u2019s report\u00a0that sea ice in the Arctic had soared to its highest level for 21 years on January 8th this year. 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Back then, I saw some (contradictory) messages in a\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/02011-03-22T120000Z_2104961673_GM1E73M16S701_RTRMADP_3_ARCTIC-1024x683-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/02011-03-22T120000Z_2104961673_GM1E73M16S701_RTRMADP_3_ARCTIC-1024x683-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/02011-03-22T120000Z_2104961673_GM1E73M16S701_RTRMADP_3_ARCTIC-1024x683-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/02011-03-22T120000Z_2104961673_GM1E73M16S701_RTRMADP_3_ARCTIC-1024x683-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":329085,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=329085","url_meta":{"origin":324961,"position":5},"title":"African Wildcats Roamed Inside the Arctic Circle Just 9,000 Years Ago at Temperatures That Were 5\u00b0C Warmer Than Today","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"15\/05\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Astonishing finds by\u00a0a group of Scandinavian scientists\u00a0have placed a number of animal species living north of the Arctic Circle 9,000 years ago including African wildcats, dogs and frogs.","rel":"","context":"In \"Arctic\"","block_context":{"text":"Arctic","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=arctic"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/02-Charlie-Lynam-wildcat-running-Kgalagadi-1568x1045-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/02-Charlie-Lynam-wildcat-running-Kgalagadi-1568x1045-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/02-Charlie-Lynam-wildcat-running-Kgalagadi-1568x1045-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/02-Charlie-Lynam-wildcat-running-Kgalagadi-1568x1045-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/02-Charlie-Lynam-wildcat-running-Kgalagadi-1568x1045-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=324961"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324961\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":324967,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324961\/revisions\/324967"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/324966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=324961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=324961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=324961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}