Optimistic Economic News

If you want to see a slightly cheerier opinion of the US economy at the current time, then you should read this.  Alan Binder is a former Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board and currently teaches at Princeton and offers some fairly easy to understand optimism.  Basically Binder says the economy is in good shape for some 4Q 2009 and 1Q and possibly 2Q 2010 numbers.  Whether that sticks in 2010 before 4Q 2010 is a different story Binder admits, but there is some optimism.

Especially when it comes to the job market.  His analysis points out there is a very good chance that employers have payroll “pared to the bone” and will need to hire workers as prospects improve in 2010.  Since I will be graduating in May I am glad to hear it.

On another note (pessimism creeping in), Congress still seems intent on spending lots and lots of money.

100 Reasons Why Climate Change is Natural

Oh yes, read it and love it.

P.S.  Snowfall in Copenhagen.  Warm up baby warm up!

The Recession, Spending, and Consumer Spending

I have had these thoughts before and Paco Underhill pulls it all together beautifully.

I think most importantly as consumers we are leaving credit and moving to cash and debit.  Perfect.  The problem is that the economy will reflect this as a downturn when in reality it will be an uptick in consumer responsibility.  In the long run this will be beneficial for the economy. I decided awhile ago that a credit card was not essential.  Debit gets you into all the same places and is more responsible financially.

A Believer Hits Back

Eugene Robinson, former assistant managing editor of the Washington Post, has published a column in the Washington Post critical of what he calls the “hyperventilating” climate change deniers are doing over the e-mails and documents hacked from the Climate Research Unit’s servers.

In order to prove a global warming trend we need mountains of data over thousands of years.  Regardless of whether you are an old earth or a young earth believer, we still have, at minimum, several thousand years of climate already passed and information on those years is essential to painting an accurate picture of the earth’s climate.

Our data pre-1900 is far from superb.  Tree rings is one method of data used to calculate temperature because there is a correlation of the tree ring data and actual temperatures between 1900 and 1960.  But then in 1960 tree ring data diverges from actual temperature data.  Actual temperatures have risen and the tree ring data has plateaued.  Robinson claims this still means the trend of the last 100 years is global warming (which I cannot deny) but more importantly this divergence calls completely into question our data on temperatures before we could take accurate measurements.  If the tree ring data for today’s temperatures does not match up with todays temperatures, it throws into doubt all data pre-1900.

Therein lies the problem with climate change data and Al Gore’s championing of global warming:  We do not have truly accurate data with which to draw the conclusions Al Gore and others are making.  And now with the fix discovered at the Climate Research Unit we must stop and reconsider every decision we’re making, from Cap and Trade to Kyoto.

ClimateGate Continues

Nothing new to add today.  I do want to wish everyone a happy thanksgiving.  I enjoyed mine by discovering how awesome sweet potato casserole is.  I can’t believe I’ve been missing it all of my life.

Here are some of the latest ClimateGate stories.

How to Forge a Consensus – Wall Street Journal

Pretending the Climate Email Leak isn’t a Crisis Won’t Make it Go Away – Guardian

Australian MP’s Resign over Australian Cap and Trade – London Telegraph

And Obama is still headed to Copenhagen….