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Sunday, July 21, 2019

Rating of Climate Change blogs

Scientific blogging is on a decline and that is especially evident with respect to climate change blogs. Nothing really good left apart from forums such as https://forum.azimuthproject.org/discussions (which allows equation markup, image posting, and freedom to create threaded discussions).

Here is a grading of blogs that I have on my RSS feed:

  • WUWT :  F-
    A horrible AGW denier blog that pretends to be fair & balanced. RSS feed does not work with Owl.
  • Tallbloke's Talkshop : F-
    A horrible AGW denier blog that specializes in numerology
  • Real Climate : C
    Sparse postings and comment moderation has long latencies so the discussion is glacially paced
  • Open Mind : C
    Not very interesting, mostly from a statistical angle, which is not where progress in analysis occurs
  • Science of Doom : D
    I don't understand this site, seems to be run by a thinly veiled skeptic. Might as well read books by Pierrehumbert to gain an understanding of the physics instead of struggling along with the topics.
  • And Then There's Physics : D+
    The moderators are control freaks, and the discussions are safe as milk
  • Peak Oil Barrel : A
    A very good blog that allows both fossil fuel discussion and climate change discussion, separated in distinct threads.  Moderated slightly and images allowed, along with short-term editing.
  • The Blackboard : F-
    An awful blog run by a mechanical engineer which at one point had climate science discussion but now consists of pro-Trump cheerleading.
  • Clive Best : D+
    The moderator tries hard but then stumbles as he desperately tries to debunk the AGW consensus. Marginally better than Science of Doom because at least the scientific ideas are creative.
  • Climate Audit : F-
    Awful conspiracy-laden blog run by a former Canadian mining executive.
  • Climate Etc : F-
    Pointless blog stressing climate science uncertainty run by a now-retired climate science professor J. Curry with a comment section that seems infested with Australian AGW deniers. 
  • Moyhu : B
    Halfway-decent posts by a retired fluid dynamics researcher but an ugly and unstable comment-entry system. 
  • Hotwhopper : C+
    Well-thought out counter-attacks to nonsense at sites such as WUWT, but nothing really about discussions of science
  • Robert Scribbler : C
    The American version of HotWhopper, with probably too much doom & gloom.
  • Skeptical Science: D
    Nothing interesting here as they never seem to veer from the consensus.  The comments seem to be overly moderated and at one time the RSS feed was broken, but that has recently been fixed.
  • Roy Spencer, PhD : F-
    Horrible blog by a religious zealot with comments infested by AGW deniers
  • Rabbet Run : B-
    Below Moyhu because nothing really innovative but occasional insight
  • More Grumbine Science : B
    By a NASA guy,  posts very rarely
This is a previous summary I had written two years ago (I had forgotten I had saved it in a draft folder, and so you can see how little has changed)

Blog Grade Rationale
Real Climate C Too long turnaround for comments
And Then There's Physics D Too much ClimateBall
Skeptical Science D Too insular, won't discuss cutting edge
Science of Doom D- Inflitrated by deniers
Open Mind C Too much on statistics, which does a disservice to unlocking deterministic aspects such as ENSO
Moyhu B Worst comment entry, but the research is quality
This Week in Science: DailyKos C+ Nothing in depth
Watt's Up With That F Garbage
Tallbloke's Talkshop F Loony bin
The Blackboard F Nasty people
Climate Etc F Clueless (mainly Aussies) lead by a clueless
Roy Spencer F Zero real science
Rabbet Run C Too much inside posturing
Hot Whopper C Good if you want to see deniers get debunked
Robert Scribbler C Verges on hysterical but who knows
Azimuth Project A A true forum. Allows everyone to create markup and add charts

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