31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.

32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”

34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

Luke 22:31-34 (NIV)

 On the evening of our Lord’s trial and crucifixion, the apostle Peter was in a severe state of depression. Hours earlier, Peter had boldly asserted that he would never deny his Master. Yet later, during Christ’s trial, Peter sat crouching in fear, warming himself by a fire. A servant of the High Priest’s office approached Peter and he was in fact the third person that night asking Peter if he knew Jesus. Like twice before, he denied his Lord. Upon this denial – the third one –  a rooster crowed, fulfilling Jesus’ word to Peter that he would deny Him three times before dawn. Peter ran out weeping bitterly.

For many years Peter had stood by Jesus. He had left his fishing nets to follow his Lord wholeheartedly. He had stood up for Christ many times in many places before many people. Even hours earlier, in the garden of Gethsemane, Peter boldly was ready to fight for Him. Yet, when Jesus was in his most desperate hour of need, Peter abandoned Him.

The emotional scars that this had left on Peter’s life must have been devastating. Yet, within 40 days Peter stood in the Jerusalem temple, proclaiming Jesus before three thousand people. This speech took place only one hundred yards from where he had flatly denied he knew Christ. What happened?

 I don’t think that we are any better than Peter was. In each of our lives a time will come when Satan comes to question our faith and sow doubts (vs. 31). The unexpected death of a relative or friend can easily topple a man’s faith. A tragic traffic accident or illness causing the loss of someone close to you can put us completely off balance. At such a time it appears very much as if fate is governing our lives. That makes it difficult to confess that there is a God who loves us. That was how it looked to Peter when Jesus was imprisoned, charged, condemned, and handed over to be crucified. He (Peter) thought that everything was lost. There was no hope left. Jesus was going to die just like He had said He would. And that would be the end. He had seen the miracles Jesus had done. He had lived for three years with Him. He had learned that Jesus is God (Matt 16:16-17). And yet, at that particular point in time he had lost all faith in Him. 

What is faith? Is it a leap in the dark? A mystical experience? Is it an encounter of the third or fourth kind with ‘someone’? I do not think so. In the light of the evidence that we have that Jesus was indeed who He claimed He was, I would say it is rather: to place your trust in Jesus, no matter what happens. It is being sure of what we hope and (being) certain of what we do not see. And, as strange as it may seem, the opposite of believing is not unbelieving. In fact, the opposite of faith is fear. Fear is faith in the negative. Once you place trust in the idea that things will not work out – it happens! But if you decide to let go of fear, something strange happens: it seems that it is automatically replaced with faith. 

Jesus acknowledges the existence of the prince of darkness: Satan. (vs. 31). Apparently, this creature does have some right to accuse us and put fear in us. He will not stop asking questions and reminding us of our past. The worst thing that can happen to us is when he can sow doubt so that we lose faith (vs. 32a). Because then things may seem pretty desperate and hopeless. But even if we do stumble and fall because it had become too dark around us: Jesus is praying for us that eventually we will stand up again and carry on loving (vs. 32b).

I know there are people who think that ‘Satan’ or the devil is not real or does not exist. I would recommend that they do a careful study of the occult origins of the Third Reich. They will find that the eugenic laws and racist dogma that Hitler had put in place to obtain racial purity can be linked directly to occult practitioners and spiritualists who had contact with the old pagan Nordic gods. The leaders and prophets of these groups proclaimed that the people of Aryan race were losing their psychic abilities and other superior physical qualities because they had mixed with the “inferior” races. Up until almost the end of the 2^nd world war very few people – especially in Germany itself – realized that the whole issue of racial purity was just a cover up for the real motive (of Satan), namely the murdering of the people of God. Jesus calls Satan the murderer from the beginning (John 8:44).

During His ministry Jesus explained several times that He had come to crush Satan’s power. But like He experienced during His own life: the fight against the darkness, sickness, and lack of knowledge here on earth is still on (Luke 22:53).

You will probably find the most convincing proof of Jesus’ resurrection when you observe the changed life of his disciples and friends after His resurrection and ascension. Look how Peter boldly preaches the Gospel at Pentecost (see Acts Chapter 2). When commanded by the rulers not to speak of Jesus, he shows a complete turnabout from that previous behavior when he says: “We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead – whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree.” (Acts 5:29-30). The fear is gone! Threats to his life and possible imprisonment can no longer stop him to bear witness of the Truth. Truly, this change of behavior came about after Peter had seen the risen Christ….. Jesus’ love and forgiveness freed Peter from the emotional scars that depressed him. This is what happens when the living Christ becomes a reality in your live. Nothing will ever be the same. Everything changes. Nobody can hurt you. Nothing can stop you. There is hope! It burns in your heart, and it gives you a totally different perspective on life as a whole. Never give up hope. Hope is not foolish. Hope is the dream of the waking man. The hope that Jesus brings changes everything. 

Many times we may deny Jesus, unintentionally or willfully, choosing not to include Him in our lives. But we are assured with confidence that Jesus Christ has given us His kingdom. There is no sin too great, too severe, or too scary to separate us from the love of God. Let Jesus’ love turn your broken heart into wholeness, your denials into declarations of His love and forgiveness for all mankind. Then like Peter, go and proclaim boldly what our Lord has done!

Selection from: Jesus is God – God is Jesus

by Henry Pool

I remember that my parents had a copy of the record below,  “We Thank Thee’ , which they often  listened to on the pick-up. I remember as a child, I liked it a lot. Hearing it again brought up so many good memories. What a beautiful voice. By clicking on the red arrow you can listen to all 12 songs on the record.

Initial success in the 1950s

Jim Reeves was a country music singer who had success early on in his career, first with the song “Mexican Joe” in 1953 for Abbott Records.^[4] Other hits followed, such as “I Love You” (a duet with Ginny Wright), and “Bimbo” which reached number one on the U.S. country charts in 1954. In addition to those early hits, Reeves recorded many other songs for Fabor Records and Abbott Records. In 1954, Abbott Records released a 45 single with “Bimbo” on side-A which hit number one and featured Little Joe Hunt of the Arkansas Walk of Fame. Jim Reeves and Little Joe Hunt met at the Louisiana Hayride, which was Louisiana’s equivalent to Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry. After performing at the Hayride in Shreveport, Reeves and Hunt traveled and performed together for several years in the dance halls and clubs of East Texas and rural Arkansas. Reeves became the headliner with Hunt as the backup performer. Due to his growing popularity, Reeves went on to release his first album in November 1955, Jim Reeves Sings (Abbott 5001), which proved to be one of Abbott Records’ few album releases. Reeves’ star was on the rise because he had already been signed to a 10-year recording contract with RCA Victor by Steve Sholes. Sholes went on to produce some of Reeves’ first recordings at RCA Victor. Sholes signed another performer from the Louisiana Hayride that same year (1955), Elvis Presley. Most of the talented performers of the 1950s such as Reeves, Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jim Ed Brown, Maxine Brown, the Wilburn Brothers, and Little Joe Hunt got their start at the Louisiana Hayride. In addition to the Hayride, Jim Reeves joined the Grand Ole Opry, also in 1955.^[5] Reeves also made his first appearance on ABC-TV’s Ozark Jubilee in 1955. He was such a hit with the fans that he was invited to act as fill-in host from May thru July 1958 on the popular program, Ozark Jubilee.

From his earliest recordings with RCA Victor, Reeves relied on the loud, East Texas style, which was considered standard for country and western performers of that time, but he developed a new style of singing over the course of his career. He said, “One of these days…..I’m gonna sing like I want to sing!” So, he decreased his volume and used the lower registers of his singing voice, with his lips nearly touching the microphone. Amid protests from RCA, but with the endorsement of his producer Chet Atkins, Reeves used this new style in a 1957 recording, a demonstration song of lost love that had originally been intended for a female voice. It was titled “Four Walls“, which not only scored number one on the country music charts, but also scored number 11 on the popular music charts, as well. This recording marked his transition from novelty songs to serious country-pop music, and according to one source, “established Reeves as a country balladeer”.^[4] “Four Walls” and “He’ll Have to Go” (1959) defined Reeves’ style.^[6]

Reeves was instrumental in creating a new style of country music that used violins and lusher background arrangements that soon became known as the Nashville Sound. This new sound was able to cross genres, which made Reeves even more popular as a recording artist.

Reeves became known as a crooner because of his light yet rich baritone voice. Because of his vocal style, he was also considered a talented artist because of his versatility in crossing the music charts. He appealed to audiences that were not necessarily country/western. His catalog of songs such as “Adios Amigo”, “Welcome to My World”, and “Am I Losing You?” demonstrated this appeal. Many of his Christmas songs have become perennial favorites, including “C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S”,^[7] “Blue Christmas“, and “An Old Christmas Card”. Between 1957 and 1958, Reeves was the host of a radio show on the ABC network; this was also when he began shifting from cowboy outfits to sports jackets.^[8]

Reeves is also responsible for popularizing many gospel songs, including “We Thank Thee”, “Take My Hand, Precious Lord“, “Across the Bridge”, and “Where We’ll Never Grow Old”. He was given the nickname Gentleman Jim, an apt description of his character both on stage and off.

Early 1960s and international fame

Reeves scored his greatest success with the Joe Allison composition “He’ll Have to Go“,^[9] a success on both the popular and country music charts, which earned him a platinum record. Released during late 1959, it scored number one on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart on February 8, 1960, which it scored for 14 consecutive weeks. Country music historian Bill Malone noted that while it was in many ways a conventional country song, its arrangement and the vocal chorus “put this recording in the country-pop vein”. In addition, Malone lauded Reeves’ vocal styling—lowered to “its natural resonant level” to project the “caressing style that became famous”—as to why “many people refer to him as the singer with the velvet voice.”^[10] In 1963, he released his Twelve Songs of Christmas album, which had the well-known songs “C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S” and “An Old Christmas Card”. During 1975, RCA Victor producer Chet Atkins told interviewer Wayne Forsythe, “Jim wanted to be a tenor, but I wanted him to be a baritone… I was right, of course. After he changed his voice to that smooth, deeper sound, he was immensely popular.”^[11]

Reeves’ international popularity during the 1960s, surpassing his popularity in the United States at times, helped to give country music a worldwide market for the first time. According to Billboard, “Reeves’ star shone equally bright overseas in England, India, Germany, and even South Africa.^[12]

South Africa

During the early 1960s, Reeves was more popular in South Africa than Elvis Presley, and recorded several albums in the Afrikaans language.^[13] In 1963, he toured and starred in a South African film, Kimberley Jim. In the film, he sang part of one song in Afrikaans.^[14] The film was released with a special prologue and epilogue in South African cinemas after Reeves’ death, praising him as a true friend of the country. The film was produced, directed, and written by Emil Nofal. Reeves later said that he enjoyed the film-making experience and would consider devoting more of his career to this medium.^[15] The film was released in South Africa (and also in the US) in 1965 after Reeves’s death.

Reeves was one of an exclusive trio of performers to have released an album there that played at the little-used 16⅔ rpm speed. This unusual format was more suited to the spoken word and was quickly discontinued for music. The only other artists known to have released such albums in South Africa were Elvis Presley and Slim Whitman.

Britain and Ireland

Reeves toured Britain and Ireland during 1963, between his tours of South Africa and Europe. Reeves and the Blue Boys were in Ireland from May 30 to June 19, 1963, with a tour of US military bases from June 10 to 15, when they returned to Ireland. They performed in most counties in Ireland, though Reeves occasionally abbreviated performances because he was unhappy with the available pianos at concert venues. In a June 6, 1963 interview with Spotlight magazine, Reeves expressed his concerns about the tour schedule and the condition of the pianos, but said he was pleased with the audiences.

A press reception for him at the Shannon Shamrock Inn was organized by Tom Monaghan of Bunratty Castle, County Clare. Showband singers Maisie McDaniel and Dermot O’Brien welcomed him on May 29, 1963. A photograph appeared in the Limerick Leader on June 1, 1963. Press coverage continued from May until Reeves’ arrival with a photograph of the press reception in The Irish Press. Billboard magazine in the US also reported the tour before and after. The single “Welcome to My World” with the B/W side “Juanita” was released by RCA Victor during June 1963 and bought by the distributors Irish Records Factors Ltd. This scored the record number one while Reeves was there during June.

A number of accounts of his dances were given in the local newspapers, with a good one in The Kilkenny People of his dance in the Mayfair Ballroom, where 1,700 people were present. A photograph in The Donegal Democrat had Reeves’ singing in the Pavesi Ball Room on June 7, 1963, and an account of his nonappearance on stage in The Diamond, Kiltimagh, County Mayo in The Western People representing how the tour went in different areas.

He planned to record an album of popular Irish songs, and had three number-one songs in Ireland during 1963 and 1964: “Welcome to My World”, “I Love You Because“, and “I Won’t Forget You“. The last two are estimated to have sold 860,000 and 750,000, respectively, in Britain alone, excluding Ireland. Reeves had 11 songs in the Irish charts from 1962 to 1967. He recorded two Irish ballads, “Danny Boy” and “Maureen”. “He’ll Have to Go” was his most popular song there and was at number one and on the charts for months. He was one of the most popular recording artists in Ireland, in the first 10 after the Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Cliff Richard.

He was permitted to perform in Ireland by the Irish Federation of Musicians on the condition that he share the bill with Irish show bands, becoming popular by 1963. The British Musicians’ Union would not permit him to perform there, because no agreement existed for British show bands to travel to America, in exchange for the Blue Boys playing in Britain. Reeves did, however, perform for British radio and TV programmes.

During the 1960s, at the early stage of his career, Elton John performed at various pubs in England, frequently playing songs by Reeves.^[16]

Norway

Reeves played at the sports arena Njårdhallen, Oslo, on April 16, 1964, with Bobby Bare, Chet Atkins, the Blue Boys, and the Anita Kerr Singers. They performed two concerts; the second was televised and recorded by Norwegian network NRK (Norsk Rikskringkasting, the only one in Norway at the time). The complete concert, however, was not recorded, including some of Reeves’ last songs. He reportedly performed “You’re the Only Good Thing (That’s Happened to Me)” in this section. The program has been repeated on NRK several times over the years.

His first success in Norway, “He’ll Have to Go”, scored number one in the top 10 and scored the chart for 29 weeks. “I Love You Because” was his greatest success in Norway, scoring number one during 1964 and on the list for 39 weeks. His albums spent 696 weeks in the Norwegian top-20 chart, making him one of the most popular music artists in the history of Norway.

Last recording session

Reeves’ last two recording sessions for RCA Victor were held July 2, 1964; they produced the songs “Make the World Go Away“, “Missing You“, and “Is It Really Over?” When the session ended with some time remaining on the schedule, Reeves suggested that he should record one more song. He taped “I Can’t Stop Loving You“, in what was to be his final RCA recording.^[17][18]

Reeves made one later recording, however, at the little studio in his home. In late July 1964, a few days before his death, Reeves recorded “I’m a Hit Again”, using just an acoustic guitar as accompaniment. That recording was never officially released by RCA Victor (because it was a home recording not owned by the label), but appeared during 2003 as part of a collection of previously unissued Reeves songs released on the VoiceMasters label.

Personal life

Jim Reeves married Mary White on September 3, 1947. They never had any children, as Jim Reeves was believed to be sterile, due to complications from a mumps infection.^[19]

Death

On July 31, 1964, Reeves and his business partner and manager Dean Manuel (also the pianist of Reeves’s backing group, the Blue Boys) left Batesville, Arkansas, en route to Nashville in a single-engine Beechcraft Debonair aircraft, N8972M,^[20] with Reeves at the controls. The two had secured a deal on some real estate.

While flying over Brentwood, Tennessee, they encountered a violent thunderstorm. A subsequent investigation showed that the small airplane had become caught in the storm, and Reeves suffered spatial disorientation. The singer’s widow, Mary Reeves (1929–1999), probably unwittingly started the rumor that he was flying the airplane upside down and assumed he was increasing altitude to clear the storm. However, according to Larry Jordan, author of the 2011 biography, Jim Reeves: His Untold Story, this scenario is rebutted by eyewitnesses known to crash investigators, who saw the plane overhead immediately before the mishap and confirmed that Reeves was not upside down.^[21]

Reeves’ friend, musician Marty Robbins, recalled hearing the wreck happen and alerting authorities to which direction he heard the impact. Jordan writes extensively about forensic evidence (including from the long-elusive tower tape and accident report), which suggests that instead of making a right turn to avoid the storm (as he had been advised by the approach controller to do), Reeves turned left in an attempt to follow Franklin Road to the airport. In so doing, he flew further into the rain. While preoccupied with trying to re-establish his ground references, Reeves let his airspeed get too low and stalled the aircraft. Relying on his instincts more than his training, evidence suggests he applied full power and pulled back on the yoke before leveling his wings—a fatal, but not uncommon, mistake that induced a stall/spin from which he was too low to recover. Jordan writes that according to the tower tape, Reeves ran into the heavy rain at 4:51 pm and crashed only a minute later.

When the wreckage was found some 42 hours later, the airplane’s engine and nose was discovered buried in the ground due to the impact of the crash. The crash site was in wooded area north-northeast of Brentwood, roughly at the junction of Baxter Lane and Franklin Pike Circle, just east of Interstate 65, and southwest of Nashville International Airport where Reeves planned to land.

On the morning of August 2, 1964, after an intense search by several parties (which included several personal friends of Reeves’, including Ernest Tubb and Marty Robbins), the bodies of the singer and Dean Manuel were found in the wreckage of the aircraft, and at 1:00 pm local time, radio stations across the United States began to announce Reeves’ death formally. Thousands of people traveled to pay their last respects at his funeral two days later. The coffin, draped in flowers from fans, was driven through the streets of Nashville and then to Reeves’ final resting place near Carthage, Texas.

Legacy

Reeves was elected posthumously to the Country Music Hall of Fame during 1967, which honored him by saying, “The velvet style of ‘Gentleman Jim Reeves’ was an international influence. His rich voice brought millions of new fans to country music from every corner of the world. Although the crash of his private airplane took his life, posterity will keep his name alive because they will remember him as one of the most important performers in Country music.”

In 1998 Reeves was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in Carthage, Texas, where the Jim Reeves Memorial is located. The inscription on the memorial reads, “If I, a lowly singer, dry one tear, or soothe one humble human heart in pain, then my homely verse to God is dear, and not one stanza has been sung in vain.”

Each year, the Academy of Country Music awards the Jim Reeves International Award to an artist who has made an “outstanding contributions to the acceptance of country music throughout the world.done the most to promote the genre worldwide”. In 2019, the award was bestowed on Kacey Musgraves.^[22]

Posthumous releases

Reeves’ records continued to sell well, both earlier and new albums issued after his death. According to Billboard magazine, “Reeves’ career continued to thrive with hit records on the Billboard charts throughout the next two decades”. The last Reeves song on the chart was “The Image Of Me”, in 1984.^[12]

His widow, Mary, was instrumental in the ongoing success of the songs. She combined unreleased tracks with previous releases (placing updated instrumentals alongside Reeves’ original vocals) to produce a regular series of “new” albums after her husband’s death. She also operated the Jim Reeves Museum in Nashville from the mid-1970s until 1996. On the 15th anniversary of Reeves death, Mary told a country music magazine interviewer, “Jim Reeves my husband is gone; Jim Reeves the artist lives on.”^[23]

During 1966, Reeves’ record “Distant Drums” hit number one on the UK Singles Chart and remained there for five weeks, beating competition from the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine“/”Eleanor Rigby” (a double-sided “A” release), and the Small Faces‘ song, “All Or Nothing“. The song stayed in the UK chart for 25 weeks, and took number one on the US country music chart. Originally, “Distant Drums” had been recorded merely as a “demo” for its composer, Cindy Walker, believing it was for her personal use and had been deemed “unsuitable” for general release by Chet Atkins and RCA Victor. During 1966, however, RCA determined a market for the song existed because of the war in Vietnam. It was named Song of the Year in the UK during 1966 by the BBC, and Reeves became the first American artist to receive the accolade. That same year, singer Del Reeves (no relation) recorded an album paying tribute to him.

In 1980, Reeves had another two top-10 posthumous duet hits along with the late country star Patsy Cline, who featured on “Have You Ever Been Lonely?” and “I Fall to Pieces“. Although the two had never recorded together during their tragically short lives, producers Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley lifted their isolated vocal performances off their original three-track stereo master session tapes, resynchronized them, and re-recorded new digital backing tracks. The duets first appeared on the Remembering Patsy Cline & Jim Reeves LP.

Reeves’ compilation albums containing well-known standards continue to sell well. The Definitive Collection scored number 21 in the UK album charts during July 2003, and Memories are Made of This reached number 35 during July 2004.

Since 2003, US-based VoiceMasters has issued more than 80 previously unreleased Reeves recordings, including new songs, as well as newly overdubbed material. Among them was “I’m a Hit Again”, the last song he recorded in his basement studio just a few days before his death. VoiceMasters overdubbed this track in the same studio in Reeves’ former home (now owned by a Nashville record producer). The song was released in 2008 by H&H Music (UK) and became number one in a survey of radio stations in the UK.^[24] Reeves’ fans repeatedly urged RCA or Bear Family to re-release some of the songs overdubbed during the years after his death which have never appeared on CD.

A compilation CD, The Very Best of Jim Reeves, scored number eight on initial release in the UK Albums Chart during May 2009, to later score its maximum of number seven during late June, his first top-10 album in the UK since 1992. In 1994, the German Bear Family Records label released a 16-CD compilation titled Welcome to my World, including more than 75 unissued titles,^[25] and many demo recordings.^[26][27]

In 2014, a set of eight CDs was released by Intermusic S.A., titled The Great Jim Reeves, containing 170 tracks, remastered and remixed.^[12]

Tributes

Tributes to Reeves were composed in the British Isles after his death. The song “A Tribute to Jim Reeves” was written by Eddie Masterson, and recorded by Larry Cunningham and the Mighty Avons; during January 1965, it scored on the UK charts and top 10 in Ireland. It scored the UK charts on December 10, 1964, and was there for 11 weeks and sold 250,000 copies. The Dixielanders Show Band also recorded “Tribute to Jim Reeves” written by Steve Lynch and recorded during September 1964; it scored on the Northern Ireland charts during September 1964. The Masterson song was translated later into Dutch and recorded.

In the UK, “We’ll Remember You” was written by Geoff Goddard, but not released until 2008 on the Now & Then: From Joe Meek to New Zealand double album by Houston Wells.

Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra, a Canadian alternative rock band whose musical style blends elements of surf music, gospel music, rockabilly, garage, and punk, released the song entitled “Jimmy Reeves” on their 1992 album Don’t Mind If I Do^[28]

Reeves remains a popular artist in Ireland, and many Irish singers have recorded tribute albums. A play by author Dermot Devitt, Put Your Sweet Lips, was based on Reeves’ appearance in Ireland at the Pavesi Ballroom in Donegal town on June 7, 1963, and reminiscences of people who attended.

Blind R&B and blues music artist Robert Bradley (of the band Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise) paid tribute to Reeves in the album description of his release, Out of the Wilderness. He said, “This record brings me back to the time when I started out wanting to be a singer-songwriter, where the music did not need the New York Philharmonic to make it real…I wanted to do a record and just be Robert and sing straight like Jim Reeves on ‘Put Your Sweet Lips a Little Closer to the Phone’.”

British comedian Vic Reeves adopted his stage name from Reeves and Vic Damone, two of his favorite singers.

In the United States, Del Reeves (no relation) recorded and released a 1966 album entitled Del Reeves Sings Jim Reeves.

Reeves’ nephew, John Rex Reeves, appears occasionally on RFD-TV‘s Midwest Country, singing Reeves’ songs, as well as other popular country songs.

Source: Jim Reeves – Wikipedia

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Patrick explains why many scientists are saying that the concentration of carbon-dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere follows the heat. He also explains the importance of CO2 for life and shares his experiences that turned him into a climate realist. This is an important video for anyone who is interested in fuels for the future. Towards the end he even mentions SASOL in South Africa. Watching this video will make you become enlightened and feel free of any guilt from driving your car or feel fear from manmade climate catastrophes.

The source of the video is here: https://co2coalition.org/

The ‘problem’

The media tell us almost every day now that we have a global warming problem due to our emission of more carbon-dioxide (CO₂). Let us just look at the extent of the ‘problem’. Since 1979 we have satellites doing the global infra-red temperature measurements (UAH). See here ‘The linear warming trend since January 1979 stands at +0.13 C/decade (+0.12 C/decade over the global-averaged oceans, and +0.18 C/decade over global-averaged land)’. Before the satellite time, we had people looking at thermometers in a number of places on earth. In Fig.1 below I show the global results from Hadcrut4 as measured and reported.

 Fig.1

The trendline is down. In other words, there was no warming from 1935 to 1979. The 1935 date was chosen because the oil industry really only started to take off around that time and because of the length of the Gleissberg solar cycle which is ca. 87 years. I would expect that over the length of the period 1935-2022, dT should be 0. Assuming that our temperature on earth is dominated by this weather cycle, we note that the extra warming from 1935 until now other than from solar forcing is in fact not more than 0.5C, in total.  This is really the maximum extent of the ‘problem’, as anyone will find it. We must place this amount of warming in context with the fact that the accuracy and recording of temperature in the past was not as good as it is now. Also, that the extra 0.5C warming of earth is not unprecedented in the history of earth, e.g. see here In addition the HadCRUT4 dataset, now updated to the end of 2021, shows no global warming for almost eight years: There is no ‘climate crisis’. But the question that comes to all our minds: What could be the causes for this global warming? Below, I discuss some of the possible causes. Note that there could be more factors that influence the weather. I will try to keep it as brief and simple as possible so everyone can understand. I am willing to engage in scientific debates, questions and – problems in the comments section.

• Is it coming from more CO₂ (Greenhouse gasses)?
• Is it coming from a warmer sun?
• Is it coming from a warmer earth?
• Is it coming from more pollutants in water and/or air, other than greenhouse gasses?
• Is it coming from the greening of earth?

Greenhouse gasses

The classic theory is that the extra CO₂ that is coming into the atmosphere is causing a retardation of heat that is being lost to space. This process is supposed to take place everywhere near to the top of the atmosphere (TOA). For example: see here

Several people have done measurements and calculations to check the theory. It appears that the practical results do not agree with the theory. They found that the effect on global temperature of the extra 0.01% v/v CO₂ that was added to the atmosphere since 1960 is extremely small or even zero,  e.g. see here1 and here2  I also did some calculations myself on the infra-red spectrum of CO₂. See here3 . (The result is reported in the first 3 rows of the K,L and M columns). The fact is that CO2 concentration follows temperature on all timescales, see here4 and here5 (you have to watch the first 30 minutes of the video, at least)

Even if we suppose that these people and their investigations must simply all be wrong, there is another rather inconvenient truth for the climate activists. The Gas Law (PV=nRT) implies that due to the diffusion and equal dissipation of the extra CO₂ into our atmosphere, especially TOA, the rate of warming of earth must be the more or less the same wherever you measure. Unfortunately, as shown in Fig. 2, that is not at all what is being observed.

Fig. 2

Most of the warming takes place in the northern hemisphere (NH)! One could argue that in that case the warming noted in the southern hemisphere (SH) could at least be due solely to GH gasses and use the ratio to calculate a global result for the extra CO2. We would then have found about 50-60% of the ‘problem’. Unfortunately, if we must believe in the principle of the retardation of radiation by the GH gas or CO₂ to space TOA, which is global, it must affect minimum temperatures. One must then see minima in the night rising, pushing up the average temperature. Whilst this is happening in the NH, it is not at all happening like that in the SH. See my results of a statistical analysis of 54 weather stations (ws) in Table 1 below. I also discuss this anomaly of more warming in the NH in greater detail here

Table 1

It is the sun, stupid!

Somebody once said: ‘It is simple, really. It is warmer during the day than during the night because of the sun. It is warmer in summer than it is in winter because of the sun. So, following simple logic, would you not say that if it is warmer now on earth than it was 100 years ago, it must also be because of the sun?’

Normally I would agree with the sentiment that was expressed. I am sure there are certain long term solar cycles that may greatly affect the temperature on earth, such as the Gleissberg  and Eddy cycles. But if we look at the solar activity (Fig. 3) over the last 30 years, one must agree that the overall trend is downwards. This does not mean that the sun is getting ‘cooler’. But the ‘big’ heat that we get from the sun, is linked with UV. 

Fig.3

Lower solar activity is associated with a lower amount of UV coming through the atmosphere, i.e., less heat going into the oceans. According to my own statistical work, maximum temperature started to drop ca. 17 or 18 years ago, counted from 2014, i.e., ca. 1996. In Fig. 4 below I show the derivatives of the applicable least square linear equations from right to left.  

Fig.4

Myself and others have also looked at the future in some more detail. Taking into account various factors, we think that incoming heat from the sun will probably continue to fall somewhat until ca. 2037 or 2038; for example, see Ibanga et al

How about earth?

I was stunned not so long ago when I discovered that earth itself has nuclear reactions going on deep down in its core. In effect, that means that earth itself is also like a small sun.

March, 2021. My wife and I watched in awe when the volcano on the outskirts of Mount Fagradalsfjall, about 40km south-west of the capital Reykjavik, erupted. Lava had not flowed for eight centuries on the Reykjanes peninsula, and not for nearly 6,000 years where the eruption occurred, according to volcanologists. See picture at the beginning of this report. We recalled that in 2010, an eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland sent clouds of ash and dust into the atmosphere, interrupting air travel between Europe and North America because of concerns the material could damage jet engines. Naturally, we began to wonder: are volcanic eruptions increasing and could this be the cause of earth getting warmer?  A quick search on Google suggests: No! There were 3 or 4 reports that quickly showed up; I show one:

Is Worldwide Volcanic Activity Increasing? / Volcanoes and Volcanism FAQ (volcanodiscovery.com)

But can we trust Google? One of the reports I saw even went as far as to say that the warming of earth by mankind (remember the ‘problem’: +0.5C) is the cause of more volcanic activity. Absolutely ridiculous. But it does raise the question about more volcanic eruptions, even if they have it the wrong way around. The last sentence of the quoted report on the increase of volcanic activity seems a bit odd: ‘So we should not be worried about global volcanic activity’. One wonders why anyone should not be worried about this. You begin to think that maybe the whole article was deliberately placed on the internet to put people off from a search for a cause of global warming other than CO₂? Is it pure co-incidence that in the past decade we have seen many more volcanic eruptions?  I remember seeing various reports on Iceland, Italy, Las Palmas, Indonesia, Tonga, and off-coast Japan. I think there were many more tsunamis reported as well. Note that D’Andrea et al (2011) found clear proof of a 1000 year cyclicity and he concluded: ‘Our results indicate that the ice-free region of West Greenland experienced much greater temperature variability during the Holocene than the top of the Greenland ice sheet, probably because of interactions among oceanic, atmospheric, solar, and volcanic forcing, and that climatic changes were important in influencing cultural transitions and human settlement patterns in West Greenland.’

My Table 1 showed that modern warming is not evenly distributed globally. This applies especially to the oceans. Carefully observe the results in Table 2  (Click on the blue figure if you want to see its origin).

Table 2

In my opinion it is only volcanic activity noted in the Arctic seas that could help explain the remarkable results that we are seeing in Table 2. For example, see: here1 And this report: here2 says specifically: ‘New evidence deep beneath the Arctic ice suggests a series of underwater volcanoes have erupted in violent explosions in the past decade’. In 1999 eruptions apparently also occurred on the Gakkel Ridge deep beneath the ocean. See here3

In Addendum 1 is the abstract of a report that actually witnessed the amazing temperature increase and increase in salinity in the Greenland Sea. It says: ‘In the last three decades ……..temperature and salinity in the deep Greenland Sea have increased at mean rates without precedent in the last 100 years, and these trends are among the highest in the global deep ocean’. Note that the Greenland Sea is between Norway and Greenland. The last eruption of the Beerenberg was in 1980, which is also not so long ago.

In addition, earth’s magnetic north is shifting at an unprecedented rate of 30 miles a year – throwing satellite positioning data and navigation systems off course. See here. It makes sense to me to think that the inside of earth must always re-align itself with the magnetic field of the sun, like a magnetic stirrer does. I imagine that this could also affect volcanic activity. All these observations together with my own observations on the 1000-year-eddy-cycle/ support the argument that some more heat is coming or has come from earth itself, as it probably has done every 1000 years or so, for a short period of time.

Pollution

1. Wastewater

During my career as a chemist, I ended up in most plants also overseeing the control over the discharge of wastewater. I am sure that you will understand that not everyone appreciated my work when it ended up me calling a halt to production if too much acid or caustic went down the drain somewhere. We must consider the total amount wastewater of all factories and the waste of 7 billion people and even more cattle and animals that are being kept. I know that the pH of all that wastewater is mostly slightly acidic, ca. pH= 6 to 7. The norm is pH>6 but my concern is that countries in the east are not that much worried about the norm. The extra hydronium ion from the waste water could then be a cause for more CO2 in the air, given that the oceans have an enormous buffering action with regard to carbonate. However, clearly, even more worrying is that the net result of all our wastewater will also cause an increase in the salinity, especially there where the polluted rivers end up in the seas. The effect of more salinity is a reduction in the specific heat capacity. See Table 3 below.

Table 3

The relationship between the Specific Heat Capacity (Q) and salt concentration (C) in g/l is:

Q= -11,5 [C] + 4163 (R² = 0.9985). This means that for every increase in the salt concentration by 1g/l, you need ca. 11.5 J less energy to raise the temperature of 1 kg water by 1 degree K.

The report here ends with a statement: ‘The concentration of salt and its specific heat capacity will also impact on our climate”. However, it would appear from my calculations (see Addendum 2) that the increase in salinity of the oceans, either by man or by nature (volcanic activity), is most probably not a significant contributing factor in the observed global warming.

 2. Soot

Let me just quote from the relevant NASA report: NASA – Black and White: Soot on Ice 

‘Black carbon has already been implicated as playing a role in melting ice and snow. Basically, when soot falls on ice, it darkens the surface and accelerates melting by absorbing more sunlight than ice would, just as wearing a black shirt in the summertime makes you feel hotter than if you wore a lighter color. Dark colors absorb heat and light, and lighter colors reflect it keeping surfaces cooler.

By exploring processes in the Earth’s atmosphere, NASA scientists are seeking answers to how pollutants like soot are changing the climate of the world around us.’

So, we don’t know the exact extent of this effect, as far yet, but it could be significant.

3. Contamination of the oceans by oil

There is no shortage of information on the internet about the effects of oil spills, especially concerning all life forms depending on clean water. None of them will tell you if the contamination has a direct warming or cooling effect. I therefore decided to do my own experiment. Two equally sized open plastic containers with the same diameter were filled with water of 27C at 7pm. In one container I added three drops of pure engine oil, 15W40. To determine if the oil has an influence on temperature, I checked the temperature again after 12 hours exposure in the open air, i.e. at 7am. I found that the temperature in both vessels had dropped to 20C. I subsequently allowed them to stand outside and measured again at 7pm. I found the temperature in both vessels was 28C. I have tentatively drawn the conclusion that oil spills are probably not a factor in global warming. 

The greening of Earth

Fig.5

It appears from several investigations that due to the increase in CO2, earth has been greening, e.g.,

Deserts ‘greening’ from rising CO2 – CSIROpedia

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/human-activity-in-china-and-india-dominates-the-greening-of-earth-nasa-study-shows/

Obviously, we know from simple observations that there is no greening there where it is too cold. The extra warming of earth itself could therefore also be a contributing factor in the greening of earth. The extent of the extra greening is shown in Fig. 5 above. The question arises: what does all this extra greening do to local temperature? A first indication came to me from reading a report from John Christy, published in 2006. I show from the abstract of the report:  

‘The debiased segments are then merged, forming a complete regional time series. Time series of daily maximum and minimum temperatures for stations in the irrigated San Joaquin Valley (Valley) and nearby non-irrigated Sierra Nevada (Sierra) were generated for 1910–2003. Results show that twentieth-century Valley minimum temperatures are warming at a highly significant rate in all seasons, being greatest in summer and fall (> +0.25°C decade−1). The Valley trend of annual mean temperatures is +0.07° ± 0.07°C decade−1. Sierra summer and fall minimum temperatures appear to be cooling, but at a less significant rate, while the trend of annual mean Sierra temperatures is an unremarkable −0.02° ± 0.10°C decade−1. A working hypothesis is that the relative positive trends in Valley minus Sierra minima (>0.4°C decade−1 for summer and fall) are related to the altered surface environment brought about by the growth of irrigated agriculture, essentially changing a high-albedo desert into a darker, moister, vegetated plain.’

Source: Methodology and Results of Calculating Central California Surface Temperature Trends: Evidence of Human-Induced Climate Change? in: Journal of Climate Volume 19 Issue 4 (2006) (ametsoc.org)

They measured warming of 0.07 C/decade, but in neighboring Sierra Nevada the temperature went down by 0.02C/ decade, probably due to natural causes. The corrected result is therefore 0.09K/decade. Now look at my own result for Las Vegas, here  This used to be a desert: they just brought water from afar. The average temperature went up by 0.65K per decade! That is more than +3K over de last 50 years. Johannesburg is one of the few places in South Africa where I observed some significant warming. Note that Johannesburg, like Las Vegas, also did not have any natural flowing water. This used to be savannah. But there was gold. So, they brought the water. Here I measure warming of +0.18K per decade. I also looked in Bursa, Turkey, which shows strong greening if I go by Fig.5. I find that temperatures have gone up here, by a staggering 0.80K/decade from 1973, i.e., 3.8C warmer. What about the Arctic? If you look carefully at Fig.4 you can see that the leaf area increased by more than 50% in the areas around the arctic ocean. It appears from various measurements that it is warming there at a rate of 0.5K per decade.

In contrast, in South America many forest trees were chopped for logging or to make way for agricultural – and housing developments. A loss of about 10-15% in leaf area is apparent (see picture, area is orange). In Lapaz (Bolivia) I notice that the trend for minima is already negative and in Tandil (ARG) the temperature went down by as much as 0.43K/decade, i.e. 2K cooler. See here  

In a recent report on climate change in Alabama, John Christy wrote: ‘Every trend calculation starting from 1895 through 2010 and ending in 2020 produces more warming in the lows than the highs’. In other words: minima are going up. Which is exactly what we would expect if the trend of greening in Alabama is increasing. Indeed: It is up about 10% from 1982 (Fig.5).

In my opinion, the mechanism for the extra warming due to greening is partly as explained earlier in the quoted report i.e., a change in albedo. But I think there is also another reason. I do remember from my biology class that there are two important reactions concerning plant life. The one takes place during the day, with the chlorophyll under the influence of UV. Apparently, this reaction is endotherm. So, it consumes the energy from the warmth of the day. The other reaction (with CO₂) takes place during the night – this is when the sugars are made, and growth takes place. Basically, this is where all our food and drinks come from. This reaction is exotherm: It produces heat! I think it is the latter reaction that is also an important factor as it explains the trapping of the heat during the night and in the growth seasons, as reported by Christy et al. 2006.

Altogether, looking randomly at the 5 places that had become a lot greener, as per Fig.5, you remember the results, respectively: (0.09 + 0.65 + 0.18 + 0.80 + 0.50) / 5 = 0.41K/decade, on average. This is more than 200% of the 0.18K/decade warming reported by UAH, overland, from 1979. The influence of the extra greening of earth due to the extra warming and due to extra increase in CO₂ appears to be significant.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The results of my investigations revealed that one of the most probable causes for the extra warming of earth could be more volcanic activity, especially in and around the Arctic. It seems that this could be related to the 1000-year Eddy cycle. It is considered that the warming of earth is not a ‘problem’ as such. It is a benefit as it aids in the greening of earth. Due to various factors, including man wanting more crops and greenery and putting more dung up in the air for this (i.e., CO₂), earth is putting on an extra green jacket which appears to help a lot in keeping herself warmer at night….

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Note that the (slight) reduction of heat coming from the sun is likely to continue for some time. More carbon dioxide stimulates more growth on earth. If we want a greener world, it is not necessary to reduce our emissions.
• To stop the melting of more arctic ice, we must prevent getting more soot on ice. For this, the amount of shipping in the NH must be reduced. This can be achieved by stopping the shipments of wood for fuel from north America and eastern Europe to western Europe.
• Coal, wood and oil contain poisons and combustion often produces or leaves unacceptable soot, and poisonous ash- and dust levels. Oil spills cause serious problems for sea life. Therefore, for the time being, gas is still the cleanest source for energy giving also the biggest amount of calories. Be aware of the problems with green energy, see: the Green Illusion North, east, south, west: gas best!

Addendum 1

 Increasing amount of Arctic Ocean deep waters in the Greenland Sea – Somavilla – 2013 – Geophysical Research Letters – Wiley Online Library

Abstract

[1] In the last three decades, deep convection has come to a halt in the Greenland Sea. Hydrographic data reveal that during this period, temperature and salinity in the deep Greenland Sea have increased at mean rates without precedent in the last 100 years, and these trends are among the highest in the global deep ocean. The origin of these changes is identified as the advection of Arctic Ocean deep waters and the necessary transports to explain them are calculated (0.44±0.09 Sv). Despite the fact that the deep Greenland Sea hardly covers 0.05% of the global surface, the resulting trends constitute 0.3% of the World Ocean heat content increase per unit area of earth’s surface and 0.1% of the global sea level rise. These results suggest that changes of the deep Arctic Mediterranean and their contribution to the global budgets need to be addressed.

Addendum 2

Reminder of the relationship Specific Heat Capacity with salt concentration:

Q= -11,5 [C] + 4163 (E1)

We consider the total surface area of the oceans of earth

It is 361 million square kilometers

=361 x 10¹² m²

We consider a column of 1 meter deep. (HadSST measures at the depth of 0.2 meter)

=361 x 10¹² x 1 m³

=361 x 10¹² x 1025 kg 

We want to raise the temperature of this amount of water by 0.5K (the ‘problem’, + 0.12 K/decade measured above the oceans since 1979)

=370 x 10¹⁵ x 0.5 kgK

=185 x 10¹⁵ kgK

As per Table 2 in the report we need 3850J per kgK (25g/l)

=185 x 10¹⁵ x 3850

= 71,2 x 10¹⁹ J

Let us now consider the doubling of the salt concentration of the waters of the seas and oceans on average, due to the influence of man and/or other natural factors. This represents a worst-case scenario. According to E1, this 25g/l increase would cause a decrease of ca. 25 x 11,5=287.5J per kgK in the specific heat capacity.

Now let:

71,2 x 10¹⁹ J = K x 370 x 10¹⁵ x (3850 – 287.5) = K x 3.7 x 10¹⁷ x 3562.5

By solving the equation, we find the extra increase in temperature of the oceans and seas due to the increase in salinity by 25g/l:

K = 0.54

0.54-0.5=0.04K 

The doubling of the salt concentration brought an additional warmth of only 0.04K.

3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’

5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?

6 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.

9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.

  Matt 19:3-11 (NIV)

In the days that Jesus spoke these words divorce was a major social injustice, resulting in many a woman ending up in the gutter, becoming either a beggar or a prostitute. For the husband it was easy. He could give her a letter of divorce and put her on the street. But there were no laws protecting the woman. And there was little hope for such a woman of ever finding a job. Her family would not always want her back, as she was considered just an additional burden. Women were not allowed in educational institutions so there was no way that she could have learned a trade or anything like that. A woman, like a slave, was merely one of a man’s possessions. Suffer the poor woman that could not bear her husband a child….

What Jesus says here was quite revolutionary for that particular time. Proving Moses wrong was considered almost equal to blasphemy and one can imagine that Jesus’ exposure of this injustice was met with little enthusiasm from the predominantly male-orientated society in which He found Himself. Small wonder that Jesus had many female friends. He was the only man who would defend the woman caught in adultery against her male-accusers (John 8:3-11). During this incident Jesus wrote something on the ground. He then said: “He that is without sin, let him throw the first stone.” It is often thought that Jesus wrote down the sins or some of the sins of the accusers. For fear of exposure they did not start throwing the stones, as they had most certainly intended to do. Each of them then turned away, tails between the legs so to speak.

Jesus makes no mistake when He exposes the root cause of the problem on hand: “It was not this way from the beginning” (vs. 8), the “beginning” meaning Paradise off course. Very wisely He chooses to quote Gen 2:24 (vs. 5) to illustrate the argument. One flesh made up of two (equal) parts. That was indeed how it was in the Garden of Eden. It was only after man had sinned that we see the balance of equality being disturbed by a curse of God, positioning the man to “rule” over the woman. (See Gen 3:16). When referring to this passage, many of the subsequent writers of the Bible have thought that this meant that the husband must be the boss of his family and that a man must always be the head of a church. For some strange reason people thought that this particular curse could not be broken. A typical example of this can be found in 1 Tim 2:14 where the apostle Paul argues that a woman may not teach in the church because it was Eve who was deceived, not Adam.

But Jesus clearly wants marriage restored to how it was in the beginning, that is: before the fall of man! (vs. 8). He knew exactly what had happened as a result of sin. (Gen 3:16-19). But He also knew that He Himself would become sin for us so that we could be free of all curses that had resulted from sin (e.g. Gal 3:13, Deut 21:23). This we may claim, every time. That is His promise to us – that is why we believe in Him. We are free from the curse of sin! We do not have to accept anything that happened as a result of sin; not even death. (John 10:28).

So, in effect, Jesus was indeed the first man who stood up for the rights of women. No wonder that the women of those days liked to listen to Him. And that He was at home with women. They remained loyal to Him, even after His death, and this is most probably the reason why they got to see Him first after His resurrection. But mankind still took more than nineteen centuries to lay claim to the equality of male and female. It was only fairly recently that most churches have adopted the principle of equality for the sexes. Why did it take us so long? It’s a long story. In fact, it is another two chapters. Looking back now, one could argue that most of the confusion was caused by the otherwise very honest – and very truthful apostle Paul.  I think we must forgive him this oversight. One must not forget that there is a big cultural difference between the people then and modern man. Also, traditions are not easily broken and Paul was strongly influenced by the Jewish traditions.

Anyway, let us forget about the old arguments. There is light in the tunnel at last. I cannot help but get excited whenever I notice one of Jesus’ teachings finally becoming the accepted norm.

By James Taylor

One of the saddest developments that has occurred in the last decade is the extent to which mainstream media and government-run schools and colleges have acted together to deny the American public, especially young people, access to objective information about climate change.

An entire generation is being brainwashed into believing long-debunked claims about an impending “existential climate crisis,” the presence of increasingly severe hurricanes and tornadoes, rapidly rising sea levels, and countless other dubious predictions of future climate catastrophes.

Moreover, the vast majority of American youth are completely ignorant of the fact that tens of thousands of scientists believe — and, more importantly, piles of scientific evidence that shows — that humans are not creating an existential climate change crisis.

We will not stand idly by as these misconceptions continue to sing. Rather, the Heartland Institute is taking action to tell American students the truth about global warming and climate science.

You can download and read the book: “Climate at a Glance”  for free by following the link below and then clicking on the relevant button for the downloading of the whole book in pdf. format  (remember: this will take some time).

Don’t forget to save it on your computer!

https://climateataglance.com/