You probably thought, "Oh, it's a Portland blog. This is gonna be about the latest trend in Saving The Planet™ by bicycle." Wrong.
It's actually about the latest trend in Anthropogenic Global Warming - which, oddly, doesn't seem to be happening, so forget about booking that tropical vacation in Wales for now. As it happens, the Science isn't quite settled, for some reason. Inconveniently for AlGore and other leaders of the Religion, it appears that the planet hasn't been warming for 15 years.
Based on readings from more than 30,000 measuring stations, the data was issued last week without fanfare by the Met Office and the University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit. It confirms that the rising trend in world temperatures ended in 1997.
Oddly, scientists seem to have concluded that the sun may play some role in regard to planetary climate. Indeed, many now warn that the sun is now heading towards a ‘grand minimum’ in its output, threatening cold summers, bitter winters and a shortening of the season available for growing food.
Although some claim that human-released carbon dioxide will prevent significant cooling, others dispute that view; noting that these individuals are relying upon the same computer models which thus far have proven erroneous. They argue that it's entirely possible that the River Thames will freeze again, as shown above.
‘World temperatures may end up a lot cooler than now for 50 years or more,’ said Henrik Svensmark, director of the Center for Sun-Climate Research at Denmark’s National Space Institute. ‘It will take a long battle to convince some climate scientists that the sun is important. It may well be that the sun is going to demonstrate this on its own, without the need for their help.’
In the next few years, it's entirely possible that a whole lot of "scientists" leading the AGW parade are going to find grant funding hard to come by. They may have to kiss their careers goodbye, but the EPA and other agencies are certain to find a new angle to enhance their control, which will undobtedly prove fruitful grounds for the next set of grant-dependent "scientists" to explore.
Evidently the science is unsettled.
We can be sure of one thing, though: the Earth will get warmer, or it will get colder.
Wait - that's two things.
Let's see what Hansen has to say about this.
Posted by: ZZMike | January 29, 2012 at 06:59 PM
Say, I just heard snowy owls are coming south for the winter. And Not because it's warmer hear.
Posted by: Sam L. | January 29, 2012 at 07:12 PM
Yet, NASA in this article says 2011 was the 9th warmest year.
NASA Finds 2011 Ninth-Warmest Year on Record
01.19.12
The global average surface temperature in 2011 was the ninth warmest since 1880, according to NASA scientists. The finding continues a trend in which nine of the 10 warmest years in the modern meteorological record have occurred since the year 2000.
Full article here:
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2011-temps.html
Jack Van Nostrand
Posted by: Jack | January 30, 2012 at 08:39 AM
I've often wondered who is featured in the compromising photos that must be in the possession of James E. Hansen. I can think of no other reason for his continued employment.
You know, of course, that in the early 1970's he was claiming that by today, man-made global cooling would result in the total glaciation of the planet?
Posted by: Max | January 30, 2012 at 08:51 AM
I think someone snapped a photo of a snowy a week or so ago at the Oregon coast...Bay Ocean?
Posted by: Max | January 30, 2012 at 11:29 AM