Today the Global Climate Conference released a statement supported by charts that (1) 2009 was the fifth hottest year on record, and, (2) This decade was the hottest on record. To evaluate these statements for yourselves you have to read the article (Link is at the bottom) and note the criteria they use. Let me help you. Perhaps I should not say 'misrepresentation' since they actually give details of their faulty analysis.
(1) The data is based on 1,500 weather stations. 3,500 others were left out but will be included later. POINT: Incomplete data.
(2) They further state that the high readings were due to record heat in Africa. POINT: Africa was not settled by Europeans until early 1900s. At least in a civilized enough way to have accurate temperature records. Therefore, the data is heavily weighted by temperatures recorded well into the 1900s. They don't know what happened before that.
(3) They state that since The 18th century (1,700s) the global temperature has risen by 0.7 C. POINT: That's not surprising nor unexpected since the 1,700s were well into the Little Ice Age as were the 1,800s. Of course the temperatures rose after 1,890, when it ended. If they had not we would still be in the Little Ice Age. I'm suprised it wasn't much more than that.
(4) They state (on incomplete data) that this has been the warmest decade on record. POINT: Look at the Historical Temperature Graph by decade (click here). The 1930 s OBVIOUSLY were the hottest on record. At least in the USA. These systems do not just sit over one area for a decade. They are constantly moving around the planet in each hemisphere. If it was hot in the USA it was also hot in the rest of the hemisphere. Maybe not at the same time but still the same general trend.
(5) The reference to the rise in temperatures since the 1700s is non-sensical. POINT: The thermometer was not invented until 1714 by a Mr Farenheit and it was very primitive. As technology got more precise so did thermometers. For three hundred years temperatures were recorded in whole numbers. Now, with digital thermometers recording the data 1/10s are also added. Therefore, a temperature of 38.3 degrees would have been previously recorded as 38 degrees. Now, with the additional tenth, it would appear the Earth has warmed up .30 degree, nearly all of the heating they describe since 1961.
(6) Hourly temperature records have only been available since 1970. POINT: This is so obvious it hurts. They really don't know what it was from hour to hour so can't include that in their analysis before 1970. A true climatology model would include every hourly temperature from every weather station on Earth and then take a weighted average of all those. They do not do this.
(7) In line with (6) above here is a thought. Remember on hot summer days how the heat lingers? The high of 103F won't be for just an hour. It may stay at that temperature for three hours. In the old recording systems before 1970 they show the high just once. 103 was the high of the day. However, since 1970 that 103 would be added in three times. This adds a significant bias to the numbers. This can cut both ways but you get the point of their sloppy analyses.
Click here for the link to their statement and news releases.
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