The following is a guest post by Atmospheric Scientist Dr. Chris Walcek, a professor at the University at Albany in NY and a Senior Research Associate at the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center who studies the relationship of pollutants within the atmosphere. Dr. Walcek is featured on page 219 of the 2009 U.S. Senate Report of More Than 700 Dissenting Scientists on Man-Made Global Warming.
Dr. Walcek is joining many other scientists in critiquing President Obama’s new global warming report. (See: ‘Scaremongering’: Scientists Pan Obama Climate Report: ‘This is not a work of science but an embarrassing episode for the authors and NOAA’…’Misrepresents the science’ – June 16, 2009 )
Dr. Walcek: The authors of the latest US climate change report would make Pravda editors and reporters blush with envy on how they can misconstrue and mis-report truths for a propaganda angle.
In the climate report’s EXECUTIVE SUMMARY there is statement that WINTER temperatures across the northern great plains have increased MORE THAN 7 degrees over the past 30 years. Whenever I see ABSURD claims like these, I delve into archived temperatures (Global Historical Climate Network) archived at our National Climate Data Center and wade through the analysis
to see the “truth”. Attached are two figures showing actual thermometer measurements (I doubt that actual thermometer measurements are shown ANYWHERE in this report…) This was the first site I looked at…. but I am confident that the conclusions are robust and more general.
Why only look at winter temperatures (3 months of the year), and IGNORE the other 75% of the measurements? because summer temperatures and annual temperatures show COOLING!!
Why only look at the past 30 years, and IGNORE the entire 100 years, thus “throwing out” over 70% the data? because over the entire record the trends are negligible and show little warming.
Where the HECK did they get 7 degree F warming??? Sioux City Iowa shows winter temperatures only increasing about 3 F warming in recent decades. They probably compared one recent year with a single year 50 years ago, neglecting to tell us that winter temperatures in the northern great plains naturally vary from year-to-year by 15-18 degrees F ALL THE TIME!! next winter could be 10-20 degrees warmer or cooler than this winter in any location in the upper great plains, and even a 7F warming is well within the natural “noise”. (but that 7 F number is apparently pure fiction!!))
Dr. Chris Walcek
Atmospheric Scientist
State University of NY at Albany
[email protected]
Home Page: http://www.atmos.albany.edu/facstaff/walcek.html
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