It irritates me that the global warming alarmists are always trying to deceive those who aren’t paying close attention to what they are saying. A recent article includes a graph that shows that the planet’s surface temperature has risen more than one degree Fahrenheit in 140 years. The graph is reproduced below. It gives the surface temperature in degrees Fahrenheit versus the year it was measured.
That’s a very dramatic ramp-up in the temperature, right? Have you already forgotten that the actual temperature increase is just over one degree? Well, it’s hard to get people stoked over a one degree rise unless you spice it up a bit. This is like examining the texture of your skin using a microscope.
Now look at the chart below, which shows the exact same data.
Global average temperatures didn’t range from zero to 100 degrees over the displayed timeframe, but many of us are quite familiar with this range of highs and lows. The temperature rise doesn’t look so dramatic from this perspective.
A more deceptive aspect of this though is the implication that the reported temperature data were measured accurately and consistently enough to confidently detect a difference of 1.3 degrees. The measuring stations have changed in number and location over the reported timeframe. The stations’ measurements have been shown to be sensitive to their surroundings and their surroundings have not remained constant.
I don’t know about you but a 1.3 degree rise over 140 years doesn’t seem that alarming to me.
energy independence is much more important than global warming. when the US is energy independent there will be no more oil wars and the terrorists will all be too to reach us. This will save lives AND energy. The global warming crowd can’t claim this. They can claim that they will damage and perhaps destroy capitalism which is their true aim. I for one am not done using capitalism. So I want to keep it. True believers in global warm are free to starve and freeze to death next winter–their choice. Think of all the energy they will save! By the by, don’t ever expect a Greenie to sacrifice anything in his own life to “show the green way.” Global warming is about controlling you and emptying your wallet. When it becomes about something else one of the first things you will notice is that you will understand nothing that is said about global warming. That is because it will all be said in Mandarin Chinese. Only the Chinese can stop man made climate change. They are going through an industrial revolution that is sure to dwarf our own. Does this mean we should do nothing? Far from it. Let’s study what Denmark, France, Brazil, and Australia have done on energy and do likewise. Let’s drill wherever we have oil and put a new nuclear power plant in every state. Let’s use all our coal and natural gas. We don’t need foreign energy. The only people who say we can’t get off foreign oil are greedy conservatives who are getting paid every time a new oil war starts.
As you say, 1.3 degrees doesn’t seem like a lot, and most people would probably agree. If the “glowarmists” were being intentionally deceptive, they’d try using metrics that sound a lot more impressive.
The fact that the 1.3 degrees causes alarm is an indication that they honestly believe it’s significant.
If we had accurate data for a longer period of time, we’d have a better grasp as to how unusual such a change is.
@poetryman69 — Right on! Except that I’m not sure that all the greedy ones profiting from oil are conservatives.
@LEP — I’m not sure how metrics would play. Using Centigrade instead of Fahrenheit would be less impressive. Speaking of data accuracy, did you watch the Bob Carter videos?
When I get 36 free minutes, I’ll take a look.
A mere 10-degree C rise in global average temperatures resulted in the extinction of 95% of all life on Earth 250 million years ago. It doesn’t take much to upset the delicate balance.
@Mike — I can accept that we know there was a 10-degree rise in global average temperature and that 95% of all life was wiped out 250 million years ago, but I can’t accept that we know it was exclusive cause and effect. There is no way that anyone can know there were no other factors involved.
You didn’t specify the time-span for these changes. Could it have taken a million years? Spread over that much time the changes don’t seem that dramatic.