concerning anthropogenic CO2 and warming trends:
edward asks:
- Most of the warming observed in the last century occurred prior to 1938, well before the marked increase in greenhouse gas levels. Human Impacts on Weather and Climate (1992).
This is a very famous graph in climate circles, with a pronounced temperature spike before 1940, and what is probably natural variability since then.
“It is tempting to attribute the past century’s warming to the increase in greenhouse gases. Because of the natural variation of temperatures, however, such an attribution cannot be made with any degree of confidence.” Science 244, 1041-1043 (1989)
Some reports show that the hottest years on record in the last century were all during the 80s; however,
- The Tiros II satellite data showed no significant warming trend in the 80s (usually thought to be the start of the current greenhouse warming). Science 247, 1558-1562 (1990).
and
- An examination of temperature and precipitation data collected from over 6000 stations found no significant warming trend between 1895 and 1987. Geophysical Research Letters 16, 49-52 (1989).
and
- Attempts of satellite correlation of ground measurements have not supported the more dire warming predictions/measurements. Sound and Fury Cato Institute 1992, and Science 247.
I realize much of the above is 10 years old; and that measuring historical data is hard to nail down. However, satellite technonlogy looking at the specific time period in question (the 80s) seems to back these statements up.
- From Philip Abelson, assistant editor of Science: “If the global warming situation is analyzed using the customary standards of scientific inquiry, one must conclude there has been much more hype than solid fact.” Science 247.
Computer models are often used for climate prediction; however, getting accurate readings is difficult, as the answers are only as good as the data fed into them.
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"All too often we find modelers comparing their predictions to the results of other models rather than to the actual past. In The Greenhouse Effect, 1992.
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Woods Hole scientist Andrew Solow states that “the modela are not only bad–that you can’t rely on them as forecasting tools–but that when they’re used to forecast greenhouse warming, they tend to be systematically too hot.” The Greenhouse Effect.
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Climate computer modeler Michael Schlesinger has said that “due to modeling problems, confidence in detecting the greenhouse effect is down near zero” and that “modelers have been coupling their atmospheric model to a pretty hokey ocean. We all have. But you have to have less confidence because of that.” Science 244, 1041-1043 (1989).
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Climatologist David Parker of the Hadley Center for Climate Prediction and Research says that the more parameters one keeps trying to correlate with warming, the greater the probability that one will fit the global temperature curve by chance. Science 254, 652-653 (1991).
I’ll stop here, but I have a lot more information, especially concerning the workings and limitations of computer climate models, and how policy decisions are being based on a very shaky set of assumptions.
Are the citations I’ve provided the end-all and be-all for the issue? Of course not. The debate has progressed since the 80s and early 90s, but the underlying issues are the same. And it is a side that rarely gets media or public attention.
