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January 6, 2010

The Most Inconvenient Truth of All


There are some national newspapers in the UK who are spinning madly in an attempt to keep the Global Warming-Climate Change sacre campaign going. This one is entertaining in its desperation.

Global warming is happening, even if it doesn't feel like it

By Michael McCarthy, Environment Editor
The Independent (UK)


You might think the current weather conditions are almost Siberian – and you'd be right. Britain's most prolonged spell of freezing weather since 1981 is being caused by a huge mass of intensely cold air over north-east Russia, with easterly winds sweeping its glacial temperatures across northern Europe to the UK.

And just as in the 20th century's coldest ever winter in Britain, of 1962-63 – although not on such a severe scale – the cold is being held in place over the British Isles by what is known as a "blocking anti-cyclone", a static area of high pressure over Greenland which is preventing the usual warmer, damper westerly winds from reaching us across the Atlantic.

The present situation is known as an "Omega block" as it consists of two high-pressure systems which on a weather map resemble the two arms of the Greek letter Omega – the Greenland one, and the Siberian anti-cyclone itself (whose stillness and clear skies are causing its intense cold, as much as 48C below zero in some places).

So if it is the longest cold snap for 29 years, does that prove that the idea of global warming is a non-starter? Funnily enough, it doesn't. For once you look at current meteorological conditions across the whole world, a different picture emerges.

The map on the left from the UK Met Office (it is the most recent one) shows a global picture of land surface temperature "anomalies" last week – that is, temperatures which are above or below the seasonal average. The shading from blue to black shows temperatures that are below the 1961-1990 average, while yellow through to red shows temperatures which are above it.

There, clearly marked in black, is the intense Siberian cold, with some readings of 10C below normal or even more, and you can follow the freeze westwards through Scandinavia to Britain, parts of which are shown as more than 3C below the norm.

But look at the rest of the world – in north-east America and Canada, in north Africa, across the Mediterranean, through to south-west Asia, temperatures are very much above normal – in many places by more than 5C, and in parts of northern Canada, by more than 10C.

Closer to home, while we shivered yesterday, in Madrid the temperature was 10C against a seasonal average of 9C, and in Rome it was 13C, compared to an average of 11C. The weather's natural variability means it is impossible to draw long-term conclusions about a changing climate from any single episode, be it of hot, or cold.

25 comments:

Spinsterpov said...

Wow, so since this years temperature doesn't exactly match the average that is proof of "climate change". What I want to know is if it falls within the +/- 3 standard deviations from that mean. If it falls within there, as I strongly suspect it does, then these differences from a mean computed from numbers above and below it means nothing.

Not only does this guy not understand weather, he doesn't understand statistics.

Elisa said...

Hello, how are you?
I am stuck at home with a fever?
:-( I wanted to make something good!

Anonymous said...

Elisa,

Get some rest, and remember... zuppa.

Anonymous said...

Spinster...

He's still having problems with the whole hot vs. cold concept.

USA_Admiral said...

You really have to believe in nothing to be able to believe in GloBull warming.

Elisa said...

Thanks for the advice!
You soon
Elisa

Anonymous said...

Believing in nothing, Admiral, is what the Libs are good at.

Anonymous said...

Elisa,

Buona notte. Voglio che tu per riposare e recuperare le forze. Il tuo amore per la cucina è una benedizione che deve essere condivisa con il mondo, ed hai bisogno di forza per farlo. Scrivimi americangoomba@gmail,com e vi dirò la mia esperienza da forno.

Teresa said...

What a bunch of horse hockey! I think we need to turn Al Gore green and send him off to the land of ooompa loompas.

Anonymous said...

The land of ooompa loompas???
Michigan?

Teresa said...

That's from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Anonymous said...

Oh... Hersey, PA. Just teasing, Teresa.

Teresa said...

New Orleans? The Chocolate City

Anonymous said...

LOL!! Good one, girl!

rLn! said...

When i read this post, my eyes just kind of glazed over... and my brain followed suit... blah, blah, blah! Just more empty words to add to the gaseous farty stuff already circling around the globe.

Well, i think i'll go have some Filipino zuppa to unglaze my brain!

banned said...

You will be pleased to know that only 'artistes', teachers and social workers read The Independent (UK) which shares its death squabble with The Guardian (UK).
I'm in the Florida of England, first snow in ten years and, as per the report, the worst since 1981. Any conversation about the weather will include, at some point, "Must be all that global warming, ha ha ha".

Susannah said...

I'm sorry, "omega block" my a@#.

"The weather's natural variability means it is impossible to draw long-term conclusions about a changing climate..."

Don't you mean "the lack of RAW DATA means it is impossible to draw conclusions..."

They DESTROYED the raw data...therefore, nobody can dispute any claims of global warming. THAT'S the 'inconvenient truth.'

Anonymous said...

r i n !...

The danger comes when your life glazes over. Be alert.

Anonymous said...

Banned, I recall the Independent's birth. The Guardian staff couldn't attack fast enough.

I actually fondly remember mornings with a sausage roll, cup of tea, and the onion-skinned Manchester Guardian.

Anonymous said...

Susannah, be on guard. The Omega Blocks will end life as we know it.

rLn! said...

GOD just used you, Nickie, to speak to me to confirm something! Because that is exacketally what we all have to do with all the stuff's that's going on -- be alert, be on the look out...WATCH! and as for me, yes, i WILL do just that -- i will keep looking UP^

Anonymous said...

The temperatures in my part of the world are cold but not dropping below -4 Celsius. Compared with some of the bitter winters of my childhood and early adulthood, where colder winter temperatures could head closer to -10 Celsius, it is not that bad really! Global warming models do, I believe, predict increased winter precipitation in Northern Europe. Add precipitation to temperatures hovering around zero and what do you get? Snow! And lots of it.

Okay I am doing what the sceptics do - confusing weather with climate - but that's my counter-argument for what it's worth.......

Woodsterman (Odie) said...

The new buzz phrase "Climate Change" describes what's been going on in this world for 4.5 billion years.

It's been the coldest winter, this year, in the last 20 years. And if one doesn't like it ... tell it to the sun.

Anonymous said...

That's it, rin!...

The answer is UP.

rLn! said...

Nickie... if you don't mind, i'll set you straight on my name... it's r (as in R-eally), l (as in L-ove, or L-ive, or L-augh) and n (as in N-ow!)

You can sort it out at --

http://rl-n.blogspot.com/2009/05/what-is-rln.html

i was MErlIna, then MErlin, then merlin, then rlin, and finally rln!

i'm getting up in years (like you!), so i've changed my nick(ie) name to "r-l-n" to remind me who i am in CHRIST today and how i am to live in the now... with an exclamation point !!!