So, you know the routine: the conservatives in this country are convinced, despite all scientific data to the contrary, that global climate change is a myth concocted by Al Gore and his minions to … raise money or something. (I don’t really understand their rationale, quite frankly.)
Well, they got a bunch of climate scientists together and created the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature team. From their FAQ:
What is Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature?
Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature aims to contribute to a clearer understanding of global warming based on a more extensive and rigorous analysis of available historical data. The study has reviewed data from over 39,000 temperature measurement stations across the globe. This is more than five times the 7,280 stations found in the Global Historical Climatology Network Monthly data set (GHCN-M) that has served as the focus of many climate studies to date.Why is the work being done by Berkeley Earth important?
Existing data used to show global warming have met with much criticism. The Berkeley Earth project attempts to resolve current criticism of the former temperature analyses by making available an open record to enable rapid response to further criticism and suggestions. Our results include our best estimate for the global temperature change and our estimates of the uncertainties in the record.We believe that science is nonpartisan and our interest is in getting a clear view of the pace of climate change in order to help policy makers to evaluate and implement an effective response. In choosing team members, we engage people whose primary interests are finding answers to the current issues and addressing the legitimate concerns of the critics on all sides. None of the scientists involved has taken a public political stand on global warming.
So, an independent team of scientists with no preconceived notions about the existence of climate change. So far, so good.
Guess who helped fund this? One of the Koch brothers, Charles Koch (via the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation)! A bit of a red flag, but, okay.
Well, guess what they found? The explanation comes with this nice little graph:
The project concluded the earth is warming, roughly one degree C over the last century or so. And that’s not all! After collecting and crunching the data, the study got results statistically identical with those produced at NOAA, NASA, CRU, and a bunch of other organizations, as shown in the graph at the top of this post. The beautiful part is the study was largely funded by the kind of money — including Koch money — usually intended to buy much more friendly results. It’s madness!So unless yet another group of research scientists are utterly incompetent, or part of a worldwide conspiracy, the wobbly claim that data stations are run by ignoramuses and frauds is mortally wounded.
So, even a Koch-funded climate change study has come to the conclusion that, yes, climate change is real.
Of course, this won’t change anybody’s mind. Honestly, how much have you heard about this in the mainstream media? Nothing, I’ll wager. Another prime example of a complete and utter failure of our major media outlets to do their jobs once again.
[le sigh…]
P.S. One of the punchlines to this sad story is that a major climate change denier, Anthony Watts, claimed last March that he would believe anything that came out of the study.
I’m prepared to accept whatever result they produce, even if it proves my premise wrong. I’m taking this bold step because the method has promise. So let’s not pay attention to the little yippers who want to tear it down before they even see the results. I haven’t seen the global result, nobody has, not even the home team, but the method isn’t the madness that we’ve seen from NOAA, NCDC, GISS, and CRU…
After results from the study were partly released last week? Totally different tune:
I consider the paper fatally flawed as it now stands, and thus I recommend it be removed from publication consideration by JGR until such time that it can be reworked.
Goddam hypocrites.
