Updraft

2009: More record warmth than cold

Posted at 11:18 AM on July 27, 2009 by Paul Huttner (2 Comments)

This is what happens when you let politics get in the way of science.

Jessie Ferrell writes a blog about the number of cool temperature records tied or broken in July. Drudge picks it up and gives it a headline that seems to indicate evidence against global climate change.

Problem is, there are actually about 1,800 more record highs than record low temperature records tied or broken so far this year. Ooops.

Of course any number of records in one month, one summer or even one year is not evidence of climate change. That's called weather.

It always pays to stick to the science of climate change, rather than to listen to some statistically misleading, politically driven hype.


Comments (2)

This is the biggest problem I see in the whole climate change debate. Zealots on either side posture strongly, and claim the other side is not basing its position on "good science".

The right may be at greater fault than the left regarding this. The evidence of a general warming trend appears sound. The questions that remain center around the degree to which the change is correlated to human activity, and whether or not this is simply part of a longer-term global climate cycle.

Posted by HikingStick | July 27, 2009 11:53 AM


Are we talking globally 1800 or just in the US?

Posted by Nate | July 27, 2009 3:06 PM


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