Before we embark on drastic plans to combat climate change, we must be sure of the facts
by Roddy Campbell / February 24, 2010 / Leave a commentPublished in March 2010 issue of Prospect Magazine
An automatic weather station being installed on Butler Island, Antarctica
The belief that man is warming the Earth’s climate via greenhouse gas emissions is supported by evidence showing a modest increase in global temperatures over recent decades. But what is the scale of these increases, and are they in any way abnormal? To find out, we need an accurate record over a long period. This is where the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit (CRU) comes in, and why the “climategate” scandal over its leaked emails matters so much.
The CRU is one of the world’s leading climatic research bodies. Its scientists, along with the Met Office’s Hadley Centre, build and maintain the world’s temperature record. This may sound easy, especially as the figures they produce always seem precise: in 2007 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change put warming over the past 100 years at exactly 0.74°C. But tracking such tiny temperature changes is tricky—even over the last century when we have had decent thermometer coverage. Do you measure highs, lows or averages? Should readings come from Siberia, Antarctica or Australia—and, if all of them, how do you weight the results for a global average? By land area? What about seas?
Der
Martin
Grant
Andrew Wride
Stephen Fox
Ross Thomas
Scott
mitchel44
Vangel
Warren
John
Roddy Campbell
JAmes P
J Mckenna
Harry Sivertsen
John Catley
Known, Unknowns
Roddy Campbell
MaryAnn
jlori
erik sloneker
robert n. anderson
Sherlock
Sonja Boehmer-Christiansen
Carrie
INTJ
Edward Will
Roddy Campbell
Xdem
Steamboat
Rick Jones
maverickIII
Dave Minnich
lucklucky
John D. Froelich
Prospector
btw
Seth
RealStory
fyi
Danram
Valiente
MikeMca
Chad
Ernie Banks
larolyn
Alyson King
SeattleMark952
Michael
Maxbert
J Mckenna
Steven
Bill
Steven
lejones
paul
Kevin Lohse
Roddy Campbell
Dr. Clifton Chadwick
Roddy Campbell
Jim Stagg
Dale
Roddy Campbell
Roddy Campbell
SPearce
Larolyn
Roddy Campbell
Larolyn
Larolyn
Larolyn
Larolyn
Roddy Campbell
Gregory Norminton
Roddy Campbell
Roddy Campbell
J Mckenna
Roddy Campbell
J Mckenna
Roddy Campbell
Roddy Campbell
Philip
Roddy Campbell
Roddy Campbell
Roddy Campbell
Philip
Roddy Campbell
Philip
Roddy Campbell
Roddy Campbell
Gregory Norminton
Philip
Roddy Campbell
Roddy Campbell
Roddy Campbell
Roddy Campbell
Roddy Campbell
mikef2
Roddy Campbell
Terry Oldberg
mikef2
Roddy Campbell
mikef2
Gregory Norminton
Roddy Campbell
Roddy Campbell
richard herriott
Early morning bird
Roddy Campbell
Roddy Campbell
early morning bird
early morning bird
Roddy Campbell
early morning bird
Jeremy Poynton
John Hineman
early morning bird
Financial Crisis
access control systems