SF Environmental Policy Examiner: Examiner.com's exclusive global warming debates: Roger Pielke Sr., part 1

The lack of warming in the troposphere and upper ocean since 2003 raises serious questions with respect to the accuracy of the multi-decadal global model predictions. If this lack of warming continues, more scientists will start to question the value of these models. If they cannot skillfully predict even the global average warming, there is no way they can provide skillful multi-decadal regional predictions, such as for drought, hurricane activity, and so forth.

Anomalous Spike in Ocean Heat Content « Watts Up With That?

I draw your attention to the strong spike in the red line from 2002 to 2003. This line is the point at which the earlier data is joined up with the ARGO data. The magnitude of the jump is the largest in the entire record. The transition to the ARGO data can not be said to have been accomplished with a long cross-calibration period. It thus looks to me like there may be an error in how the different data sets are stitched together. I in no way am implying malfeasance here. I have discussed this situation with Roger Pielke Sr. and Josh Willis and they agree it looks odd and merits further investigation. Dr. Pielke points out that there is not a comparable jump in the SST data. I think this example illustrates that if there is a big jump in the data right when you change your instrumentation, it is perhaps good to look a little closer.

The Daily Bayonet » Skeptics A to Z

Here’s some midweek fun for you while I go read the entire Internet for tomorrow’s round-up. Enjoy.

EPW POLICY BEAT: FARM FIASCO

...EPW Policy Beat sorted through the regulatory docket on EPA’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act (CAA). There we found numerous comments filed by farm groups staunchly opposed to CAA regulation. A few themes predominate: CAA regulation will mean new, burdensome taxes and fees on farms; CAA regulation will be a futile attempt to address a global problem through controls on American farms; and CAA regulation will destroy farming jobs and force many farms out of business.

The following are excerpts from comments submitted by farm groups: