Washington Post blogger: "this year is proving to be considerably cooler at the global level"

2011 on track to be slightly cooler than recent years, but global warming continues - Capital Weather Gang - The Washington Post

After last year, which tied 2005 as the warmest year since reliable instrument records began in 1880, this year is proving to be considerably cooler at the global level. In fact, 2011 may rank at the bottom, or just outside of, the top ten list of the warmest years on record, potentially leading to questions of whether global warming is abating.

Let me head off such questions right here by saying that long-term global warming continues. The fact that this year is currently running cooler than last year does not in any way invalidate the fact that the world is warming, and that this warming is very likely due mostly to manmade greenhouse gas emissions.
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Instead of being remembered as the warmest year on record, this year is likely to be viewed as one of the most extreme years - or as one climate researcher recently called it, “the year of living dangerously.” The United States, for example, has experienced a record number of billion dollar disasters, from Hurricane Irene to deadly Southern tornadoes to the ongoing Texas drought and wildfires. Some of these events may be linked in part to global warming, which raises the risk of some types of extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall and heat waves.