McIntyre Unearths Fresh Climate Graph Outrage
McIntyre Unearths Fresh Climate Graph Outrage

Steve McIntyre, who with Ross McKitrick has been the author of the long-running hockey stick controversy, has replotted all of the climate reconstructions recently reported in New Scientist magazine and has discovered - well, he seems to have discovered a whole equipment bag full of hockey sticks (see illustration).
Under McIntrye's careful analysis, some of the climate reconstructions don't extend back fully to 1,000 years and some peter out more recently for lack data. And all have been recalibrated to spend a bit more time above zero. But taken individually or together, they all seem to suggest exactly what the much-debated Mann hockey stick suggested, lo those many Congressional hearings ago: that we are currently enjoying (or enduring) the hottest period on earth in the last 1,000 years.
Thanks, Steve, for clearing that up.
- Richard Littlemore's blog
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Comments
As always thanks for the
As always thanks for the good work Richard. Earlier today I had a blogger confront me with the information from this piece by Steve McIntyre: http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=1456 (the rest of this post is an altered version of my response there)
Steve was showing how incompetent the NOAA is because they often don't post the minimums for Dulan weather station is China. Now you would assume that if the NOAA is not posting the data it is because it is not being reported.
But Steve found that the maximums, minimums and the temperature 8 times a day is reported by weather underground. That sure does make the NOAA look incompetent.
But wait a second, in researching at the weather underground I turned up that the site most likely isn't always reporting the weather for Dulan, it is predicting the weather. It says: They take information put out from the AVN model of the “U.S. National Weather Service's National Center for Environmental Prediction” and “comes up with” forecasts for 6000 international cities.
Then it says and I quote: “The forecasts do reasonably well for a large number of locations, but do poorly in some locations, particularly mountainous areas. We are developing new software enable us to improve these forecasts in the near future.” (Dulan, by the way is in Qinghai which is within the Tangula and Kunlun mountain ranges and on the border of Tibet.
Isn’t it isolated mountainous regions exactly where weather underground said that their predictions were poorest? Sure was. That can be found here: http://wiki.wunderground.com/index.php/FAQ_-_Sources I can't guarentee that Mr. McIntyre is wrong, but to me it sure seems that way.
Richard, I believe you are
Richard, I believe you are misinterpreting the graphs when you state "we are currently enjoying (or enduring) the hottest period on earth in the last 1,000 years."
That is specifically what the NAS hearings last year debunked. The level of certainty in the temperature data drops dramatically after going back 400 years.
The second point is that most of the temperature reconstructions use the same proxy data for the distant past, meaning that if the level of confidence in this data is not high, the high number of graphs showing similar trends does not constitute a strengthening of the claim that this is "the hottest period on earth in the last 1,000 years", as most of the reconstructions rely on the same proxy data.
Regards,
"That is specifically what
"That is specifically what the NAS hearings last year debunked."
Complete and utter BS, Paul! The NAS hearings said MBH's graph showing current temperatures being the warmest for over 1000 years as plausible at best. THEY NEVER DEBUNKED THE HOCKEY STICK!!! Get that through your thick skull!
From the NAS report:
"This report concludes that large-scale surface temperature reconstructions are important tools in our understanding of global climate change that allows us to say, with a high level of confidence, that global mean surface temperature was higher during the last few decades of the 20th century than during any comparable period during the preceding four centuries. Less confidence can be placed in large-scale surface temperature reconstructions for the period from A.D. 900 to 1600, although available proxy evidence indicates that temperatures at many, but not all, individual locations were higher during the past 25 years than during any period of comparable length since A.D. 900."
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11676.html
As I stated, the NAS did
As I stated, the NAS did "debunk" the unfounded claims made by many about Mann's temperature reconstruction.
What was debunked Stephen, was scientists running around stating that "the last 1000 years are the warmest on record" without adding the caveat, that this is, at best, "plausible" and that "less confidence" must, at present, be attached to their claim.
Regards,
PS. Better thick skulled then thin-skinned. ;)
Paul, there's no point
Paul, there's no point paying any attention to you if you cannot read what the NAS concluded.
No point
That's not what I meant.
That's not what I meant. Paul is paying no attention to what the NAS (let alone the IPCC) has concluded. His ideological idiocy prevents him from actually comprehending what was actually written. You also seem to be suffering from the effects of ideological blinders.
No, not 'at best plausible'
Based on the analyses presented in the original papers by Mann et al. and this newer supporting evidence, the committee finds it plausible that the Northern Hemisphere was warmer during the last few decades of the 20th century than during any comparable period over the preceding millennium.
And the part Steve M keeps forgetting to mention is this part:
Surface temperature reconstructions for periods prior to the industrial era are only one of multiple lines of evidence supporting the conclusion that climatic warming is occurring in response to human activities, and they are not the primary evidence.
The reconstruction produced by Dr. Mann and his colleagues was just one step in a long process of research, and it is not (as sometimes presented) a clinching argument for anthropogenic global warming, but rather one of many independent lines of research on global climate change.
Be sure to send that to Steve for us will ya? Thanks.
Geoff quotes: =="Surface
Geoff quotes:
=="Surface temperature reconstructions for periods prior to the industrial era are only one of multiple lines of evidence supporting the conclusion that climatic warming is occurring in response to human activities."==
That's old news Geoff and irrelevant to this thread.
What is not verified beyond being "plausible" is that it is warmer now then at any time in the last 1000 years.
That it is warmer now then at any time in the last 400 years is "probable".
Meaning, the 1000 year claim is not fully supported by the science at present.
Regards,
And just what is 'fully'
And just what is 'fully' supported? Would that be 80% support or 90%?
If you can quibble over word choices Paul, than so can I.
Gavin at Real Climate had made it perfectly clear in comments
"According to the statements in the press conference, they chose 'plausible' becuase they didn't want to quantify likelihood a la IPCC, but I would read it as equivalent to 'likely', which is of course what MBH said all along"
There you go.
In science, particularly,
In science, particularly, words have distinct meaning.
That RealClimate would choose their own most flattering interpretation of the word is not surprising. And you also are simply attempting to spin the word "plausible" into meaning "likely".
Probable equals likely.
Plausible does not.
Regard,
It depends on how those
You are quoting a report that refused to define what it's terms mean and it has been justly critised for that.
You don't have to take RC's word for it. The press panel itself gave 2:1 odds that the statement is true. That translates to roughly what the IPCC was saying.
Hardly a striking endorsement of M&M were trying to do. There will be more studies and the confidence will increase. It's been happening for the last ten years.
It's all moot anyway as the IPCC (and M&M's OWN graph) have pretty much shown REPLICABILITY works rather well.
"M&M" don't have their "OWN
Yeah Yeah Mike I got it.
No no Geoff, I don't think you get it
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As I stated, the NAS did
As I stated, the NAS did "debunk" the unfounded claims made by many about Mann's temperature reconstruction.
That's blatantly false. What you stated was that NAS debunked this claim: "we are currently enjoying (or enduring) the hottest period on earth in the last 1,000 years."
But NAS did not, in fact, debunk that claim.
invented
ha ha
wedge
congressional hearing
forget proxy data
This wouldn't be the same
Many other examples of their ignorance of science
McIntyre, McKitrick and let's throw in Michaels are the three "statisticeers". Their abuse and ignorance of basic science, maths and statistics would be laughable if it wasn't for the fact that many equally ignorant people cast them up on a pedistal of everything that they claim is wrong with climate science.
Other examples of their stupidity include the insertion of "zero" into cells which had no data when using simple spreadsheet calculations. They also do not understand the difference between degrees "Celsius" and degrees "Kelvin".
Their attempts at "auditing" scientific papers are the biggest joke in the AGW deniers arsenal of dodgy data.
Anyone who visits "climate fraudit" on a regular basis should have frequent brain scans since reading that drivel has been shown to cause neuronal damage (just check with the authors above).
Ian Forrester
Hi Ian
Could you send me an email at desmogblog@gmail.com? I need to ask you something.
Thanks,
Kevin
Yes Ian, I suppose you would
Yes Ian, I suppose you would prefer that science papers aren't audited at all. Unfortunately for you, the NAS agreed with many (though not all) of McIntyre's criticisms.
Climate science needs stronger, more independent auditing. That it took a gadfly like McIntyre to highlight this reflects poorly on the climate science community.
Regards,
Science papers are audited
Paul G said: "Yes Ian, I suppose you would prefer that science papers aren't audited at all".
Once again you are showing your ignorance of how science works. The vast majority of papers published in the scientific literature are "audited". Peer review is better than M&M's "audit" since most reviewers at least know what they are talking about.
And please stop talking about papers and reports that you have not read or do not understand. It gets very boring when people have to keep pointing out to you that you are completely wrong once again. Is it a deficiency in your English comprehension skills, a total ignorance of science or just bloody mindedness that makes you utter such nonsense?
Ian Forrester
Oh I've read many of the
Oh I've read many of the papers Ian. And far too many scientists are making claims that their research does not support. If scientists want to play politician, we will give them a very rough ride.
Obviously, Mann's Hockey Stick was not properly audited, or it's flaws and weaknesses would have been discovered well before the NAS hearings. The "warmest in a thousand years" claim can no longer be stated as "fact", merely as the much weaker "plausible".
Regards,
lump another "M" name in there
(Sorry for punctuation and
didn't know what degrees Kelvin are?
Michael Jankowsk said: "Actually, "degrees Kelvin" is antiquated terminology. Starting with the 13th General Conference on Weights and Measures in 1967-68, the term is simply "kelvin" or "kelvins."
George, I bet you have not read many science papers recently. "Degrees kelvin" is still the most used form of the terminology, no matter what the 13th General Conference on Weight and Measures has to say.
Did you have to Google "degrees kelvin" to find out what they were? How else would you ever bring up that nonsense about the term being antiquated? When discussing things with scientists it is best to use the terms they use and not appear to be an a**hole by being supercilious. Of course those spending too much time at Climate Fraudit are well known for behaving like a**holes.
Ian Forrester
caveman scientists?
I don't care for you at all
Michael Jankowski said: "My name isn't "George," not that you care."
First thing you have said that is true. I don't care for people like you. Lies, dishonesty and distortions by people like you are anathema to me.
Ian Forrester
Ian, You're the one
I didn't make a mistake
Many scientists still use the term "degrees Kelvin". You are using the same tactics as your friends at Climate Fraudit. Rather than do some original research and prove someone wrong you just go through their work to find any minute or controversial thing in it and shout out in your high pitched voice "LOOK THEY ARE WRONG". That is not science, that is childish in the extreme. If you people believe that you are right then do the real science and prove it. Otherwise you will be treated with the disrespect that you deserve.
Ian Forrester
you said I lied - yet another mistake to your tally
Glad you can laugh at what you say
Anyone who tries to laugh off the problems being encounterd all over the globe by AGW deserves all the disrespect that can be thrown their way. You people are so arrogant, greedy and narcissist.
By the way I never said you were a liar. You people always seem to have as many problems with the English language as you do with science.
By the way "you people" refers to all of you who disregard scientific facts and cause confusion among the general population as to the truth about AGW. I have yet to see one of you put forward a genuine piece of research that in anyway conflicts with the scientific consensus.
Ian Forrester
give me a break
Go to a remedial reading and comprehension class
Your reading and comprehension skills are as poor as your science skills.
Get a life.
Ian Forrester
now you're just embarrassing yourself
Thanks for the comments
You have just proved for everyone to see that you have nothing to offer in your discussions.
Ian Forrester
got to hand it to you, Kelvin
There are many "antiquated " terms in general use
You are completely wrong when you say that "degrees" Kelvin is banned from use. It is only used if the forum requires the strict use of SI units. I haven't read all the fine print on the Desmog Blog but I have yet to see any comment requiring all posters to only use SI units. I will agree with you that some journals will only accept SI units but it is still in general use by both scientists and non-scientists.
By the way, I could tell from your first posts that you were not a scientist. I'd put you down as an engineer.
I still use the term "hundredweight" when thinking about coal delivery and "stones" when looking at a bag of potatoes. I guess that makes me really "antiquated".
Ian Forrester
Ian, I never said it was
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You're confusing Steve
they come in duos
Easy to do.
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