‘A Big Cherry Picking Exercise’: Skeptics Weigh in on the Latest Global Warming Study
- Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:30pm by
Liz Klimas
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Over the weekend, TheBlaze reported NASA scientist James Hansen, a man who has been called the “godfather of global warming,” issuing a study that found temperature climb experienced over several decades was a solid result of climate change — nothing else. He was also advocating for government action to curb the effects of global warming.
Hansen and his study colleagues determined through statistical analysis of data — not climate modeling techniques — that the extreme temperatures experienced in recent years are so rare that the odds point favorably to it being a result of global warming, not natural trends.
This animation depicts Hansen’s review of surface temperature trends from 1955 through 1999:
Scientists have long held that the weather outside your window should not necessarily be attributed to global warming. But with more extreme conditions as of late, it is influencing the connection none the less.
(Related: New Poll Claims Belief in Global Warming Is Rising…But That’s Not the Whole Story)
Others now coming out saying the data used in the analysis by Hansen is “cherry picking.” The New York Times reported NOAA researcher Martin Hoerling, who is in fact concerned about global warming and the environment, previously calling out Hansen for “exaggerating the connection between global warming and specific weather extremes.” He told the Times this is the case with the latest study.
“This isn’t a serious science paper,” Hoerling said. “It’s mainly about perception, as indicated by the paper’s title. Perception is not a science.”
Anthony Watts, who maintains the skeptic blog “Watts Up With That,” detailed what he believes were many issues with Hansen’s animation and study that make it “a big Cherry Picking exercise.” Here are just a few of his criticisms:
1. Note all of the missing southern hemisphere data. There are operating weather stations during his time, but they are excluded from the analysis. Why?
2. The period chosen, 1955-1999 (in the bell curve animation) leaves out the warmer 1930′s and the cooler 2000′s. Why?
3. The period from 2000-present has no statistically significant warming. Leaving that period out (of the bell curve animation) biases the presentation.
Check out Watt’s full post for more of his thoughts on the research here.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Comments (106)
Listen_then_think
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:10amGlobal warming is a proven crock again. How many times are the stupid liberal left going to play the same failing hand over and over? They are idiots.
Report Post »pdw
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:48amNo! they are just greedy thieves.
Report Post »FormerLib
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 1:18amThere are three questions concerning “global warming”, all separate issues, and we would do well to not conflate the three. They are:
1) Is there global warming?
2) Is man contributing to it or causing it?
3) Can man stop it?
The answer to question is in probably. As it always has, the earth is either warming or cooling. There is no “normal”climate. North America has been under ice approximately 30 times to one degree or another. It has warmed again,melted the ice,and in fact been much warmer than it is now. We know from fossils that tropical plants grew in Alaska and from archaeology that Vikings grew wine grapes in Greenalnd.
#2, are we contributing to it? Perhaps, perhaps not. Is CO2 from a billion SUVs any more harmful than one volcanic eruption? And why is CO2 and any resultant warming always assumed to be harmful? In the Eocene age, CO2 levels were 300 times higher than today, and life exploded on the planet. Greenhouses are used to grow plants. Why are they good but a warmer planet is not?
#3, probably not. But even if we could, how do we know we are not interfering with adaptation and evolution by doing so? The destruction of the dinosaurs led to the rise of mammals. Perhaps another mass extinction is necessary for the next wave of species.
Report Post »ccprotect
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 2:19amGlobal warming is real! look at my scientific information I have gathered from my digital weather station in my back yard.
Report Post »December 2011 daily low temperature of 22.375F deg to July 2012 daily high temperature of 83.568F deg.
that is a 61.193F degrees up swing proof that there is a warming trend. now to prove that it could be manmade I took a blow touch to my temperature sensor and the temperature went off the charts proof that man can affect the temperature. so, it is settled and you can’t dispute my facts…. Now where did I put all those carbon credits I bought.
Stoic one
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 4:30amI noticed that the 1930′s dust bowl years were NOT included.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 4:39amLet’s see if this cut & paste works here:
Gas Name Chemical Formula Percent Volume
Nitrogen N2 78.08%
Oxygen O2 20.95%
*Water H2O 0 to 4%
Argon Ar 0.93%
*Carbon Dioxide CO2 0.0360%
Neon Ne 0.0018%
Helium He 0.0005%
*Methane CH4 0.00017%
Hydrogen H2 0.00005%
*Nitrous Oxide N2O 0.00003%
*Ozone O3 0.000004%
* variable gases
Report Post »HMn………I think WATER has more of an effect than co2
tiki886
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 5:16amJust because he is an atheist doesn’t mean he is without capacity to have faith. He is the high priest of the new religion of Global Warming.
Report Post »jens63
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 6:52amSo are we (mostly all) agreed. Anytime someone mentions global warming to me as a negative I ask why is Greenland called Greenland? We can spout off all we want here, but to accomplish something we have to keep after our elected officials and spout off to them. They will backslide and take the easy way if we don’t keep after them.
Report Post »lowerclassrepublican
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 9:35amTalk about water! What do all the greenys want us to do? Oh yea drive around in a million steam generators (Hydrogen cars) ,but only after we make the Hydrogen by burning a few billion lumps of coal.
Report Post »Thomas_Jefferson
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 11:48am@Listen_then_think
The sober liberals know global warming is a crock. They also know its a money maker, via carbon credits. Taxation without representation.
Report Post »FingerBlisters
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 2:02pmThe easiest and most cost effective way to make hydrogen is from natural gas. Of course the byproduct is CO2.
Report Post »BIGWUN
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 5:35pmAs long s they think they have a chance of stealing in the name of global lieing.
Report Post »kjbow3359
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 9:11pmIn about 3-5 years time it will be difficult to find anyone who will admit to believing in global warming.
Report Post »avgconservative
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:04amGlobal warming scientists are the used car salesmen of the scientific community. I once said, “I trust science. I just don’t trust scientists.”
That insulted a couple of scientist friends of mine who said, “I don’t believe in man-made global warming either. So why do you classify me with the sleezeballs of the global warming ilk?”
Good question.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:12amWell , if it’s true, then I blame the Chinese ………they have all of our manufacturing.
Report Post »styxman65
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:01amThese scientist are liberal in their thinking. When liberals think of something, they are so blind in their beliefs they they manufacture data to prove their point and they ignore real data when it contradicts them.“example” last week they said Greenland is losing all of it’s ice due to global warming, they ignored the fact that for that last 10,000 years records have shown this happens every 150 years or so……. This scientist said he has shown it is getting hotter, but evidence in tree rings suggest it was hotter over a 100 years ago. LIBERAL….. they hate guns, but ignore the fact that everywhere they got them banned, gun crime has risen.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 4:47amI believe that these scientists REALLY just follow the money. They swallow their pride do the science and then draw their conclusions based on how they will get more money. this would explain how such narrow and/or selective data sets are used. It is not due to a lack of computing power.
data set as a whole says “Nothing conclusive here”–this equals –> no money…..unemployed scientist
“Interpretation” of same “Yes there seems to be (or more specific)” this equals MONEY…scientist buys new house.
Report Post »historyguy48
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 10:46amStoic, are you saying that global warming scientists are like a whore? Pay them and they will do whatever you want?
Report Post »If thats they case, then perhaps we should pay them to do a snuff film. That way we won’t have to put up with their nonsense any more.
testandverify
Posted on August 9, 2012 at 5:07amYou are 100% correct! Only one other thing should be highlighted are the Liberal colleges and schools that they were educated in and now work in. Parents pay attention to where you send your childern; you could be turning them into a loser like James Hansen; who is quickly becoming completely discredited on the world stage!
Report Post »psadie
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:56pmThis is plain idiocy!
Report Post »Timetolearn
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:42pmIt is incomprehensible to me that any scientist (or any government for that matter) can actually believe that they can influence global temperature when we are but one of billions of planets (maybe trillions or far more) in the universe that moves on an eliptical path around our sun which is part of our larger solar system which also moves, sometimes closer and sometimes further from other galaxies.
Really? You can control that?
It is my firm belief that all they want to do is dupe us into making them richer given that most of them have already invested in money making schemes like all the carbon exchanges around that want to steal more money from those of us who have worked all our lives and give it to those who have never worked but will likely vote for them. I just don’t see the reason (rationale) in paying for carbon dioxide that all of us mamals exhale. A tax on breathing is not only ludicrous, it’s inhuman. And if it really were a reality, all humans should be taxed. It should not be a pretext for taking money from some to give to others at the discretion of who is in power. You never know who might next be in power.
Report Post »wvernon1981
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:00amYou seriously have no clue how ignorant you are on the subject.
Report Post »pdw
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:50amI am 76 and I know their attempt is a Crock.
Report Post »oicu814me2
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 1:17amBillion planets moving arouind out sun is a little high estimate. I think your off by about 999,999,992 but i could be wrong
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 4:54amYou appear to have a whole bunch of different “things” jumbled together. Sadly those on the progressive side will use YOU to damn the rest of the rational minded.
Try doing a LOT more research on the web… or elsewhere. it is time to learn…THE FACTS
Report Post »kcinco
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:26pmI‘d like to see this scientist’s home, how he travels, what kind of car he drives, etc. I would venture to guess he leaves a large “carbon footprint,” much like al gore.
Report Post »buttpatriot
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:25pmdon’t trust scientists. trust beck and limbaugh.
Report Post »wvernon1981
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:01amlike
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:04ami dont recollect either one of them commenting on this recent “ study”
its past your bedtime , go back to the basement
Report Post »indyjames
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:11pmMiserably hot in summer and debilitatingly cold in the winter. Always has been always will be.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 5:17amNO ..NOPE….ZIP…absolutely wrong.
Maybe….. just where YOU have lived, in YOUR lifetime.
Always….-> forever….. Data show ANY position on the planet at SOMETIME has been a temperature extreme for multiple years.
Report Post »Carlinpa
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:00pmA bias and incompetent climate study by a liberal? nooooooooo are you kidding? That’s a first , right? ..
Report Post »cookcountypatriot
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:42pmthe severly retarded keep pushing this crap even after if has been debunked…these people are insane….lol,,, they even think they can control the weather…
Report Post »pdw
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:53amSounds like Bill Gates is going to try even after he has been warned it could cause greater problems.
Report Post »oldduffer
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:40pmSnow in So. Africa today! It’s got to be due to Global Warming! Oh wait, they’re saying rare so that means it happened before. Darn. I have another one. Las Vegas today was a sweltering 108! Wait.
Report Post »August we go up to 113 and higher. I finally have a good one—-Follow the money to find the bull that’s doing all the methane and piles of manure. Hey Al you there?
Exrepublisheep
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:30pmFollow the money? You’ll find a ton of it, smelling of Koch, in the deniers pockets.
Report Post »polmom
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:16pmHmmm- first, Mueller, then R. Pielke(sp?) in Foreign Policy a couple of days ago, F. Krupp in WSJ today– all brimming with supposed rationality and new found “pragmatic” revelations about the economics of climate change mitigation. I smell a revamped strategy. They realize climate alarmism is a loser so now we have a kindler, gentler approach to global tax and control of energy. Same song, different tune.
Report Post »grickm
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:06pmHansen has been a political scientist for decades. He was for global cooling (in the 70′s) before he was for global warming.
Report Post »purecolorartist
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:03pmThis guy should be fired from NASA, he is an embarrassment. I’m sorry, but he doesn’t know what he is talking about. I am an artist and I think I know more than him about Global Warming er Climate Change er Climate Disruption er Climate Weirdness. This guy should be arrested for the mess he has created.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:02pmThe warmer cultists can read this to but will simply dismiss it because it doesn’t align with their religion.http://fathersforlife.org/articles/gunter/greenhousedebunked.htm
Report Post »Puddle Duck
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:12pmHeres another excellent article…read the comments section as well…
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/08/the_perspective_of_a_lifetime_on_atmospheric_modeling.html
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 5:51amPuddle Duck
The comments are FANTASTIC!
Report Post »vtxphantom
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:54pmHow much federally funded grant monies does Hansen get? All Grant money is given to prove global warming, not for independent, non biased study.
Report Post »Fatheroftwo
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:53pmSummer = HOT
Winter = COLD
Take to me again when; Winter = HOT
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:46pmI used to have scientists that believe in the fraud of man-made global warming on my radio show. I grew weary of their lies and pretense and no longer do I chat with them. I always asked them, “Do believe in God” and those who didn‘t get upset at me for asking ’such a personal question’ told me they did not. I was never surprised at their answer but I was glad to allow them to show their ignorance.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:52pmTron, what time to you do your interviews, Mountain time.?
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:01pmTRON TALK is on from 9a to 10a mtn. Still working on a new website/stream. But it’s 1040AM in the Springs and heard throughout southern CO, KS, and New Mexico. And to continue to shamlessly plug my show, upcoming guests will be John Sununu, Gov. Scott Walker, Ed Klein, Bernie Goldberg, and a bunch of other decent folks. Trying to get Obama but he never answers the phone!
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:09pmI have the radio app, I will be listening at 9am. That is usually a break between meetings anyway.
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:20pm@DARMOK
Let me know if you are able to tune in; you can email me at tronradio@yahoo.com
Report Post »Puddle Duck
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:22pmGood luck with the show Tron, keep swinging for the fence I say !!!
Report Post »wvernon1981
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:03amI’m not sure why anyone would listen to your show with such an arrogant overestimation of your own knowledge.
Report Post »RobbieTLHughie
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 10:03amThe answer is everyone on this site loves shows like this, people who are level-headed and look at the facts, weigh them out and are relaxed, calm and collected don’t have shows or for the most part even look at sites like this. His show will do quite well because of that.
Report Post »CapitalismWorks
Posted on August 9, 2012 at 7:28pmMy mother-in-law worked in a science lab, and refused to believe anything that couldn’t be proven in a laboratory. Including God. The day came when my wife and I stood together looking at her dead body, and through her tears I heard my wife quietly and sadly say to her deceased mother “well mom, do you believe now?”
Report Post »Wango
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:45pmConservatives and science. Just don’t quite connect.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:53pmYeah because libs don’t have an agenda,pure as the driven snow lol
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:05pmOh come on, there are a hell of a lot more conservative scientists than liberal ones. Most of the liberals out there are into art, lawyering, and prostitution. The few liberals “scientists” just can’t do science, so they work in universities, and the government pais them to produce results they ask for. I come across these guys all the time, using my hpc’s to do their calculations, and when they aren’t getting the results they want, first they blame the computers, then when shown they are working correctly, they throw out data, till the results they expected are produced. The conservative scientists work for companies doing real work, inventing new medicines, medical devices, types of radar, reactors, electronics, etc.
Report Post »MrButcher
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:05pm@wango
Neil de Grasse Tyson would beg to differ with your claim.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7Q8UvJ1wvk
Republicans and Conservatives LOVE science.
Report Post »FNGRNFAN
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:09pmThis is one of the guys that got caught in the emails trying to cover there tracks in a fraud. Just becaus he went and got a degree and a grant with a pretty moving picture does not make it science.
Report Post »thx1138v2
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:29amConservatives like results that are verifiable through testing, e.g. logical examination of phenomena.
Liberals like emotion (fear in the case of man made global warming). Who‘s to say what about someone else’s emotions. Emotions are variable from day to day so have no way to be verified. Kind of like global warming. There is nowhere to do a controlled study of what happens with the current human population and technologies but without the carbon dioxide..
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:43pmOh, no! Not the cherries too! Aaahhhhhh…
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:43pmI haven’t seen this many cherries picked since rush week at the annual 72 Virgins and a Suicide Bomber convention.
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:00pmI wonder what the appetizers would be at a suicide bombers convention. Inch-and-a-halfers? Ladyfingers? Where the 7734 would you find 72 virgins anywhere these days? So many questions…
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:06pmMainly you find them at ComicCon.
Report Post »stumpy68
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:35pmthe sheep pen
Report Post »oldduffer
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:41pmHave you seen some of these women? That’s why the Burquas and still virgins.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:42pmThe warmer cultists are an irrational lot and ‘the godfather’ is the king nut job looking to cash in.
For some sanity on this topic try this. http://climatedepot.com/ The ‘god father’ is thoroughly debunked. Man made global warming is a fraud designed to make a few trillionaires and the rest of us serfs.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:41pmDrought in North America. Floods in Europe & China. Does that sound like Global warning?
Report Post »Wango
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:45pmYeah, it does.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:46pmSounds like nature
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:40pmPROGRESSIVESLAYER, Yes it does sound like nature. Sort of reminds you of similar things that occurred in the bible.
Report Post »pdw
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 1:04amThe weather here on earth has always been changing and always will so get use to the process. Most of the global warming is from all the hot air coming out of politicians mouths and we just cannot get them to shut up. We are the guardians of our earth but not by donating money to thieves! Icebergs break off and cool the oceans then we get global cooling again. They are the earths thermostat.
Report Post »Twobyfour
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 5:14amWarning? Must be them Vogons, but I thought they simply did not issue any warnings, whatso-evah.
Report Post »thibx
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:38pmthey want money plain and simple and will lie, cheat whatever it takes.
Report Post »Puddle Duck
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:31pmAgenda 21 is the ultimate goal. The climate change hoax is just one of the means being used towards that end (Agenda 21 sustainable growth protocol). That protocol calls for a drastic reduction of the planets population by any means necessary (an all of the above approach).
Report Post »cloudedpoliticalviews
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:37pmMight want to ask Mr. Hansen if he is affiliated with Agenda 21 in some way…
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:48pmThere ya go! Fits doesn’t it?
Report Post »