The supposed ‘consensus’ on man-made global warming is facing an inconvenient challenge after the release of new temperature data showing the planet has not warmed for the past 15 years. The figures suggest that we could even be heading for a mini ice age to rival the 70-year temperature drop that saw frost fairs held on the Thames in the 17th Century. Based on readings from more than 30,000 measuring stations, the data was issued last week without fanfare by the Met Office and the University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit. It confirms that the rising trend in world temperatures ended in 1997. --David Rose, Mail on Sunday, 29 January 2012
World temperatures may end up a lot cooler than now for 50 years or more. It will take a long battle to convince some climate scientists that the sun is important. It may well be that the sun is going to demonstrate this on its own, without the need for their help. --Henrik Svensmark, Denmark’s National Space Institute. Mail on Sunday, 29 January 2012
Nature is about to carry out a very interesting experiment. Ten or 15 years from now, we will be able to determine much better whether the warming of the late 20th Century really was caused by man-made CO2, or by natural variability. -- Pal Brekke, Norwegian Space Centre, Mail on Sunday, 29 January 2012
If temperatures continue to stay flat or start to cool again, the divergence between the models and recorded data will eventually become so great that the whole scientific community will question the current theories. The real issue is whether the model itself is accurate. --Nicola Scafetta, Duke University, Mail on Sunday, 29 January 2012
We’re now well into the second decade of the pause. If we don’t see convincing evidence of global warming by 2015, it will start to become clear whether the models are bunk. And, if they are, the implications for some scientists could be very serious. –Benny Peiser, Mail on Sunday, 29 January 2012
How am I supposed to know if global warming is a worldwide crisis or not? I’m a journalist, not a scientist. All I know is what I read in the papers. And what I just read in the Wall Street Journal won’t make the global warming true believers too happy. The piece I read is an op-ed signed by 16 scientists with some pretty serious credentials, and runs under the headline, “No Ned to Panic About Global Warming.” Like I said, I’m no scientist, so what do I know? Glad you asked. I know that just about every mainstream journalist this side of Pluto believes global warming is real, mainly caused by man, and will destroy us if we don’t act. If so many journalists believe that … then I know it’s probably not true. --Bernard Goldberg, 27 January 2012
Growing inequality, environmental decline and "teetering" economies mean the world must change the way it does business, a UN report concludes. The report will feed into discussions leading to the Rio+20 summit in June. "We undertook this report during a period of global volatility and uncertainty," it says. "Economies are teetering. Inequality is growing. And global temperatures continue to rise (sic)." --Richard Black, BBC News, 30 January 2012
