As for global warming/not-warming, I aim to read Crichton's book pretty soon. I heard him being interviewed and will trust his take on it.
On Everest's height, there's clearly some sort of measurement problem. No way on earth does tectonics account for a 30 foot (10 meter) difference in some of the measurements.
Placing devices on the summit will clearly affect readings, and that's what they did in 1999 (there's an expedition DVD out there, I watched it just a few weeks ago). Newer studies have placed the GPS just below the summit on the windscoured Bishop's Ledge. How far below the summit is that? They don't precisely know, because the summit is always covered with snowpack.
So I think one major problem with accuracy is that they don't exactly know where the "true summit" actually is. Measuring snowpack is not going to produce precise year-to-year accuracy.
Good post, yeah there is no way tectonics will result in a 30 foot difference in so short of a timespan, tectonics happen so slowly. Perhaps a 6-8 foot increase in 30 or 40 years, but even that number is pushing it.
I should check that DVD out, would really like to see that. Have you seen the IMAX film Baraka?... it's now on DVD, some just incredible camera work in there, some Tibetan shots too.
Just finished "State of Fear" excellent read. Although it is fiction, any references to global warming et al, he actually backs up with scientific research.