Roger Pielke (right) claims NCDC removed weather station data to dodge public scrutiny. (Source: University of Colorado)
Posted on 08/11/2007 1:27:55 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Roger Pielke (right) claims NCDC removed weather station data to dodge public scrutiny. (Source: University of Colorado)
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The theory of global warming began to explain one simple set of factsm-- surface temperature monitoring stations have shown a roughly one degree rise over the past century. But just where does these temperature readings come from? Most are reported by volunteer stations, usually no more than a thermometer inside a small wooden hut or below a roof overhang. In the US, 1,221 such stations exist, all administered by the National Climatic Data Center, a branch of the NOAA.
Two months ago, I reported on an effort to validate this network. A volunteer group headed by meteorologist Anthony Watts had found serious problems. Not only did sites fail to meet the NCDC's requirements, but encroaching development had put many in ridiculously unsuitable locations -- on hot black asphalt, next to trash burn barrels, beside heat exhaust vents, even attached to hot chimneys and above outdoor grills.
Soon thereafter, a Seattle radio station interviewed the head of the NCDC, Dr. Thomas Peterson, informed him of the effort and quizzed him about the problems. Three days later, the NCDC removed all website access to station site locations, citing "privacy concerns." Without this data (which had been public for years), the validation effort was blocked. No more stations could be located.
Scientists were quick to respond. Climatologist Roger Pielke from the University of Colorado called the act a "coverup" and said it was designed to prevent public scrutiny. More shockingly, he revealed that researchers had been for years pressuring the government to validate the network themselves, and that the NCDC had begun to do j so, but cancelled the project and refused to make the data public, presumably to avoid this sort of scandal. Joined by Watts and others, Pielke called upon the government to recant.
The resulting furor forced the NCDC to again made site locations public. But so far, they've failed to address to root of the problem, which is the wholly unsatisfactory locations of many of their recording sites, loations which make the resulting data unreliable, and compromise a dataset upon which much of US energy and environmental policy is based.
Or they locate the measurement equipment housing on the grass in the corner of where two large black asphalt tarmac ramp areas come together, so when the wind is from the west through the south the reading is not compromised, but when it is from any other direction (and especially from the NE through the SE), the wind passes over hundreds of yards of tarmac before it hits the gages.
This was the case at the Columbia, Missouri Regional Airport (COU) until just a few years ago when the station was moved a few hundred yards to the south. So, for about 20 years we had really bad readings or not so bad readings from this station depending on the wind.
A concerted effort must now be made to peer-review the location history of each station and to only use data from stations that are determined to be accurate. All other data must be disregarded.
Let's not dump a smelly red herring into this discussion. This type of arrogance should arouse outrage from ordinary Amrericans of all political bents.
I would love to follow up on this. Specifically:
What were the "privacy" concerns cited?
Who made the decision to remove the data from public access?
Who's in charge there? Who does He/She work for?
I have heard of these absurd "weather" stations for years (as I recall, one was never even installed, but the "volunteer" simply guessed the data and forwarded it, which was then massaged to ten decimal places.)
In short, Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
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"First of all, someone keeps dropping houses on us. But that won't matter-- My flying monkeys will storm the Emerald City and then we'll rule Oz!" |
I wrote ‘libertarian’, not ‘Libertarian.” I believe fed govt should defend the country and otherwise leave us alone. If that defense is proactive, so be it. As for the horror of letting people get high, if that’s the only reason you can think of that justifies concentrating power into a national government, you have to wonder how the Republic survived until 1930.
The scary truth behind all Leftist endeavors is that they are so amateur. Only the corrupted media and educational establishments give them any life at all (that along with rampant vote fraud).
LOL
Jeeez, it's worse than we thought!
I've always thought it interesting hoe the GW crowd got away with ignoring THE SUN! in all of their hyperventilated expose's.
Jeeez, it's worse than we thought!
But, it's not critical till Uranus starts to burn...
At least that will get rid of those pesky Klingons.
Thanks....
As usually happens with the secondary moonbats who quote primary sources forever, they will never correct the erroneous data, and it will live forever for the ignorant and the militant, just as the "second-hand smoke" debate demonstrated.
No, Dorothy, 1998 was not the hottest year of record.
Instrumental temperature record
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Wikipedia now has a problem....
It would appear that way...
What's new?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
That’s not likely to happen. Congress is too busy listening to the expert testimony of actors such as Rob Lowe who have seen algore’s movie and consequently are now authorities on the subject of global warming. See Reuter’s photo & blurb on webpage with Debra Saunder’s column today: http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/DebraJSaunders/2007/08/11/paralyzing_fog_of_uncertainty_on_climate
Read my experience at a RP event on another thread. I like RP, he grew up near me. but his stand on Iraq and the WOT turn me off. So too the liberetarian stand on drugs.
prisoner6
I’m beginning to think “scientists” are morons.
Hopefully it's because people realize the political philidophy Libert. hold is totally irresponsible.
The funny thing is the media complains that the global warming skeptics get too much publicity. Let’s forget that 99.99% of articles in the MSM are rabidly pro-global warming and never admit there is any doubt in the theory. These lying SOB’s have no shame on the lies they tell. These lying SOB’s really piss me off.
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