"The U.S. has warmed during the past century, but the warming hardly exceeds year-to-year variability. Indeed, in the U.S. the warmest decade was the 1930s and the warmest year was 1934." (written in 1999 by James Hansen, NASA GISS)
Excerpt: "The U.S. annual (January-December) mean temperature is slightly warmer in 1934 than in 1998 in the GISS analysis (Plate 6). This contrasts with the USHCN data, which has 1998 as the warmest year in the century. In both cases the difference between 1934 and 1998 mean temperatures is a few hundredths of a degree. ... The main reason that 1998 is relatively cooler in the GISS analysis [compared to USHCN] is its larger adjustment for urban warming. In comparing temperatures of years separated by 60 or 70 years the uncertainties in various adjustments (urban warming, station history adjustments, etc.) lead to an uncertainty of at least 0.1°C. Thus it is not possible to declare a record U.S. temperature with confidence until a result is obtained that exceeds the temperature of 1934 by more than 0.1°C."
Ms. Amanda Carpenter writes:
"Under NASA's revised figures, the years 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004 are further down the list of 'warmest years' than 1900. [For the United States, Amanda.] According to renowned climatologist Al Gore, it should be the other way around. He and his pals had insisted 9 on the top 10 were from the last 12 years [And they still are, Amanda, because this statement is about GLOBAL temperatures, not the United States temperatures.] -- especially given the massive CO2 emissions during this period from the fleet of jets and gas hogs Gore uses to preach about the evils of jets and gas hogs. In light of the new numbers, Gore's new warning: Sign Kyoto, or the coming years will be hotter than 1934!"
Quoting myself from yesterday in another thread:
"It appears to me that there is still a LOT (I mean a LOT, I mean a TREMENDOUS AMOUNT, I mean a MAJOR, SIGNIFICANT, LARGE, STUPENDOUS, ASTONOMAZING, STUPEFYING, I-WOULDN'T-BELIEVE-PEOPLE-COULD-BE-SO-DUMB-UNLESS-I-WITNESSED-IT-MYSELF) of confusion between the difference of the word "GLOBAL", and the terms "United States" or "U.S."
and Ms. Carpenter is yet another example.
From the data you cite it appears that the good Doctor Hansen’s data and policy prescriptions don’t coincide. And now that NASA has “corrected” it’s numbers the two don’t coincide a great deal more.
I would not want to besmirch the purity of heart of this sterling member of the scientific community, but I do wonder (in the deepest recesses of my heart) if his policy prescriptions have anything to do with financial issues or desire for approval ... or both.
Just wondering.