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« Is commenting fixed? | Main | Stringer on climate and MMR »
Tuesday
Mar152011

Skinny hockey

Another review of the Hockey Stick Illusion, this time in The Skinny. I thought this was interesting in that it is treads a middle ground between all-out praise and all-out condemnation. It ends on a good note though...

Montford's account of the development of different scientific arguments on both sides of a very complicated argument is extremely well handled, and as such it’s hugely impressive.

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Reader Comments (17)

Well if the assumption that you need to use your brain occasionally when reading something, I suppose you could call that part of the review negative. However, to some that actually might be a positive thing...

To me that review was essentially on the positive side... just indicating that you need to think to enjoy (does not mean agree with) the book. He gave no indication of his changing his views, but not everyone has a Damascus moment...

Mar 15, 2011 at 7:42 AM | Unregistered CommenterJiminy Cricket

I agree with Jiminy, this is a very favourable review. Well done.

Mar 15, 2011 at 8:06 AM | Unregistered CommenterJosh

Yes, I agree with Josh and Jiminy - perticularly considering the readership of the website. Bravo.

Mar 15, 2011 at 8:11 AM | Unregistered CommenterPFM

where's the hockey stick heading?

14 March: Pielke Climate Science: February 2011 University Of Alabama Lower Tropospheric Temperature Summary
Courtesy of Phil Gentry, the February 2011 University Of Alabama Lower Tropospheric Temperature Summary is presented below.
Global Temperature Report: February 2011
Global climate trend since Nov. 16, 1978: +0.14 C per decade February temperatures (preliminary)
Global composite temp.: -0.02 C (about 0.04 degrees Fahrenheit) below 30-year average for February.
Northern Hemisphere: -0.04 C (about 0.07 degrees Fahrenheit) below 30-year average for February.
Southern Hemisphere: ±0.00 C (about 0.00 degrees Fahrenheit) above/below 30-year average for February.
Tropics: -0.35 C (about 0.63 degrees Fahrenheit) below 30-year average for February.
January temperatures (revised):
Global Composite: -0.01 C below 30-year average
Northern Hemisphere: -0.06 C below 30-year average
Southern Hemisphere: +0.04 C above 30-year average
Tropics: -0.35 C below 30-year average
(All temperature anomalies are based on a 30-year average (1981-2010) for the month reported.)
Notes on data released March 14, 2011: Color maps of local temperature anomalies may soon be available on-line at:
http://nsstc.uah.edu/climate/ ...
http://pielkeclimatesci.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/february-2011-university-of-alabama-lower-tropospheric-temperature-summary/

Mar 15, 2011 at 8:30 AM | Unregistered Commenterpat

Bish: The reviewer found use of the term "hockey stick" somewhat irritating. What else can you call it? Do you know who first used the term and when?

Mar 15, 2011 at 8:58 AM | Unregistered CommenterPhillip Bratby

Seems like an extremely fair review to me.

We mustn't forget that on this topic at least we are self-selected nerds (apart from those who - unlike me - are well-funded by Big Oil :-) ). and know the topic in detail. The reviewer correctly identifies this but with some fine words about the way the difficulties of such a story were handled. Good stuff.

Mar 15, 2011 at 9:33 AM | Unregistered CommenterLatimer Alder

Latimer

Funny that - after the book was published, I suddenly remembered that I hadn't actually mentioned who coined the term. It wasn't one of the familiar names, but I forget now. I'm sure if you Google it you will find it.

Mar 15, 2011 at 9:35 AM | Registered CommenterBishop Hill

A good review, apart from the opening sentence: "The Hockey Stick Illusion is a term used by climate change sceptics to describe the graph that shows global temperatures have risen higher in recent years than they have in world history, as a result of global warming."

The Hockey Stick Illusion..?

Mar 15, 2011 at 9:44 AM | Unregistered CommenterJames P

pat

It's important to recognise the huge influence of ENSO.

The only-just-now slowing La Nina is cooling the troposphere. Once the La Nina cooling ceases, temperatures will start to rise, at least to the 30-year mean, perhaps higher. The next El Nino will give us a hot year globally, and possibly a very hot one - like 2010.

You can see this by comparing 2011 with 2008 (La Nina conditions). The similarities are obvious:

http://discover.itsc.uah.edu/amsutemps/execute.csh?amsutemps

Mar 15, 2011 at 11:31 AM | Unregistered CommenterBBD

pat

The link doesn't reproduce the graph - sorry.

Please go to the AMSU UAH page here:

http://discover.itsc.uah.edu/amsutemps/

And select AQUA Ch 5 v2. Check the boxes for 2008, Record Lows, Record Highs, and Average. Click Redraw.

Mar 15, 2011 at 11:37 AM | Unregistered CommenterBBD

Unfortunately, the Skinny author begins by swallowing whole the Big Lie:

"The Hockey Stick Illusion is a term used by climate change sceptics to describe the graph that shows global temperatures have risen higher in recent years than they have in world history, as a result of global warming."

"World" history? Try "recorded." We know temps have been substantially higher in the past.

Mar 15, 2011 at 1:00 PM | Unregistered CommenterJack Maloney

Yer just a braggart, bishop bloody 'ill.

Mar 15, 2011 at 2:07 PM | Unregistered CommenterProf Jones's Mum

Yer just a braggart, bishop bloody 'ill.
Mar 15, 2011 at 2:07 PM | Unregistered CommenterProf Jones's Mum

Here we go! Another Monbiot payed man!

Mar 15, 2011 at 3:59 PM | Unregistered CommenterPete H

According to real climate: http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2004/11/hockey-stick/

"The term “Hockey Stick” was coined by the former head of NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Jerry Mahlman, to describe the pattern common to numerous proxy and model-based estimates of Northern Hemisphere mean temperature changes over the past millennium."

Mar 15, 2011 at 5:10 PM | Unregistered CommenterZT

it's good to see Prof Jones's mum back...he's a good boy really

Mar 15, 2011 at 5:36 PM | Unregistered Commenterdiogenes

ZT

Thanks! I freely admit that I never knew that ;-)

Mar 15, 2011 at 6:19 PM | Unregistered CommenterBBD

Have you seen Muller's lecture on Mann's hockey stick? Here is a link to youtube from WUWT:
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/03/15/newsbytes-gas-burning-bright-as-nuclear-renaissance-melts-down/#comment-621374

Mar 15, 2011 at 11:40 PM | Unregistered CommenterTheo Goodwin

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