Carbon Brief weekly update 17 January 2013
Heat
This week scientists from NASA released analysis showing that 2012 was the ninth warmest year since 1880. Nine of the ten warmest years have occurred since 2000.
“Scientists emphasize that weather patterns always will cause fluctuations in average temperature from year to year, but the continued increase in greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere assures a long-term rise in global temperatures,” the press release stated.
A new study found that monthly temperature extremes have become more frequent across the world. In Australia, scientists warned against directly attributing the current heat wave to climate change, but said it’s clear a warming world increases the likelihood and intensity of heatwaves.
Last year was the hottest on record for the USA, and this week saw the release of a report assessing the impact of climate change on the country. The 1,000 page draft National Climate Assessment starts fairly bluntly:
“Climate change is already affecting the American people… Evidence for climate change abounds, from the top of the atmosphere to the depths of the oceans… The sum total of this evidence tells an unambiguous story: the planet is warming.”
Public disinterest? Media complacency?
Reflecting on climate change and the lack of attention paid to it, the Observer lamented that climate skepticism is either becoming “entrenched” in the UK, “or that our media have become complacent about the issue, or both”.
On our blog, analysis by polling expert Leo Barasi concluded there is little evidence climate skepticism is on the rise. Other polling shows continued support for climate and energy targets Europe-wide – so perhaps the Observer’s assessment was a bit off.
This week did provide further evidence of media complacency in reporting climate, however. Following the release of the Met Office’s latest temperature forecast – in which it downgraded its prediction for temperature rise over the next five years – several newspapers continued to claim that ” global warming stopped 16 years ago” – or variations on that theme.
This prompted responses from a broad and slightly unexpected selection of people – including the Met Office itself, BBC Feedback, Shell’s climate change adviser and the blog ConservativeHome – all lining up to point out that global warming, unfortunately, is still happening. We did a round up.
Also on Carbon Brief
Soot fingered as climate threat
A study has found that black carbon (soot), is damaging the climate more than researchers had realised. Cutting black carbon emissions could have more of an effect than previously thought – potentially good news for limiting climate change.
Five problems with the Express’s latest foray into climate science
The Express featured an article this week about why global warming “is nothing more than an expensive con“. We pick out five scientific problems with the article.
Will offshore wind cost consumers £17 billion?
Reports in the Telegraph claim the infrastructure for offshore wind will cost consumers £17 billion, adding £35 per year for to household energy bills. We look at the figures.
Investment drops after challenging year for low carbon technology
Investment in low carbon technologies fell 11 per cent in 2012, according to a new report by market analysts Bloomberg New Energy Finance, which also shows China has overtaken the US as the world’s largest contributor to renewable energy.
That Met Office media controversy in context
How did an adjustment to an experimental climate forecast end up being heralded as evidence the Met Office has admitted climate change isn’t happening?