University of Wisconsin researchers found in a GRL published paper “The time-dependent differences between the UW/NCDC and JTWC best track records underscores the potential for data inconsistencies to introduce spurious (or spuriously large) upward trends in longer-term measures of hurricane activity. Using a homogeneous record, we were not able to corroborate the presence of upward trends in hurricane intensity over the past two decades in any basin other than the Atlantic. Since the Atlantic basin accounts for less than 15% of global hurricane activity, this result poses a challenge to hypotheses that directly relate globally increasing tropical SST to increases in long-term mean global hurricane intensity.”

Fairbanks, Alaska - Syun-Ichi Akasofu’s greatest successes in a career of studying the aurora came when he questioned the conventional ideas about the phenomenon.

Steve McIntyre’s Climate Audit March 19th blog on Up-to-Date White Spruce Ring Widths is an excellent read and has some very insightful comments. One comment from Doug Hoyt, I thought was worth bringing to your attention. He starts with a review of a relevant paper in the 2006 Journal of Climate by CO2science.com. 

Record high and low temperature records are of particular interest due to the major impacts they have on society and the environment. Bruce Hall has completed an analysis of record temperatures on his website Hall of Record that is a very valuable resource for this climate metric.

Al Gore’s feature documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth,” has given the global warming issue considerable public exposure since its premiere 15 months ago. Global warming’s image as a “cause celeb” may have been secured when Gore accepted an Academy Award for his film last month before an adulatory crowd. Have Gore’s and Hollywood’s association with global warming done anything for the cause?