Mike
I'm not even sure where to start with a commentary like this ...
Old data is not very valuable or even useful when new later data, comes along.
I suggest you are out on a limb with this one, backing the wrong horse shall we say.
Its of my opinion that for the purposes of local Climate, you should not be using old Data.
Its a common problem with scientists that they always tend to favour the data which supports their position and ignore contradictory data. Climate observations require information on 'trends' so old data is always necessary and it is absurd to ignore it because it doesn't suit you. Thats not science - thats politics.
And if being of a different opinion is 'being out on a limb', then so am I. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a different opinion. The very reason I got into this debate is because I got fed up with people trying to make me feel bad because I had a different opinion. Its unhealthy in a sceintific debate and its exceptionally unhealthy in a democracy.
Your points on the warm arctic this summer do however have merit, even if we ignore the blatant misinformation and alarmism from a newspaper that should know better (The Independent). It odes appear as though there has been unusual local warming in the Arctic this summer. I would like to know what causes this : my feeling is that it must be due to shifting ocean currents (Gulf stream moving northwards ?) - there is no way that amount of immediate warming and ice melting can occur any other way. Why would the currents shift ? Is it possibly cyclical ?
Any ideas ?
Regards
Imran
