Did the U.S. Hit Record High Temperatures?

Did the U.S. Hit Record High Temperatures?

Front page above the fold headlines  proclaimed that the United States had a record high average temperature in 2012. Several days later we find the rest of the story buried much deeper in the paper. Global average temperature was only the ninth highest on record. Among other things, the unusually high US average meant the rest of the world must have been pretty mild!

 

The United States averaged about 1 degree Fahrenheit above normal in 2012. The US has a large impact on global temperature averages as it has less than 2% of the earth’s surface but 25% of the weather stations (see map below). The average temperature outside the US equaled the 25^th coldest out of 34 years tracked with satellites by the University of Alabama, Huntsville. 

 

The rate of global temperature rise has fallen in the last dozen years. The trend for the entire 34-year record is an increase of about 2.3° F/century but for the last dozen years the rate of increase has been only 0.7° F/century. It is possible some negative feedback mechanism or natural cycle is at work. Some would have us rush into spending trillions of dollars altering our energy infrastructure and significantly increasing the cost of energy to reduce manmade greenhouse gas.   Serious questions remain to be answered before we follow that advice. In the meantime a more measured approach needs to be followed. Electric generation is undergoing a radical shift from coal to natural gas fired plants. Natural gas emits about half the greenhouse gas of coal and actually will reduce electric rates. That’s a win-win situation no matter what happens to future temperatures.                          

 

Download Document Here.   From: http://www.caesarrodney.org/index.cfm?ref=30200&ref2=358