Smacking the hack attack

[Richard D]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P70SlEqX7oY

Great video from Greenman. Wouldn't post properly in the video section.

[Howzit]

1. Some wiseguy attempted to explain why the tree ring data and instruments stopped agreeing after 1960

From a comment posted at this video:

"The reason the tree ring data does not show the temperature rise seen in the instrument data is that trees grow in the forest away from the cities where the instrument data was captured. If the trees were reliable temperature indicators before 1960, then why would they cease being reliable after that?

The reason the trees and instruments used to agree is that the instruments were placed out in the country many decades ago but were not moved when sprawling cities overtook those locations.

Cities are hotter than the surrounding country side because of local energy dissipation from human activity, and heat retained by asphalt roads and concrete buildings. If you want to measure temperatures that are representative of the bulk of the earths land mass and atmosphere then you need to place your sensors away from cities."


The video narrator said that no one could explain the sudden disparity between tree ring and instrument data, so, is this a totally specious argument?

[Howzit]

2. How much intellectual honesty is there in this discussion measured by these standards?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7170545&mesg_id=7170545