According to British scientists, 2008 will probably be the coolest year this decade. Now, this has been a very warm decade, so that's not saying much. But still, each of the last three years, and four of the last five, have been cooler than their predecessors. Does this mean that Global Warming (tm) has reversed? Leveled off? At least slowed down a bit?
"Absolutely not," says the man whose job depends on finding evidence of continued warming. Interesting how that works out...
The trend seems to be rising average temperatures, despite any temps a bit lower than recent record highs.
That's not what the data shows. On the chart, the trend is indicated by the thick black line. It peaked a few years ago and is now going down. While the Earth is still warmer than the recorded average, the trend is no longer rising; the globe is no longer warming. Whether this is a temporary blip or the start of a prolonged downturn remains to be seen. Whether the average temperature during recorded history (as opposed to some other time in Earth's past) is a useful or meaningful benchmark is subject for debate.
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