[LINK] O/t Global Temperature Change

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Hi all, (here this is again, with the all of the text in ASCII) 

If you're anything like me, you look for the absolute best research you
can find, and tend to be guided by it. For me, this article is probably
the best (most authoratitive, clearest, widely cited, etc) i have found
on climate change. I'd be pleased to know of other such you may suggest. 
 
 'Global Temperature Change'
 
 By: James Hansen, Makiko Sato, Reto Ruedy, Ken Lo, David W. Lea, and
     Martin Medina-Elizade (2006)
 
 - Author Affiliations
 
 NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 
 Columbia University Earth Institute, and 
 Department of Earth Science, University of California
 
 Abstract:
 
 "Global surface temperature has increased ~0.2°C per decade in the past
 30 years, similar to the warming rate predicted in the 1980s in initial
 global climate model simulations with transient greenhouse gas changes. 
 
 Warming is larger in the Western Equatorial Pacific than in the Eastern 
 Equatorial Pacific over the past century, and we suggest that the 
 increased West–East temperature gradient may have increased the 
 likelihood of strong El Niños, such as those of 1983 and 1998. 

 Comparison of measured sea surface temperatures in the Western Pacific
 with paleoclimate data suggests that this critical ocean region, and
 probably the planet as a whole, is approximately as warm now as at the
 Holocene maximum, and within ~1°C of the maximum temperature of the past
 million years. 

 We conclude that global warming of more than ~1°C, relative to 2000,
 will constitute “dangerous” climate change as judged from likely effects
 on sea level and extermination of species."
 
 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA:
 <http://www.pnas.org/content/103/39/14288.short?rss=1&ssource=mfc>
--

Cheers,
Stephen