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prominence and in full colour on each occasion. The centrality of | during the summer months, were a purely regional phenomenon. its importance to the case for alarm may be judged not only from Soon and Baliunas (2003) reviewed more than 200 proxy the frequency and prominence of its appearance in the UN's 2001 studies and concluded that the 20th century is probably not the report but also from the following conclusion, which appears in warmest or a uniquely extreme climatic period of the last the Summary for Policymakers: millennium. Their paper was heavily criticised by "consensus" "New analyses of proxy data for the Northern Hemisphere scientists on the ground that the data in several of the studies were indicate that the increase in temperature in the 20th century is not temperature data. Four of the editors of the journal that likely to have been the largest of any century during the past published the paper resigned in protest at the failure of the peer- 1,000 years. It is also likely that, in the Northern Hemisphere, the review process to prevent publication. Their reaction is in strong 1990s was the warmest decade and 1998 the warmest year (Figure contrast with that of the editors of Nature, none of whom resigned 1b). Because less data are available, less is known about annual once they knew that the "hockey stick" graph which they had averages prior to 1,000 years before present and for conditions published was defective, and of the UN, which failed to publish prevailing in most of the Southern Hemisphere prior to 1861." any correction after the six-times-repeated graph was confirmed The UN relied not only upon the flawed to have been defective, and, as noted above, Mann et al. reconstruction but also upon a continues to use the defective graph in its series of similar papers contributed to The US National publications. scientific journals, which seemed to support . To resolve the controversy, it is insufficient the abolition of the mediaeval warm period, Academy of Sciences merely to rely upon the fact that the UN's as a report by the House of Lords Economic A A raph was not fit for its purpose. It will be ‘Affairs Committee (Lords 2005) pointed out. has since issued a necessary to give an account of several of the However, an independent report by statement that the independent proxy temperature studies statisticians (US Senate 2005), perhaps the " + aL published in recent years. The award- most devastating scientific criticism yet hockey stick graph winning, contrarian website of the energetic levelled at the UN on climate change, is defective. Idso family of scientists, at concluded not only that the UN's 2001 http://www.co2science.org, provides clear fmpeatre secontetion bod wed | Significantly, however, | si summary of paral ot data but also that many of the supporting the UN has issued no Warm Period database is relevant here. scientific papers, both before and after To balance the considerable northern the 2001 report, had been written by a statement of apology hemisphere evidence for the mediaeval small and closely connected group of or correction. warm period, some of which has already palaeoclimatologists who effectively It continues to use the been discussed, here are a dozen studies “hockey stick" in its publications. dominated their field worldwide and from the southern hemisphere... [See were all intimately linked to the full report. Ed. principal author of the UN's 2001 graph. I conclude that today's temperatures It was not until prolonged pressure are not exceptional, and that the had been exerted upon the editors of mediaeval warm period was at least as Nature that a (less than complete) warm as the present and probably up to corrigendum was published (Mann et al. 3° C warmer. However, its timing and 2004). extent varied somewhat from place to Not only Nature but also other leading peer-reviewed scientific place, as is to be expected given the mathematically chaotic journals had refused to publish the first paper by McIntyre et al. nature of climate. oo (2003) exposing the flawed graph. Eventually, Geophysical Research Letters (McIntyre & McKitrick 2005) had the courage _—_ Editor's Note: to break ranks and publish the truth. The full text of Christopher Monckton's research report, including The US National Academy of Sciences has since issued a discussion, calculations and references, is available at statement that the "hockey stick" graph is defective. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2006/1 1/05/warm- Significantly, however, the UN has issued no statement of refs.pdf. Articles summarising his research were published in the apology or correction. It continues to use the "hockey stick" in its London Sunday Telegraph on 5 and 12 November 2006 and are ublications. available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk. ; . ; P For additional information, refer to Dr David E. Wojick's article The Government of Canada circulated a copy of the graph to The UN IPCC's Artful Bias on Climate Change", published in every household in the nation, together with the alarmist NEXUS vol. 9, no. 6, 2002. conclusion drawn by the United Nations. The Canadian Government did not subsequently circulate any correction. Using comparisons among data from different sources, it is About the Author: ossible to answer the questions of whether there was a mediaeval Christopher Monckton is The Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, Poss ° ques ° ° born in 1952 and educated at Harrow, Churchill College, warm period, whether it was global and whether it was warmer Cambridge, and University College, Cardiff. He has had a than the current warm period. The US Senate (2005) produced —_istinguished career as a journalist/editor, worked in the Prime the following graph summarising the findings of several recent —_ Minister's Policy Unit in 1982-86, and in 1986 founded his public palaeoclimatological studies. administration consultancy firm Christopher Monckton Ltd. He is It is not likely that temperatures sufficiently high to keep the inventor of the Eternity and Sudoku X puzzles and the author southwest Greenland sufficiently free of ice to permit widespread _of five Daily Mail Sudoku X books. He can be contacted by email cultivation, and to remove much or all of the north polar icecap —_ at monckton@mail.com. Academy of Sciences has since issued a "hockey stick" graph is defective. statement of apology or correction. "hockey stick" in its publications. Editor's Note: The full text of Christopher Monckton's research report, including discussion, calculations and references, is available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2006/1 1/05/warm- refs.pdf. Articles summarising his research were published in the London Sunday Telegraph on 5 and 12 November 2006 and are available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk. For additional information, refer to Dr David E. Wojick's article "The UN IPCC's Artful Bias on Climate Change", published in NEXUS vol. 9, no. 6, 2002. About the Author: Christopher Monckton is The Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, born in 1952 and educated at Harrow, Churchill College, Cambridge, and University College, Cardiff. He has had a distinguished career as a journalist/editor, worked in the Prime Minister's Policy Unit in 1982-86, and in 1986 founded his public administration consultancy firm Christopher Monckton Ltd. He is the inventor of the Eternity and Sudoku X puzzles and the author of five Daily Mail Sudoku X books. He can be contacted by email at monckton@mail.com. 46 = NEXUS The US National _ Statement that the It continues to use the www.nexusmagazine.com DECEMBER 2006 — JANUARY 2007