If they relied solely on satellite data, which accurately covers the entire planet, 2010 would not top the list. Why NASA of all places, refuses to use space age technology to measure the global temperature is absurd.
By the way, even Phil Jones, head of the defamed UK Climate Research Unit, admitted following the release of the Climategate emails there has been no statistically significant warming since 1995.
The bottom line is our global temperature databases are so seriously screwed up, and the people crunching the numbers so tilted politically to the left, that climate trends and annual rankings can no longer be presumed accurate.
As for Hansen, in a recent blog posting he`s now calling Americans “the barbarians” of the planet who are run by a “fossil-money-democracy that now rules the roost.”
Hey, Hansen. For your next trick how `bout disappearing?
http://thesop.org/story/20110128/was-2010-the-hottest-year-ever.html
He who controls the data, controls the world (or at least tries to).
Or, thinks he is.
Barbarians?
Actually he’s part of the intelligentsia that is screwing everything up beyond recognition—FUBAR.
We can all agree on Hansen’s choice of China for a role model…. Click Here
/sarc
In Orwell’s “1984”, the job of the Ministry of Truth was to rewrite history to conform to the political leadership’s requirements.
Context is everything – and satellite data just don’t have enough “context” (heh)
Satellite sensors such as RSS and UAH do not have global coverage. In fact they only go from 70 S to 82 N. No datasets which cover the entire globe show 1998 as the warmest on record. In fact of the datasets which include a global picture, 1998 is not warmer than 3rd with 2005 and 2010 jockeying for 1st.
To insinuate that the satellite sensors have global coverage is an outright lie. I think it is time that you admit that your statement is incorrect and without scientific validity.
Also, note how the various reanalysis datasets all show 2005 or 2010 as the warmest on record because they include the most data in sparse locations.
Lets also consider what the satellite sensors measure. They do not measure the actual temperature, they measure the radiance emitted by oxygen isotopes in the air. The problem is this is emitted by water vapor also therefore they need a satellite MODEL to correct for this and to get a supposed accurate temperature. Acting as if the satellite record is somehow any more accurate is a fallacy.