Summary of Anthony Watts: Understanding the Science Behind Climate Change Headlines | Tom Nelson Pod #242

00:00:00 - 00:45:00

In the "Anthony Watts: Understanding the Science Behind Climate Change Headlines | Tom Nelson Pod #242" YouTube video, Anthony Watts discusses his background and work in debunking what he considers to be misleading climate change headlines. He has spent decades in the media industry and now works for the Heartland Institute, where he provides articles, commentary, and research. Watts is known for his website, " Watts Up With That ," and has faced criticism from climate alarmists. In the interview, he discusses some headlines from the previous year that he believes were misleading or based on faulty data, such as claims of all-time high temperature records. He argues that these claims were not based on actual data but on reanalyzed data from models. Watts also criticizes the use of model output data as a substitute for actual temperature records and expresses skepticism towards climate change headlines. He emphasizes the importance of considering the context and accuracy of the data being presented. Additionally, Watts discusses issues with temperature data collection for climate records, inaccurate temperature readings from recording stations, and concerns over the accuracy of global temperature data. He questions the reliability of temperature station biases and the publication of names and locations, and expresses uncertainty about current surface temperature trends and the causes of climate change. Watts encourages active participation in the climate change debate and expresses optimism for those engaged in the issue but concern for those who are not.

• 00:00:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Anthony Watts: Understanding the Science Behind Climate Change Headlines | Tom Nelson Pod #242," Anthony Watts, the guest on the show, discusses his background and his work in debunking what he considers to be misleading climate change headlines. Watts, a former television and radio meteorologist, has spent decades in the media industry and now works for the Heartland Institute, where he provides articles, commentary, and research. He is known for his website, "Watts Up With That," which has been influential in his learning about the climate debate. Watts has faced criticism from climate alarmists, who accuse him of being on the take from Big Oil and other sources, but he denies these allegations. In the interview, Watts discusses some headlines from the previous year that he believes were misleading or based on faulty data, such as claims of all-time high temperature records, and explains why these claims were not based on actual data but on reanalyzed data from models.
• 00:05:00 In this section of the podcast, Anthony Watts discusses the inaccuracies and exaggerations in climate change headlines. He mentions two specific examples: the claim that last year was the hottest in the past 100,000 years based on "remodeled data," which was later distanced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and the assertion that ancient trees revealed last summer was the hottest in 2,000 years. Watts argues that these claims are based on proxy data, such as tree rings, which are not absolute indicators of temperature. He also criticizes the use of model output data as a substitute for actual temperature records. Watts further points out that carbon dioxide levels and temperatures have not correlated historically, and that temperatures have shown natural variations throughout history. He concludes by expressing skepticism towards climate change headlines and emphasizing the importance of considering the context and accuracy of the data being presented.
• 00:10:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Anthony Watts: Understanding the Science Behind Climate Change Headlines | Tom Nelson Pod #242," Anthony Watts discusses how the media and climate scientists present misleading information about climate change through the use of highly magnified graphs. He uses the example of Greenland's melting ice and the steepness of its slope in media reports, which makes it appear as if there is a crisis, but when viewed in the larger context of the total ice, there is no crisis. Watts also talks about tornadoes and how they are not getting worse or more frequent, but are being reported more due to advancements in technology. He shares his personal experience as a tornado chaser and how tornadoes were not reported as frequently before the internet and cell phones. Watts also mentions how heat waves are often reported as record-breaking in the media, but the Environmental Protection Agency data shows that heat indexes were worse in the 1930s than they are today. He also discusses methane and how livestock are often blamed for contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, but they only account for 2% of US greenhouse gas missions. Watts concludes by discussing how temperature started to rise significantly around 1960, but it was relatively stable from 1880 to 1938, and the increase in temperature after World War II was due to local climate changes in temperature measurement.
• 00:15:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Anthony Watts: Understanding the Science Behind Climate Change Headlines | Tom Nelson Pod #242," Anthony Watts discusses the issue of inaccurate temperature data collection for climate records. He shares an example of a temperature sensor in Sand Point, Idaho, which is located near a radiator and pavement, contrary to NOAA's rules for temperature measurement. Watts argues that NOAA prioritizes the continuation of the record over the quality of the record, leading to the placement of sensors in suboptimal locations. He also mentions the antiquated system NOAA relies on for collecting climate data and the numerous temperature stations in the United States that are corrupted in some way. Watts' investigation led him to discover many examples of temperature sensors located in parking lots and other inappropriate locations, some of which have been closed after being exposed.
• 00:20:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Anthony Watts: Understanding the Science Behind Climate Change Headlines | Tom Nelson Pod #242," Anthony Watts discusses issues with temperature recording stations used to measure climate data. He points out several examples where these stations, located next to buildings with concrete walls or near sources of heat like air conditioners, produce inaccurate temperature readings. Watts argues that these biased temperature readings skew the average temperature data used to track climate change, accounting for approximately 50% of the reported warming trend. He also mentions that he presented his findings at the American Geophysical Union in 2015.
• 00:25:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Anthony Watts: Understanding the Science Behind Climate Change Headlines," Anthony Watts expresses his frustration with the idea that climate data can be statistically adjusted to account for biases. He argues that with 96% of the temperature recording network allegedly having a heat bias, it cannot be adjusted out. Watts then questions whether we are in a climate emergency, pointing out that the Paris Climate Accord aims to keep warming below 2 degrees Centigrade over pre-industrial levels, but we have already surpassed that level due to natural causes like the Hunga Tonga volcano. He criticizes the statistical adjustments made to temperature data, which he believes increases the warming trend, and argues that the media presents this adjusted data as scientific fact. Watts also discusses the issue of "ghost stations," where data is still being collected from stations that may not have been operational for decades.
• 00:30:00 In this section of the podcast, Tom Nelson discusses concerns over the accuracy of global temperature data, specifically focusing on the work of Anthony Watts and the issue of station closures and data reconstruction. Noah, who maintains the temperature data, is accused of publishing estimated data based on surrounding stations, creating what some consider to be non-existent temperature data. Critics argue that this is not honest, as it can significantly alter the appearance of temperature trends. Peter O'Neal, a European researcher, is mentioned for noticing unexplained changes in past temperature data. The discussion also touches upon the fact that all surface temperature data is processed and assimilated by the National Center for Environmental Information in the US, and that various temperature datasets, while based on the same ingredients, can have different "flavors." The transition from mercury thermometers to electronic thermometers is also discussed, with the latter being more susceptible to transient temperature spikes, potentially skewing average temperatures.
• 00:35:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Anthony Watts: Understanding the Science Behind Climate Change Headlines," Anthony Watts discusses the rounding of temperature readings in the Noah's Temperature Network in the United States and the uncertainty that comes with it. He explains that temperatures are rounded off to the nearest digit, leading to a plus or minus one degree Fahrenheit reading for any temperature. Watts also touches on the topic of global average temperature estimates and mentions the satellite temperature data set from the University of Alabama Huntsville as a more reliable source. He notes that the rate of temperature change in the UAH data is close to what was discovered in the surface temperature data, suggesting good data from two different sources. Watts also mentions the US Climate Reference Network (USCRN), which consists of high-quality temperature stations, but notes that it has only been in place since 2005 and won't help with temperature records from before that time. He also discusses the lack of publicly available information about the locations of both good and bad temperature data stations, with Noah previously removing a database of station locations when Watts announced his project.
• 00:40:00 In this section of the podcast, Anthony Watts discusses the concerns raised by some individuals about temperature station biases and the publication of names and locations, while also acknowledging improvements made by the organization. He then shifts the conversation to the topic of climate change and weather patterns, stating that climate is a statistical construct and weather is the driving force behind temperature anomalies. Watts also questions the reliability of tree ring proxies as absolute indicators of temperature, citing the influence of various factors on tree growth and the potential for selective data inclusion. He concludes by raising doubts about the absolute global nature of warm and cold periods throughout history and the challenges in accurately interpreting tree ring data.
• 00:45:00 In this section of the podcast, Anthony Watts discusses current surface temperature trends and expresses uncertainty about the causes. He then shifts the conversation to the climate change debate, expressing optimism for those engaged in the issue but concern for those who are not. Watts encourages active participation in the debate through writing letters to the editor and pushing back against inaccurate information. He reflects on the complexity of temperature analysis and the wisdom of a meteorologist who once told him that "the more you look into temperature, the weirder it gets." The conversation concludes with Watts expressing gratitude for the opportunity to share his perspective.