AP is freaking out.

The world’s oceans are the hottest they have ever been, ever, since 1880! And they state, as a matter of fact and record, that climate change has been raising the planet’s temperature steadily since 1997.

The oceans are now officially just over one degree Fahrenheit warmer since 1880.

That’s reason to panic? Also note that the “combined land and water temperature worldwide was 61.2 degrees, third warmest on record for the three-month period. For August it was 58.2 degrees, fourth warmest.”
Well, look, AP…statements like third warmest and fourth warmest utterly contradict your claim of “steadily.” This is considered cherry picking your facts.

In fact, here is NOAA’s actual report, which fails to mention global warming or climate change. It simply states that the increase of 1.03 degrees, and adds that “NCDC scientists also reported that the combined average global land and ocean surface temperature for August was second warmest on record, behind 1998.” Second warmest over eleven years.

Tell you what AP: please assign your fresh-out-of-college copy writers to cover celebrities and entertainment, and leave science to people who can read.

Updated! The mighty Borepatch stopped over by the Castle today to borrow the Gort’s M1911Aleph0 with the Pentacon sights and stopped the Czar in the lobby on his way out. He mentioned that he was well aware of this story, and thought it strange NOAA would reference studies dating back to 1880…since of course the accuracy of measurements prior to the US Navy’s post-WWII studies remain notoriously bad. Indeed, many of the thermometers prior to the 20th Century were often homemade under less than calibrated circumstances. The Czar not only agreed, but spent the next few hours with Czar shooting at bottles of Lite beer to watch them explode. Borepatch is a much better shot than the Czar.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.