It was warmer 4000 years ago, as evidenced by the northern extent of the treeline in Scandinavia. It was warmer during the Medieval time period as evidenced by Oxygen isotope ratios in several places around the globe, but certainly in the rocks formed in caves in New Zealand. We haven't passed this level of warmth yet, and much of the hue and cry over "runaway" warming is based on the warming causing other warming, which has been predicted, but not shown to be true now, or the other times which it was warmer than today.
Over the last 30 years in Antarctica, a peer reviewed paper published in the Geophysical Research Letters by Tedesco and Monaghan, 2009 says that the melt this year was the lowest yet.
I realize that anecdotal weather events, either warm days or snowy nights, are just that - weather.
CO2 can and does warm the planet, but the affect is less than critical. It's the amount and effects of that change that's under dispute. The upper atmosphere is monitored for warming, and while that has shown a slight change, it hasn't shown the signature change it should have, conflicting with most global climate models.
Over the last 30 years in Antarctica, a peer reviewed paper published in the Geophysical Research Letters
by Tedesco and Monaghan, 2009 says that the melt this year was the lowest yet.
I realize that anecdotal weather events, either warm days or snowy nights, are just that - weather.
CO2 can and does warm the planet, but the affect is less than critical. It's the amount and effects of that change that's under dispute. The upper atmosphere is monitored for warming, and while that has shown a slight change, it hasn't shown the signature change it should have, conflicting with most global climate models.
The rest is politics and fearmongering.