Response to "Global Warming Cooling Off?"

I followed my bachelor's in criminology with a master's in social science because that let me tailor some cognate electives to my interests in global crime and modern criminology.  In addition to classes in international monetary systems and multinational enterprises, I had geographic information systems and remote sensing.  The other day, I met William F. Welsh, my professor for remote sensing, for brunch.  Bill directed me to the RealClimate blog which carried a rebuttal to the "Misdiagnosis" paper by Roy W. Spencer and William D. Braswell.  (See the post immediately before this one.) 

“Misdiagnosis of Surface Temperature Feedback”
Filed under: Climate Science— mike @ 29 July 2011
Guest commentary by Kevin Trenberth and John Fasullo
The paper’s title “On the Misdiagnosis of Surface Temperature Feedbacks from Variations in Earth’s Radiant Energy Balance” is provocative and should have raised red flags with the editors. The basic material in the paper has very basic shortcomings because no statistical significance of results, error bars or uncertainties are given either in the figures or discussed in the text. Moreover the description of methods of what was done is not sufficient to be able to replicate results. As a first step, some quick checks have been made to see whether results can be replicated and we find some points of contention.

About the site, it says: "RealClimate is a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists. We aim to provide a quick response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in mainstream commentary. The discussion here is restricted to scientific topics and will not get involved in any political or economic implications of the science."

This Mastodon was found in Rush Township in 1944
and has been called the 'Owosso Mastodon'.
The bones are on display at the Exhibit Museum
at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Michigan.

Over the past year, Bill Welsh and I have had many short exchanges on this, but never been able either of us to lay out fully our understandings and questions.  Ultimately, it is complicated. 

That Earth's climate changes is obvious.  That weather patterns and weather cycles change is also true by observation.  That cities have microclimates different from the surrounding countrysides is fact.

Dr. Welsh remains committed to anthropogenic global warming.  I remain unconvinced.  Unlike others who debate this, we are able to have brunch and talk about other things, as well.