Paul Austin Murphy, you one funny fellow

{edited 12/29/14 am}

I just came across an article dedicated to me, oh my.

December 27, 2014

How What'sUpWithThatWatts Argues Against Global-Warming Skeptics  

By Paul Austin Murphy | American "Thinker"

{Actually Paul, I argue against professional liars.}

http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2014/12/how_whatsupwiththatwatts_argues_against_globalwarming_skeptics_comments.html

Unfortunately, all he does is bitch about who he thinks I am or am not and how much he dislikes my approach - not one word about the substance of my complaints regarding his dismissal of the evidence that manmade global warming is for real or the climate indicators I shared with him.

~ ~ ~

As for who I am, it's already been addressed: 

Saturday, February 1, 2014

ClimateAudit. . .“Citizenschallenge” has no CV

http://whatsupwiththatwatts.blogspot.com/2014/02/climateaudit-citizenschallenge-cv.html

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Now back to the geophysical evidence I challenged Paul Murhpy with regarding the facts of how increasing our atmosphere's insulating ability is impacting our global climate system and all that depends on its rhythms.

Been a while and I see Paul doesn't seem to want to engage in a discussion about evidence.  Why am I not surprised.  Learning about what's happening upon our planet isn't within that (those) American "Thinker's" intellectual capacity.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Our planet displays plenty of proof that warming continues, 

and at a frightening pace - you just have to poke around.

A few highlights of what you and your pals have been missing, 
first the South Pole:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

West Antarctic melt rate has tripled in last decade

December 2, 2014

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141202183313.htm

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Changing Antarctic winds create new sea level threat

July 7, 2014

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Stronger winds may explain puzzling growth of sea ice in Antarctica, model shows

September 18, 2013

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Coastal Antarctic permafrost melting faster than expected: Arctic-like melt rates appearing in Coastal Antarctica

July 24, 2013

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Warm ocean drives most Antarctic ice shelf loss

June 13, 2013

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

New insight into accelerating summer ice melt on the Antarctic Peninsula

April 14, 2013

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Summer melt season getting longer on Antarctic Peninsula

March 27, 2013

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Warm ocean currents cause majority of ice loss from Antarctica

April 25, 2012

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

NASA study examines Antarctic sea ice increases

November 13, 2012

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Why Antarctic sea ice cover has increased under the effects of climate change

November 11, 2012

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Warm ocean currents cause majority of ice loss from Antarctica

April 25, 2012

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Now for an update on the North Pole happening:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Variations in ice sheet height influence global climate

November 3, 2014

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141103161921.htm

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

2014 Arctic sea ice minimum sixth lowest on record

September 23, 2014

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Minor variations in ice sheet size can trigger abrupt climate change

August 18, 2014

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Melt ponds shine in NASA laser altimeter images

August 4, 2014

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Huge waves measured for first time in Arctic Ocean

July 29, 2014

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Arctic warming linked to fewer European and U.S. cold weather extremes, new study shows

June 15, 2014

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reduced sea ice area also noted in winter

June 11, 2014

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Why Arctic ice is disappearing more rapidly than expected: River ice reveals new twist on Arctic melt

April 2, 2014

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Permafrost thaw exacerbates climate change

March 21, 2014

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Increase in Arctic cyclones is linked to climate change

February 18, 2014

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Bonus:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cause of global warming hiatus found deep in the Atlantic Ocean

August 21, 2014

University of Washington

Observations show that the heat absent from the Earth's surface for more than a decade is plunging deep in the north and south Atlantic Ocean, and is part of a naturally occurring cycle. Subsurface warming in the ocean explains why global average air temperatures have flatlined since 1999, despite greenhouse gases trapping more solar heat at Earth's surface.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140821141445.htm

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

This video does a heck of a job of putting it in perspective:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

2014 On Pace for Hottest Year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5ymM00tR9o

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

PS.

Mr. Murphy, 

skepticism is a joke without an honest desire to learn; keep in mind one directional skepticism, equals denial.

Skepticism is about asking questions and wanting answers and being open to best information available, even when that information steps all over previous understanding/belief.  It's not about winning or ego, it's about learning.  Skepticism is about not fully trusting anyone, not even yourself.  Skepticism is about weeding though nonsense and allowing the evidence to dictate what one trusts.

Why do you folks think understanding our climate system deserves such malicious contempt?  What's wrong with seriously learning about what's happening within this biosphere and climate system that we all depend on for everything?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For a more detailed look at contrarian tactics see:

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Steele's penguin "climate horror story" YouTube series, Video 4a

http://whatsupwiththatwatts.blogspot.com/2014/12/steeles-penguin-climate-horrorstory.html

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Appendix Steele's penguin "climate horror story" YouTube series, Video 4a

http://whatsupwiththatwatts.blogspot.com/2014/12/appendix-steeles-penguin-horrorstory.html

Appendix Steele's penguin "climate horror story" YouTube series, Video 4b

{Since Dr. Ainley took the time to answer my emailed questions and was quite helpful in exposing me to various background and studies I was unaware of, I sent him a courtesy copy of my post and this appendix - to see if he had any objections or suggestions before posting them.

Interestingly, he pointed out that I had not mentioned LaRue 2014, which happens to be the same study Steele's "Landscapesandcycles" (and the rest of the echo-chamber) have been trumpeting as supporting their 'No Worries' attitude towards the changes being observed in the Antarctic.  So I've spent the evening reading through that study and I do think comparing that study to what's being claimed on its behalf will make for a good follow up post, but for now what I have here will do.  Happy learning. }

This appendix goes together with my review of Jim Steele's IEEE "climate horror story" YouTube series, Video 4 part 1 regarding Penguins and condition at the Antarctic.  I've posted it in this stand alone page - so that my review and supporting information can be looked at side by side.

Mr. Steele says at 0:25: "... that population has giving rise to all these the horror stories about them going extinct by the end of the century."

It is a scientific horror story to misrepresent the truth!  

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Steele accuses these papers of being an "extinction horror show" yet you won't find the word "extinction" in them - instead you'll find assessments of conditions and sober nuanced projections based on the available facts.

[1a]

Projected continent-wide declines of the emperor penguin under climate change

Jenouvrier, Holland, Stroeve, Serreze, Barbraud, Weimerskirch, Caswell

Nature Climate Change | Letter | Published online 29 June 2014

http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v4/n8/full/nclimate2280.html

"... We project the dynamics of all 45 known emperor penguin colonies⁵ by forcing a sea-ice-dependent demographic model^{6, 7} with local, colony-specific, sea ice conditions projected through to the end of the twenty-first century. Dynamics differ among colonies, but by 2100 all populations are projected to be declining. At least two-thirds are projected to have declined by >50% from their current size. The global population is projected to have declined by at least 19%. ..."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

[1b] 

Antarctic penguin response to habitat change as Earth's troposphere reaches 2°C above preindustrial levels

David Ainley, Russell, Jenouvrier, Woehler, Lyver, Fraser, Kooyman

Ecological Society of America  |  Accepted: May 5, 2009

http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/08-2289.1

"We assess the response of pack ice penguins, Emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri) and Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae), to habitat variability and, then, by modeling habitat alterations, the qualitative changes to their populations, size and distribution, as Earth's average tropospheric temperature reaches 2°C above preindustrial levels (ca. 1860), ...

Steele's penguin "climate horror story" YouTube series, Video 4a

I'm finally getting to the last of Jim Steele's YouTube "horror stories" to the Life Members of the International Electrical and Electronic Engineers'.  This time splitting it into smaller sections, with this first review going to 5:20 and me looking at Steele's claims regarding penguins and what's happening with the climate/weather around Antarctica. 

Jim Steele's talk offers us lessons in two contrasting approaches to learning.  Pay attention and you will notice that Mr. Steele constantly pushes his own conviction ahead of the information he shares.  Thus he's forced to carefully select and then manipulate his information in single-minded dedication to bolstering his sales pitch. 

I'd call Steele's approach the Lawyerly Method, where all that matters is defending one's client regardless of actual guilt or innocence.

The scientific approach on the other hand, is all about learning and assessing the "guilt or innocence" of the topic being studied.  The scientific approach remains open to new information and surprises and life long learning.  Mistakes happen along the way and are converted into valuable learning opportunities as we move forward.

Contrast that to Steele's Republican/Libertarian world where the mistakes of others are enshrined without the slightest interest in examining and understanding why the mistakes were made or what was learned - instead Jim whittles them into bludgeons for attacking all he wants to silence.  As for their own mistakes... well Jim and his crowd doesn't seem to think they make any… it's tough on the learning process.

This time, rather than interjecting my evidence as I go through the transcript, I use an appendix I've posted in a stand alone page - so both pages can be viewed side by side.  As usual Mr. Steele's words will be in courier font.

Published on Nov 3, 2014

Part 4 from Jim Steele's Presentation to the Life Members of the International Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Jim is the author of "Landscapes & Cycles: An Environmentalist's Journey to Climate Skepticism"

Penguins, Polar Bears and Sea Ice by JIm Steele

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okS2dXsR2gg,

Part A of Video 4 - 0:00-5:20

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

[1] 0:00 - "There's been several studies last couple years about the Emperor Penguin going extinct..." {launches into a too cute story about his personal fascination with their habits} 0:25 -  "... that population has giving rise to all these horror stories about them going extinct by the end of the century. …"

~ ~ ~

Here Steele uses the technique of inserting misleading melodrama in order to belittle the seriousness of what is being observed. [1] 

None of the studies were screaming “extinction,” heck I couldn't even find the word used in the scientific literature.  Instead the studies are detailed reviews of a changing environment and how those changes will affect penguin colonies.

Regarding "that" population, we should be clear penguin populations are being studied along the entire Antarctic coastline, nor is this particular colony the only one feeling the effects of a rapidly changing climate regime.

The thing that strikes me about this sort of gloss over - is the shear lack of curiosity all the way around.  No interest in understanding what's behind the headlines, "dismiss and move on" as though none of the details matter -  for many of those details see appendix [1]

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

IPCC'S Reality Check, a short video.

I just stumbled onto a "new version" of an IPCC video, it's an introduction to the Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC's "Physical Science Basis" Working Group. Since I'm only its forth viewer, I figured I should share it. {OK, it's just because it fits in so well with my current "reality check" theme, that I'm posting it.  Along with some short time-signatured notes.}

0:00 - IPCC - "The scientific evidence is stronger than ever.  Better and more observations, improved understanding of the climate system response, further development of climate models, all point in the same direction."

"Human influence on the climate system is clear."

Published on Dec 23, 2014

International Panel on Climate Change

Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXioFUz4Kx0

Continue for a time signature outline of this video

Mr. Steele, time for a reality check.

Mr. Steele having studied your Climate Horror Stories YouTube series and various articles you've been peppering the internet with and considering your noble sounding appeals to Carl Sagan's advice and a "civil" debate, I'm appalled at the ease with which you lie about scientists, their science and Earth observations.  

Though I'd intended to be finished with my "Climate Horror Stories" review a couple weeks ago, commitments and unanticipated distracts keep pulling me away.  Still when I can I've continued on the project, mainly doing research on the various claims in video four, which like the previous videos, have consistently turned out to be disingenuous manipulations of the truth, and occasionally out and out fabrications.  

Yesterday I came across a new website that has done a wonderful job of addressing many questions and arguments in a short concise manner.  Therefore, I've decided to share excerpts with my audience and also to encourage you, Jim Steele, to visit their website in order to carefully read the full content, who knows it may help you grasp the enormity of your willful deception.  It starts with one of your favorite talking points.  

I'd be interested to hear how you would "debate" the lucid arguments they outline.  You are welcome to comment here and I assure you I will post any communication you care to share.  As for your video #4, stay tuned.

Addressing Some Common Questions & Arguments

http://understandit.wordpress.com/addressing-some-common-questions-arguments/

1. “They can’t even predict next week’s weather”/”Models are useless”

A blast from the past May 16, 2014 Steele's Arctic Ice Horror story

I though I'd have the time to finish with Jim Steele's video #4 of his Horror Stories YouTube series.  Didn't happen, though I did manage to do most my homework, still it may be a while before I can get it posted.  Getting it together in a presentable post is a very time consuming process.  

But, since we are about to discuss (that would be my virtual dialogue with Jim Steele) his claim that there's been no warming in Arctic regions.  I thought this blast from the past might make a decent filler, since it includes about the best one minute long proof of the dramatic warming our planetary climate system has gone through these past few decades.  

Not all the belly-aching in the world about slightly flawed wildlife studies changes one iota of that geophysical fact!  Take a satellite view of the "Amount of old ice in Arctic, 1987-2013"

Here's a reprint of a note/post from May 16, 2014, back in the early days of our acquaintance.  And let's be clear it's his writings and claims I'm having my feud with, the man is incidental, in that he's just the lasted incarnation of a proud assortment of political entertainer ready to work for the Republican/Libertarian 'BS The Public Circuit,' rather than serious educators.  

And yes, that is exactly what the public global warming dialogue needed.  We sure didn't need these past two, three decades worth of intellectual travesty.

What's it mean to be an honest skeptic?

{edited 3/8/15}
I had cause to reread a fun movie review I'd written last month.  Reading it again I was thinking I should be posting part of it over here.  Because... you know... all this Steele stuff (dealing with vid#4 now, yuck). The way he gives all that lip service to rational and complete science, but then he ignores tons of real Earth observations and instead goes off into totalitarian deep right field. His only defense being to reject the science outright, while conjured up ridiculous conspiracy notions.  

Scientists have it hard enough focusing on getting everything to work right, they don't have time for conspiratorial tweaking of data - that would be obvious to any trained, educated observer.  

There's the rub, notice how all these people, such as my pal Jim, don't understand the actual science fields they are attacking.  Like little kids with noses pressed against the window watching the train set run, without the first clue of what it takes to make that seeming magic happen. (guess i'm dating myself)  

They talk the Talk, but don't walk the Walk. 

So I ask: What's it mean to be an honest skeptic?

 From the closing paragraphs of

An Honest Liar - Considering James Randi

http://citizenschallenge.blogspot.com/2014/11/an-honest-liar-considering-james-randi.html

Taking questions, James Randi responded to one with something I'd already jotted down in my notes as the single best line in the documentary, "People need to believe.” Later, I had a chance to shake his hand and speak with him. I asked: “OK, people need to believe – what can we do with that? Where do we go from there?" 

Happy Anniversary RealClimate.org - Ten Years of sharing real science

H/T to Sou at Hotwhopper

I'm surprised to find it's already been a decade since RealClimate.org began. It's sad reflecting on the malicious dirty tricks and lies they've been subjected to, though it's reassuring to know they have survived and continue to offer the highest quality climate science information to those who are interested in learning.

To celebrate I'm going to share some of their anniversary write up and also their original introductory post since it's a nice encapsulation of the sad state of affairs, tragically as true today as a decade ago, and their commitment to help rational folks sieve through all the competing claims and evidence. 

Ten Years of RealClimate

Filed under: Climate Science Communicating Climate — group @ 10 December 2014

In the spring of 2004, when we (individually) first started talking to people about starting a blog on climate science, almost everyone thought it was a great idea, but very few thought it was something they should get involved in. Today, scientists communicating on social media is far more commonplace. On the occasion of our 10 year anniversary today it is worth reflecting on the impact of those changes, what we’ve learned and where we go next.

Why we started and why we continue

The introductory post Welcome to RealClimate set out our aspiration:

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.

Steele's Ocean Acidification Horror Story, a closer look.

Examining some of the claims in the YouTube video "Recovering Whales, Ocean Acidification, and Climate Horror Stories," I wrote 
Dr. Evans, who's data Steele uses and he responded to my questions with an enlightening email, along with suggestions for further investigation.   Now that I've spent more time looking into the question of 'what' and 'how' scientists know about ocean acidification, I've decided to give Steele's talk from 2:45 to 5:59 another dissection.  

For students of The Art of the Republican Attack on Science, this will be worth your while. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Recovering Whales, Ocean Acidification, and Climate Horror Stories by JIm Steele (2:45-5:59)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooaZLoJXhu4&t=2m45s

Part 3 Jim Steele's Presentation to the Life Members of the International Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Jim is the author of "Landscapes & Cycles: An Environmentalist's Journey to Climate Skepticism"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

2:45 - "Here's your question about ocean acidification.  This upwelling is a tremendous benefit.  If you do a vertical profile of the ocean, if you look at the surface the pH is gonna be around 8.2-8.3, as you drop down what you see is that it very quickly it becomes more acidic, because bacteria digest everything, we start to releasing the carbon. So you can see in the upwelling zones you can see it's down to 7.7 And when it upwells it brings it right to the coast"

~ ~ ~
First off, notice Jim drawing his audience's attention away from how the oceans absorb CO2, instead focusing on regional upwelling of abyssal acidic waters along the continental shelf.

That's the way magicians work, draw the eye away from where the trick is happening.

Listen in on Steele's talk.  You'll hear a hint of the problem he chooses to ignore.  The surface of the ocean is on average basic ~8.2-8.3pH as Steele tells us {7 being neutral}.  CO2 is acidic and easily binds with water molecules.  We live in a world where the atmospheric CO2 concentration has skyrocketed by ~40% in a geologic blink.  How will that system behave?    How can Steele's IEEE audience be blind to that?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

3:20 - "People say on average the pH is getting more, they don't know that.  It's a model."

AmericanThinker: Another hottest year since 1880, Murphy Say What?

On the way to doing other things this morning, I came across a freshly minted article at the AmericanThinker written by one Paul Murphy.  Going through it, I thought: Great, just what we need, another rambling kindergarden-ish cherry-picking collage.  Yea, sure, climate has always changed, tell us something we don't know.  Thing is we are living in today, and it today's radical human caused global warming is unique and it matters to our future!  

Then it started ragging on SkepticalScience.com with childish reasoning and I decided here was another article for my collection.  Though, this time my review will be short, mainly a few observations, followed by a listing of some recent studies looking at what's happening at the North and South Poles of our one and only Earth.

"Yet Another Hottest Year Since 1880?" 

By Paul Austin Murphy | 12/6/2014
www.AmericanThinker.com

How to Debate Every Time - Troll Redsilverj

{edited 12/11/14 evening}
I came across a video that's too ridiculous to share or talk about, except that it did remind me of a simple experiment people can do to understand why warming our Global Heat Distribution Engine (system) read "Climate" will result in way wilder weather than we are prepared to deal with.

And it's also my own little experiment to check out my new concept about tracking YouTube comments with screenshots.
 {Updated 12/7/12, early - H/T Potholer54}

There are two kinds of skeptics, 
complete skeptic (that includes self-skepticism) and 
one-directional skeptic (aka contrarian types) 

There are two kinds of debate, 
one where 
learning is the goal,
the other 
debate for debate {and fortune'$} sake.

In the first 
you listen to and weigh your opponent's information and arguments, with the goal being to use opposing arguments to better understand one's own reasoning and justifications.

To learn from evidence and arguments... allowing the best to inspire reevaluating our own understanding.  That's how we learn, and evolve, how we get better and move forward as we travel through our short lives. Hey and sometimes it hurts and our egos get bruised but that's part of the game of life and growing...  know what I mean?

The second is 
all about personal point scoring 
relying on tricks rather than a serious dialogue 
it has no interest in learning or truth, 
only in "winning".

Recovering Whales, Ocean Acidification the Jim Steele Horror Story - reviewed

Or, what a tangled web Steele weaves.

There's a tactic called the "Gish Gallop" where a speaker tosses out so many varied claims that it's impossible for the serious listener to keep up.  Steele has perfected this skill, but it's easy for him since his audience (Life Members of the International Electrical and Electronic Engineers) only wants to hear reassurances that they have nothing to worry about and can continue consuming like there's no tomorrow. 

I'm more serious and skeptical, so I've taken the time to chase after the various bones Steele tosses out.  This post will focus on his claims regarding whale population recovery thanks to La Nina along with Steele's bizarre take on the ocean acidification story*
*{for an update on that mischief, link here}. 

Recovering Whales, Ocean Acidification, and Climate Horror Stories by JIm Steele (considering 0:00 to 6:00)

update December 8, 2014

Wiley Evans, Ph.D. shares some thoughts regarding Steele's description of ocean pH studies.

Steele's Yosemite Nat'l Park mystery temp graph? W.U.W.T.?

There's a temperature graph going around the blogosphere claiming to represent the temperature trend in Yosemite National Park since 1900.  Climate science denialist types love this graph because it seems to indicate no warming in Yosemite, as if that represents the whole state or something.  

Besides, consider Yosemite National Park, it comprises some 1,169 square miles ^- (3,027 km²) with an elevation range from 2,127 to 13,114 feet (648 to 3,997 m) on both sides of the Sierra Nevada mountain divide.  Vegetation zones start with chaparral oakwoodland, lower montane forest, upper montane forest, subalpine zone, all the way up to alpine.  Seemed odd that anyone would claim a single graph from YNP as some definitive statement on the situation within the park, let alone beyond.  

Yet Mr. Steele claims it, and does so on many occasions.  Including this recent video (12:10) which I'm in the process of reviewing.  He never tells us where this data came from, nor who compiled the graph, we're supposed to accept the authority of his word on it - 
I thought they rejected appeals to authority?

Unfortunately, I've learned to be skeptical of Mr. Steele's claims and I tried finding its origin.  No luck on the internet.  Finally I sent an email to the Western Regional Climate Center to see if they could offer any insight and they certainly did.  
I share their response:
{I added paragraph breaks for clarity}

WRCC Data <wrcc@dri.edu> December 1, 2014 

"Hello,  

This is not one of our graphs and I’m not exactly sure where this data was recorded.  

The official coop station Yosemite Park Headquarters began collecting temperature data in 1907 and this graph began in 1900.  There are several issues with this graph - spelling for starters, we would also reference the WRCC so others could contact us if there was a question and these numbers are off.    

Looking at the data, these numbers and years are not correct.  For example, the average annual max temperature occurred in 1926, not 1930-something as the graph displays..  

I’m sorry, I cannot help you.  I’ve tried to find this graph but no luck. I can tell you this is not our graph nor is the data correct."   

signed by the Service Climatologist,  

Western Regional Climate Center

The mystery graph

Jim Steele, why you "cleansing" YouTube comments? W.U.W.T.?

I've been spending the past couple days reviewing Jim Steele's third video in his series dedicated to attacking climate scientists.  While listening to the video and transcribing his talk, (this time without the marginal aid of YouTube's transcriptions, since it appears he turned it off for this video), I've also been researching his claims - which offer up more puzzles than answers. So, I've been posting constructive questions to Jim Steele in the comments section, along with requests for citations - since most of the time he doesn't offer any information about the data and "official" claims he presents.  

My questions seemed to be getting posted, yet I just discovered that they appear to only being visible under my log in and that anyone else viewing this video sees none of my reasonable, if skeptical questions.  

What can I say, except that, here is yet another example of the dishonest battle against rational, constructive discussion, that this WattsUpWithThat team wages.  Yet this Mr. Steele is the same man who has the chutzpah to quote Carl Sagan and lecture scientists about how to conduct an honest investigation.

My review will follow, but for now I want to post the questions that Steele has cleansed from his one sided presentation.

Recovering Whales, Ocean Acidification, and Climate Horror Stories by JIm Steele