The average temperature for the continental United States from January through June 2006 was the warmest first half of any year since records began in 1895, scientists announced today. The average January-June temperature for the contiguous United States (based on preliminary data) was 51.8 degrees F (11.0 degrees C), or 3.4 degrees F (1.8 degrees C) above the 20th century (1901-2000) average.
Five states (Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri) experienced record warmth for the period. No state was near or cooler than average. The report comes from NOAA' National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.
Of course, of course, you can't draw inferences from six months of data. Luckily, we've got 15-20 years EASY before we have to start worrying. So that should give us plenty of time for more studies.
A scientific study commissioned by the Bush administration concluded yesterday [May 3, 2006] that the lower atmosphere was indeed growing warmer and that there was "clear evidence of human influences on the climate system.
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But White House officials noted that this was just the first of 21 assessments planned by the federal Climate Change Science Program, which was created by the administration in 2002 to address what it called unresolved questions. The officials said that while the new finding was important, the administration's policy remained focused on studying the remaining questions and using voluntary means to slow the growth in emissions of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide.
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