Here's the thing ...

This is the third year in a row where the average temp is down. And the differences we are talking about globally are inside 0.5 degrees.

Now, here'e what I'm thinking: if we consider that our methods of measuring are more accurate than they were, say, 100 years ago, and if 100 years a go we really didn't have the means to measure atmoshpheric temps to 0.1 degrees (Gilbert? any comment there?), then a downturn like we are experiencing right now is completely material -- especially when we are talking about 5 of the last 20 years.

And here's my last complaint: the real measuring stick we ought to be using, if we are hard-core materialists, is a geological timetable, and a geological timescale would take variations like the ones we are talking about here as a ridiculously-small sample -- too small to warrant doomsday prognostication.

I'm going to blog about that Prop 8 video more later.