Climate Change Denial Myth #3: Are Temperature Increases Leveling Off?

For the third in an on-going series of climate change denial claims we have the claim that temperature increases are leveling off.  This claim seems to accept the overwhelming scientific evidence that global temperatures are increasing, but there's nothing to worry about because those increases are now leveling off and disappearing.  Um...no.  Not at all true. 

A recent study published by Nature takes direct aim at this claim and shows, without a doubt, that it is simply not true.

Tropospheric Warming Over The Past Two Decades

From the abstract of the article:

"Tropospheric warming trends over recent 20-year periods are always significantly larger (at the 10% level or better) than model estimates of 20-year trends arising from natural internal variability."

The article goes on to describe the data and methods used, but the conclusion is very clear.  Temperatures are not leveling off.  They continue to increase and increase at unprecedented rates.  The planet is warming and no amount of denialism will stop this warming.  

The graph below is another example of real data making it absolutely clear that global temperatures continue to increase.

Global temperature increase by year - NASA GISS.

The planet is getting hotter and hotter. Stop the lies and let's fix this problem!