data for a complete story. Let us start any conversation about climate change with this data. Here's a lovely presentation that makes all the necessary points, posted ages ago at wattsupwiththat.com : http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/09/ho\\... . If you don't want their spin ... fine, just look at the graphs, which are taken straight from NOAA data. Make sure you understand what each one is showing, and how each is related to the one before it. Then come back and tell me that you still think the current warming trend is something to get worked up about. Nothing like reality to kill a lovely scary story. Sorry to do so just as we're getting ready for Halloween. The third is less widely known but should be front-and-center: It is well-known among people who study such things that, human civilization has seen several warm periods and several cold periods all within the span of recorded history and the archeological record timeframe, so we have a pretty good understanding of what each kind of climate change bodes for mankind.