2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #21

A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook page during the past week. Articles of high signifigance are highlighted in the Editor's Picks section.

Editor's Picks

Scientists just published an entire study refuting Scott Pruitt on climate change 

Scott Pruitt & Coal Miners  

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt speaks with coal miners in Sycamore, Pa., in April. (Justin Merriman/Getty Images)

In a sign of growing tensions between scientists and the Trump administration, researchers published a scientific paper Wednesday that was conceived and written as an explicit refutation to an assertion by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt about climate change.

The study, in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, sets up a direct test of a claim by Pruitt, made in written Senate comments following his confirmation hearing, that “over the past two decades satellite data indicates there has been a leveling off of warming.”

After reviewing temperature trends contained in three satellite data sets going back to 1979, the paper concludes that the data sets show a global warming trend — and that Pruitt was incorrect.

Scientists just published an entire study refuting Scott Pruitt on climate change by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, May 24, 2017

Above-Normal Atlantic Hurricane Season is Most Likely This Year: NOAA

Hurricane Matthew 2016

Hurricane Matthew, the strongest Atlantic hurricane of 2016, as seen on September 30, 2016, when it was rapidly intensifying into the first Category 5 storm observed in the Atlantic since 2007. 

Residents living in Hurricane Alley need to prepare for what may be another busy Atlantic hurricane season. In its first outlook for 2017, issued Thursday, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center predicted a 45% chance for an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season, a 35% chance for a near-normal season and a 20% chance for a below-normal season. NOAA gave a 70 percent likelihood of 11 - 17 named storms, 5 - 9 hurricanes,  2 - 4 major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale) and an Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) 75%-155% of the median. These numbers include Tropical Storm Arlene, which developed in April over the northeast Atlantic. If we take the midpoint of these ranges, NOAA called for 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. This is above the 1981-2010 seasonal averages of 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. 

Above-Normal Atlantic Hurricane Season is Most Likely This Year: NOAA by Jeff Masters, WeatherUnderground, May 25, 2017 

Links posted on Facebook

Sun May 21, 2017

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Fri May 26, 2017

Sat May 27, 2017

Posted by John Hartz on Saturday, 27 May, 2017

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