Well, I guess even Nobel winners sound like idiots when they get hysterical (or when they go "Olberman").
What's got Krugman pissing on everyone about "planet treason"? My guess it's the temperature chart one of the NYT Excel artists did for this article. Look at the NYT's chart on the left, below. See how it goes up all of sudden at the end, kinda like a hockey stick. (To my eyes, Krugman's chart has that look of being manipulated, especially during the earlier years, thus creating that old Mann "hockey stick" resemblance.) Is this is what caused Krugs to wet his proverbial pants. (click to enlarge)
Instead, if only Krugs had looked at the data chart produced by the government's NCDC web site (the chart on the right), he would not have not experienced a warmingitis 'caused-me-to-be-really-stupid' panic attack.
The NCDC chart is not as exciting as Krugs' personal Excel chart, but the NCDC chart does have a trend line, and a calculation of decadal temperature trend, which is a humongous 7/100's of a degree. In other words, Krugman is calling Congresspersons treasonous because they are not frightened by the same +0.07 degrees per decade change that he is. Did I say hysterical?
(Note: On the NCDC chart we also added green markings that indicate where the anomalies started in 1880 and where they ended in 2006. At the end of 2008, it was even lower.)
Finally, to assure Krugs, New Yorkers, and the NYTimes that the world is experiencing the 'same old, same old' in the world of climate change, we present some charts from their own backyard park (so-to-speak) to review:
What's
important to note are the temperatures prior to 1880 in the bottom
chart. Notice how much warmer it was in Central Park before 1880? It
was even warmer than our present temps. That's called climate change;
hey, how about that, temperatures go up and then they go down,
naturally. Yep, that's definitely a serious treasonous thought to be
having. Did I mention hysterical yet?
(And by the way, ever wonder why the government climate agencies no longer make available temperature datasets/charts prior to 1880? Just asking....)