It was hot back in 1998 - but 2010 holds record...

Across the pond, the BBC is reporting that climatologists at England's Climatic Research Unit (Cru) at the University of East Anglia have updated their record of global temperatures by including additional data from the arctic which was previously excluded.

"The amendments do not change the long-term trend, but the data now lists 2010, rather than 1998, as the warmest year on record."

It shouldn't take long for the 5 or 6 conservative flat-earth weather 'specialists' on Big Oil's payroll to dismiss the new data, however. It simply doesn't jive with their "Drill, baby, drill" political agenda, and therefore has to be discredited.

My guess is they'll come up with something that sounds a lot like, "If they were wrong in 1998, what makes you think they're right, now?"

The answer, of course, is that we know more about climate science, now, than we did, then.

But, then, again, when did new information on a topic ever stop a right-wing tirade?

In a related story, as reported by Talking Points Memo, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) on Monday afternoon sent a scathing public letter to Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), blasting Issa for misusing his power as the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee in launching 11 investigations into Department of Energy, “many” of which “have been based on unsubstantiated allegations that proved inaccurate after further investigation.”
Apparently, Congressman Issa doesn't like anyone messing with Big Oil's stranglehold on our economy, and has used his office to go after alternate energy companies that might want to cut into Big Oil's share of the market.

Since we're still waiting for Rep. Issa to go after BP for poisoning the Gulf Coast, the only way to pull Congressman Issa's head from Big Oil's posterior will probably be to have the House flip party majorities.

One can always hope.