Re: GW: the 'hockey stick' unbent

In article <1151615850.574990.58420@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
charles_the_average@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

The next paragraph (on p. 109) also says that
"The substantial uncertainties currently present in the quantitative
assessment of large-scale surface temperature changes prior to about
A.D. 1600 lower our confidence in this conclusion compared to the high
level of confidence we placed in the Little Ice Age cooling and 20th
century warming. Even less confidence can be placed in the original
conclusions by Mann et al. (1999) that "the 1990s are likely the
warmest decade, and 1998 the warmest year, in at least a millenium." "

The same as in the overview, and not so reassuring as the phrase
immediately preceding it.

I think you're overinterpreting this paragraph. It seems to me to be
setting up a perfectly reasonable hierarchy of confidence.

Aaron
.