Sorry, New Scientist: Two Years Of Data Don’t Signal A Climate Shift In Antarctica
by Dr. David Whitehouse Sep 27, 2024
This week’s prize for jumping the climate gun goes to New Scientist, twice. [emphasis, links added]
First, New Scientist tells us that low sea ice levels in Antarctica signal a permanent shift. This, they say, because for a second year in a row, Antarctic sea ice has reached near-record low levels, “initiating concern that climate change has initiated a ‘regime shift’ in the amount of ice that forms in the Southern Ocean each year.”
Sorry, New Scientist, but two years do not make a trend.
Looking at the data, 2023 was indeed a record low and 2024 slightly above that, but if you look at previous years, especially the 2011–2020 average, you will see no trend, just confirmation that 2023 and 2024 are outliers.
https://climatechangedispatch.com/sorry-new-scientist-two-years-of-data-dont-signal-a-climate-shift-in-antarctica/