See, it's global warming!

First we learn that Greenpeace is the source of quite a few Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) “facts,” and now we find out that the climate panel based claims about ice disappearing from the world’s mountain tops on a student’s dissertation and an article in a mountaineering magazine that merely quoted anecdotal evidence from climbers.

The Telegraph reports:

In its most recent report, it stated that observed reductions in mountain ice in the Andes, Alps and Africa was being caused by global warming, citing two papers as the source of the information.

However, it can be revealed that one of the sources quoted was a feature article published in a popular magazine for climbers which was based on anecdotal evidence from mountaineers about the changes they were witnessing on the mountainsides around them.

The other was a dissertation written by a geography student, studying for the equivalent of a master’s degree, at the University of Berne in Switzerland that quoted interviews with mountain guides in the Alps.

Nore about the article and dissertation:

But neither the dissertation or the magazine article cited as sources for this information were ever subject to the rigorous scientific review process that research published in scientific journals must undergo.

The magazine article, which was written by Mark Bowen, a climber and author of two books on climate change, appeared in Climbing magazine in 2002. It quoted anecdotal evidence from climbers of retreating glaciers and the loss of ice from climbs since the 1970s.

…

The dissertation paper, written by professional mountain guide and climate change campaigner Dario-Andri Schworer while he was studying for a geography degree, quotes observations from interviews with around 80 mountain guides in the Bernina region of the Swiss Alps.

Are we the only ones that find the following quote humorous? Aren’t the warmers always the ones telling us not to use anecdotal evidence as proof against global warming–like the freaking cold winter the world is having?

[Magazine article author] Mr Bowen said: “I am surprised that they have cited an article from a climbing magazine, but there is no reason why anecdotal evidence from climbers should be disregarded as they are spending a great deal of time in places that other people rarely go and so notice the changes.”

So, whats next? High school science projects?

Source: UK Telegraph