As the New York Yankees and New York Mets face-off in another historic "Subway Series," New York baseball and Senatorial politics make New York a hot topic in national conversation. That combination must be nirvana for someone of George Will's sensibilities. But "hot" as New York is in Autumn 2000, the Big Apple's climate definitely is not heating up.
The October monthly temperature record from Central Park - that world famous swath of greenery at Manhattan's heart - shows a slight cooling in both its maximum and minimum temperatures over the past fifty-six years (see Figure 1).
The trend is -0.018ðC per year for minimum temperatures. It's -0.035ðC per year for maximum temperatures. While these are about the magnitude of change global warmers warn everyone about, they're in the wrong direction and of the opposite sign! Leave it to New Yorkers not to follow a global trend, and instead to set one.
Not only is there no global warming signal in the record, the Central Park data even are free of urban heat island effects, again because of the central swatch of greenery. Central Park creates a rural environment within one of the world's largest urban centers. If there's been a rise in anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions in New York City, it's undoubtedly helping to maintain the constant long-term temperature regime on Manhattan Island by greening up the vegetation in the park. And I would be remiss if I failed to note that carbon dioxide's fertilization effect also is good for New York's ballparks. Both Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium are open, natural grass facilities. Ah, the way baseball is meant to be played.
So New York baseball fans take heart! Get on the subway, ride to the ballparks and enjoy the same climate conditions this year as when the...