“Taking the current energy consumption of 20 trillion watts, the average power density over the earth is about 0.04 watt/meter^2, about two orders of magnitude less than the amount computed for CO2 doubling. It seems there is a long way to go before this becomes a concern — maybe something more than a century is about right.”

Except that this energy isn’t released equally over the surface of the Earth. About 98% of the energy is released over the 2% of the Earth’s surface where people live where coincidentally, the weather stations are located.

“An intense Siberian cold front has hit China. Temperatures in China are forecast to be 1 degree centigrade colder than normal for December.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/04/content_10454766.htm”

Except for where population is low and reportage is non-existant – those areas will more than compensate and raise the “global temperature” as they will (for NASA/GISS read must) be well above average.

Look out for that cold front totally avoiding northern Russia and attendant weather stations also.

Siberian cold front hits roads, airport of N China
http://www.chinaview.cn 2008-12-04 10:17:58 Print

Vehicles are left stranded on a highway in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region Dec. 3, 2008, after the road was forced to close due to the heavy snow. (Source: China Daily)
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BEIJING, Dec. 4 — About 3,400 people were left stranded on snowbound expressways in the northern part of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region as an intense cold front began to take its toll.

Xinjiang has been hit by heavy snowfalls for the past two days with the approach of an intense cold front from west Siberia.

Truck drivers were stuck on expressways while regional buses remained in their depots, the website said.

A man drives a snow-clearing vehicle in Qiqihar of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 3, 2008. Cold air hit most of the northern part of the country from Wednesday with a dramatic drop in temperatures.(Xinhua Photo)
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The Urumqi international airport was also closed for about an hour yesterday morning, causing 32 flight delays and two cancellations.

Railway services, however, were operating normally, the website said.

The snowfalls will ease, but temperatures will remain low, Bai Huixing, chief forecaster of the local meteorological authority, said on Wednesday . Temperatures in the region have plunged by as much as 18℃.

Snowstorms also hit parts of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Gansu province on Tuesday.

The National Meteorological Center issued its second extreme cold weather warning on Wednesday morning and ordered authorities in 23 provincial regions to stand by for emergency services.

Strong gusts will cause temperatures to drop by more than 14℃ in the vast northern regions, the center said.

Parts of southern China, including Hainan province, will also not escape the cold.

Major cities like Beijing and Shanghai will experience a drop of about 10℃ today, while in Hunan province the plunge could be between 14℃ and 16℃ in the coming days.

Weather forecasters had earlier warned that the average temperature in most parts of the country this month will be 1 ℃ lower than last December.

The worst snowstorms in 50 years hit provinces in southern China in January and February, stranding millions of Lunar New Year travelers on their way home for the holiday.

A family makes their way in the snow in Qiqihar of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 3, 2008. Cold air hit most of the northern part of the country from Wednesday with a dramatic drop in temperatures. (Xinhua Photo)
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bsneath or Anthony, My Mcafee virus scan thru up flags when I clicked on the link above, news.xinhuat.com.

I have Mcaffee, and it didn’t balk for me.

This line caught my eye:

The snowfalls will ease, but temperatures will remain low, Bai Huixing, chief forecaster of the local meteorological authority, said on WednesdayGive the Chinese credit: no disguising the authoritarian bent. As compared, say, to the National Weather Service. Then there’s NOAA, where some of the climate people there think that the last “A” in NOAA should be what the Chinese use. But given the problems with GISS, we’re not even getting good service out them, let alone anything authoritative.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/04/content_10454766.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7758743.stm