"Critics seized on the messages as evidence that, in their view, climate scientists were manipulating data and colluding to keep contrary opinion out of scientific journals. But climate scientists and political leaders affirmed what they called a broad-based consensus that the planet was growing warmer, and on a consistent basis, although with measurable year-to-year variations.

The NASA data released Thursday showed an upward temperature trend of about 0.36 degrees Fahrenheit (0.2 degrees Celsius) per decade over the past 30 years. Average global temperatures have risen by about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius) since 1880.

"That's the important number to keep in mind," said Gavin Schmidt, a climatologist at Goddard. "The difference between the second and sixth warmest years is trivial because the known uncertainty in the temperature measurement is larger than some of the differences between the warmest years.""

Yes, the Earth's lower atmosphere is warming slightly, but it can hardly be called Global Warming while one keep a straight face.

The change in the last 150 years is unusually small. Look at the change in the previous 450 years.

The slight rise is overall benificial to plant and animal health and abundance.

Select members of NASA say that there is a 0.36^o F rise in the last 30 years, but Department of Defense data shows no such thing.

A more correct conversion of 0.8^o C change (since 1880) is 1.26^o F, not 1.5^o F.