Global warming is real, according to a major study released today. Despite a issues raised by climate denialists, the Berkeley Earth’s Surface Temperatures study finds reliable evidence of a rise in the average world temperature of approximately 1°C since 1950.

Professor Richard A Muller, who led the study, is UC Berkeley physicist, and long-time climate skeptic has publicly admitted that he was wrong about the IPCC and the evidence for global warming.  See press release here.  One wonders why Muller was motivated to repeat what the IPCC has been doing that much greater scales of rigor.   Whatever the reasons, the conclusions that Muller has come to has thrown a ‘cat among the pigeons’ with respect to climate deniers like Anthony Watts and Fred Singer.

UPDATE:  Here is Kelly Rigg in the Huffington Post – is climate denial unraveling?

Anthony Watts and Fred Singer have been supportive of the study, and said that they would accept the conclusions in the case of Watts.

“And I’m prepared to accept whatever result they produce, even if it proves my premise wrong.”  Here on his web site.   UPDATE:  It appears that Watts has now removed this statement and is ranting and raving about Muller.  Seems that you need to agree with Watts if you want to be his friend!  Even if it means denying the evidence presented to him by a fellow skeptic.  More or less proves Watts is a denialist as opposed to a true skeptic.   Not that anyone had any doubts!

‘Tobacco-is-OK’ man <a href="”>Fred Singer was also supportive of the project … “The Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature (BEST) Project aims to do what needs to be done … I applaud and support what is being done by the Project — a very difficult but important undertaking.”

Can anyone predict what he is likely to be saying now about Muller and the project.

All of this would be quite hilarious if it were not for the serious nature of the climate change issue!