According to climate change experts at the Met office, 2007 is likely to be the warmest year on record globally, beating the current record set in 1998. Each January the Met Office, in conjunction with the University of East Anglia, issues a forecast of the global surface temperature for the coming year.

The forecast takes into account known contributing factors, such as solar effects, El Nino, greenhouse gas, concentrations and other multi-decadal influences. Over the previous 7 years, the Met Office forecast of annual global temperature has proved remarkably accurate, with a mean forecast error size of just 0.06 °C.

The Met Office forecast for 2007 shows two significant findings:

Firstly, the global temperature for 2007 is expected to be 0.54 °C above the long-term (1961-1990) average of 14.0 °C. And there is a 60% probability that 2007 will be as warm or warmer than the current warmest year (1998 was +0.52 °C above the long-term average).

The potential for a global record breaking 2007 arises partly from a moderate strength El Nino already established in the Pacific, which is expected to persist through the first few months of 2007.

The lag between El Nino and the full global surface temperature response means that the warming effect of El Nino is extended and therefore has a greater influence on the global temperatures during the year.

Katie Hopkins from Met Office Consulting, explaining the predictions, said… “This new information represents another warning that climate change is happening around the world. Our work in the climate change consultancy team applies Met Office research to help businesses mitigate against risk and adapt at a strategic level for success in the new environment.”

every lady-fly dreams to hear that some day

Title says it so take it serious

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/01/04/italy.jesus.reut/index.html

ROME, Italy (Reuters) — Forget the U.S. debate over intelligent design versus evolution.

An Italian court is tackling Jesus — and whether the Roman Catholic Church may be breaking the law by teaching that he existed 2,000 years ago.
The case pits against each other two men in their 70s, who are from the same central Italian town and even went to the same seminary school in their teenage years.
The defendant, Enrico Righi, went on to become a priest writing for the parish newspaper. The plaintiff, Luigi Cascioli, became a vocal atheist who, after years of legal wrangling, is set to get his day in court later this month.
“I started this lawsuit because I wanted to deal the final blow against the Church, the bearer of obscurantism and regression,” Cascioli told Reuters.
Cascioli says Righi, and by extension the whole Church, broke two Italian laws. The first is “Abuso di Credulita Popolare” (Abuse of Popular Belief) meant to protect people against being swindled or conned. The second crime, he says, is “Sostituzione di Persona,” or impersonation.
“The Church constructed Christ upon the personality of John of Gamala,” Cascioli claimed, referring to the 1st century Jew who fought against the Roman army.
A court in Viterbo will hear from Righi, who has yet to be indicted, at a January 27 preliminary hearing meant to determine whether the case has enough merit to go forward.
“In my book, ‘The Fable of Christ,’ I present proof Jesus did not exist as a historic figure. He must now refute this by showing proof of Christ’s existence,” Cascioli said.
Speaking to Reuters, Righi, 76, sounded frustrated by the case and baffled as to why Cascioli — who, like him, came from the town of Bagnoregio — singled him out in his crusade against the Church.
“We’re both from Bagnoregio, both of us. We were in seminary together. Then he took a different path and we didn’t see each other anymore,” Righi said.
“Since I’m a priest, and I write in the parish newspaper, he is now suing me because I ‘trick’ the people.”
Righi claims there is plenty of evidence to support the existence of Jesus, including historical texts.
He also claims that justice is on his side. The judge presiding over the hearing has tried, repeatedly, to dismiss the case — prompting appeals from Cascioli.
“Cascioli says he didn’t exist. And I said that he did,” he said. “The judge will decide if Christ exists or not.”
Even Cascioli admits that the odds are against him, especially in Roman Catholic Italy.
“It would take a miracle to win,” he joked.

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