Yes, the data show 2016 was the hottest year

I'm sure the author of last week's letter "Was 2016 Really the Hottest Year?" was sincere, but must have been misinformed. I have gone back to the original data, and offer the true story.

It was the hottest year, not from "wrong computer models" but from actual land and sea measurements. The only data adjustment was because there were not enough measurement stations in the Arctic. That has been fixed for several years, so today's data is more accurate than 10 years ago. Furthermore different groups of scientists independently reached the same conclusions.

The claim that satellite temperature measurements have shown no "significant warming since 1998" is just plain wrong. A consistent warming trend has been observed since 1983. Also, the fact that NASA and NOAA data isn't supported by satellites is not a sign of error, but actually to be expected, as the former measure surface temperatures, while satellites measure air temperatures.

I looked up the data on "expanded" Antarctic sea ice. The most recent data on winter sea ice area is lower than in 17 out of the last 20 years. But also take a look at the ocean: it has warmed so much that New England and North Sea fisheries found that 21 species of fish have moved North to avoid warming waters. Consider: the fish don't know what I or Al Gore say - they just know the sea is warming.

And Dr. Richard Lindzen is no authority. He doesn't believe in warming, so his predictions have been wrong - way off on the low side. It's hard to accept climate claims from someone who said he was funded only by the U.S. Government but according to a Harpers article, charged "oil and coal interests $2,500 a day." Could they influence his thinking?

I will be happy to let anyone know the sources of these facts, including that places near the North Pole are 50 - yes, 50! - degrees hotter than normal.

John F Moore

Libertyville