What really matters [ie not the Grand Prix]

'State of the Climate 2012 provides an updated summary of long-term climate trends. It notes that the long-term warming trend has not changed, with each decade having been warmer than the previous decade since the 1950s. The warming trends observed around Australia are consistent with global scale warming that has been measured during recent decades, despite 2010 and 2011 being the coolest years recorded in Australia since 2001. Global average surface termperatures were the warmest on record in 2010 (slightly higher than 2005 and 1998). 2011 was the world's 11th warmest year and the warmest year on record during a La Nina event. The worlds 12 warmest years on record have all occurred in the past 15 years.' To access more of this short and very readable State of the Climate 2012 report from the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO, click here.