The BEST debate is still in its infancy. Steve McIntyre has now joined in – see http://climateaudit.org/2011/10/22/first-thoughts-on-best/ where he begins in a positive tone by saying he is impressed by the BEST results as it represents strong evidence against the Hockey Stick model and shows the Little Ice Age as a reality. It is 2 degrees warmer now than at the beginning of the 19th century. It makes you wonder how all those mainstream media journalists managed to get hold of the wrong end of the stick – all guns firing. I suppose the PR machine is at work – get the first words in and the public will get the message – even if it is wrong. When the message is revised somewhat later the damage will have been done – BEST will be said to support AGW and this will be repeated over and over again. Simples.
Meanwhile, Nigel Calder has waded into the fray – see http://calderup.wordpress.com/2011/10/22/hoodwinked-by-berkeley-earth/ in which he criticises the heavy dose of propaganda that has accompanied the BEST press release – and provides a bit of a history lesson concerning Tito duping Churchill.