Sweating

The year 1997 was the warmest since temperature record-keeping started according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA's findings reveal that the annual average global temperature of 1997 stood at 16.91C, 0.08C higher than the previous highest recorded in 1990. The average global temperature for the past 30 years has been 16.36C. NOAA scientists say that human activity is affecting the Earth's climate. "For the first time, I feel confident in saying that there is a human component causing a rise in temperature," according to Elbert W Friday Jr, meteorologist with NOAA. The report is based on land-based measurement reflecting the condition of the Earth. NOAA adds that 1997 was part of an exceptionally sultry decade that witnessed nine of the 11 hottest years of this century. But this is a vexed issue. Some scientists disagree with NOAA. John Christie, associate professor of atmospheric sciences at University of Alabama, USA, says 1997 was a normal year. He adds that the planet actually cooled slightly in 1997.