Since I keep getting asked about the “latest” on the ongoing debate over clouds and feedback diagnosis between myself and Andy Dessler, I decided that this would be the best way to handle it under the current circumstances:

An Open Letter of Encouragement to Dr. Dessler

Dear Andy:

Thank you for the issues you have raised in your new paper, which I was only recently made aware of after it had already been peer reviewed and accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters.

Even though we disagree on the subject, I am pleased you have chosen to vigorously dispute the potential role of clouds in both confounding the diagnosis of the sensitivity of the climate system, as well as in contributing to climate variability and climate change.

I just wanted to encourage you to publish that paper as soon as you can, with or without the changes I suggested on my blog.

I am very sincere in my encouragement. I am anxious for the science to progress on this important issue, and so I eagerly await the official publication.

All the best,

-Roy W. Spencer