Pace of global warming slowing: Japan Meteorological Agency data

TOKYO, Dec. 15 Kyodo - The pace of global warming appears to be slowing, with the average temperature
in the world in 2008 registering a rise of 0.2 degree Celsius compared with the
average rise between 1971 and 2000, according to preliminary data released
Monday by the Japan Meteorological Agency.

This was the 10th largest margin of increase from an immediate benchmark
average since 1891, the year in which the oldest data are available, the agency
said.
The 2008 average for Japan rose 0.41 degree, the 13th biggest margin of gain
since 1898, the agency said.
But with mercury standing at high levels in mid- to high-altitude regions in
Asia and Europe, the agency said it believes there is no change in the
long-term global warming trend.
It attributed this year's slowdown to the La Nina phenomenon, which lowers
temperatures some parts of the world.
The margin of increase was the lowest since 2001 for the world and the margin
for Japan was 0.44 degree lower than last year, which marked the fourth highest
rise in history.
The agency computes averages of the temperatures of 1,200 locations in the
world where historical data are available. Japan's data are based on
temperatures of 17 locations where the impact of urbanization is considered
less than other places.
The agency publishes only figures for margins of change and does not publish
average temperatures of specific locations.
==Kyodo