I yield to no one in taking anthropogenic global warming seriously. But still, we must do our science right. The retreat of the snows of K is not the best evidence for AGW. It’s not even very good.

K is a volcano. It’s not dead, either. Steam vents from fumaroles in the inner crater, more or less constantly. Any little shift in the rate that heat bubbles up from below can be the cause of the snow retreating.

Also, there’s a lie in the article. {Well, lie, or egregious and inexcusable error.} It claims,

As another significant indicator of global warming, the loss of the Kilimanjaro ice fields carries “significant climatological and hydrological implications” for local populations who rely on water from the ice fields during the dry seasons and monsoon failures.

This is not just wrong, it’s ridiculous. I’ve been there. The summit of K is arid and receives little precip. The water coming off K is almost exclusively runoff from rains that fall well down the slopes, at altitudes of 3000 meters or less. I’ve also seen a NatGeo documentary to the same effect.

Arguing “by any means necessary” for AGW is a losing proposition. False arguments will be refuted, and then the correct arguments will lose credibility.