While I agree the warming is over-hyped, the graph that you posted is a little misleading. It is not quite fair to choose to start in 1998, which was the warmest year in at least 50 years...
Fair or not, that’s the graph presented by the scientists in the letter to the ICPP.
I mean — IPCC.
You are correct. It is also inappropriate for the IPCC and many, many, of the global warming studies to start from the mid 50s, where the temperatures are well on their way into a trough. ...not to mention any support whatsoever for Mann's Hockeystick.