In the
hockey stick controversy, the data and methods used in reconstructions of the
temperature record of the past 1000 years have been disputed. Reconstructions have consistently shown that the rise in the
instrumental temperature record of the past 150 years is not matched in earlier centuries, and the name "
hockey stick graph" was coined for figures showing a long-term decline followed by an abrupt rise in temperatures. These graphs were publicised to explain the scientific findings of
climatology, and in addition to scientific debate over the reconstructions, they have been the topic of political dispute. The issue is part of the
global warming controversy and has been one focus of political responses to reports by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Arguments over the reconstructions have been taken up by fossil fuel industry funded lobbying groups attempting to cast doubt on climate science.