Final answer:
The assertion that the average temperature in NYC over the last 25 years is greater than the historical average of 52.872°F is true. This reflects the broader increase in Earth's average surface temperatures over the past 100 years, driven by climate change and the greenhouse effect.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is True that the average temperature in NYC over the last 25 years (1989 to 2013) is greater than the recorded historical average of 52.872°F. Data from both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has indicated that the Earth's surface temperatures have increased by more than one degree in the past 100 years. This increase is associated with global trends in climate change, such as the greenhouse effect largely due to the increase in greenhouse gases like H2O.
Moreover, to understand typical weather patterns, like that of Chicago, Illinois, it's important to focus on the entire pattern of data over time rather than one-time temperature extremes. With the stated ongoing rise in average annual temperatures, it is reasonable to infer that recent decades, including the period from 1989 to 2013, have experienced warmer temperatures than the historical average for NYC.