>Raw data is freely available (noaa and others), and some simple scripts can answer questions like "are the claimed warming trends real or artifacts of bias due to adjustments or other factors".

That can only tell you whether the trend is present in the raw data or only occured after some processing of the data.

Don't confuse raw sensor data with reality and adjustments with artifacts.

I can use a tire gauge that reads high, but that doesn't make my flat tire an artifact of data adjustment.