Climate myths: Any cooling disproves global warming

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17808-climate-myths-any-cooling-disproves-global-warming.html

Climate myths: Any cooling disproves global warming

11:00 21 September 2009 by Michael Le Page
For similar stories, visit the http://www.newscientist.com/topic/climate-change">Climate Change Topic Guide

In fact, even if the world does cool over the next few years as some predict, it in no way undermines the certainty about long-term warming due to greenhouse gas emissions.

Let's start with a thought experiment. Suppose you managed to find some children who knew nothing about the oceans, handed them a long measuring stick and sent them off to the seaside find out whether sea level is rising or falling.

As soon they saw the waves crashing on the shore, the children would realise they had been set a tricky task: how do you measure sea level when it is constantly changing?

If they were smart, the kids would try to find a quiet cove or harbour where there were no waves and start measuring. After an hour or so they would come running up to you. "The sea is going down! The sea is going down!" they'd shout in excitement.

"Not so fast," you'd reply. "Keep going." After a day or two, the children would realise the sea rises and falls at least once a day. If they were really dedicated and kept going for several days, they'd soon come running back to you.

…

[Altoid_Cyclist]

1. That's the problem with the phrase "Global Warming".

The idiots that still insist that Global Warming is a left wing conspiracy fail to see the big picture. It's not about what the temperature is on any given day, it's the overall climate changes that are taking place in large part because of the continued use of fossil fuels. The planet is being changed in ways other than temperature. However, it's nice to know that if we keep going on this way, people in PA. will be able to grow palm trees in their backyard. The people who still deny the damage being inflicted need to talk to the people living in Bangladesh and other areas that have already seen some of the landmass swallowed by the sea.

[Buzz Clik]

2. Myth number 2: Any warming proves global warming.

Global warming (anthropogenicly induced global climate change) is something that will happen on the long term. A hot summer, a warm winter, or a series of such events proves nothing. We will not see the impact of our folly for another several decades; waiting to act until then will be far too late.

[OKIsItJustMe]

3. “We will not see the impact of our folly for another several decades…”

Some of us are already seeing the impact of our folly.

[Buzz Clik]

4. A trend in temperature of less than one degree is not an impact.

But, that impact is coming. No question.

[OKIsItJustMe]

5. That graph has an impact on me

Show it to anyone who knows a bit of math, and they should sit up and take notice.

However, this past Winter, even "Right-Wingers" I knew were remarking on how it was the first "normal" Winter they could remember for "years." (In fact it was still warmer than average, just colder than recent Winters.)