A Question About Global Warming

[erpowers]

As just about everyone at DU knows there have been a number of major snow storms in the Northeast. A number of media, celebrity and political types have used the snow fall in the Northeast to claim global warming does not exist. The latest to join this club is Donald Trump, who recently claimed that due to the snow in the Northeast Vice President Al Gore should be stripped of his Nobel Peace Prize. As a result of the claims of individuals like Trump I have a question about global warming.

Isn't the snow in the Northeast, especially the amount, supposed to be a sign that Al Gore was right. As far as my understanding of global warming goes it is not snow or lack of snow that indicates global warming. The way my understanding goes it was the fact that places that were not supposed to get snow were getting snow, places that were supposed to get snow were not getting snow, places that were only supposed to get a small amount of snow were getting a large amount of snow, and places that were supposed to get large amounts of snow were getting small amounts of snow.

So, can someone explain it to me? Is it about snow or lack of snow? Is it about the fact that things are happening in places and when they normally do not happen? How is this thing supposed to work?



http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/02/donald-trump-citing-snow-says-al-gore-should-lose-nobel-prize/1

[Schema Thing]

1. The theory has long predicted odd weather patterns

and never did the theory say that there would not be snow in the year 2010.

I don't know that anyone can say with an certainty that the snow the mid-atlantic is getting is a *result* of global warming, but only an idiot would say it is any kind of proof against AGW.

[Winterblues]

2. I sit in Alaska where we don't have any snow and haven't all winter.

Climate is changing in Alaska even if it is not in Washington DC. Climate and Weather are not the same thing.

[stanwyck]

15. Isn't the insect population in Alaska one of the indicators?

I've read that Alaska farmers are now plagued with new insects attacking their crops - insects which could not survive in the Alaskan climate in previous decades. So, Alaskan farmers are having to use pesticides against insects which previously were not a problem.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Broadly speaking

anyone who can't diferentiate between climate and weather must've majored in being an a-hole.

Your most recent snow is most likely El Niño sucking more than normal cold air down from Canada.

I don't suppose he blamed the Canadians too. :sarcasm:

[johnaries]

4. Yes, Global Warming theorists predicted this.

They predicted that GW would cause more weather extremes - more storms, more violent weather, and greater extremes between seasons in some areas. Some areas would have hotter summers and colder winters. It has also caused the Jet Stream to shift positions, which is part of the reason it is colder in the south while warmer in areas like Vancouver.
Also, the warming of the oceans has caused more evaporation which has put more moisture in the air which causes more precipitation: in this case in the form of snow. Now, the current heavy precipitation is mostly due to an El Nino weather event. BUt GW has affected El Nino's, making them more frequent and last longer when they do occur.
So, as contradictory as it may sound, the recent heavy snowfalls are in part a resul tof Global Warming. But to understand this you need to understand the difference between Global temperature trends, Climate, and Weather. To do this, ask a Fifth-Grader. :evilgrin:

[NightWatcher]

5. from what I heard, the "warming" of global gases will ultimately lead to an ICE AGE

the FauxNewscicles will be laughing and saying see, no warming as they slide into a glacier off Key West

[jdlh8894]

8. Maybe I'm wrong

but didn't receding glaciers Create the Keys?

[Birthmark]

14. No. No, they didn't.

:)

[Birthmark]

6. All that can be said with confidence...

...about the recent weather is that it's not inconsistent with AGW-theory. That doesn't mean much, I know, but the truth is frequently disappointing, ime. :)

It's virtually impossible at this stage blame any weather event(s) on climate change.

[Zoeisright]

7. It's about an increase in weather extremes.

Places that get snow will get more snow, or none at all. Places that do not see snow will get it.

Droughts will be longer and more extreme, as will hurricanes and other storms. The weather is just going to get crazier.

That's the jist of it.

[LynneSin]

9. Trump is a dipshit that doesn't know the difference between "Weather" and "Climate"

Anyone who disparages global warming usually has little grasp between these 2 words.

[Statistical]

10. One season of snow neither proves nor disproves GW.

Sometimes there is no correlation between events.

Here is a quiz:
1) If someone is driving a red car does that mean they are overweight? a) Yes b) No C) No correlation can be drawn from facts given
2) If you have $100 in the bank today does that mean the stock market is rising? a) Yes b) No C) No correlation can be drawn from facts given
3) If you go out to the movies did a baby seal die in Alaska? a) Yes b) No C) No correlation can be drawn from facts given

[Uncle Joe]

11. Trump is not that stupid, it's deliberate; more like willful ignorance, of course I could be wrong,

he might be stupid.

[defendandprotect]

17. Agree -- he's Establishment and not interested in any awakening by public -- !!

[ljm2002]

12. The same idiots who say Eastern snowstorms disprove global warming...

...remain strangely silent about the Vancouver Winter Olympics, where they had to bring in the snow to even have the games. Or about the melting polar icecaps. Or... or... or...

In other words they are truly idiots.

[pintobean]

13. Men's super-combined postponed because of heavy snow

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympic_games/vancouver_2010/alpine_skiing/8518417.stm

[ljm2002]

19. From the article you cite...

...However, International Ski Federation (FIS) chief of races Guenter Hujara admitted that mild temperatures, along with anticipated snow overnight, would make clearing the runs of excess snow difficult.

"We will be out there the whole night but we can't push away snow that hasn't already fallen," said Hujara.

"Another problem is that because of the slightly mild temperatures, the snow will be falling on a softer surface and that makes it more difficult to push away."

Heavy snowfall throughout the night and soft conditions on the lower sections of the course prompted officials to call off the race.

The poor weather in Whistler has been giving organisers a headache all week.

A mix of warm temperatures, snow, rain and fog had already caused the postponement of the men's downhill and the women's super-combined skiing.

[pintobean]

22. Yes, I read it.

I was just letting you know that things had changed very recently. It's weather, that tends to happen.

[ljm2002]

23. Warmest January on record in Vancouver...

...continues to cause problems for the Games:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3j-D_157lI

[defendandprotect]

16. You are correct . . . heating up the atmosphere brings chaotic weather conditions ....

Here in central NJ this year we had a much cooler spring, summer, winter --

with more snow -- and very low temperatures in the 20's and lower --

NOT broken by immediate periods of warmer weather as we had in more recent times with

immediate melting.

How does Trump ignore the reality that this past decade is the hottest ever recorded?

Meanwhile, my sister is now living for a time in Ireland -- not usually below 40 degrees

there in winter -- this year they have had such unusually low temps that their water

pipes were freezing!

[uppityperson]

18. Global Warming confuses many. Try Global Climate Change for a term

See if that helps.

[Pakhet]

20. that don't hear that term

goes right in one ear, through the head, and out the other ear. believe me, I've tried...

[elocs]

21. "Climate" is the big picture of a region and what is normally expected.

Here in Wisconsin in February it is normally cold (freezing or colder) and it snows. That is normal here and that is our climate.

If a snow storm dumps 12" of snow on us today and they the temperature gets below zero, that is weather. Weather is what happens from day to day in a climate.

I can remember days here in Wisconsin in February where it got up to 60 degrees and although that is abnormal it is still the weather. If being 60 degrees here in Wisconsin in February became normal over time then that would eventually become our "climate".

It is predicted that in 50 years from now here in Wisconsin our winter weather will become like that currently of southern Iowa. That would be a climate change.