I really cant decide whether I should hate Al Gore
or thank him for giving me something to write about.
He has caused the spread of more pseudo-scientific incompetence on the subject of global warming (Im sorry climate change) than any climate scientist could possibly have ever accomplished. Who else but a politician could spin so much certainty out of a theory?
As someone who has lived and breathed meteorology and climate for 40 years now, I can assure you that this winters storminess in the little 2% patch of the Earth we like to call the United States of America has nothing to do with your SUV.
Natural climate variability? Maybe.
But I would more likely chalk it up to something we used to call WEATHER.
Let me give you a few factoids:
1) No serious climate researcher including the ones I disagree with believes global warming can cause colder weather. Unless they have become delusional as a result of some sort of mental illness. One of the hallmarks of global warming theory is LESS extratropical cyclone activity not more.
2) If some small region of the Earth is experiencing unusually persistent storminess, you can bet some other region is experiencing unusually quiet weather. You see, in the winter we get these things called storm tracks
.
3) Evidence for point #2 is that we now have many years of global satellite measurements of precipitation which shows that the annual amount of precipitation that falls on the Earth stays remarkably constant from year to year. The AREAS where it occurs just happen to move around a whole lot. Again, we used to call that weather.
4) Global average temperature anomalies (departures from seasonal norms) have been falling precipitously for about 12 months now. Gee, maybe these snowstorms are from global cooling! Someone should look into that! (I know
cold and snow from global cooling sounds crazy
.Im just sayin
.)
I could go on and on.
Now, I know Im not going to change the minds of any of the True Believers
those who read all of Reverend Als sermons, and say things like, You know, global warming can mean warmer OR colder, wetter OR drier, cloudier OR sunnier, windier OR calmer,
. Can I get an amen??
But I hope I can still save a few of those out there who are still capable of independent reasoning and thought.
NOW can I go to bed?