global warming example?
2011-Jun-30, Thursday 09:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mellowtiggerWow, "news" agencies sure have gotten lazy. I find many reports of the entire state of Texas as a drought disaster area (213 counties out of 254, so 84% of them actually), but nobody bothers to link to the primary source of the actual government announcement.
The obvious point to liberal treehuggers like me is that global warming deniers are finally getting to roast in their own juices as U.S. weather goes haywire this year. There's even a good-but-scary video making the rounds that makes it seem ludicrous for deniers to continue denying.
Objective scientists are more hesitant to make such declarations, but they're obviously leaning to the same conclusion.
The connection is so obvious that even people who would normally know better than to associate a single instance (the year 2011) with a long-term trend (global climate change) find themselves unable to outright evade the possibility.
And this is just short-term speculation. The long-term forecasting is much worse, even if you take into account solar decline.
It's hard to deny the link when you try to imagine a potential "teachable moment" about global warming, and you end up with scenarios exactly like what we're really experiencing already. I'm glad I've managed to commute by bicycle this month. I regret that I plan to go back to gasoline-guzzling transportation before the summer ends. I offer my lame apologies to future generations of humans (and plants and other animals) who will have to suffer for my convenience.
WASHINGTON, June 27, 2011 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 213 counties in Texas as primary natural disaster areas after one of the worst droughts in more than a century. The state sustained excessive heat, high winds and wildfires that burned hundreds of thousands of acres. ... The drought, wildfires and other natural disasters - which began Jan. 1, 2011, and continues - caused 30 percent or more loss of forage crops, pasture, corn, oats and wheat in the following counties...
- http://www.apfo.usda.gov/FSA/newsReleases?area=newsroom&subject=landing&topic=edn&newstype=ednewsrel&type=detail&item=ed_20110628_rel_0061.html
- http://www.apfo.usda.gov/FSA/newsReleases?area=newsroom&subject=landing&topic=edn&newstype=ednewsrel&type=detail&item=ed_20110628_rel_0061.html
The obvious point to liberal treehuggers like me is that global warming deniers are finally getting to roast in their own juices as U.S. weather goes haywire this year. There's even a good-but-scary video making the rounds that makes it seem ludicrous for deniers to continue denying.
Objective scientists are more hesitant to make such declarations, but they're obviously leaning to the same conclusion.
Epic floods, massive wildfires, drought and the deadliest tornado season in 60 years are ravaging the United States, with scientists warning that climate change will bring even more extreme weather. ...
"This spring was one of the most extreme springs that we've seen in the last century since we've had good records," said Deke Arndt, chief of climate monitoring for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). While it's not possible to tie a specific weather event or pattern to climate change, Arndt said this spring's extreme weather is in line with what is forecast for the future. "In general, but not everywhere, it is expected that the wetter places will get wetter and the drier places will tend to see more prolonged dry periods," he told AFP.
- http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-06-experts-epic-weather-ravaging-worsen.html
"This spring was one of the most extreme springs that we've seen in the last century since we've had good records," said Deke Arndt, chief of climate monitoring for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). While it's not possible to tie a specific weather event or pattern to climate change, Arndt said this spring's extreme weather is in line with what is forecast for the future. "In general, but not everywhere, it is expected that the wetter places will get wetter and the drier places will tend to see more prolonged dry periods," he told AFP.
- http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-06-experts-epic-weather-ravaging-worsen.html
The connection is so obvious that even people who would normally know better than to associate a single instance (the year 2011) with a long-term trend (global climate change) find themselves unable to outright evade the possibility.
And of course there's this million dollar question: "Does any research point to climate change as a cause of this wild weather?"
"Global warming is certainly happening," asserts Patzert, "but we can't discount global warming or blame it for the 2011 tornado season. We just don't know ... Yet."
- http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-06-blame-wild-weather-la-nada.html
"Global warming is certainly happening," asserts Patzert, "but we can't discount global warming or blame it for the 2011 tornado season. We just don't know ... Yet."
- http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-06-blame-wild-weather-la-nada.html
And this is just short-term speculation. The long-term forecasting is much worse, even if you take into account solar decline.
It's hard to deny the link when you try to imagine a potential "teachable moment" about global warming, and you end up with scenarios exactly like what we're really experiencing already. I'm glad I've managed to commute by bicycle this month. I regret that I plan to go back to gasoline-guzzling transportation before the summer ends. I offer my lame apologies to future generations of humans (and plants and other animals) who will have to suffer for my convenience.
no subject
Date: 2011-Jun-30, Thursday 09:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-Jul-01, Friday 10:45 am (UTC)I like their images.
http://globaia.org/viz/anthropogenic_planet.jpg
http://globaia.org/viz/the_anthropocene_igbp_globaia.jpg