Recent record-breaking snow storms have given climate change skeptics on the East Coast of the United States new fuel. Republican Senator James Inhofe's daughter and her family built an igloo with the sign "AL GORE'S NEW HOME" as a satire of the former vice president's educational crusade.
Inhofe is the author of the Senate minority report "More than 700 international scientists dissent over man-made global warming claims". According to a 2009 Stuart Jordan article, "Can a reasonable skeptic support climate change legislation," in the Skeptical Enquirer, few people on this list have participated in peer reviewed climate science. Four percent of the list actually supported the consensus.
Global Warming Leads to Climate Change
NASA scientist James Hansen was the first scientist to testify before Congress regarding global warming. In his book, Storms of My Grandchildren, Hansen recalls that his 1988 testimony was perhaps not completely understood. Hot and dry weather during the period of his testimony gave the impression that effects of global warming included more intense droughts and heat waves.
Dr. Hansen further laments that the result of warming did not gain as much attention. Besides increased hot weather effects, the results of warming lead to more extreme wet weather events. In the preface to his book, Hansen explains that a warmer atmosphere holds more water. Heavier rains, more extreme flooding, and more intense storms, like snowmageddon, are direct results of this wetter atmosphere.
Understanding this phenomenon may be easier for people who live in northern climates. Often in the north, summer months can be humid enough to require air conditioning to remove humidity. Conversely, in the winter when the air is colder, humidity is added to conditioned air in buildings to keep them comfortable. This is a simple representation of how warmer air holds more moisture.
Record Snow in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington DC
Snow on the East Coast of the United States broke many records. Over the past 15 years in many areas, weather records are being broken and new extremes in weather continue to measure in the top 10 of all time. This applies not only to the recent snow, but also to many regional weather patterns.
According to a February 12, 2010 article on The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang website, the recent snow storms set several records for total snowfall as well as single storm totals.
- Washington DC National Airport: New record, 55.9"; Old record 54.4: winter of 1898-99
- Washington DC Dulles Airport: New record, 72.8"; Old record 61.9" winter of 1995-96
- Baltimore MD: New record 79.9"; Old record 62.5" winter of 1995-96
- Philadelphia PA: New record 71.6"; Old record 65.5" winter of 1995-96
Evaluating the recent storms objectively shows they actually fit with climate change science. Climate change skeptics would do well to review the science and understand that climate is the long term regional weather. A little digging or reading the daily weather in the paper will reveal that climate is indeed changing. The evidence for climate change and global warming is quite scientifically sound.
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Justin Novak - I graduated from Michigan Technological University in December of 2007 with a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering. My ...
