Here we go again with the 'global warming'/'climate change' talk – but it just seems unavoidable these days. Continuous blog posts here on The Northeast Quadrant touch on recent extreme weather events that may or may not be linked to the man-made or not so man-made phenomenon (I personally believe it's cyclical), and so the coverage continues today.I am totally convinced news sources are plowing through The Northeast Quadrant because I'm telling ya – each time I write about a story it goes without fail that I find a similar story on a website a few days later. OK, enough inflating my own head...
I recently read on another blog, "because of human-fueled 'global warming,' extreme weather events are occurring with greater frequency, and in many cases with greater intensity.” Naturally, I cringed beyond belief!
The increasing frequency of record and extreme events does appear to be a signal of a changing climate. And no matter the source, more and more extremes are making us think twice, and that includes cautious climate scientists who, like me, won’t link a single weather event to 'global warming' with any certainty. Sure the first six months of 2010 were the warmest on record, but evidence of global warming comes from long-term trends – not short-term, recent extreme weather events.
So what is this all tied to? Is it really 'global warming?' Or is it 'climate change?' I'll answer that as if it's you asking me...
I say it's 'climate change.' What's the difference? 'Global warming,' while obvious, in my opinion points to a long-term drastic issue that we fear fighting. 'Climate change,' on the other hand, is just evident. It is what it is – the climate is clearly 'changing' and although I totally adore Al Gore, I truly believe mankind is not in control of the Earth’s environment. I do truly believe the conditions we are seeing now are cyclical and just because they might (or might not) be, it does not negate its sensitivity, but it does support that the Earth naturally changes its temperature.
So what backs my claim? Look at the big picture – that's all I'm saying. I am not denying we are in a time of [climate] change. But I'm just not sold on the man-made process many are hinting at.
Perhaps I had to rant through this post to get that point across – but I am interested in your thoughts. Leave comments here or on the facebook fan page.
Stay tuned tomorrow for the 200th post from The Northeast Quadrant! Thanks for following!
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