Any particular storm is weather, not climate. That is, it is a discrete event, whereas climate is a decades-long pattern of such events. But the pattern is worrisome. A hotter atmosphere, which we are producing by dumping 5 billion metric tons of pollution from burning coal, gas and petroleum right into our earth’s atmosphere, produces more extreme weather events over time.
While it is uncontroversial that climate change will produce more frequent and more intense storms (hurricanes, cyclones), it is not clear what impact it will have on smaller weather events like tornadoes or hail storms.
Kudos to WXYZ Detroit for doing real science journalism on climate change and extreme weather! Pt. 1:
The reporters helpfully warn that from here on out, our extreme weather season may lengthen . . .
For an informed discussion of climate change and public policy, see this Woodrow Wilson Center discussion:
This is also an excellent source of climate information and news:
http://www.climatecentral.org
“An independent organization of leading scientists and journalists researching and reporting the facts about our changing climate and its impact on the American public.”
Excellent link.
I’ve never seen a tornado, though one of my earliest memories is of my father and a gang of his college students heading off late at night to a nearby village to help find the survivors of a tornado touch-down in Judsonia, Arkansas. 1957. For many years, in my middle adulthood, twisters were a recurring theme in my dreams.
Will humankind eventually live under the earth, broadly?
Excellent presentation. One important cause is left out, as it usually is: vehicle idling. An overwhelming amount of exhaust, CO2… is being emitted here with thousands of vehicles stopped, in line for many minutes, for highway construction, when 10 secs. should be the limit. All idling causes engine wear, major pollution,… even some large engine manufacturers tell truck drivers to turn off engines rather than idle.
An excellent source of information is http://www.idlefreevt.org. Don’t miss it.
Thanks!