February 13th, 2010 · 6 Comments
By Jeffrey Jolson
Republicans in Washington DC are calling the severe snowstorm proof that there is no Global Warming, but in fact it is proof that there is. The warming refers to warming of the oceans, which causes all manner of extreme weather from hurricanes to snowstorms.
In the middle of this week’s storm, Senator James Inhofe constructed an “igloo” in Washington, DC and posted a sign reading “Honk if you heart global warming.” Senator Jim DeMint tweeted “It’s going to keep snowing in DC until Al Gore cries uncle.” Rush Limbaugh and Fox News chimed in with story after story distorting the facts to fit their dishonest narrative.
Call it “Snowpocalypse” or “Snowageddon,” the mid-Atlantic and Northwestern U.S. have seen winter storms this year that rival anything in decades. Scientists agree that this kind of extreme weather is not just consistent with climate change research, it’s the direct result of rising temperatures in our oceans.
Fact: Climate change causes more frequent and severe snowstorms, according to Repower America.
Record snowstorms need two things: temperatures below freezing, and very high humidity. On a planet warmer by a few degrees on average, the Northeast US will still have plenty of days below freezing; the big difference will be warmer seas producing higher levels of moisture in the air — and therefore more severe cold-season storms.1,2
Fact: We can expect more extreme weather
Scientists tell us that climate change has already led to more extreme weather in the United States and we can expect stronger hurricanes, more wildfires, heatwaves and droughts, to name a few.3 The cost of inaction could reach half a trillion dollars a year.4
Fact: The world is warming at a quickening pace
Weather in one region over days or months should not be confused with climate or the patterns of weather over decades and centuries. And the science is clear here: the last decade was the hottest on record.5 And to put this year’s weather in perspective, January was warmer than average for the continental United States.6
“Global warming theory predicts that global precipitation will increase, and that heavy precipitation events… will also increase. This occurs because as the climate warms, evaporation of moisture from the oceans increases, resulting in more water vapor in the air.” – Jeff Masters, meteorologist
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