Conservatives frequently argue that there cannot be global warming since there was a record snowfall or a harsh cold snap. Senator James Inhofe went as far as throwing a snowball in Congress to make the point! “It is very-very cold out” he said!
Here is a simple way to explain why we can get extreme cold or a lot of snow sometimes even though the planet is warming. There are three simple principles:
1) Warmer air means more evaporation of ocean water, so there is more moisture for weather events.
2) Warmer air means more energy for all types of storms.
3) A Warmer atmosphere means more volatility in global weather patterns.
These fundamental principles mean that the number and power of storms and extreme weather events will increase as global temperatures increase. With more energy and moisture, we then expect hotter and colder weather, heavier rain and snow events, and more and more powerful storms of all types.
Trump’s tweet “What the hell is going on with Global Warming? Please come back fast, we need you!” is at best silly.
With increased injury and loss of life, property and infrastructure destruction, economic damage, and other disruptions from more frequent and powerful storms, we now have a taste of what is to come. We can easily foresee the dire impacts and loss of life from not only coming weather events but likely wars over disrupted clean water, food, livable land, and massive migrations of people.
Fighting global warming is a win for everyone, the economy, and the future. The needed war on global warming will create jobs, have a stimulus effect on the economy, and have long term paybacks.
by Karl Smith
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