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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| NOAA: Blizzard Rearranges Climate Change Announcement |
| 2010-02-09 |
| As D.C. continued to dig out from Snowmageddon and is keeping an eye on another storm system, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was busy making a climate change announcement. NOAA, part of the Department of Commerce, is going to be providing information to individuals and decision-makers through a new NOAA Climate Service office. "More and more, Americans are witnessing the impacts of climate change in their own backyards, including sea-level rise, longer growing seasons, changes in river flows, increases in heavy downpours, earlier snowmelt and extended ice-free seasons in our waters. People are searching for relevant and timely information about these changes to inform decision-making about virtually all aspects of their lives," the release says. Earlier snowmelt? That would be nice. Turns out the release was planned prepared ahead of the snowstorm, which shut federal agencies today and forced its senders to hold a press conference by telephone instead of at the National Press Club. It's not the first time inclement weather has put a chill on official efforts to tackle climate change. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had to leave the Copenhagen summit early in December to get back to D.C. before the blizzard known as Snowpocalypse grounded all flights. We know how this argument goes: Climate change-skeptics such as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says that the weather conditions prove that "global warming" is a hoax; activists say that scientists are looking at longer-lasting weather patterns. But, says NOAA spokesman Justin Kenney, they're happy to have a chance to educate people about the difference between the climate and the weather. That should be good. Sort of like learning the difference between business and economics. |
| Posted by:Nimble Spemble |
| #7 I find it interesting that in my high school days talking about the weather was a sure way to ruin a first date, and a person who would talk about the weather in conversation was considered a dullard. Now, at the drop of a hat, people are not only expected to be able to talk about future imaginary weather, but also what they are doing in order to stop future imaginary weather. To not be able to do so makes a person an outcast who enjoys the slow broil of babies. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2010-02-09 17:26 |
| #6 As I've posted about before, my daughter (9th grade) has a PowerPoint presentation she made refuting the AGW madness, which she's presented to various audiences since 8th grade. Her latest was at the regional NWS office (a part of NOAA) at the invitation of the office director who had seen her presentation at another venue. From the comments of the staff (some diplomatically phrased at the meeting, others more direct but private) it was clear that most don't buy into the madness, but can't speak out against it directly for fear of career repercussions. On the one hand it's gratifying to see her get such positive recognition for her work; on the other hand it's infuriating to see such politicization of science and sad to have my kid exposed to it at such a young age. |
| Posted by: xbalanke 2010-02-09 10:53 |
| #5 I'm still waiting for any of the warmists to answer the question, what is the correct temperature of the earth. Everyone I've asked just gives me silence and a stupid look on their face. |
| Posted by: BrerRabbit 2010-02-09 10:24 |
| #4 Climate change and hope. Yea, that backyard sea-level rise does it for me as well |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2010-02-09 08:35 |
| #3 I actually preferred the increasing sea-level in my own back yard. What idiots these fools must think us. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2010-02-09 08:13 |
| #2 educate people about the difference between the climate and the weather. However, they don't. In fact they are redefining what climate means. Climate means the relative influence of the weather systems that occur at different latitudes around the globe. For example, a mediteranean climate is one where the predominate influence in winter is mid-latitude low pressure systems, while in summer the predominate influence is sub-tropical highs. Despite confident predictions that climate change would expand these weather systems and shift them poleward, as they should were the climate really warming, they have stubbornly refused to move. So climate is redefined to mean average weather. so the largely specious global average temperature can become the measure of 'climate change'. If they were being truthful, they would say even though the atmosphere is warming (assuming it is), the climate isn't changing (against expectations and the predictions of theory). |
| Posted by: phil_b 2010-02-09 08:05 |
| #1 they're happy to have a chance to educate people about the difference between the climate and the weather In a nutshell: warmer than expected - climate, colder than expected - weather. Do I get my peace prize now? |
| Posted by: DMFD 2010-02-09 07:50 |