Opinion

The ice melts, the truth doesn’t

While Houston has largely recovered from Friday’s icy nightmare, we are reminded that we are still very much at the mercy of nature. And while we are subject to its fury, humans still have remarkable ability to force nature’s hand. If the population as whole continues its reckless destruction of the environment, we can only expect, and some say deserve, more severe weather-related disasters.

On Tuesday, CNN reported that snow was present in 69.4 percent of the lower 48 states, and Florida was the only state without snow on the ground. The naysayers point to the 20 inches of snow in Chicago and the rolling blackouts here in Texas, and decry with self-righteous indignation, “We told you global warming was a scam!” But by narrowly focusing on local and short term weather patterns, they fail to see how a general warming trend in the Earth’s average temperature can ultimately lead to more intense winters.

At first glance this theory may appear speculative and exaggerated; the skeptic would justifiably ask for evidence that such events were actually occurring. Regrettably for the Earth, the non-governmental International Arctic Science Committee has in fact documented a sustained period of warmer temperatures in the northern pole region and altered air current patterns.

Climatologists predict that as the climate shifts to an elevated average temperature, extreme weather patterns of all types will become the norm. Greater evaporation in equatorial regions will lead to drought and subsequent crop loss. As this warm air mass moves north, it cools and looses its ability to retain the evaporated water.

The result is larger storms of greater intensity. Sadly, events like Hurricane Katrina and the enormous cyclone that recently ravaged Australia will only increase in frequency.

In 2009, the U.S. Global Change Research Program reported that global warming “is due primarily to human-induced emissions of heat-trapping gases.” Independently, the IASC affirmed this in its Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, which stated, “There is international scientific consensus that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities.”

No credible scientific body stands in opposition to these beliefs. A concerted world effort to reduce green-house gases and other pollutants could begin to remediate or at least mitigate these climate changes. Failure to act virtually guarantees that the nightmarish conditions faced this winter will become norm rather than the exception.

6 Comments

  • Why don't you believe the "scientist"?

    {quote from 2000}

    According to Dr David Viner, a senior research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia,within a few years winter snowfall will become "a very rare and exciting event".

    "Children just aren't going to know what snow is," he said.{endquote}

    That white stuff wasn't snow – it was mannmade super cooled water. Just like the global temperature didn't cool last decade … it showed an abnormal variation from the predicted warming.

  • Global warming is a misnomer, which is why you have all these fools going around saying we don't have to worry about anything and can just keep burning fossil fuels and using landfills. The word you want to say is Global Climate Change, which is why everyone was so cold last week.

  • Climate Change has done to news editors and lazy journalism, what nasty priests did for religion. SYSTEM CHANGE, NOT CLIMATE CHANGE. In his State of the Union Address, President Obama, didn’t mention the words Climate Change or EPA once. So why are the thousands of consensus scientists not marching in protest? Thanks media. And meanwhile, the UN had allowed carbon trading to trump 3rd world fresh water relief, starvation rescue and 3rd world education for just over 24 years of climate control instead of needed population control. Nice job. Let’s not leave the lag coat consultants out of this climate change scam crime against humanity. But remember first that scientists produced cruise missiles, cancer causing chemicals, land mine technology, nuclear weapons, germ warfare, cluster bombs, strip mining technology, Y2K, Y2Kyoto, deep sea drilling technology and now climate change. And how ironic is it that up until 25 years ago, scientists were condemned for producing planet killing chemicals and making environmentalism necessary in the first place?

      • It's an opposing view. Get over it. Learn something and stop trying to scare my kids.
        Climate Change is a death threat to our children from ignornant climate cowards.
        You modern day witch burners and flat eathers of climate dooom are jokes for the history books.

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