The Washington Post, along with the rest of the mainstream media, has failed us spectacularly on the most important issues of my lifetime, and of the millennium. Better late than never, Eugene Robinson’s piece today was spot on.
Eugene Robinson in the Washington Post:
Still don’t believe in climate change? Then you’re either deep in denial or delirious from the heat.
As I write this, the nation’s capital and its suburbs are in post-apocalypse mode. About one-fourth of all households have no electricity, the legacy of an unprecedented assault by violent thunderstorms Friday night. Things are improving: At the height of the power outage, nearly half the region was dark.
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Yes, it’s always hot here in the summer — but not this hot. Yes, we always have thunderstorms — but never like these. The cliché is true: It did sound like a freight train.
According to scientists, climate change means not only that we will see higher temperatures but that there will be more extreme weather events like the one we just experienced. Welcome to the rest of our lives.
This is the point in the column where I’m obliged to insert the disclaimer that no one event — no heat wave, no hurricane, no outbreak of tornadoes or freakish storms — can be definitively blamed on climate change. Any one data point can be an anomaly; any cluster of data points can be mere noise.
The problem for those who dismiss climate change as a figment of scientists’ imagination, or even as a crypto-socialist one-worldish plot to take away our God-given SUVs, is that the data are beginning to add up.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the past winter was the fourth-warmest on record in the United States. To top that, spring — which meteorologists define as the months of March, April and May — was the warmest since recordkeeping began in 1895. If you don’t believe me or the scientists, ask a farmer whose planting seasons have gone awry.
There comes a point where anomalies can start looking like a trend. What much of the country has seen the past few days is no ordinary heat wave. Temperatures reached 105 in Raleigh,106 in Atlanta and 108 in Columbia, S.C., and Macon, Ga., 109 in Nashville — all-time highs.
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Meanwhile, the most destructive wildfires in Colorado history were destroying hundreds of homes — a legacy of drought that left forests as dry as tinder. Changes in rainfall and snowfall patterns in the West cannot, of course, be blamed on climate change with any certainty. But they are consistent with scientists’ predictions.
It becomes harder to ignore those predictions when a toppled tree is blocking your driveway and the power is out.
One other observation: As repair crews struggle to get the lights back on, it happens to be another sunny day. Critics have blasted the Obama administration’s unfruitful investment in solar energy. But if government-funded research managed to lower the price of solar panels to the point where it became economical to install them on residential roofs, all you global warming skeptics would have air conditioning right now. I’m just sayin’.
UPDATE:
How the heck did this AP report make it onto the Fox News Website?
WASHINGTON – If you want a glimpse of some of the worst of global warming, scientists suggest taking a look at U.S. weather in recent weeks.
Horrendous wildfires. Oppressive heat waves. Devastating droughts. Flooding from giant deluges. And a powerful freak wind storm called a derecho.
These are the kinds of extremes climate scientists have predicted will come with climate change, although it’s far too early to say that is the cause. Nor will they say global warming is the reason 3,215 daily high temperature records were set in the month of June.
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“This is what global warming looks like at the regional or personal level,” said Jonathan Overpeck, professor of geosciences and atmospheric sciences at the University of Arizona. “The extra heat increases the odds of worse heat waves, droughts, storms and wildfire. This is certainly what I and many other climate scientists have been warning about.”
Kevin Trenberth, head of climate analysis at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in fire-charred Colorado, said these are the very record-breaking conditions he has said would happen, but many people wouldn’t listen. So it’s I told-you-so time, he said.
As recently as March, a special report an extreme events and disasters by the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned of “unprecedented extreme weather and climate events.” Its lead author, Chris Field of the Carnegie Institution and Stanford University, said Monday, “It’s really dramatic how many of the patterns that we’ve talked about as the expression of the extremes are hitting the U.S. right now.
this communication strategy (wait for a weather event, ask people why they’re still skeptical about climate) has failed spectacularly through the years. likewise, if you ask me, the Inhofe family igloo when it snowed.
the only question remaining is why people still do it, unless all of the media exists now only for infotainment purposes.
It is being mentioned (finally) because to say nothing is to be part of the problem rather than the solution. To be fair, the current US hot weather is caused more the the action of monied interests in North America (starting with the gasoline shortages in 1973)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis
refusing to take a different path. There is now more CO2 in the atmosphere than at any time in the last million years and I fear that any recent change of public opinion will have very little affect on current weather or climate. But continuing to behave as we did previously will make things worse.
The reason we do it is, global warming is likely to lead to more heat waves, more wildfires, and more deluges like the one in Duluth. So, anytime one of these events occurs, it’s an opportunity to point out the likely consequences of steadily rising greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.
Not speaking for Inhofe, that was conscious disinformation.
I’ve noticed in the past that the Fox News website sometimes has real news on it. No, don’t splutter your coffee on your keyboard! Somehow I think the website part of Fox News is a bit separated from the TV part. Not completely isolated, but enough for some normal journalist to get some real news out in to the world every now and then. Of course, the publishing of that AP article could have been an intern’s doing …
The AP article by Seth Borenstein mentioned in the update is also the top-of-the-page headline at the Drudge Report at the moment.
The recent weather is going to be a mighty blow to the climate change denial frauds. They may well keep spouting their lies, but the public is going to see them for the charlatans they are soon enough.
***
Democracy NOW! featured Dr. Jeff Masters and two other guests discussing climate change this morning.
Additional reporting from DN! is here: http://www.democracynow.org/special/extreme_weather
Every time we have a local hot spell, the Climate Movement activists cry, “Climate Change!” But when we have a cold spell, “it’s just weather.”
Why are Climate Movement activists so much smarter when it’s cold outside?
As for those fires raging out west, recall that 11 months ago the Obama Administration abruptly cancelled the contract for the U.S. Forest Service’s best firefighting aircraft, “the backbone of the aerial firefighting arsenal.” I’m sure that couldn’t have anything to do with how tough it’s been to bring these fires under control, and how destructive they’ve been.
However, the White House did find enough money to keep three (3) full-time calligraphers on staff, earning $96,000, $94,000 and $86,000. It’s just a matter of priorities, I guess.
welcome back. taking a break from legislating physics in NC?
I do what I can for the cause of sound science.
“sound science” is a code word that cigarette hawkers, asbestos manufacturers, and creationists all use.
That explains a lot, unfortunately.
Sound Science = agrees with political views
Junk Science = disagrees with political views
Sound science, in this (NC) case, means actual, measured, scientific data, as opposed to unsupported hand-waving by Climate Movement activists who don’t even understand the discredited literature that they cite.
Speaking of which… here’s an interesting article:
http://rankexploits.com/musings/2009/tricking-yourself-into-cherry-picking/
Here’s another interesting article, by a statistician, on the topic of sound science:
http://www.niss.org/sites/default/files/Young%20Karr%20Obs%20Study%20Problem.pdf
Re: Warm spells vs. cold spells: The globally-averaged temperature for May 2012 marked the second warmest May since record keeping began in 1880. May 2012 also marks the 36th consecutive May and 327th consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20th century average.–National Climatic Data Center, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. That’s a long time without a cold spell.
Citing safety concerns, the agency announced Friday that it had canceled a contract with Aero Union Corp. of Chico, Calif., for the exclusive use of six P-3 tankers. “We can’t in good conscience maintain an aviation contract where we feel lives may be put at risk due to inadequate safety practices,” Tom Harbour, the Forest Service’s fire and aviation director, said in a
news release.
http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2011/releases/07/airtanker.shtml
or
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=7940326
US Forest Service Cancels Airtanker Contract with Aero Union
Jul 29 11
The U.S. Forest Service announced that it has terminated its contract with Aero Union Corporation of Sacramento, Calif., because the company failed to meet its contractual obligations. The company was providing six airtankers under exclusive-use contracts to the Forest Service. The Forest Service has access to additional aviation assets to meet operational needs. Two other private companies provide 11 large airtankers under exclusive-use contracts. In addition, there are two very large airtankers available through a “call when needed” contract, as well as eight military firefighting aircraft. The five-year contract the Forest Service signed with Aero Union in 2008 required participation in a continued airworthiness program, which included a Fatigue and Damage Tolerance Evaluation and structural inspection program. In April 2011, Aero Union informed the Forest Service that the Federal Aviation Administration found the company was not in compliance with its mandated structural inspection program requirements.
Citing safety concerns! Right when was the last time a Fatal crashed happen… oops yesterday!
It is just pilots; not like they a job creators like corporations (they are people too my friend)
That was a C130 that crashed, not a P-3. The P-3 Orions had excellent safety records.
Aero Union is defunct, now. They laid off their employees and auctioned off itheir planes because the Obama Administration cancelled their USFS contract. But before they went out of business they claimed that their planes were well-maintained, and had recently passed safety inspections. Quoting from an article in Wildfire Today:
CEO Britt Gourley… said… Our aircraft have always been meticulously maintained and continuously airworthy. Since the termination of our U.S. Forest Service contract on July 29, 2011, we have faithfully followed the scheduled maintenance requirements for aircraft in storage as set forth in the U.S. Navy’s “Navair” maintenance manual. Two FAA Designated Engineering Representatives stated before a Congressional panel that our aircraft are unequivocally airworthy. In fact, Aero Union has continued to maintan all FAA airworthiness certifications such that our aircraft could be activated and flown on a wildland fire immediately.
The C130 that crashed was similar in capability to the Orions (slightly smaller payload), but other “11 large airtankers” are old two-engine P-2 Neptunes, which have only about half the payload of the four-engine Orions, and I think the newer Canadian CV-580s are smaller yet.
Losing the seven Orions (six plus a 7th that was scheduled to enter service on the day the contract was cancelled), drastically reduced the aerial firefighting capability of the USFS.
Anthony Watts once again shows why WUWT is the #1 science blog on the Internet:
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/07/03/the-kevin-trenberth-seth-borenstein-aided-fact-free-folly-on-the-usa-heat-wave/
WUWT publishes articles that attempt to discredit and smear scienctists and peer reviewed papers, yet does not participate in the peer review process.
It is on the whole intellectually dishonest and anti-science.
WUWT is, by a wide margin, the #1 climate science blog on the Internet; in fact, it has been rated the #1 science blog, of any type, on the Internet. It is run by a published, peer-reviewed, highly-respected climate scientist and a few well-qualified volunteer assistants, and it is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand climate science.
No, that is incorrect. Climate Crocks is very good. Other good places to find material that is based on peer-reviewed science are
Skeptical Science: http://www.skepticalscience.com
Real Climate: http://www.realclimate.org
Climate Progress: http://www.climateprogress.org
People’s choice award style of ranking means nothing so far as the quality.
None of them write any peer reviewed literature, except Eschenbach has a paper or two in “Energy and Environment”. Watts only volunteered data for other real scientists to add in their publications.
You still haven’t addressed their penchant for smearing peer reviewed papers for which they do not attempt to rebut in the scientific realm. That is a consistently anti-science tactic and academically dishonest.
That’s nonsense, otter17. You obviously don’t read it.
I read it on occasion. Every week there is at least one or two articles that present a few lines of uninformed opinion smearing a peer reviewed paper. Nobody at WUWT has ever attempted to submit a peer reviewed rebuttal to these journals that they smear.
The number of peer reviewed papers to respected journals from these people approaches zero in the context of the larger scientific body.
Anthony Watts reminds me of this quote:
“The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity.” – André Gide
the best con men believe their own cons.
Hi Peter,
Here’s some fresh grist for the mill. Climate change is acidifying the oceans. In our local markets here in Oregon, the price of a jar of oysters has doubled in the last three years. Here’s why:
Here in NC, the oyster beds are threatened, not by acidity, but by fecal coliform contamination from runoff from government-mandated stormwater retention ponds. It seems that the retention ponds attract geese, etc., who do what geese, etc., do, in the water, which flows into and contaminates the oyster beds.
That’s got to be one of the most bizarre things I’ve read in months. What planet did you come from, Dave? You seem entirely extraterrestrial.
Look, the Carolinas have a crap issue because of all the CAFOs, industrial chicken houses, leakng septic systems and undersized sewage treatment facilities.
To blame the problem on wild geese is wildly, wlllfully blind to the facts.
Frankly, you are making a laughingstock of yourself here today.
That’s nonsense, Ray. We don’t have chicken houses and manure ponds upstream of our oyster beds.
Hmmm, this looks to be about the highest concentration of CAFOs in the entire U.S.:
http://www.factoryfarmmap.org/#animal:all;location:NC;year:2007
“None are so blind as those who refuse to see…”
And where’s the evidence that any of them are upstream of and contaminating any oyster beds?
rayduray, here’s a quote from the Division of Water Quality, on what you call “one of the most bizarre things [you]’ve read in months” (fecal coliform contamination of oyster beds from stormwater retention ponds):
“THEN MANY OF US IN THE DIVISION BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT ON THE COAST, THE STORMWATER PONDS WERE NOT REMOVING THE PATHEGENS TO A LEVEL THAT IS NEEDED TO PROTECT OUR SHELLFISHING WATERS.
THE PONDS DISCHARGE PATHEGENS AT A LEVEL OF A 1,000 FECAL COLIFORM UNITS OR MORE AND WE NEED 14 COLIFORM COUNTS TO PROTECT SHELLFISH WATERS SO THE SHELLFISH CAN BE HARVESTED.
UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS NO MAGICAL TREATMENT IN THESE PONDS TO ACHIEVE THE DRASTIC REDUCTIONS IN FECAL COLIFORM THAT IS NEEDED. THERE IS SOME REMOVAL FROM SETTLING, SOME FROM SUNLIGHT.”
(Sorry about the all-caps; that’s how it was sent.)
The upshot is that we should expect increased encouragement of permeable pavements and decreased reliance upon stormwater retention ponds.
And, yes, this is from planet Earth. North Carolina, to be specific.
You’re talking about Hansen, et al, whether you know it or not.
From your link: “the Russian heat wave of 2010…. was caused by natural variation…a blocking high pressure pattern” But a blocking high has since certainly been identified as caused by the slowing of the Jet Stream due to Global Warming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTAZue6ylZ8&feature=channel&list=UL
Also, as explained here, Rahmstorf and Coumou (2011) found an 80% probability that the [Russian] heat record would not have occurred without climate warming”:
http://www.skepticalscience.com/Extreme-Events-Increase-With-Global-Warming.html
Since this is the ‘meat’ of Watts critique of Kevin Trenberth, it is reduced to thin gruel.
Rahmstorf? You’re citing Rahmstorf?
Good grief.
Yes. A Scientific Paper by Rahmstorf and Coumou (2011). Not a partisan blog-site.
Midwest faces worst drought potential since 1988:
http://www.agrimoney.com/news/crop-condition-tumbles-as-north-succumbs-to-heat–4710.html