Global warming is here to stay. Every day the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere increases due to the build up of greenhouse gasses.
Or, something else. Or, not.
From what I can tell by having observed daily weather for a few decades (certainly sufficient experience to qualify me as a television meteorologist), the temperature changes due to a variety of factors. Those changes occur daily, monthly, yearly, and over decades.
It seems as though Hawaii is warmer now than it was 25 years ago, and that alone is sufficient proof of global warming, right? Maybe. Is the warmth we’re feeling these days because of a dangerous global warming trend, or merely a natural variation which may span decades?
The warmest year on record in the US once was 1998. Now it’s 1934. The government often revises statistics depending on which political party controls the statistics.
2006 has been designated as the 6th warmest year on record by the World Meteorological Organization. It seemed warmer than that.
Weather makes news. Heat waves, drought conditions, hurricanes, tornadoes, snow storms, ice storms. We love to watch what ails us. I’m a sucker for such bad weather. I’m just glad it’s always on CNN where it belongs.
Is the earth warming up, is similar to the question, “Which religion is best?” The answer usually depends upon who you ask and what their criteria was for selecting the best religion. For example:
Me to my neighbor: “What’s the best religion in the world?”
My Neighbor: “Buddhism.”
Me: “What religion are your parents?”
Neighbor: “Buddhist.”
Me: “What religion are you?”
Neighbor: “Buddhist.”
The methodology is scientific, though the sample is somewhat small. The results are probably skewed to the sample size. The methodology is still the same. Ask questions, record results.
The answer to the question, “Is the earth experiencing global warming?” is probably dependent upon who is being asked at the time. Many scientists who should know, will say yes. Others will say no.
Yes, it seems warmer these days, but I notice that the water is not higher along Waikiki Beach than it was decades ago. Maybe it’s just not warm enough.
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