The recent rash of cold temperatures and record snowfall in parts of the country has led some to declare global warming as “over.” As nice as this would be, it highlights some misunderstandings of the nature of global warming. This section is meant to educate and give talking points to counter some of the arguments bounding about.
One: It’s important not to be distracted by local weather patterns when what’s important here is global climate change – the long term changes in weather systems and temperatures all over the world caused by rising greenhouse gas emissions.
Two: Globally, the last decade was the warmest decade on record. Before that, the 1990s was the hottest decade. We are experiencing a well-documented global warming trend, which is not contradicted by snowstorms.
Three: In fact, more intense storms – winter and summer – with more precipitation are consistent with global warming impact projections.
Four: The dominant factor in the 2010 Washington, DC storms was the increased level of moisture, as opposed to colder temperatures. Increased moisture in the atmosphere from increased ocean evaporation is consistent with a warming world.
On February 10, The New York Times ran an article highlighting the various interpretations of the cold snap in the East Coast. While we, as people of faith, understand that, even in the absence of a climate crisis, are called to love the Earth and live responsibly.
