Cold Winters and Climate Change

In the Northwest, our brief glimpse of Spring has retreated from view, and we're back to winter coats for a little longer. With cold weather like this and dramatic snow storms for the Mid-Atlantic, it's easy for nay-sayers to put on their coats, stick up their noses and say, "Global warming, my ass!"

Yet, as an article from Green Energy News explains, the extra snow is actually a by product of climate change. Basically, climate change has increased the amount of warm air in weather systems, warm air holds more moisture than cold air and increased humidity equals greater snow storm potential when the cold front moves in.

So, when your friend or acquaintance gives a line about global warming being liberal poppy-cock, follow these simple steps.
1. Gently remind them that the greenhouse effect is creating climate change, not global warming.
2. Briefly explain that warm, moisture-rich air is needed for a snow storm. Give Antarctica as an example, it's usually too cold and dry to snow there (the landscape is maintained due to little melting).
3. Conclude your argument by stating that climate change began after the Industrial Revolution and is not based on a single week's forecast or a year's. It's about long term change, over time.