Snow and Global Warming

Lane,

I do not have all of the data for Atlanta, however the link below shows the temperatures as recoderd at Dekalb Peachtree for all of last year.  It seems to me that the graph shows that the temperatures very closely followed the average for the region.

DEKALB PEACHTREE

Larry,

I would like for you to reread my blog and point out where I said that your or anybody else's SUV has had anything to do with global warming, or the lack of global warming.

The intention was to be non-political and to simply try to explain a phenomenon of nature.

There could be global warming which is not caused by man, but that does not mean that it is not global warming.

Wallace,

I suppose that the Great Lakes, with the exception possibly of Lake Superior, can very quickly change temperatures, since, although they are massive in area, they are relatively shallow in depth.  Whatever is happening temperature wise in the atmosphere most likely will impact the temperature of the Lakes.

Rob,

I am aware of the frigid temperatures in Florida, but it is only one region, so by itself it is not necessarily indicative of the entire country, let alone the globe.

Nonetheless, I wondered how there could be global warming if many areas were experiencing cooling. I performed a little experiment to test the theory that cooling could occur even if overall global warming was occurring.

I write about it in the blog linked below.  By the way, the thinking in the referenced blog may be contrary to the ideas expressed in this blog.

GLOBAL WARMING EXPERIMENT

Larry,

I do not question whether or not politicians have taken the debate about global warming and used it for political purposes.

I do not question that the earth on its own can cause significant changes to its own climate.

However, global warming could be occuring, even if not caused by man.  You have shown, with your example, about the melting of the ice age, that global warming can occur, even if it is naturally occuring.

Also, do not underestimate the capabilities of man.  Man was able to connect the two vast oceans of Atlantic and Pacific at the Panama Canal, he learned how to fly, to go to the moon, and to use the earth's resources such that you and I do not have to live in grass huts and ride mules.

To think that the actions of six billion people upon the earth has no bearing upon the earth is questionable.  A colony of itsy bitsy termites could wipe out my big beautiful house in just a few weeks.  Why is it so hard to believe that man can have an impact upon the earth?

Larry,

Thank you for the suggestions, however, I think you have it slightly reversed.  If I buy carbon credits, then I would be allowed to emit the greenhouse gases by heating my big house and driving my SUV.  If I ride a bike and reduce the energy consumption in my home, then I would have carbon credits to sell.  Apparently, you are not in the market.

Lane,

Thank you for the information.  You are right, although the temperatures are lower, they still seem to be well within a normal distribution.

Georgia,

I am not proclaiming to be a proponent of global warming nor of global cooling.

I too remember snow storms from my youth.  First as a child most storms seemed big to me and second my experience only represented me and as such should be considered to be anecdotal rather than scientific.

It is interesting that you cite a web site for REAL SCIENCE instead of politically created science, which has public policy right in its title.

Although you have reports of the ice extent increasing, there is satellite data which shows exactly the opposite.

It is easy to find a photo of something which mocks scientific data gathering, but it does not mean that it is representative of all such stations.  It works for dramatic effect just like Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth, which shows snow and ice falling from a glacier.

Carbon dioxide is, indeed, a naturally occuring gas in many situations, but it is not natural when it is being emitted from cars, trucks, buildings, and such.

The earth may be capable of withstanding and naturally adjusting to some temperature changes, just as our bodies shiver or perspire to adjust to the varying temperatures.  However, just as our bodies would eventually lose either enough moisture or energy to continue to adjust, so may be the case with the earth.

Lane,

Normal distribution is not determined by the percentage difference between two points alone.  It is determined by a set of points.  Once the normal distribution is determined, then over 99% of the points should fall within that distribution.  That portion of the distibution, which is equal to three standard deviations in the positive and three within the negative direction, could have a tight variation between points of 1 percent or a looser variation of 25 percent or more, depending upon the particular data being measured.

I do not disagree with the data that you have regarding the ice around the south pole, however, there is data which suggests exactly the opposite.  Which data do I believe?

Lane,

Thank you for the additional information reference.

I wonder.  Do scientists know as much about real estate as we know about the science of the earth's temperatures?

Lane,

I remember a class that I took in college on International Business.  A team of students, myself and three others took the exact same data that our professor had used, but came to exactly the opposite conclusion that he did with this data.  He gave us an "A" for the project.  I could never figure this professor out, except to say that he was in another world.

Maybe the scientists have been measuring the temperatures on Mercury, where it's close to -300 F on one side and close to 800 F on the other side.