Miami: Coldest Dec on record!

[Brucelee]

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/12/30/noaa-on-miami-florida-coldest-december-on-record/


I wonder how these records are being set? I thought the planet was burning up?

[brian325is]

Here we are in Toronto. Haven't seen snow yet this year and 11 celcius or 52 F and rain yesterday.

[Perfectlap]

Here in NJ December was the first month that was below average after 9 consecutive months of temps above average.

[schnellman]

The reason it's colder is because the planet is getting warmer. The heat coefficient of the thermal inversion is indirectly proportional to the funding available to various research groups. Therefore, we will soon enter another ice age if we don't immediately take action to stem the increase in green house gases produced by the military-industrial complex of the emerging third world, and/or give more money to those who are studying the global warming/global cooling inversion conundrum. Jeez guys. I thought Gore already explained that.

[Dino]

You guys should put down the political blogs and read a science book or two, seriously.

[Allen K. Littlefield]

Originally Posted by Dino

You guys should put down the political blogs and read a science book or two, seriously.

Are these the "science" books that tell us that because we are breaking 100 year records of cold that the planet is getting warmer? Shouldn't there only be record high temps rather than low? If we were getting record High temps only would that mean that the planet is getting colder? Has the planet ever warmed or cooled before US capitalism? Would the ice age have melted quicker if we had SUVs then? Why was there an ice age to begin with? Why will $5.00+ gas prices slow the heat up and how will no domestic drilling or any development of our resources keep us from depending on foreign oil? This assumes we still (and DO) need oil. Why put your unquestioning faith in a computer model? BTW my thermometer has no political bias, thank you very much!

AKL

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by Dino

You guys should put down the political blogs and read a science book or two, seriously.

Somehow I don't think your comment added anything to the dialog.

Perhaps a contribution?

[Dino]

"Are these the "science" books that tell us that because we are breaking 100 year records of cold that the planet is getting warmer?"

Some are, yes. We are also setting records for hottest years in other parts of the world.

"Shouldn't there only be record high temps rather than low?"

No, the earth has cyclic weather trends. An extreme in one direction generally causes a swing in the other.

"If we were getting record High temps only would that mean that the planet is getting colder?"

No, the earth has cyclic weather trends.

"Has the planet ever warmed or cooled before US capitalism?"

Absolutely, many times. By the way, there is WAAAAY more earth than the US, you know.

"Would the ice age have melted quicker if we had SUVs then?"

Maybe a little.

"Why was there an ice age to begin with?"

The causes of ice ages are not fully understood for both the large-scale ice age periods and the smaller ebb and flow of glacial–interglacial periods within an ice age. The consensus is that several factors are important: atmospheric composition (the concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane. The specific levels of the previously mentioned gases are now able to be seen with the new ice core samples from the Antarctic shelf over the past 650,000 years; changes in the Earth's orbit around the Sun known as Milankovitch cycles (and possibly the Sun's orbit around the galaxy); the motion of tectonic plates resulting in changes in the relative location and amount of continental and oceanic crust on the Earth's surface, which affect wind and ocean currents; variations in solar output; the orbital dynamics of the Earth-Moon system; and the impact of relatively large meteorites, and volcanism including eruptions of supervolcanoes

"Why will $5.00+ gas prices slow the heat up......

Because it may incite people to do as I did and trade their 16mpg Touareg for a 42mpg A3 TDI. Plus, where I live you pay 21.4 cents per gallon in tax on gasoline. Seems to me the profits from the increase in gas prices is going somewhere else besides the government. Where could that be?? To the oil companies, perhaps?

".......and how will no domestic drilling or any development of our resources keep us from depending on foreign oil?"

Our development of our resources should be the primary focus at this point. Fuel cell technology, solar, tidal, geo-thermal, should all be put to the fore-front of our efforts.

"This assumes we still (and DO) need oil."

For now, yes we do.

"Why put your unquestioning faith in a computer model?"

I have no unquestioning faith. I'm a hard skeptic and take nothing I hear or read on faith. I get my science from scientists, not from political pundits.

"BTW my thermometer has no political bias, thank you very much!"

I'm sure it doesn't but it was curiously quiet last summer.

[Brucelee]

Dino:

Even the GW advocates concede the last decade has been a net/net loss for average global temps.

Let's not confuse the issue.

The real issue is how to explain massively new cold records when we are supposedly burning up. You can try to nuance that but it is hard to sell to say, the Brits right about now. Ditto the Russians.

Two record cold winter's in a row.

Empirical experience beats theory any day.

[Dino]

"Somehow I don't think your comment added anything to the dialog. "

That's my point, Bruce. There can be no can be no serious dialog or discussion on these issues because every time it's mentioned, someone invariably has to say '...just ask Al Gore' or some such ridiculous statement. It always has to leads to a political slam of some flavor.

[schnellman]

Okay, Dino. Al Gore is a self-appointed "expert" on global warming. He was given a Nobel Prize for his "work" on global warming. Do you really think there is a more high profile American who is supporting the global warming myth? To whom should I refer someone for information? Despite the fact that Mr Gore has a carbon footprint larger than the state of Rhode Island, he tells everyone else to reduce theirs.

[Dino]

"Empirical experience beats theory any day."

If your empirical data is collected on a global scale and for long enough period of time, yes it does. Otherwise your merely giving local, current observations. Saying that because it's cold outside in January means there is no global warming is like walking outside at night and claiming that there is no sun because you can't see it.

"it is hard to sell to say, the Brits right about now"

Probably wasn't that hard last summer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/dec/14/hottest-year-environment-review-vidal?INTCMP=SRCH

"Two record cold winter's in a row."

Yep, with a record high summer in between. Doesn't that sound like the weather pattern is changing?

"Let's not confuse the issue."

My issue is that the only reason the topic is ever put on this forum is to politicize it. Do you think the 191 countries that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol give a rats a** who Al Gore is?

[jcb986]

Ok guys, if my memory serves me right during the age of the dinosaurs, it was very hot and sweaty. Then came along a huge ass rock that struck the earth causing mayhem in our weather and bringing on the ice age. This theory has now been accepted by the Science Community as to why the big die off. Oh, the by product from this was petroleum and who knows, maybe us. So, watch out for falling rocks.

[Allen K. Littlefield]

Originally Posted by jcb986

Ok guys, if my memory serves me right during the age of the dinosaurs, it was very hot and sweaty. Then came along a huge ass rock that struck the earth causing mayhem in our weather and bringing on the ice age. This theory has now been accepted by the Science Community as to why the big die off. Oh, the by product from this was petroleum and who knows, maybe us. So, watch out for falling rocks.

Man you must be an 'old hippy' that you can remember the age of dinosaurs!?!?! Party ON!

AKL