World Meteorological Organization Confirms Climate Change Accelerated in past 10 years

[Liberty Belle]

Source: East County Magazine

2011 was 11th warmest year on record

“This 2011 annual assessment confirms the findings of the previous WMO annual statements that climate change is happening now and is not some distant future threat. The world is warming because of human activities and this is resulting in far-reaching and potentially irreversible impacts on our Earth, atmosphere and oceans.” --WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud

March 23, 2012 (Geneva) – The United Nation's World Meteorological Organization, representing 183 member nations, issued its Annual Statement onthe Status of the Global Climate today. The report concludes that climate change accelerated in the past decade and that 2011 was the 11th warmest year since records began in 1850.

Increasingly destructive tornadoes, floods and other indicators of global warming are also occuring with heightened frequency around the world. The new study found extreme weather events increased from 2001 to 2010 at an alarming rate consistent with global climate change. Worldwide, this included an increase in floods by 63%, drought 43%, heat waves 43%, heavy rain 43%, fires 25%, and tropical cyclones 24%.


Read more: http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/9115

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Show this to the climate skeptics. I sent a copy to our Republican Assemblyman who today was moderating a conference where the keynote speaker was a climate denial scamster. I sent copies to everyone who has bombarded me lately with climate denial lunacy.

The WMO is THE definitive organization in the world for climate data and anyone who doesn't believe this is simply not in touch with reality--and the truth is frightening.

[Bohunk68]

1. I've been keeping my own records

for 31 years here at my home in Upstate NY, Schoharie County. From 1999 to 2010, there was enough temperature increase to raise the ENTIRE 30 (at that point) by an average of .3-.8 degrees F depending on the month. Over the same time period, the precip increased from 46.2" to 51.9". Again, this raised the ENTIRE time span average. We have had 6 years during that period where the precip was over 60". 90, 96, 06, 07, 08, and 11. We had severe flooding in three of those years, 96, 06, 11. Last year's severe flooding of the Schoharie Basin was caused by a Hurricane/Tropical Storm in August. It was the worst recorded. Because of Climate Change, the oceans are getting warmer, ergo, the hurricanes are stronger and that is why instead of hitting the Carolina coast and going out to sea like before, they now go inland, stay strong, and dump loads of rain on NJ, Upstate NY and VT. I expect it to happen again within the next 5-10 years. But, no one is really listening. They are all wanting to rebuild right back in the same places that flooded out last year. I understand that often their families have lived there for 300 years. But, damnit, that 500-year flood is going to happen again real soon! Head for the hills. And, I really really mean that.

[BadgerKid]

2. Clearly if we privatize the weather service

then global warming will suddenly stop!!11!11!!1




Published on Friday, April 29, 2005 by Press & Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York)
Santorum Wants to Privatize Weather Forecast
by David Rossie

A reader who chose to remain anonymous sent along a copy of a story that ran last week in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, about the ongoing adventures of Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania's junior Republican U.S. Senator.

What with being a leading proponent of the Cheney/Bush administration's scheme to divert Social Security funds to Wall Street, overturning Roe v Wade, and preventing homosexuals from undermining the very foundations of this great land, you'd think Ricky would have enough on his plate.

But no. Now he has, in a way, taken up Charles Dudley Warner's 108-year-old challenge: "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." Ricky doesn't propose to actually do anything about the weather, but he is determined to make sure that only certain people talk about it.

...

According to the Tribune-Review, The National Weather Services Duties Act of 2005, introduced by Ricky on April 14, would, if passed, "bar the National Weather Service from providing any service that competes with the private sector."

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0429-25.htm

[modrepub]

14. Been Talked About for 25+ Years

This has actually been around since I was in college back in the 80s. Accuweather et al have been trying to do this for a long time. They actually want the federal government to pay to collect the data and run the computer models so they can charge people for their services. I'd encourage you to look up how well Accuweather compensates and treats their employees (hint, hint, nudge, nudge...). I think this would actually be about as popular as banning the penny.

[izquierdista]

3. You can't confront stupid with facts.

Climate deniers like Inhofe have faith in their interpretation of what it says in the Bible. They have to realize stupid for what it is before they will begin to accept facts.

[Fuddnik]

5. Inhofe says,

Get a job, Hippies!

And besides, they ain't had no hurricanes hit Florida in several years, so they must not be happenin' anywhere!

[Jackpine Radical]

9. Here's the response I got from My Favorite Wingnut when I sent him the link:

Wingnut response:

Seriously? So what. It's the left with their money making scam worse than any Wall Street banker over global warming that man cannot possibly change or have anything to do with that is the real story. The arrogance of the left to refuse to accept the fact the Earth (mother) is still changing from its beginning. The left wants to believe in evolution but fears the next move of evolution. Next Al Gore will say because of what man is doing on earth we are negatively affecting the sun.

[tanyev]

4. Well, obviously they're in on the conspiracy, too.

[mathematic]

6. Fact Check!

"Worldwide, this included an increase in floods by 63%, drought 43%, heat waves 43%, heavy rain 43%, fires 25%, and tropical cyclones 24%."

This statement should sound reasonable to NOBODY. If it sounds reasonable to you, then you should improve your scientific reasoning skills.

It turns out the %s are the percentage of countries that experienced these events and does not measure an increase of anything whatsoever. What's befuddling to me is that this information is presented in the WMO graphic in the story ("figure 6&quot !

This is basically just a poor summary of a WMO press release. Just check it out directly.

[bhikkhu]

7. This is the "good news, bad news" thing about economic growth

If the economy grows, emissions increase, the climate gets worse and the future is more problematic (and perhaps miserable).

If the economy gets worse, emissions decrease and the future conditions may not be so bad, but the present becomes problematic (and miserable).

If you demand jobs and growth, you demand what leads down the path to a miserable future.

If you demand a decrease in emissions, you demand a shrinking economy, and an increase in poverty and unemployment.

Of course, one can imagine better ways to do things, but the above is about how it really works out, even for those who might think they have the power to bend events otherwise. One way or another, these days we are living in now are the good days of abundance and comfort, or at least as good as they are likely to get. I think there is room for choice in perspective - whether one wishes to be a glass half full or glass half empty type, but in the long run we're all in the same boat. I'd choose to do as little harm as possible, to waste little and consume little and desire little, and to enjoy the time I have.

[geomon666]

8. Hudson said it best

[Dawson Leery]

10. From southern Connecticut, starting in 2005,

going into October, the leaves are 95% green. By mid October they are 85% green.
The leaves change color and fall during the last week of October/first week of November.

Before 2005, the leaves changed color from late September to mid October, by Halloween all trees are bare.

[RobertEarl]

11. The real kicker with GW

What CO2 we put in the thin, thin layer of atmosphere thinly surrounding the globe, today, will gather heat for at least 50 years, if left there.

CO2 that was released 50 years ago, is just now reaching its heat gathering limit. And we've been adding more.

[The Doctor.]

12. With the discovery of vast methane 'torches' in the NE Pacific,

We are looking at a very frightening possibility of becoming Venus. It's a small chance, but it's a possibility we're actually going to wipe ourselves out.

[Uncle Joe]

13. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Liberty Belle.