The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Office of Climate Change publishes a regular email that lists the latest climate news. The latest edition shows that news has to be consistent with their preconceived notions of global warming. In this edition they use information to prove their case for climate change problems at the same time as they claim similar information cannot be used to not suggest climate change is not a problem. Talk about trying to have their cake and not eating it too.
Before proceeding a disclaimer. Before retirement from the electric generating industry, I was actively analyzing air quality regulations that could affect company operations. The opinions expressed in this post do not reflect the position of any of my previous employers or any other company I have been associated with, these comments are mine alone.
There are two articles that show the inability of the Office of Climate Change to really understand that there are two sides to the issue of climate change. The lead article is a picture of extensive ice at Niagara Falls with the following caption: “Extreme cold at the end of 2017 has frozen all but the moving water at Niagara Falls. Recent research suggests that a warming arctic may be contributing to cold snaps like this one in the Northeastern U.S. as a result of a weakened polar vortex.”
Also included, under a title “Science” is a quote from A Response for People Using Record Cold U.S. Weather to Refute Climate Change, published December 28, 2017 on forbes.com:
“Weekly or daily weather patterns tell you nothing about longer-term climate change (and that goes for the warm days too). Climate is defined as the statistical properties of the atmosphere: averages, extremes, frequency of occurrence, deviations from normal, and so forth. The clothes that you have on today do not describe what you have in your closet but rather how you dressed for today’s weather. In reality, your closest is likely packed with coats, swimsuits, t-shirts, rain boots, and gloves. In other words, what’s in your closet is a representation of ‘climate.’”
I agree completely that weekly or daily weather patterns are no indicator of longer-term climate change. If it is not immediately obvious the “recent research” analysis about the cold weather is trying to make an argument about weather patterns as an indicator of longer-term climate change. I am sorry but you cannot have it both ways.
If the Office of Climate Change deigns to correct this that might also want to mention to the Governor that he consistently is guilty of the same thing. He consistently refers to Superstorm Sandy as devastation related to climate change and has mentioned the November 2014 Buffalo lake effect snowstorm as further proof. Both were caused by short-term weather patterns. In order to prove otherwise historical weather patterns would have to be evaluated to determine if there was a change over time. In my opinion running a climate model to claim causation is dubious at best.
Pragmatic Environmentalist of New York 