Cold Of The Century----Global Warming In Full Force Burning Up The Planet

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Originally Posted by T-310

So when it has been proven that the earth is cooling, no matter how warm it gets, its because the earth is cooling.

Is that how it works?

Business Insider

Why Cold Weather Doesn't Mean Global Warming Isn't Real

If it's so darn cold and snow-y, then how could the Earth possibly be warming?

Part of the confusion comes down to our understanding of weather and climate. People question the scientific reality of global warming because they don't know the difference.

Weather is what we see day-to-day. It explains changes in the atmosphere over short periods of time and is highly unpredictable. A sudden thunderstorm or blizzard is what we might refer to as weather.
Climate, on the hand, describes the behavior of the atmosphere over long periods of time.
Using weather (i.e a few very cold days) as evidence against global warming (i.e a decade of hotter summers) is kind of like using one man's early death to disprove the fact that, on average, life expectancies are increasing.

In fact, the whirlpool of frigid air, known as the "polar vortex," being blamed for sub-zero temperatures in the Midwest may actually be tied to warming temperatures in the Arctic. During the winter, this polar vortex normally remains locked up over the Arctic. This winter, the polar vortex is notably unstable (a pattern that was also observed in 2009-2010), possibly because of melting ice and warmer polar winters. The weakened vortex allows parts of cold Arctic air to break free, flowing into other parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

Read more: Cold Weather Doesn't Discredit Global Warming - Business Insider