Pirate's Cove

Hey, you know the whole “weather isn’t climate” meme that everyone is talking about, especially since Trump’s tweet on the subject (news outlets have been pushing missives all day long)? Yeah, about that

Climate change is upon us, and businesses need to adjust

The record-breaking hurricanes, wildfires and blizzards of 2017 may surprise some, but they were all predicted 25 years ago.

The prophecies were neither secret nor the product of supernatural powers. They were forecast by scientists calculating what would happen if average global temperatures continued to rise. They did, and now here we are.

Included is a handy dandy picture of what global warming, sorry, climate change looks like

No, really. Chris Tomlinson goes on to blame all the hurricanes in 2017 on Hotcoldwetdry

Not every year will produce the kind of storms 2017 witnessed. But with average ocean temperatures setting record highs in 2015, 2016 and 2017, according to NOAA, there is every reason to prepare for more storms like hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Yet, we didn’t get the same in 2015 or 2016. Nor any landfalling major hurricanes for the U.S. since October 2005. Regardless, Chris goes on to blame wildfires on Hotcoldwetdry. And drought. And floods.

The most counterintuitive impact of a warmer climate is more severe cold weather. Higher average temperatures do not mean that extreme winter events will be less likely. In fact, scientists predicted warmer water temperatures in northern latitudes could shift weather patterns and intensify winter storms.

Authorities declared an emergency in Erie, Pa., on Christmas Day after receiving 34 inches of snow, the most ever in a single day. Another 24 inches fell on Tuesday, making the storm reminiscent of Hurricane Harvey’s 51 inches of rain. The previous single-day snowfall record had been 20 inches.

The key factor in the huge snowfall? Warmer-than-average lake temperatures. When Arctic winds blow over Lake Erie’s open water, more water vapor enters the atmosphere and results in a much heavier lake effect snowfall.

These guys aren’t any different from religious folks who always have an answer for everything, like how there are dinosaur bones despite them claiming that the Earth is only a bit over 6,000 years old. Of course, those folks don’t want to tax and fee you to death, nor put the government in control of your life.

Read: Climate Change Is Upon Us Or Something »

Is it worth mentioning yet again that no one was denying that the climate changes, and has changed, they are just arguing that the changes are not mostly/solely caused by the actions of mankind? Because that is the debate: causation. But, Warmists will be Warmists, and Cult of Climastrology member Leo Barasi is worried about something else (via Eric Worrall)

2017 was the year climate denial died

Reality has killed climate denial – but apathy will still condemn the world to dangerous global warming unless it is confronted, argues Leo Barasi

2017 has left climate deniers with nowhere to go. Merciless hurricanes, heatwaves, floods, and droughts swept the planet all year, along with impossible-sounding fires – in icy Greenland; and in California in December. All are an early taste of what life on a hotter world would be like. Public opinion recognises the link with climate change, with international polls showing that worries about global warming are now at record levels with vanishingly few people thinking it’s a hoax.

Oh, goodness, some weather events happened! We should totally believe that they were caused by Someone Else driving a fossil fueled vehicles!!!!!!!!

Yet the climate war is far from over. While climate denial may have lost, there is another problem: climate apathy. Most people understand climate change is happening, but just don’t think about it much and don’t accept they should change their lives to deal with it. This matters because stopping dangerous climate change won’t be possible with only popular measures like replacing coal power stations with solar panels. There will have to be difficult changes too, like cutting emissions from flying and meat eating. So long as many people are apathetic, governments will avoid the hard changes that are also needed.

One long-standing reason for apathy is the way climate change often feels like a distant problem, something for polar bears and future generations. So it matters that climate change is now devastating places where emissions need to fall. Those of us who want faster action shouldn’t hold back from pointing out that this is what would become normal if emissions don’t fall.

Interestingly, climate apathy is something that can be assigned to members of the Cult of Climastrology. They are the ones who are constantly bleating about doom, whether it be future doom or ZOMG CLIMATE CHANGE IS HERE!!!!!!!, yet, they take few actions in their own lives to mitigate their own carbon footprint. They’re super enthused to institute carbon taxes/fees on Other People, along with restrictions on That Guy and the way they run their lives, but Warmists are rather apathetic about doing more themselves other than go to a rally (in a fossil fueled vehicle) and complain online.

Read: 2017 Was The Year Climate Denial Died Or Something »