Originally posted by Eagler
makes you wonder why we are getting record cold months if the place is heating up so terrible ...
Climate Summary February 2007
Nope. I don't wonder at all.
"Global warming" translates into changing weather patterns and increased energy in the atmosphere. Overall the Earth's average temperature increases. "Climate shift" is probably a better term for it, but we are stuck with "global warming" and folks thinking the world is all turning into South Florida from it's effects. Much more complicated than that.
Warmer planet means increased energy in the atmosphere which begets more and stronger storm systems. Shifting weather patterns result in Amazon River Basin drought and the mighty Amazon drying up these past three years. Year round tornadoes become the norm in North America. The South Atlantic sees it's first Hurricane in recorded history. Hurricanes become stronger and more frequent when El Nino years does not break them up.
There is also the heavy increase of pollutants from China's industrial expansion that is starting to effect the Pacific North West of the Americas. More cloud cover. More storm systems. Acid rain.
Melting ice caps and glaciers raise sea levels. The sea's salinity levels fall, thus ocean currents become less effective at transmitting heat from the equator to higher latitudes. Global warming can translate into a mini ice age for the NE of America and northern Europe.
I fully expect to see colder winters and severe storms in the Pacific NW and New England States in the future as a result. I expect to see more severe snowfalls in New York State as the Great Lakes fail to get cold enough in winter from their higher summer temperatures to freeze over. I expect lake effect snows to be huge.
At least until all the permafrost in Siberia melts, and deep sea beds defrost, and megatons of sequestered carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere to provide even more green house gases. At that point, all bets are off.
Between climate shift and the coming oil shock at some future point in time, the 21st Century is gonna be one heck of a ride!