Extreme Weather: Global Warming May Lead To More Droughts And Floods, Study Suggests

The New York Times:

New research suggests that global warming is causing the cycle of evaporation and rainfall over the oceans to intensify more than scientists had expected, an ominous finding that may indicate a higher potential for extreme weather in coming decades.

Read the whole story at The New York Times

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Comments

[Ausband53]

01:11 AM on 04/29/2012

I admit to being a sceptic on the issue of global warming being caused by human activity. I even find the claims on any climate change hard to accept. Why? In our region of the world(Australia) we went through a long period of drought and higher then average temperatures 2008/2009. During this period it was often claimed by enviromentalists that this was 'just the start' of more severe climate events from that time on. Then in 2010/2011 we experienced floods and lower then average temperatures. This, in my lifetime, has been the norm not the exception in this country. Also, as a very keen amateur fisherman I have kept records in the way of a fishing log,tides, cloud cover, sea temps and winds. Over a 35 year period there has been flucuations that do not show any radical change in our water temperatures.( high water temps 2008/09 but also in 1994/95) While I am only a layperson and claim no great knowledge on the subject I am still willing to be convinced as at heart I love the outdoors and want to maintain it for the future. Please, in light of the above and from being in the position of a sceptic, convince me?????

[rxspence]

03:19 PM on 04/27/2012

“I am excited about this paper,” said Raymond W. Schmitt, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts."
when someone is excited about something, that usually means good fortune.
when someone presents data that suggests we are not destroying our future is when we should get excited!
it is difficult to comprehend a mentality that covets doom and destruction.

[jarjax1632b]

10:43 AM on 04/27/2012

Am I the only one that actually likes extreme weather?

[Climate Lurker]

12:23 PM on 04/27/2012

You probably wouldn't have liked being one of those in the path of all those tornadoes last year, or having your house be one of those burned down by massive fires.

[kanook67]

09:50 AM on 04/27/2012

Mommy, what's a snowman?

[butlercaddie]

01:33 PM on 04/27/2012

It's a quadruple bogey on a par-4.

[chango369]

09:06 AM on 04/27/2012

I find this YouTube clip on the NOAA web site to be of interest (not to deniers of course, they're beyond hope).

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/history.html

The clip is best viewed in full screen. It looks as though the MLO CO2 is on track to crack the 400 ppm threshold this decade, perhaps within 3 or 4 years time; it should be of some psychological significance.

[kim moxie]

08:56 AM on 04/27/2012

I live in a part of the country that until a few years ago never had a tick population. I live in a part of the country that until a few years ago, air conditioners were not a necessity in summer. I call it like I feel it.

[rxspence]

03:27 PM on 04/27/2012

i live in a part of the country that does not rain four or five months out of the year and 110 degrees for a week straight is not unusual. after 56 years of it we don't get too excited.
central california

[karen lyons kalmenson]

08:27 AM on 04/27/2012

too many people
too little time,
not enough reason,
a hard uphill
climb

[tinyrainbows]

08:08 AM on 04/27/2012

LOL...all I can say is...LOL. It's called weather.

[butlercaddie]

08:37 AM on 04/27/2012

*sigh* "weather" is different from "climate," child. Now hush while we grown-ups solve this problem.

[kanook67]

08:58 AM on 04/27/2012

Yep. More severe droughts, tornadoes and hurricanes are just weather. No big deal.

[Pepe Marcigliano]

08:06 AM on 04/27/2012

Please stop with the doom and gloom. In the 60's it was noise pollution and we would all be deaf by the year 2000, Then it was Global Cooling and the Earth was entering a new ice age. In the 70's we were running out of trees and by 2020 there would be no trees left and Earth would be dangerously low on Oxygen. I could go on and on and I could even bring up Al Gore's fantasy film. It's always Doom and Gloom but scientist can't and won't be able to factor in what they can't foresee. In the 70's when we were using paper like mad no scientist could anticipate the impact that the internet and e-mail and now text would have on all those tree killing letter writers.

[butlercaddie]

09:18 AM on 04/27/2012

So, basically, you are saying a global ecological crisis, deforestation, was averted by a green solution, going paperless,.

Perfect! We are in complete agreement. Let's apply that same thinking to averting this crisis.

[aacme]

09:20 AM on 04/27/2012

What will it take to shake you out of your head-in-the-sand complacency?

[kanook67]

08:05 AM on 04/27/2012

Republican thinking: If it cost money to fix, it ain't broken.

[whochi]

08:34 AM on 04/27/2012

Democrats. If something needs fixing, get the money from somebody else.

[crablover]

08:58 AM on 04/27/2012

Remember that the next time your state seeks federal disaster relief.

[butlercaddie]

09:03 AM on 04/27/2012

Republican thinking:...............................(crickets)

[Floridaval]

09:01 AM on 04/27/2012

You hit the nail on the head. I would just add "If it costs money and THINKING to fix, it ain't broken" F/F

[butlercaddie]

08:01 AM on 04/27/2012

Every time a fresh story comes out with actual data confirming another piece of the climate change puzzle, the deniers climb under their blankets a la Chris Crocker and sob into the blogosphere, "Leave Big Oil alone!"

[Wanderland]

08:00 AM on 04/27/2012

Silly Al Gore minions! According to climate scientists, this additional new evidence of rapid climate change can easily be refuted by plugging one's ears and yelling, "Nah! Nah! Nah!"

[Totto]

08:26 AM on 04/27/2012

I just spent a week in Spain, and every news outlet (including Murdoch's Sky News) accepts the validity of global climate change. Meanwhile, back in the formerly enlightened United States, it can't even be mentioned on our media without fear of the "flat earth" types.

[Wanderland]

10:56 AM on 04/27/2012

The media is in fear of not telling ~both sides~ of a story. I don't know what goes on in journalism schools these days, but it's apparently important to find someone with a differing view, no matter how ridiculous.

Well-monied interests not only lobby Congress and state legislatures, but also a gullible public. So those ridiculous opposing viewpoints are readily available from the likes of the Heartland Institute for those journalists to interview.

[Homen]

09:26 PM on 05/15/2012

Hey there Totto, don't forget to tell your audience that you spent some fabulous days in Lisboa, and two Azore islands!!

[adams011]

08:55 AM on 04/27/2012

just stay in wonderland mate.

[Wanderland]

10:49 AM on 04/27/2012

Judging from your other comments, you accept the scientific consensus on climate change. Given that, I have to say that you seem unable to recognize obvious sarcasm.

[kanook67]

07:55 AM on 04/27/2012

There'll always be enough food and water for the top 1% so what's the big deal?

[aacme]

09:24 AM on 04/27/2012

That is exactly what they are thinking. If all else fails, there's always room service!

[billtmore]

07:42 AM on 04/27/2012

we really should make a comprehensive list about what GOP has been wrong on besides those I listed...how about oil drilling is safe. safety equipment will make cars so expensive no one will buy them. Water and air regulations are unnecessary because big business can monitor and police themselves. Come on progressives help me out on the consistency of being dead wrong on issues

[butlercaddie]

09:06 AM on 04/27/2012

Really, wouldn't it be faster to make a list of the things they've been right about?

1) uhhhhhh

Never mind.

[chango369]

09:19 AM on 04/27/2012

Trickle-down economics deserves a place on that list.

[billtmore]

10:08 AM on 04/27/2012

yep! doh! how could I forget. they have been beating that drum for 30 years!!! even David Stockton refutes it validity!

[Dredd]

07:40 AM on 04/27/2012

"more than scientists had expected"

That is the type of phrase one sees in just about every study paper and research narrative these days.

http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2012/04/new-climate-catastrophe-policy-triage-5.html

[Wanderland]

08:02 AM on 04/27/2012

Which proves that the models are wrong! Just like the deniers have been telling us!

OK, maybe not 'just like.'

[Dredd]

08:51 AM on 04/27/2012

The reality is that those in denial are in denial because of fear. They get mad when they are warned because fear and anger share the same bed.

"Funny" that the irrationality continues once the warning was found not to be strong enough.

"DON'T WARN ME" ... "YOU DIDN'T WARN ME INTENSELY ENOUGH"

Get rid of fear based ideology so we can fix these real problems.

[adams011]

08:57 AM on 04/27/2012

you know much that is hidden