Fox's claim July temps "challenge climate change" disputed by original source of data
On July 28, Fox Nation posted the headline "Record Low Temps in July Challenge 'Climate Change.' " However, the claim is apparently based on findings from an AccuWeather.com post, the author of which makes clear: "Cold OR warm outbreaks, by themselves, are not signs of Climate Change."
[The Fox Nation, accessed 7/29/09]
Food Chain: AccuWeather.com post moves through conservative media
AccuWeather.com. In a July 25 post titled "3,000 Low Temp Records Set This July!" on AccuWeather.com, Jesse Ferrell wrote:
First, some stats. 1,044 daily record low temperatures have been broken this month nationwide according to NCDC -- count record "low highs" and the number increases to 2,925, surely to pass 3,000 before the end of the month.
Drudge Report. On July 26 at 8:41 a.m. ET, the Drudge Report linked to Ferrell's AccuWeather.com post with the headline, "3,000 record low temps set in July... ":
Newsmax.com. In a July 27 post titled "Record Lows in July Challenge Climate Change," Newsmax.com stated:
Global warming may be taking another black eye as AccuWeather.com reports an unusually cold July, which is most pronounced in the Northeast of the United States.
While it has been unusually hot in the Southwest, AccuWeather reports that 1,044 daily record low temperatures have been broken thus far in the month of July, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Fox Nation. On July 28, Fox Nation posted the headline "Record Low Temps in July Challenge 'Climate Change,' " linking to the Newsmax.com post.
"Record Low Temps in July" do not "challenge" climate change
Author of AccuWeather.com report disputed that his findings "challenge climate change." Following Drudge's link, Ferrell updated his original post with "A FEW CLARIFICATIONS FOR DRUDGE READERS," in which he noted, "The article was not meant to be a commentary on Climate Change or Global Warming. ... Cold OR warm outbreaks, by themselves, are not signs of Climate Change."
Ferrell later added, "My blog entry was not meant to cover all the weather on the Globe in July, it was meant to cover the unusually cool weather that most of the U.S. has experienced this month. I even went out of my way to mention the Southwest Heat Wave, but clearly some readers were only skimming." Further, in his post, Ferrell reported that "[t]he year, overall, from a records perspective, is still biased to record-breaking highs" [emphases in original].
Climate scientists reject notion that short-term changes in weather bear any relevance to the global warming debate. As Media Matters for America has previously noted, according to a March 2, 2008, New York Times article, climate scientists -- including at least one who has disputed aspects of the scientific consensus on global warming -- completely reject the notion that short-term changes in weather, let alone "record low temps" in July, bear any relevance to the global warming debate.
Fox Nation echoes conservative pattern of claiming short-term weather changes dispute global warming
Conservatives, including Matt Drudge, have previously suggested that a few days of cold weather trump climate change science. As Media Matters has noted, on March 2, Drudge posted the headline " 'Largest public protest of global warming' ever in USA faces DC March snowstorm!" which was later echoed by other conservative media figures.
Did Portland have a gay pride parade lately? Because it's a well established reich-wing "fact" that God punishes cities that endorse such events.
Seattle's being punished for continuing to enable the Mariners and the (not so super anymore!) Sonics.
Because every excuse anybody ever brings up people just say you cant say that that doesnt disprove it at all.
It was called global warming and once it got cold you had to change it to climate change. Now its CO2 gas which comes from things like farts which are pretty hard to stop. So please tell me what has to happen so it can be prove wrong?
My question, how much more proof other than the combined pier reviewed work of 2600 scientist in 130 countries, who happen to be actual experts in the field working with the most advanced technology in the history of mankind, all of who have concluded that climate change is real and man is contributing to it do you need?
I realize that conservatives by nature don't trust science or any new fangled things, choosing to rely on the old ways, like treating fever by blood letting, and relying on ground rhino horns for impotence cure instead of taking Viagra........Wait, Rush Limbaugh does endorce Viagra when he takes his trips to the child prostitution capital of the Western Hemisphere so that might be a bad example, but the point is cons prefer the old fashioned ways, like the medicine man selling snake oil, instead of the new science tested cures.
So please tell me what has to happen so it can be proven right?
But when did it "get cold"?
You just don't get it, Fauxnews said it, so it must be true.
What I find amusing is that Mr. Science doesn't understand why the the names have changed. Of course the answer is they haven't.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains it this way.
"The term climate change is often used as if it means the same thing as the term global warming. According to the National Academy of Sciences, however, “the phrase ‘climate change’ is growing in preferred use to ‘global warming’ because it helps convey that there are [other] changes in addition to rising temperatures.” Climate change refers to any distinct change in measures of climate lasting for a long period of time. In other words, “climate change” means major changes in temperature, rainfall, snow, or wind patterns lasting for decades or longer."
In simpler terms if the amount of snow decreases over time it's climate change, which is related to other climate changes like Global Warming.
For the scientifically challenged, put simply global warming IS part of climate change.
Of course some people still think rain is the angels crying and no amount of science will convince them otherwise, these people are almost always conservative by nature.
Climate change has been extensively researched and the overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that the observed modern day global warming is unprecedented and is very likely caused by humans. Although there is little serious debate between climate experts, many in the general public still think that these scientists are unsure about climate change and the role that humans have played in modern day global warming.
This Website summarizes some of the key research that has led scientists to their overwhelming consensus while also addressing some of the unfounded claims by climate change skeptics and denialists.