Do environmental groups understand their own hypothesis or are they purposely misleading?

Question

It seems that environmental groups are saying that the disastrous floods that ravaged southern Wisconsin this week are consistent with global warming predictions by Clean Wisconsin in a January 2007 report.

http://www.madison.com/tct/news/weather/291552

According to their theory, co2 does not cause extreme weather. Co2 is suppose to increase temperatures, which is suppose to increase extreme weather. No increase in temperatures, no extreme weather. But for the past year, temperatures have fallen. Wisconsin had its 33 coldest winter on record, nearby Iowa its 19th coldest in 114 years. The cool weather continued into the spring with the 22nd coldest spring on record in Wisconsin and 24th in Iowa. Madison, Wisconsin had the snowiest winter on record, topping 100 inches for the first time ever.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=mkx&storyid=12881&source=0

Are they purposely misleading or ignorant. Or am I Ignorant? If you think I am, please provide backups.

Answer 1

the truth is no one knows.  and, all the researchers can't prove anything.  it's like trying to prove the sky is blue. they can just say there are trends showing this  that or the other.

i love it when the democrats yesterday fought against bush to do offshore oil drilling in the gulf.  mind you, china is already there. putting your head up your butt crying that things are wrong doesn't practically solve anything. unfortunately, if our country goes into a depression because of high gas prices then we won't have food to eat never mind jobs and the ability to buy hybrid cars etc.. it's like this elitist mentality that everyone can afford to be environmental.  i'm sorry, i can just about get by never mind buy a 23K Prius. I would like to. but, i can't.  it's out of the realm of possibility.  i can't walk to work. there is no public transit where I am.  I have an electric lawn mower.  I cant' afford to get solar panels installed on my house.  The environmentalists are elitists monied people that expect us to be able to pay for all these things.. Unfortunately for them, the wold doesn't work that way.  People aren't wealthy enough to do much other than try to eat.  I can't afford to shop at Whole Foods and pay 1.49/lb for organic bananas.    It's time for them to learn how to get practical.

Practically speaking, offshore oil is already here. But, it's China is going to get it cheaper off of our shores !! It's like stop whining. We need an immediate solution now by increasing supply and increasing the value of the dollar.  

The decrease in demand will come if we shore up people's pay checks/reduce cost of living/stop importing everything from china and make manufacturing jobs back here. Then, we can afford to buy hybrid cars etc.

The environmentalists thought manufacturing was too dirty years ago.

My favorite is when the eco-terrorists burn up housing developments or SUVs.  now, because they committed arson, you have to send fire trucks (just imagine the fuel efficiency with those big trucks) to respond and waste water (another natural resource).  How environmental is that??

Their actions show they have no credibility.

Answer 2

First L, you are referring to ELF, Earth Liberation Front, they burn houses down if they don't think they're "environmentally friendly."  But tons of smoke billowing into the air is better?  That's the logic of envronmental terrorism for ya. And I'm with you, I can't outfit my apartment with solar panels, and I can't afford a $30,000 car, let alone the repairs and insurance on it sure to follow.  

The truth is, if global warming influences the weather, it tames it.  That's becuase there are not enough temperature differences to cause wild storms, because everyone knows that a hot humid day colliding with a cold front that is 30 degrees cooler makes for severe weather.  

Global warming causes wind shear which also reduces the strength of hurricanes.  

Yes, envronmentalism is emotionalism, not science.  

But last year the entire month of February in Michigan was the coldest in a long time, ten degrees for a high most of the month.  This winter was the 4th snowiest we had in 100 years.  I guess the next thing we'll all be told is "yes, it's the snow that's causing global warming."  

And here's my fave:  It keeps changing from global warming to global cooling, then suddenly it's climate change.  Uncle Al comes on and says all we have to do is pay a carbon tax and you can pollute all you want.  Problem solved!  . . . I think.

Answer 3

environmental greeny groups have failed miserably. Think about it, what have they really accomplished that better off for mother nature and man

Answer 4

They don't understand their own hypothesis. And their going to continually claim all severe weather events on global warming even when each consecutive year continues to get colder, they're still going to believe the world's warming up.

Answer 5

The problem is, do YOU understand their hypothesis?   You, or someone else between them and you have probably wildly misstated what they were trying to say.   Not your fault, happens all the time when laymen try to take the shortcut in understanding what scientists are saying.

Answer 6

I think blaming every single weather phenomenon on global warming is a bit silly.  Increased severe weather, like droughts and flooding, is expected to go along with the warming trend, but there is a big difference between weather and climate.  

Your year to year comparisons are based on the same confusion between weather and climate.  These graphs show the 5-year mean temperature continues to rise:

http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs...

http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs...

Here are tables showing the same data as the graphs:

http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs...

http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs...

EDIT:  The point is, the weather event and the warmth of that particular year are both short-term.  The link between warming and an increased number of severe weather events is long-term.  You shouldn't expect the day of the storm to be the hottest day of the year or the year with the most storms to be the hottest year of the decade.

Answer 7

I believe the answer is that you are ignorant and sort out information that challenges your views. I assume views typical where you come from.

Answer 8

Purposely misleading? you mean like Nobel winner Gore's movie that is required material in our gubermint schools?

You betcha.

Answer 9

I think if you're surrounded by people repeating the same mantra over and over, it's easy to accept it as fact.  

They probably regard blaming any natural disaster on global warming (as if there were no floods before industrialisation) is not so much being deceitful as somewhere between telling a white lie and actually believing it.

Answer 10

well our winters are colder, because on the otherside of the world their summers are hotter. its no longer equal.