Why has 'global warming' now been changed to 'climate change'?

Question

is this a sign that no one really knows what's happening?

Answer 1

Global Warming and Climate Change are one in the same.  However Climate Change is the more accurate describtion because even though global temp is rising it is the overall world climate that is changing.

Answer 2

that and..

global warming is such a cliche topic now...its overused..and people have lost interest..

but CLIMATE CHANGE... OMG we have to do something about that!!

Answer 3

Ok, basically, everyone got really scared because the polar ice caps were melting, and still are. BUT this would not flood the earth because the volume of the ice and water are the same. What we have to worry about is Greenland melting. But this is melting slower that the polar ice caps. People realised this, and then focused on the climate change, ie, the weather being hotter, and the mosquitos moving to the UK etc. So people focus on that because this is a bigger problem than the previous one.

Hope this helps :)

Answer 4

Global warming is about how warm or cool regions of the planet are getting.  It's about the melting of our polar ice caps, and the rise in sea level.

Climate change is more about the change of an environment in a given region, and entails more factors like:

  Average regional temperature as well as day/night temperature patterns and seasonal temperature patterns.

  Humidity

  Precipitation (average amounts and seasonal patterns).

  Average amount of sunshine and level of cloudiness.

  Air pressure and winds.

  Storm events (type, average number per year, and seasonal patterns).

It's not political, it's more observational.

Answer 5

I see the deniers are all up this morning.  

The reason for the discussion to move from AGW,to climate change is very simple! AGW is the cause of climate change!  The scientists have researched global warming for the last 25 years. Now there is data to prove, that man's use of fossil fuels, is causing the CO2 levels to rapidly rise. NO DEBATE ON THAT!   Now the attention of climatologists is on climate change. If you are one of the ignorant people out there,don't let the lack of understanding of science cause you to 'believe' the 'deniers'.   If you're a 'believer' of religious dogma, don't try to use the church,or stories about a god,as an argument that global warming,and the resulting climate change,is just a 'natural' event,and us mere mortals can't change god's plan.   I saw today that the Theory of Evolution will be taught in Fla. schools! No more stupid arguments about  dogma vs science! Intelligent design is just a fairy tale you can tell your little kids. Just like the Easter Bunny,and Santa Claus. The scientific evidence is overwhelming! Same thing with AGW ,and the effects that has on our world's climate. Anybody can see that the 'deniers' are really just angry,frustrated 'believers' in false religious dogma.  Welcome to the 21st Century!  Flat Earthers need to shut up!

Answer 6

Because global warming is over.  The Earth is cooling.  By yelling "global warming", it makes the believers look foolish.

Since the climate is always changing, there is no such thing as a static climate, anyone who yells "climate change" cannot be wrong.

This is just another example that proves "global warming" to be a sham.

Answer 7

idk, they like to to twist words.

Answer 8

Yes, the socialist/progressives must reinvent tragedy's to get the hyperactive Henny Penny's to run around saying, "The sky is falling... The sky is falling!"  They can then take over power for "the children".

In the late 60's early 70's those same brilliant climatologists were forecasting a new ice age coming.  Now it is global warming.  They can't forecast the weather for the weekend you want to have your outdoor party two months ahead.  They certainly can't forecast something as complex as global warming, but they need to have those same government weenies fund their studies.

They actually found some of the thermometers that tell us the temperature located right by the exhaust fans of air conditioner units so they were getting hit by hot air every time the units kicked on, duuuuh!

Tennisplayer80 - science has not "proven" anything.  We can not even accurately estimate the amount of ice at the south pole much less determine the total amount on the earth.  

You give us a clue to your aptitude in your writing.  Look up the difference between your and you're.  Then look up some non-politically motivated reports on the atmosphere and learn.

Answer 9

It hasn't. The two terms refer to different things.  Global warming means a long-term rise in average global temperatures.  Climate change means long term shifts in weather/climate patterns (as, for instance, a region becoming drier due to decreased average rainfall for long periods (decades or more).

There is a causal relationship--the terms are NOT interchangeable.  The relationship is this:  Our current global warming resulting from CO2 emissions and deforestation CAUSES climate changes.

BTW--the fact that the so-called skeptics don't even know the meanings of these basic terms is a good illustration of just how ignorant they are.  Think about it: they run around claiming they "don't believe" in the scientific evidence for global warming--and they DON'T EVEN KNOW the definitionn of the term! ROTFLMAO!

Answer 10

PREDICTIONS, that's what Global Climate change is. Take a look at the scientific data, the Global Warming believers feed everyone, the word prediction is used all the time. They are switching to the term Global Climate change because they can't predict if it's Global Warming or if it is Global Cooling.

  I am going to predict it is going to get warmer in a few weeks and I think it might even rain.

Answer 11

Because it allows them to blame any weather phenomena to rise in co2 levels.

Answer 12

Global warming was proved to never actually happen. The governments just wants us to driver around in those Peel P50s, they want tobacco to be illegal and at the slightest mention of the world alcohol they all drop dead. Politicions have lost a lot of the powers that they used to have, they just want to feel the "un-natural" high that power can give us. If you did a lot of research into it (I just watched something on TV and it said all about it) then you would realise that at first they said the world was getting colder, now warmer, and oh watch by about september it will be getting colder again. Yes I will admit we are producing a lot of CO2... But come on, **** Green Peace and all of those vegetarians (no offence intended) KILL ALL THE ******* COWS!!! They produce a lot, and what to that do? Eat grass, ****, go Moo... THEY ARE c**p!! Although I must admit I do like beef...

Answer 13

dunno, just one of those things like why have they changed STD'S TO STi'S

Answer 14

global warming is the act of the earth heating up. while, climate change is the lasting changes that will scar the earths landscape if we dont cleanup our act and reduce our carbon footprints.

            P.S. to all those people saying global warming is not happening, i have one thing to say to you, your wrong!!!!!!

Answer 15

The Global Warming zealots want to scare everyone into action now.  The problem is the only time people complain about the heat is the extreme summer heat.  They needed a term that they could use year round.  Climate change can be used to claim all unusual weather is caused by man....as if there is such a thing as "usual" weather...

Answer 16

No.  Frank Luntz, a former consultant for the Bush administration/GOP, came up with the idea of using the term "climate change" rather than "global warming" in order to influence the public perception.  "climate change" sounds less dangerous than "global warming"  The wording of your question is proof that it worked.

Luntz has since repented of participating in such public manipulation and now realizes global warming is real.

Answer 17

Because it's totally false, there is no Global Warming.

Answer 18

why not ?

Answer 19

Probably because its a bunch of bs alltogether!

Answer 20

I first heard of global warming a couple of years ago from Dr. David Suzuki on Canada's weather channel.  At the time it sounded bad, really bad.  But after looking into it for a long time I realized how full of holes his ideas are.  None of what he predicted came to pass, and nowhere on earth is global warming happening.  This is the coldest winter worldwide in the past twenty years.

But he was smart enough to see this too, so he (or the fraudsters he hangs around with) changed the name to climate change.  Hahaha!! Climate change?  It means anything, and everything!  Summers too hot or too cold, winters, floods or doughts, growing or receding ice, too many hurricanes or very few, whew! There is no situation on earth where the words climate change can't be used!

Do yourself a favor...ignore them and don't give them money and hopefully they'll go away.

Answer 21

it was offensive to globals...

Answer 22

It hasn't exaclty been changed, but climate change is more correct now as some parts of the world could get colder instead of hotter. Although they know that the overall global temperature is rising, this could cause (for example) the Gulf stream to 'switch off' which would mean we had colder winters in the UK. So it is because the climate is not just going to heat up, it will have many different effects.