{"id":88089,"date":"2014-01-14T09:47:18","date_gmt":"2014-01-14T14:47:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=88089"},"modified":"2023-06-27T12:20:53","modified_gmt":"2023-06-27T16:20:53","slug":"global-warming-the-conversation-we-need-to-have","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2014\/01\/global-warming-the-conversation-we-need-to-have\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Warming: The Conversation We Need to Have"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Sustainable<\/a><\/div>\n

Sustainable UConn: How our values about the environment, clean energy, and social responsibility are greening the Husky Blue.<\/em><\/p>\n

A recent stretch of frigid weather across the U.S. and a 2013 increase in polar ice (despite the rapid downward trend of the past 30 years) have given climate skeptics new opportunities to clamor that climate change is a \u201choax.\u201d These skeptics have proven to be resilient in their ability to ignore and withstand the overwhelming scientific evidence, and persistent in their efforts to confuse the general public about the facts. Needless to say, this obfuscation alters the public dialogue and delays more widespread climate action, especially by state and federal political leaders, who can easily be swayed by public opinion.<\/p>\n

For a science-based counterpoint to this most recent misinformation, I asked Anji Seth, associate professor in UConn\u2019s Geography Department, climatologist, and member of the University\u2019s Environmental Policy Advisory Council, to weigh in. Anji is the recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to study Climate Change in the Northeast. Her research uses numerical climate models and observations to understand regional processes involved in climate variability. She is the author of this post about the conversation we need to have in order to focus the nation on climate impact, mitigation, and adaptation.<\/p>\n

The Conversation We Need to Have on Global Warming<\/strong>
\nby Anji Seth, Department of Geography<\/p>\n

We all know the earth\u2019s climate is changing. The effects are inescapable no matter where we live. Here in New England, some changes are subtle (more humidity, consistently warmer nights), dramatic (more intense rainfall events), confusing (bigger snowfall events), and dangerous (more powerful hurricanes). The science tells us these are expected in a warming world, and indeed, we see them.<\/p>\n

\"Change<\/a>
Change in heat content in the upper 2000 m of the world\u2019s oceans. (Source: NOAA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We also know that we are in the driver\u2019s seat for these changes. Our burning of oil, coal, and natural gas \u2013 fuels that have been extracted from fossil reserves buried in Earth\u2019s crust \u2013 is changing the composition of the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases constitute a tiny fraction of the atmosphere, but their ability to trap heat has made the difference between Earth being a frozen ice-ball of a planet and the relatively balmy one we inhabit. Greenhouse gases do this by preventing heat from escaping to space, just as a blanket tucked around a child at night keeps her warm. We are adding to this greenhouse gas blanket, and earth is warming up.<\/p>\n

\"September<\/a>
September Arctic sea ice extent data since 1980 from the National Snow and Ice Data Center. (Image by Dana Nuccitelli, Skeptical Science, http:\/\/www.skepticalscience.com\/graphics.php?g=64)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The most comprehensive accounting of the evidence can be found in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessments. The IPCC has begun to release the 5th Assessment Report<\/a> and the latest installment has increased the certainty to 95 percent probability that humans are driving the observed and projected changes. The consensus of climate scientists from around the world is that the link between human actions and climate change is as strong as the link between smoking and cancer.<\/i><\/p>\n

Still we hear in the media reports that global warming has stopped for the last 15 years; that \u00a0increases in polar ice this year run contrary to the theory; and that an extreme cold snap puts a nail in its coffin.<\/p>\n

Do these observations blow a hole into the theory of global warming? Not at all. Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n