Why Winter Doesn't Disprove Global Warming

Parts of the United States have experienced an extremely cold and snowy winter, which is being referred to as the 'Polar Vortex' and 'Winter Storm Hercules.' Does this winter prove that global warming is fake? Trace explains climate change and why one extreme winter does not mean global warming isn't real.

Read More:
If the Planet's Warming, Why Is It So Damn Cold?
"In the wake of Winter Storm Hercules, parts of the East Coast will see record-low temperatures."

Why Climate Change Denial Is Just Hot Air
"I was thinking of writing a lengthy post about climate change denial being completely unscientific nonsense, but then geochemist and National Science Board members James Lawrence Powell wrote a post that is basically a slam-dunk of debunking."

Earth Talk: Cold Weather Doesn't Mean Global Warming Doesn't Exist
"Dear EarthTalk: Does the fact that we've had such a cold and snowy winter mean that global warming might not be such a big problem after all?"

No, the Polar Vortex Does Not Disprove Global Warming
"The picture above, taken on Jan. 6, 2014, by the NOAA's GOES East weather satellite shows what a big chunk of the U.S. knows all too well: the southern migration of part of the North Polar Vortex, which has dropped incredibly brutal cold temperatures into the mid-latitudes."

Record Cold Doesn't Disprove Global Warming
In much of the northeastern quadrant of the United States, the past few days have seen the coldest weather in about 20 years."

Can Global Warming Be Real If It's Cold In The U.S.? Um... Yes!
"It's quite cold across much of the United States right now, thanks to the dread 'polar vortex.'"

Yes, It's Cold - and Yes, Global Warming Is Still Happening
"Record-breaking cold winter temperatures today means global warming must be a farce, right?"

Why Global Warming Can Mean Harsher Winter Weather
"Scientists look at the big picture, not today's weather, to see the impact of climate change."

Study Finds Ancient Warming Greened Antarctica
"A new university-led study with NASA participation finds ancient Antarctica was much warmer and wetter than previously suspected."

A Rebranding for Global Warming?
"Is the White House trying to rebrand global warming?"

Left Creates "Polar Vortex" to Make You Think Winter is Caused by Global Warming
"RUSH: So, ladies and gentlemen, we are having a record-breaking cold snap in many parts of the country."

Photo © YUSUKE SUZUKI/Demotix/Corbis

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[janusztyszewski]

You know what is sad? The fact that we still need videos to try and get this point across...

[vyxxer]

Wall-E comparison is very apt, because you-know, if we let those dumb people do all the self destructive they loved to do so much the world will become a total shitstain on the solar-system just like the movie. 

[DeRien]

love how relevant this video is almost 4 years later

[DannySwish]

There are people that don't like Wall•E? Impossible.

[aelitadelarobia]

i agree, 'climate change' is a more appropriate term, because although 'global warming' is technically correct, the problem is that warming does counter-intuitively cause some places to become colder than normal, the operative words though in global warming being 'global', and 'average', you can have some areas be colder than normal and still have an overall warmer average if other places are significantly warmer than average. Remember,   the global average is about 57-58 degrees ish, which includes local temperatures ranging from -120F in antarctica to 120F in the death valley and the Arabian desert, the earth is BIG, there are a lot of regions with different local temperatures, so it would take a lot to shift the overall average.

Think of it this way, remember school? you turned in your firs assignment of the year and it's grade counted for 100% of your course grade, each subsequent assignment you handed in reduced the percentage of the grade each assignment represented until a certain point where even an A or an F on the last assignment wouldn't significantly effect the overall grade? Now imagine instead of a few dozen data points you have hundreds of thousands to millions and you will understand that the average going up by even a small amount is significant, whether we caused it or not.

[shaansipahimalani]

so glad trace got his haircut when he did.

[horchcorpse]

I'm from Winnipeg Manitoba. I don't think that temperature was even close to the coldest it's been locally during my 25 years here. I remember pumping gas in a -60 wind chill around 10 years ago. During those "low" temps earlier this year, I was shoveling in jeans and a hoodie. When you live in this climate, you get used to it. Look on the bright side people, being in a cold environment burns more calories!

[sabotagee]

I'm in Canada and its like 11+ here today and raining.. pretty worm for mid Feb IMO

[bobbymac]

He should argue with someone other than himself and stop assuming arguments of the other side it makes him look desperate but then again he thinks man made climate change real.

[joestallings]

The reason, I believe, the winters are colder is because with a warmer earth, there is more energy in the global atmosphere raising the AMPLITUDE of the weather cycles. In other words, we're turning up the volume...

[TurboSol]

My problem with the global warming debate is the people exploiting it to make money (George Soros, Al Gore, organizations and governments etc), I'm fine following the evidence where it leads here but watch out for people looking to exploit the issue for their gain while doing relatively little to actually fix the problem. I am hopeful though, there is a lot of science today in the area of energy so I think we can figure out a way to power homes and cars without oil in the relatively near future.

[Corristo]

The climate is changing but it doesn't mean that humans are entirely responsible. For example:

- When the Romans ruled much of Europe the Alps were almost free of glaciers. The warm climate of their time allowed them to expand their empire
- Greenland was "green" during the time of the Vikings and they even cultivated crops there. 
- Bangladesh's total area is GROWING, not shrinking. The Monsoon moves huge amounts of sediment into the delta in which the country is located, which settles down and creates more land. The country isn't going to become a new Atlantis anytime soon. The people of Bangladesh would probably be more horrified if the Monsoon DIDN'T come one day. It's been a constant for them for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
- Sea levels are changing, but not because the polar ice caps are melting like crazy. In the Pacific Ocean parts of the Pacific Plate are sinking because other plates are pushing them down or vice versa. The sea level doesn't change, the visible land above sea level is sinking, which appears to us like the sea levels are rising.
- The number of Polar Bears has INCREASED during the last few dozen years! Why? Because humans couldn't hunt them anymore, which they did before. The climate change had nothing to do with their dropping numbers, it was us with our rifles.
- Ever notice that pictures of those hundreds of melting iceburgs are always taken during summer and never during winter? Because the pictures would be very differnt.
- CO2 is in fact not a climate changing gas, at least not to the extent that we're being told. Among a heard of black sheep it's actually the one white sheep. Gasses like Methane are much more potent and we're creating tons of that stuff because we want our cheeseburgers to cost only one dollar. Guess what animal farts methane all day.

The climate is changing, but it has been doing that before humans entered the scene. And the steps we're taking to avoid it are the worst possible: Deindustrialisation. That's like committing suicide due to the fear of death... What needs to change is our wasteful usage of resources and the disgustingly poor distribution of wealth and food. What we don't need anymore we throw away and recycling is often grindingly inefficient.
We need to wake up from the bullshit liars like Al Gore have told us in "An Inconvenient Truth" and realize that they're only furthering their own agendas. Why is it that advocates of the climate change like Al Gore and James Cameron have their houses right be the beach? I thought they told us we would all be under water soon. At the same time they're making millions with their propaganda they clearly don't believe themselves.

[Nycholas]

So if the earth is warming why did we get the coldest winter for the last number of years?? Shouldn't the winters be warmer too. Also the amount of emissions produced by humans is minuscule compared to natures amount of c02 and other gases. Also Co2 doesn't affect climate. Water vapor and methane does.

[JohnSmith-wkbe]

Let's see..Cold weather: Caused by global warming. Check. Um, hot weather? Caused by global warming. Check. Got it.

[baronvg]

I came here for the hair, stayed for the video.

[vlasktom]

Explain this. Theres more arctic ice now than there was in the 1990s. And no, im not trolling anyone

[Hraptor]

I dont deny climate change: it is real. But this guy's argument? "Everyone agrees so you should too" is fucked up dumb. Let's all be religious then since BILLIONS of people are, right? Damn dawg.

[TheEshy]

Its amazing that there are people out there who still dont believe in global warming.

[DangShred]

The real question is why do people believe that winter disproves global warming...

[xrosexredx]

There's a 80-something year-old man I work with who's down with climate change. There's no excuse, people.