Can't change the weather

But we definitely can do something about the climate

Mike Carberry
Guest Opinion

Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. -- Mark Twain

It seems like everybody in Iowa has been talking about the weather throughout 2008.

It started with the winter ice storms. They brought with them downed power lines and toppled trees. Then Mother Nature brought us record cold and snow fall totals. It was to say the least, a very harsh winter.

Given the fact that I have worked in the global warming and energy field for the last three years, a good natured ribbing was in order. Nary a day went by when I didn't hear at least once: Where's your global warming now?

I would respond with a brief chuckle and a little information. I would tell them that "global warming" is better termed "climate change" or even "climate crisis." I also would tell them the difference between weather and climate.

• Weather is defined as the short-term state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place, including the temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation.

• Climate, on the other hand, is defined as the long-term manifestations of weather in a given area during a period of time long enough to ensure that representative values are obtained (generally 30 years or more).

Iowa certainly had some bad weather this past winter and that severe weather continued into the spring and summer. Iowa had above average rain fall and strong thunderstorms resulting in erosion and a 500-year flood. We have even had an F-5 tornado. But these weather events are just that: weather. They neither prove nor disprove the fact that Iowa is experiencing climate change. They must be put into a larger context when we evaluate them:

• Are the average temperature rising or falling?

• Are the storms getting stronger over time?

• Is precipitation increasing or decreasing?

It seems to me that winters in Iowa generally are starting later and ending earlier. They also seem on average to not be as severe as they were in my childhood. Rain in the spring and summer seems to come down in huge thunderstorms. What ever happened to gentle summer rains?

But we can't rely on my unscientific observations to define the climate crisis. We must look to the scientists and climatologists for the answers.

Some of these answers can be found in the U.S. Climate Change Science Program's Synthesis and Assessment Report 3.3. In this report we find that in North America the temperature has increased an average of two degrees Fahrenheit and that we have entered a long term warming period and that human-made green house gases are almost certainly responsible. It noted that climate change enhanced both extremes of the water cycle. This means stronger droughts and forest fires but also heavier rains and floods. It also indicated more intense hurricanes and tornados.

Extreme weather and climate can cause death and suffering as we have seen in Iowa this past year, but they also can affect all sectors of the economy. Between 1980 and 2006 the U.S. had 70 extreme weather events in which the damage exceeded $1 billion. There is scientific evidence that the severe weather events are coming with more frequency and strength. This bad weather over time has contributed to our current climate crisis.

Things will get worse before they get better.

Maybe we can't do anything about the weather, but we can do something about the climate. I encourage everybody to wake up to the reality of the climate crisis and to do something about it. In fact, it is imperative that you do something, whether it's:

• Becoming more energy efficient,

• Using renewable energy,

• Taking public transit,

• Biking,

• Walking or

• Talking to your elected officials about their solutions to the problem.

It may be the challenge of this generation and a moral imperative. We need to start walking the walk and stop talking the talk, especially about the weather.