How does this affect man-made global warming theories?

Question

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20070710/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_argentina_historic_snow_1

Answer 1

Global warming, global cooling. It's all good for environmentalists who make their living off this stuff.

Answer 2

It doesn't.

First, the proper technical term is "global climate change". That's what scientists call it. Global Warming is a media term.

Second, even if the global climate does get warmer overall, that still allows for significant localized variation, including some increased areas getting colder.

Third, even if the temperature in Argentina is exactly the same as it was for the last decade, the global warming/climate change theory includes a prediction of increased precipitation and storm activity. If you have precipitation when it's cold, that equals snow.

So, nothing in that news report contradicts anything that has been predicted, and the fact that its the first major snow in 90 years shows that -- look, things are changing.

Answer 3

Not at all. For starters that's an example of unusual (extreme) weather which could be attributed to global warming. However, isolated weather events tell you nothing about global warming.

The conclusion that global warming deniers arrive at from this article is 'it's cold in Buenos Aires, therefore global warming isn't happening'. This is simply absurd, as we've directly measured global warming:

http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/info/warming/

Then there's this. I'll see your Buenos Aires and raise you the entire planet:

"2007 is expected to be hottest year on record"

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/04/news/climate.php

And finally, another link which specifically addresses this issue:

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/10/31/214357/31

Answer 4

It doesn't. Global warming isn't happening at the rate of 10 degrees a year, and this year is just a year of strange weather (thank El Niño, which may well be affected by global warming). But a change of just a few degrees -can- cause large climate change in areas that are temperate or the border of tundra.

Answer 5

Global Warming causes climate change.

Still, whether you believe in it or not, don't you want to save on your electric and gas bills? Don't you want companies to not pollute the air that you breathe? Or poison the water that you drink?

Answer 6

Climate change is more than just warming.

But I have no expectations that the reactionaries who waste their time in here will get that fine a distinction.

Snow in places where it doesn't snow normally is another fine example of nature out of balance.

Pissing off nature isn't in anyone's best interest. Just keep on polluting and see for yourselves.

Answer 7

a football analogy:

Can you judge a football team's season (American) by watching only one player for one play in one game?

The Chicago Bears center may spectacularly flatten the Eagles noseguard in the third quarter of a game on October 13, but the Bears may still go 4-12 for the season.

Answer 8

It’s called climate change. Weather patterns are changing all over the globe. More precipitation is one of the effects, including more snow.

Answer 9

You're right. Let's pollute the earth more. Come on everybody. It snowed in Argentina. That means we can bring back aerosol cans. Screw the earth, right?

Answer 10

Haven't you heard? Global warming causes cold, too.