alarmism

Post image for Shameless Alarmism: Tragic Tornadoes an Opportunity for Mythmaking

In the wake of some of the deadliest storms in American history this week in the South, global warming alarmists have shamelessly tried to link the devastation wrought by tornadoes to climate change. According to Grady Dixon, assistant professor of meteorology and climatology at Mississippi State University, such a conclusion would be a “terrible mistake.” He told a leading science website that, “If you look at the past 60 years of data, the number of tornadoes is increasing significantly, but it’s agreed upon by the tornado community that it’s not a real increase. It’s having to do with better (weather tracking) technology, more population, the fact that the population is better educated and more aware. So we’re seeing them more often.”  The likelihood of a bad tornado season was predicted on the basis that there is currently a strong La Nina in the Pacific Ocean.  It should be remembered that El Ninos bring warmer weather while La Ninas bring cooler weather.

In 2000, Dr. David Viner, a senior research scientist at the Climatic Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, told the UK Independent that snowfall will become “a very rare and exciting event” within a few years due to global warming.

This week, as an unseasonal snow blanketed Northern Europe and caused more than 60 fatalities, University of College London Professor Mark Maslin told the UK Telegraph that the snow was likely due to global warming.

Why Alarmism?

by William Yeatman on March 3, 2009

in Blog

When it comes to global warming, dire predictions seem to be all we see or hear. But is the alarmism justified?

In today’s Cato Daily Podcast, climatologists Patrick Michaels explains why the news and information we receive about global warming have become so apocalyptic. According to Michaels, a Cato senior fellow in environmental studies, science itself has become increasingly biased, with warnings of extreme consequences from global warming becoming the norm. That bias is then communicated through the media, who focus on only extreme predictions.

Click here to listen to this insightful commentary. It is likely to change the way you perceive the media’s portrayal of global warming.