Bob Haase’s Another Can Of Worms

Global Warming

Have you noticed the global warming that has occurred so far this winter?  It feels like the same global warming we felt last winter, spring, and this fall.  I don’t know about this last summer because I can’t remember having one.  I think we might have a much harder time selling global warming today than we did about ten years ago.  I mention ten years ago because that is about the time the global temperatures started declining.

A report in the May, 2012 issue of Forbes magazine provided a report on global warming explaining climate change and the history of climate change.  In the late 1940’s to the 1970’s we had a small but steady drop in temperatures and some were predicting going into another ice age.  Ice ages occur about every 10,000 years which makes us due for one about now.  From the 1970’s to the 1990’s we had a small but steady increase in global temperatures causing some to predict we are facing long term global warming.

Some scientist feel that our climate changes are due to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation that occurs every 20 to 30 years where the colder water of the oceans replace the warmer water at the surface.  The PDO was cold from the 1940’s to the 1970’s and warmer from the 1970’s to the 1990’s.  Don Esterbrook, Professor Emeritus of Geology at Western Washington University predicts that our temperatures will continue to drop for around the next 20 to 25 years.  He also documented 40 alternating periods of warming and cooling during the past 500 years.

We are also experiencing long periods of low sunspot activity which historically has resulted in colder temperatures.  A pattern called Dalton Mimimum occurred from 1790 to 1830 where temperatures declined 2 degrees.  As we get an increase in sunspots we generally have an increase in temperatures.  All these climate changes over time since the 1700’s have resulted in temperature changes of around two degrees colder or warmer. 

The next time you go outside and get in your car to drive somewhere, think about the climate changes we have seen over the last two years.  Should you be buying a new furnace or a new air conditioner?  Should you be buying a new swimming suit or a new pair of long johns? 

Bob Haase is the host of “Outdoors Thursday” heard Thursday mornings at 9:10 a.m. on News-Talk 1450 KFIZ.