The glaciers are melting, the Arctic’s Ice cap is slowly getting thinner, wildfire seasons in other countries are getting longer, and more natural forest fires occur. These events are getting the attention of everyone, and concern is on the rise. In order to understand the reason behind these natural phenomenons, the terms “climate change” and “global warming” come up as the explanation. Mark Mancini details on the difference between the two terms, which are frequently treated as synonyms, when they’re not:
So what exactly does the term "climate change" mean? By the broadest definition, climate change includes any and all long-term fluctuations in one or more climate-related variables — such as average rainfall — within the same location.
Note that this applies to both regional climates and the global climate itself. So let's say northern Europe saw a dramatic spike in rainstorms and the trend continued for decades on end. That hypothetical scenario would count as an example of regional climate change, no matter what happened elsewhere in the world.
On the other hand, global warming is — well, global. More to the point, the term refers to an increase in a planet's average surface temperature. And here on Earth, that's definitely been climbing.
(via ecowatch.com)
image credit: via wikimedia commons
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Disclaimer: Is climate change real? You bet. Humans are putting record amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as never before. I'm not here to debate that, please put those poison pens down. Will it be catastrophic? Personally, I don't believe so. Never underestimate the resilience of the planet and its population. Will it cause changes? Yes, but not everything is related to it, as is the purpose of this writing.
--Higher temperatures dry out vegetation and soil, creating more wildfire fuel.--Partially true. California has a Mediterranean climate. This means a rainy season, followed by hot, dry summers. The problem has existed before higher temperatures, as seen in historical accounts from indigenous peoples in the area.
--Climate change is shortening the California rainy season, thus extending the fire season.--False. Two of the past three years saw record snow and rainfall for California. The area experiences years of drought followed by years of heavy rain, particularly when sub-tropical moisture travels towards the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the shift in elevation causes significant rainfall. That's the crux of the issue, record rainfall brings record growth of scrub, brush, grass, and trees. It dries out and if left alone, burns quite well in the right conditions (see Santa Ana wind). During drought years wildfires are less of an issue...no water, no fuel.
--Climate change is also shifting the Santa Ana winds that fan particularly dangerous wildfires in Southern California.--False. Santa Ana winds always come from the North to North East. Caused by high pressure bubbles, they pick up the dry air of the Nevada desert and bring it over California. Depending on the conditions, they can be bitter cold or very warm. The Pasadena New Years Rose Parade usually gets the benefits of a warm Santa Ana condition, resulting in the beautiful images seen on television. They can happen any time of the year, any season. BTW, there's dangerous wildfires in the northern region of the state too, just less populous an area.
--The warming atmosphere is slowing the jet stream, leading to more California heat waves and high-pressure ridges in the Pacific. Those ridges deflect from the state some storms that would otherwise bring much-needed moisture to slow the spread of fires.--False. The jet stream moves throughout the year. When a high pressure bubble is over the state, the stream is pushed north. When the bubble moves on, the jet stream lowers, and if severe enough, brings with it cold air from the Gulf of Alaska. Air traffic can directly be affected by the jet stream as it's powerful enough to slow down commercial aircraft from Los Angeles traveling to Sacramento. In the other direction, flights are often ten minutes early by it.
Are wildfires new to California? Hardly. There's been some terrible ones. One issue exacerbating it is a growing population and buildings in the state. Another, is the state ban on control burning, enacted because of some of the worst the smog in the nation, increased by the growing population. Yet another issue is the varying county policy for clearing brush and trees on one's property: some policies are incredibly lax. It's nice to own acreage, but as the owner there is a responsibility to manage and protect it.