When we experience cold weather, and somebody says boy, we sure could use some global warming right now, their motivation isn't clear. Are they making a lame joke? Do they not understand simple scientific concepts? Or are they deliberately saying something ignorant to get a rise out of people? (Woooo! Looking like an idiot to own the libs!)
Donald Trump, current US president and man who doesn't know how to close an umbrella, farted out that hoary climate skeptic cliché once again on Twitter. "In the beautiful Midwest, windchill temperatures are reaching minus 60 degrees, the coldest ever recorded," he wrote. "In coming days, expected to get even colder. People can’t last outside even for minutes. What the hell is going on with Global Waming? Please come back fast, we need you!"
(And yes, he said 'global waming,' not 'global warming.' Must have eaten too many "hamberders" for dinner with "Melanie" while discussing the "boarder.")
Trump, of course, is referring to the once-in-a-generation polar vortex, a spinning pool of cold air which will sweep through the Midwest this week. Having grown up in northwestern Minnesota, and felt the arctic sting of -30 degree Fahrenheit windchill, I usually roll my eyes when people complain about cold snaps. However, this upcoming storm looks insane.
At least 55 million people in the US will experience record-breaking cold temperatures, even in states with high winter tolerance. A state of emergency has been declared in Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. Officials in Iowa warned residents to "avoid taking deep breaths, and to minimize talking" if they go outside. And in Minnesota and the Dakotas, temperatures are forecasted to drop to the -30's and -40's, with a windchill in the -60's. (I am so glad to live in Los Angeles right now.)
President Trump does not appear to understand that weather and climate are not the same thing. Weather refers to the condition of the atmosphere at a particular place over a short period of time, while climate refers to the long-term atmospheric patterns in a particular area.
In response to the president's dimwitted tweet, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration posted a child-friendly cartoon. The image illustrates how warmer ocean temperatures create more moisture which can cause devastating winter storms. However, Trump might declare this photo "fake news," since, according to a 2012 tweet, he believes "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."
Similarly, global warming is not the same as climate change. Global warming refers to the long-term rise in the average surface temperature of the earth, while climate change refers to the global phenomena created by this rising temperature. These effects include rising sea levels, long droughts, and extreme weather events like hurricanes, wildfires and, you guessed it, winter storms.
Several Twitter users roasted Trump for his cringeworthy comment on climate change, including Modern Family's Jesse Tyler Ferguson and The Newsroom's Olivia Munn.
According to 97 percent of climate scientists, climate change is real and human activity is causing it. Last November, the US government's top scientists released a dire report warning that climate change could have catastrophic effects on the planet and the economy. In response, Trump stated, "I didn't believe it." (Wooo! Letting the planet and the economy turn to trash to own the libs!)
