What is all this fuss over global warming? Last month was the coldest December in Britain since records began. We now have proof that global warming is a hoax.
Credit should go to the media that this is not the message that has been broadcast. Those UK climate sceptics who want to use this cold spell as ammunition have either understood that this would be wrong or the media have ignored them. There is good reason for this; it looks as if, on a global basis, 2010 was also the warmest year on record.
The UK's harsh weather was caused by unusual conditions with a sustained high pressure weather system that blocked mild westerly winds and brought cold air south from the Arctic. We know that one month, in one region, is not an indicator of global climate trends, but the cold does enter our subconscious. Global warming loses its urgency when the current struggle is to stay warm and keep from sliding off icy roads.
A better way to view climate change is the increased variability (such as the jet stream coming down from the north instead of from the more usual west) and more incidents of extreme weather events such as the floods in Australia.
We should not be looking for a clear point at which the climate flips to something very different and we can say that the climate has turned. If we reach such a point, there will be no way back. There will be an increasing number of weather events to support the predictions of the scientists. Does each of us need to have their house flooded and suffer from food shortages before calling for real action?
We can see the dangers of continuing to rely on the fossil-fuel economy. Of course it must be dismantled and replaced by something different. Yes, it will be hard to transform the economy; it gets harder every day we delay. 2011 should be the year of real action...
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