In a rational world, Typhoon Haiyan would get media talking about climate change. But at the moment, it’s barely part of the conversation; and when it does come up, the message is that we can’t be certain that climate change “caused” this storm.
In the New York Times (11/12/13):
Yet scientists remain cautious about drawing links between extreme storms like this typhoon and climate change. There is not enough data, they say, to draw conclusions about any single storm.
“Whether we’re seeing some result of climate change, we find that impossible to find out,” said Kerry A. Emanuel, an atmospheric scientist at MIT.
Scientists largely agree that it appears that storms will become more powerful as the climate changes. Dr. Emanuel helped write a 2010 study, for example, that forecast that the average intensity of hurricanes and typhoons–different names for the same phenomenon–would increase by up to 11 percent by the end of the century.
On the broadcast networks, climate change has hardly been mentioned in connection with Haiyan. The few mentions that pop up are somewhat agnostic. On NBC Nightly News (11/11/13), correspondent Tom Costello remarked, “While scientists can’t say whether climate change contributed to this particular typhoon, they believe global warming is making storms stronger.”
A few nights earlier (NBC Nightly News, 11/8/13), Angus Walker posed the question: “Are giant storms like this one the shape of things to come spawned by global warming?” The response from Carl Parker of the Weather Channel:
Climate models have shown that warming could make these systems stronger. Now we don’t know that that was the case with Haiyan, but this was the most powerful system to have ever made landfall on record.
On some level, it’s understandable that scientists would be inherently conservative about attributing a particular event to climate change. But by the standard they seem to setting, it’s impossible to imagine how any extreme weather event could ever be definitely linked to climate change. There is no way that one massive hurricane will be stamped “Created by Climate Change,” while another would be considered a “normal” hurricane.
These catastrophes are occurring, and will continue to occur, in a climate that has been undeniably altered. Waiting for the “real” climate change-caused storms to hit before talking about climate change is illogical and irresponsible.
As Kevin Trenberth, senior scientist at National Center for Atmospheric Research, put it (Climate Change, 11/12):
The answer to the oft-asked question of whether an event is caused by climate change is that it is the wrong question. All weather events are affected by climate change because the environment in which they occur is warmer and moister than it used to be.
To employ a sports analogy, if a quarterback throws a high number of interceptions, it may not be possible to attribute any particular one to poor judgment. The pressure he’s under, the actions of the receiver and/or the interceptor – even the weather – may be the primary factor for that one play.
But only bad decisions on his part can account for his continuing to throw interceptions.
And ignoring or discounting climate change, as corpress coverage encourages, is the most dangerous decision our species can make.
Is there a correlation between concussions and global warming denial?
A better analogy is simply that of smoking and lung cancer, while the contribution of smoking with lung cancer is well-established in a probabilistic sense, but it is not in a deterministic sense, and no single case of a smoker getting lung cancer can be attributed to the smoking. So no; no single severe weather event can be attributed to AGW, but AGW can be attributed to more frequent and severe storms in a probabilistic sense. Also, the severity of this storm should be tempered by the fact that it has been very mild Atlantic hurricane season. Climate activists need to deal with these facts, and refrain from the sensationalism that I would prefer to think are characteristics mostly of the right.
At risk of flogging a dead horse, it seems to me that yet again the comments here miss the point. The issue here is not whether global warming accounts for recent severe weather events, but that the media either take the position that it does not or avoid discussion of the subject altogether.
The media have consistently mislead the public on global warming, the need to address severe unemployment, the need to tax the rich, the need for a single-payer health care system, and other critical issues.
That’s why FAIR is so vitally important to the American public – not because it deals with important issues, but because it exposes the way these issues are being misrepresented by our major media outlets.
@John Q – for the most part your preaching to the Choir here, most here know that the Corporate Media will not cover any Idea, in way but that of their Corporate Lords wishes. It makes not a whit of difference about what is true or not, or whether there will be debate or not. There will not be debate because the Cockroaches of Commerce must feed off the rubble left over by the ‘Great Lords’ who believe themselves immune and above the world; thus they will not threaten their safe position. It is the “Cult of the Mouse”.
So yes, this is why need FAIR and why I have been listening to them and KPFA for the last couple of decades. The corporate run media however can not change because the (alleged Reporters) have no clue about what news or reporting is, they can only parrot what they are told to parrot, and do their best to convince you and I, they ‘know everything’. If you haven’t already, check out this sites ‘What is wrong with media today” section.
So most of our comments are going to be about the verbiage and the tweeks, since we all pretty much agree with the writers here, on a regular basis; not everything, just most.
Pad and John Q what in the hell are you talking about the corporate media?The media has been lapdogs for this president in every way.Where they have not -is simply where they could not (with all the bunk the can muster)sway the public.Global warming was one of those things.The models have sent the scientists back to the drawing board.Obama the lame duck has lost interest.where he cant gain power he moves on.
Joh Q…so you think single payer(at an increased cost of 6 times the current debacle) will work huh?And we need to tax the so called rich so instead of paying 87% of all taxes they will pay 100%? Well i suppose it is only another 12%.Accomplish nothing but if it makes you feel better im sure you will fight for it.The road to hell is paved with liberal good intentions my friend.As far as the weather….we are generally cooling.Hurricanes are running about average(for a time they were way down) though we have had some doozies.This usually over history has been followed by quiet period.Little like earth quakes.
Trenberth makes a good point. How about saying something like, “Typhoon Haiyan is yet another example of the increasing TREND of the occurrence of stronger storms,” which shifts the focus toward the alarming trend, not a single event.
what in the hell are you talking about the corporate media? –
Very simple! Who owns the media that we see on TV, hear on the Radio, and read in Magazines and books. If you think it owned by the douche bags who call themselves reporters, think again. If you think it is the CEO’s of those stations and publications, once more Think again. It is owned by and for the People like Ailes, Murdoch, et al, and THEY do not tolerate anything that might cost them even a penny in advertising, period. If it is truth, then truth be damned. And so, the Corporations who put in the money get to call the tunes, even if it means lying their ass off.
The fact that your ranting over the ‘single payer’ just shows us that most of the corporate media will refuse to cover anything of importance, nor cover the the facts. You can spew the Fuz Snooze Nitwork sheeple bleat all you like; you can even be of the opinion that it is right, but Just like the people who think the earth is flat, your not entitled to your own Facts.
So you can look around and actually go find other news sources, or you can stick with the Tush Limburger moron troll dittoheads and bleat the same nonsense, but don’t try and pretend that you actually know what is going on.
Pad Im sure somebody owns everything.Media included.I write myself under my real name article that draw flack.Many of my friends are writers,Both left and right.I have had no secret directives.They have not.Do you hear an avalanche of writers saying they or their families have been threatened by a shadowy boss to write what is expected?of course not.You make me laugh.Successful business models must all be suspect?Ok so you hate Rush and FOX because lets face it -they don’t carry your water.They have a different opinion.Wonderful.Amazing.FREEDOM!!!!All the girls on FOX have great legs…….Those bastards.Illuminati.Corporate men in black.GIVE ME A BREAK.It sells dummy.More people listen.Why is the left so droll?So dower?So sure of hidden conspiracy?Answer….because they cant understand ANYONE not seeing everything their way.Believe me the girl down the road who incorporated her T shirt business is not out to rule the world.My friend who is massively wealthy -and incorporated with thousands of employees is not talking world dominance when we fish at the same hole we fished at together as we did when we were ten.We talk about who’s girl was prettier in the sixth grade.And the press…….the writers,the printers,the managers even those shmos who bet the house and own these failing concerns(in most cases)aint out to kill james Bond and rule the world.Really they are just trying to do their job and go home to their kids.Corporate boogy men are NEVER who you know.They live on the OTHER side of the hill.Behind that tree.Under that rock.In fact they are invisible.Really give it a rest.Lets just say most of the press supports this president and his ideals because they come from very liberal institutions that fill minds of mush students with that belief system.FOX is a balance to that.Rush is a balance.Good.Great.Wonderful.God bless America