Thank Global Warming for Fewer Hurricane Sandy Events

Published October 25, 2013

Climate Change Weekly #107

Next week marks the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, which will launch a plethora of alarmist media stories about global warming. We will be told global warming is responsible for creating Sandy. We will be told global warming is responsible for making Sandy stronger than would otherwise have been the case. We will be told global warming is responsible for Sandy striking so far north, in the U.S. Northeast. We will be told global warming is responsible for the extra storm surge when Sandy came ashore. All of these assertions are myths contradicted by objective science.

Global hurricane numbers have been declining for decades as our planet continues its modest warming. Common sense tells us if hurricanes are becoming rarer as the planet warms, a warming planet is not creating more hurricanes.

The decline in hurricanes is even more pronounced in the context of major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) striking the United States. If major hurricanes are undergoing the greatest decline, common sense tells us global warming is not making hurricanes stronger.

The U.S. Northeast experienced only a single major hurricane strike during the past 50 years, versus six major hurricane strikes in the preceding 30 years. Hurricane Sandy (technically an extra-tropical storm with Category 1-equivalent winds when it came ashore) was quite minor compared with the major hurricanes that frequently struck the U.S. Northeast when our planet was cooler. As our planet warms, the U.S. Northeast is finding welcome relief from catastrophic hurricanes.

Finally, even if global sea level has risen by seven inches during the past century, Sandy’s 14-foot storm surge still would have been 13 feet, 5 inches without the sea-level rise. More importantly, without global warming there would likely be stronger, more frequent hurricane strikes along the U.S. Northeast bringing much higher storm surges than 14 feet. Also, without the increased atmospheric wind shear associated with global warming, Hurricane Sandy may have developed into a stronger hurricane with a deadlier storm surge.

The media will drum up all sorts of alarm about Hurricane Sandy and global warming next week, but sound science reveals we should thank global warming for fewer Hurricane Sandy events.

SOURCE: Forbes.com


IN THIS ISSUE

‘End of snow’ claim triggers record snow year … McAuliffe ad claims more hurricanes despite hurricane decline … 2013 sets mark as weakest hurricane season in 45 years … Gore falsely claims every national science academy agrees with him … Gore joins Inglis pushing for carbon tax


‘END OF SNOW’ CLAIM TRIGGERS RECORD SNOW YEARS

Five of the six snowiest Northern Hemisphere winters have occurred since the year 2000 when global warming alarmists claimed an imminent end to winter snow, science writer Steven Goddard documents on his Real Science Web site. For example, “Britain’s winter ends tomorrow with further indications of a striking environmental change: snow is starting to disappear from our lives,” the UK Independent claimed in 2000. Satellite instruments that have been monitoring northern hemisphere snow cover since 1967, however, show five of the six snowiest winters occurred since 2003.

SOURCE: Real Science


MCAULIFFE AD CLAIMS MORE HURRICANES DESPITE HURRICANE DECLINE

A new campaign ad supporting Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe (D) claims Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli is making hurricanes and “superstorms” more likely by not combating global warming. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data, however, show Virginia hurricanes, which have been virtually non-existent in recent decades, were quite frequent before 1950 when temperatures were cooler.

SOURCE: Real Science


2013 SETS MARK AS WEAKEST HURRICANE SEASON IN 45 YEARS

For the first time in 45 years, there were no Category 2 or stronger hurricanes anywhere in the Atlantic basin this year. Both Category 1 Atlantic hurricanes drifted aimlessly at sea and quickly dissipated.

SOURCE: Yahoo News


GORE FALSELY CLAIMS EVERY NATIONAL SCIENCE ACADEMY AGREES WITH HIM

Al Gore this week claimed “every national academy of sciences in the world” agrees with his global warming alarmism. In reality, many national academies have taken no position on global warming. Many others merely assert global warming has occurred and is likely human-induced but are silent on the existence of an asserted crisis. Still others have explicitly cast doubt on global warming alarmism. The American Physical Society, the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have each pointed out substantial scientific disagreement with global warming alarmism, and two surveys of American Meteorological Society meteorologists produced similar results.

SOURCE: Raw Story


GORE JOINS INGLIS PUSHING FOR CARBON TAX

Al Gore repeatedly argued for a carbon tax this week on his Climate Reality Project marathon. Gore’s advocacy for the new tax joins him politically with former Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC), a global warming advocate who claims conservatives should support carbon taxes. After making global warming his signature issue prior to the 2010 congressional elections, the incumbent Inglis lost his seat in a Republican primary, capturing only 29 percent of the vote.

SOURCE: Daily Caller