Australia is getting very hot

Paco Dennis

Paco Dennis

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Location
Mid-Missouri
It is the southern hemisphere, so it is summer around July. I read this morning that thousands of bats died because it is to hot for them. Then they said 74C is too hot for animals to survive. It is not the massive fires that are causing the heat wave. It is the rising global temperature. How are you getting along? I hope you remain safe!
 

Only that the rising global temperature has absolutely nothing to do with man made factors. In Europe we have the coldest winter since many years.
 
74C?
That's (165.2F) Are you sure they're experiencing 74C temps? That doesn't sound right to me.
 

George1959 said:
Only that the rising global temperature has absolutely nothing to do with man made factors. In Europe we have the coldest winter since many years.
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Your confusing climate and weather. :)

It’s a common argument, but it relies on a misunderstanding of how the planet’s energy balance works. When someone says, "It’s the coldest winter in years, so global warming is a lie," they are mistaking weather for climate.

Think of it this way: Weather is your daily mood; Climate is your long-term personality. Having one bad day (a cold winter) doesn't mean your entire personality has changed.

Here is how you can explain the undeniable link between human activity and these "weird" weather events:

1. The "Smoking Gun" (Isotopes)​

The most undeniable proof that warming is man-made is the carbon fingerprint.

  • The Logic: Carbon from volcanoes or natural cycles has a different chemical "signature" (isotopes) than carbon from burning fossil fuels.
  • The Evidence: Scientists measure the air and can see that the rise in CO2 matches the exact chemical signature of burned coal, oil, and gas. It’s like finding a specific brand of shell casing at a crime scene—we know exactly where the "extra" heat-trapping gas is coming from.

2. The "Cold Winter" Paradox​

A colder winter in Europe can actually be a symptom of a warming planet. It sounds like a contradiction, but here is the physics behind it:

  • The Polar Vortex: Usually, a strong "fence" of wind (the Jet Stream) keeps freezing Arctic air trapped at the North Pole.
  • The Disruption: Because the Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the world, that "fence" is weakening and becoming "wavy."
  • The Result: When the fence wobbles, it allows a "blob" of Arctic air to spill south into Europe. This is why you can have a record-breaking cold snap in London while the North Pole is experiencing record-breaking warmth at the exact same time.

3. Look at the Full Year in England​

If global warming weren't real, we would see record cold and record heat happening at the same frequency. But in England, the scale is heavily tipped:

  • Heat Records: In 2022, England hit 40.3°C for the first time in history. Every one of the UK’s ten warmest years has occurred in the last 20 years.
  • Rain "Bombs": Warmer air holds more moisture. This is why England is seeing "never-ending" rain and flash flooding. Recent studies show that the intense storm rainfall the UK saw in 2023–2024 is now 10 times more likely because of human-caused climate change.
  • The Trend: While we still have cold weeks, the number of days below freezing in the UK is steadily dropping every decade.

4. Natural Cycles vs. Human Speed​

The poster might say "the climate always changes." While true, natural changes take thousands of years. The warming we are seeing now has happened in just 150 years.

Analogy: If a car accelerates from 0 to 60 in 5 miles, that's a natural hill. If it does it in 2 seconds, someone is stepping on the gas. Humans are stepping on the gas.
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