A newspaper editorial columnist this week writes a scathing attack on the scientific consensus concerning global warming.His position is that global warming is not occurring,and his supporting evidence is the fact that Sheboygan,Wisconsin,had a record low temperature (in 150 years of record keeping)on February 6 last winter.Which statement(s)about the editorial is/are correct?
A) Assuming the columnist is correct in reporting the record low temperature, then indeed he is correct in his assertion that global warming is not occurring.
B) The columnist is confusing weather (day to day and seasonal variation in temperature, humidity, precipitation, and air pressure) with climate (variability in these factors over time scales of decades or longer).
C) The columnist does not understand that scientists do not expect global warming to produce a gradual uniform increase in temperature for every locality on every day of the year. Geologically rapid warming is expected to increase air and sea temperature averaged across the planet throughout the year (measured over time spans of decades to centuries), but it will also bring shifts in weather patterns that could locally cause extreme heat or cold, drought, or intense flooding.
D) Both B and C are correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The columnist is making the mistake of confusing weather (a short-term observation) with climate (observed over longer time periods). Additionally, global warming will not necessarily produce a uniform increase in temperature at all times and places. Instead, it is expected to cause geologically rapid warming globally, which could result in extreme weather events such as heat waves or cold snaps.

A Newspaper Editorial Columnist This Week Writes a Scathing Attack