NATURALIST’S NOTES:
With the crazy swings in temperature we have experienced this winter, I have been asked many questions and heard lots of talk about climate change.
I try to clear this up as often as possible, since I feel it is very important to help people understand this topic. There is way too much political and economic pressure trying to water down what has become the consensus of scientists. The earth is warming... period. No matter what political party you belong to, or whether or not you have investments in solar energy technology or coal mining, the climate of earth is changing, the sea level is rising, and polar ice is melting. The opinions of financial gurus, politicians and talk show hosts are not science. I often hear comments like, "It was 9 degrees last night and you're gonna' tell me the climate of earth is getting warmer !?!”
One important distinction that many people have trouble grasping, and which prevents many from accepting the facts of global climate change is the difference between climate and weather. Stick your head out the window and take note of the temperature and conditions - that's weather. Do that every day for a hundred years, log all your data and put it on a graph - that's climate. This is a complicated issue both on the scientific side and the ramifications for humans, but I can only hope that we continue to embrace the findings of science and move forward making the best decisions we can.
Marc Gussen, Naturalist
