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General Comment
- A
definition serves to sharpen, clarify, or point out the objective of
discourse.
- A
definition attempts to explain a word using other words.
- A
definition is a statement that explains the meaning of a term.
When Prof. Roger A. Pielke Sr. started his weblog "Climate
Science" in 2005 (July,11) one of the first post
was titled:
Two
years later in 2007 the website
"www.whatisclimate.com" was set up and is in operation ever
since (HERE) . One of the first post concerend Roger A. Pielke Sr. post on 'climate definition ' (HERE 11. Sept 2007), acknowledging the promising approach , which was expressed in Pielke's opening sentence:
The title of this weblog is “Climate Science,”
so the first thing we need to do is define “climate.”
The first
responding post at 'whatisclimate' nevertheless concluded:
The problematic with the term climate may be highlighted with another and
final extract from Climate Science on 16 November, 2006, of which the last
sentence reads:
How can serious science claim, “that the dispersion of natural and
anthropogenic aerosols into the atmosphere are integral components of the
climate system”, when such dispersion go into the atmospheric system and become
part of the atmospheric system? Is the ‘switch’ to another name naïve or a
trick? It is misleading to speak about a ‘climate system’ if one does not know
what climate is.
Meanwhile
the climate-change discussion has lasted for many more years, but the
problem is the same. Science seems not willing and able to explain
scientific useful manner. Instead they refere to a layman's use, which
talks in so far of 'average weather', while the Framework Convention on
Climate Change (1992) offers none.
Also Prof. Pielke Sr. did not see the problem, but based his
consideration on the 'average', with the notion: "For many, the term
refers to long-term weather statistics."
When Prof. Pielke Sr. closed his blog "Climate Science" in 2012,
'whatisclimate.com' regretted this move by one of the most sincere
scientist in this field, commenting (extract):
It is a pity. Prof. Roger Pielke Sr ended to run his invaluable weblog “Climate Science: Roger Pielke Sr.“
on November 13, 2012, which he had started with a post on the
topic “What is Climate? Why Does it Matter How We Define
Climate?” on July 11, 2005. We discussed his consideration critical in
2007 (here B-211; and B-330). He, as well as his son Roger Pielke Jr. (here E-510),
belong to the very few scientists that have addressed the climate
definition issue critical. In the last seven years R. Pielke Sr.
did it frequently. In a post on June 15, 2012
(HERE)
he commended once again: “The terminology in the field of climate and
environmental science is filled with jargon words and the misuse of
definitions.” cont// ........concluding:
The
failure of science to come up with appropriate climate definitions
misleads the general public and politicians on how the prevent man-made
changes in the atmosphere (more HERE and HERE).
The oceans drive the weather and are the main source of changing
statistic values. Roger Pielke Sr. addressed this aspect only partly
(July 11, 2005; HERE):
“Ocean heat content changes are the much more appropriate metric than a globally-averaged surface temperature when evaluating
“global warming” in any case.”
Ocean input is much more relevant than this statement suggests, but is
too complex to be outlined here any further. Nevertheless, we
appreciate his statement highly, as he is one of the very few
scientists who have given the ocean more weight. In his closing post
Roger Pielke Sr. expressed his intention to “… spend more of my time on
research papers.” We wish him well and all success.
Everything comes from water!!
Everything is maintained through water!
Ocean, give us your eternal power.
Drama: Faust II; Act 2, J. W. v. Goethe (1749-1832)
Entire Post December 2012
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Back to Topic WHAT IS CLIMATE
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- As an
example, at the G-8 meeting, the term “climate change” is used
interchangeably with “global warming.”
- In the
NRC report, climate forcings were extended beyond the radiative forcing of
carbon dioxide to include the biogeochemical influence of carbon dioxide,
…
- The
term “global warming” is generally used to refer to an increase in the
globally-averaged surface temperature in response to the increase of
well-mixed greenhouse gases, particularly CO 2.
- If,
however, we are interested in atmospheric and ocean circulation changes,
which, after all is what creates our weather, we need to focus on how
humans are altering these circulations. Ocean heat content changes are the
much more appropriate metric than a globally-averaged surface temperature
when evaluating “global warming” in any case
- Thus it
matters how we define climate and climate forcing[4].
- Hopefully,
this blog will stimulate discussion, as well as illuminate reasons why
this broader perspective on climate variability and change has been mostly
ignored.
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