After a long, sweaty night due to the hot summer temperatures (which will be even hotter today), I woke up to this strange article about how we describe the climate. It didn't appeal to me much.It is time to stop calling it climate changes.It was once called global warming. Because that was the norm, it was the big we. This was the dominant term in public discourse. You would have seen it in newspapers, books, and articles. Climate change is not the dull and boring one.This was far more accurate. That was the problem.Here's a little fact for you. Did you know that climate change was invented by Frank Luntz? Frank Luntz. The Republican strategist. Because global warming was dangerous. Because it was true. Too terrifying. Too real. Too true. Too real, too powerful, and too self-explanatory. It had to be Orwellianized. It had to be memory-holed. Doublespeak was used to give the impression that there was some discussion on the topic.This first sentence is incorrect. It is still called global warming. Luntz is a disgraceful servant of the Republican party. He suggested that Bush avoid the term "global warming" and instead use the term "climate change". This is because the Bush administration must continue to make scientific uncertainty a main issue. Luntz uses rhetorical tricks to confuse and promote dishonesty. He is the Republican party's Wormtongue. His trick is to make truth seem false. This is an example of where he has taken truth's language and distorted it. It is not necessary to abandon truthful statements; it is important to communicate that truth.The writer of the piece suggested that we should be like Frank Luntz. This is something that I find revolting. No. I reject it.Scientists use both terms to explain the phenomenon, not obscure it. Here's NASA explaining global warming and climate change.Global warming refers to the long-term warming of the Earth's climate system since pre-industrial times (1850-1899). This is due to human activities, principally fossil fuel burning. It increases the heat-trapping greenhouse gases levels in the Earth's atmosphere. Although the term is often used interchangeably with climate change, it refers to both naturally and human-produced warming and its effects on the planet. It is most often measured as an average increase in the Earth's surface temperature.Then there's climate changeClimate change refers to a long-term shift in weather patterns that has come to determine Earth's regional, global and local climates. These changes can have many effects, which are often synonymous with the term. The changes in Earth's climate that have been observed since the 20th century include a majority of human activities. Fossil fuel burning is a major driver, increasing Earth's heat-trapping greenhouse gases levels and raising Earths surface temperature. Global warming is commonly used to describe human-caused temperature increases. Climate change can also be caused by natural processes, such as internal variability (e.g. La Nia, El Nio and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation), and external forces (e.g. volcanic activity, Suns energy output changes, variations in Earth's orbit).This isn't Luntzian double-speak. The increase in temperature variability caused by heating the atmosphere also leads to record-breaking summer heat wave levels. We also see more tropical storms, and the polar vortex.The USGS is also aware of the difference.What is the difference in global warming and climate changes?While people often use the terms interchangeably, global heating is only one aspect of climate changes. Global warming refers mainly to an increase in global temperatures caused by the rising concentrations of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Climate change is the gradual and increasing temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns changes that occur over a long time.Here Phil Plait explains these terms.Frank Luntz, a Republican strategist, promoted the term climate change. He suggested that it be used because it is less scary than global warming*. This has been something I have known for many years. Fox News' talking heads claim that climate change is a liberal term, but facts don't stop them, as they do every day. Media Matters, who created the video, included the actual Luntz clip at the end. It's a great idea.Ironically, Luntz actually has a point. The Earth's atmosphere is not just hotter because of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases. It can cause flooding and droughts in some areas, as well as change weather patterns. It can actually change the climate over a period of time.Don't abandon climate change. Use it with global warming. You need to understand what they mean.You should not change your usage to disagree with Frank Luntz, Newt Gingrich's advisor. This man will be remembered as the Goebbels anti-scientific propaganda propaganda. You can't help but laugh at him.
