The idea that you can somehow disprove global warming due to a winter storm or a cold snap is a fundamental misunderstanding of the difference between climate and weather. Perhaps the best metaphor is claiming that rain during July means the season of summer is a hoax. Yet that’s the argument President Donald Trump just made.
To be clear, over the past 10 years, the average temperature on the entire planet has risen. This can be measured because human beings — not just scientists — have long known how to measure temperature. In fact, since 1901, the average annual temperature has been going up by about 2℉. The start of the 20th century marked a significant global shift, where oil exploration outpaced coal as the primary source of energy.
