President Donald Trump’s very bad tweet about global warming prompted a slew of responses from people and organizations who actually know how climate science works, including The Weather Channel.
In Trump’s tweet on Thursday evening, he said that the eastern U.S., currently experiencing a cold front, “could use a little bit of good old Global Warming.” Even if the tweet was an attempt at a joke, it’s extremely dangerous to send this kind of information out to the public—especially when a large portion of Americans don’t believe that climate change will personally affect them.
In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year’s Eve on record. Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against. Bundle up!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2017
The Weather Channel responded to Trump with a list of facts:
1) There is a difference between #weather and #climate.
2) Short-term #cold snaps will continue to occur in a warming climate.
3) 2017 will likely be a top three warmest year on record for the globe.
1) There is a difference between #weather and #climate.
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) December 29, 2017
2) Short-term #cold snaps will continue to occur in a warming climate.
3) 2017 will likely be a top three warmest year on record for the globe.
(Graphic: Univ. of Maine – Climate Change Institute) https://t.co/kzuugeXi80 pic.twitter.com/gueOsp4yvu
Yes, cold snaps are actually tied to global warming! Trump’s tweet is invalid, but you probably already knew that.