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April 30, 2008

NASA Confirms Natural Climate Shift

Marc Sheppard
NASA has confirmed that a developing natural climate pattern will likely result in much colder temperatures.  Of course, the climate alarmists' favorite dubious data source was also quick to point out that such natural phenomena should not confuse the issue of manmade greenhouse gas induced global warming.

According to NASA's Earth Observatory, where you'll also find satellite images and detailed explanations of the event:

"A cool-water anomaly known as La Niña occupied the tropical Pacific Ocean throughout 2007 and early 2008. In April 2008, scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced that while the La Niña was weakening, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation-a larger-scale, slower-cycling ocean pattern-had shifted to its cool phase."

This shift in the PDO, which could last for 20 or 30 years, "can have significant implications for global climate, affecting Pacific and Atlantic hurricane activity, droughts and flooding around the Pacific basin, the productivity of marine ecosystems and global land temperature patterns."

And the greatest impact here in the states will likely be on west coast residents, particularly growers.

Warns meteorologist Anthony Watts: [emphasis in original]

"Look out California agriculture. The wine industry, fruits and nut growers will be hit with a shorter growing season and more threats of frost, among other things."

Watts cites two recent reports of frost-induced crop devastation -- an apple orchard in Paradise and wine grapes in Nevada County.  He also offers a brief history of last century's PDO phase shifts, and warns that California's agriculture, which experienced "unprecedented growth" during the past warm phase, may now be in serious trouble as things cool down:

  • In 1905, PDO switched to a warm phase
  • In 1946, PDO switched to a cool phase
  • In 1977, PDO switched to a warm phase

Recently lower global temps, likely caused by the late start of Solar Cycle 24, already have some greenhouse gassers nervous - particularly amid speculation of a possible impending "little ice age."

But surely a 30 year protracted naturally-explainable cooling period concurrent with rising atmospheric CO2 levels would forever cool the public's receptiveness to AGW alarmism.  No problem -- our ever panicking friends at NASA have that angle covered, too:

"Natural, large-scale climate patterns like the PDO and El Niño-La Niña are superimposed on global warming caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases and landscape changes like deforestation. According to Josh Willis, JPL oceanographer and climate scientist, ‘These natural climate phenomena can sometimes hide global warming caused by human activities. Or they can have the opposite effect of accentuating it.'"

Don't you just love it?

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