TV Weathermen Are Not Climate Scientists

I have noted in the past that deniers of climate change often cite meteorologists as opposed to climatologists who have actual expertise in the field. The difference in viewpoint is reported by The New York Times:

Climatologists, who study weather patterns over time, almost universally endorse the view that the earth is warming and that humans have contributed to climate change. There is less of a consensus among meteorologists, who predict short-term weather patterns.

Meteorologists do not study climate change as climatologists do, and there’s only an even chance that a meteorologists even has a degree in meteorology. The key line of the article might be: “Such skepticism appears to be widespread among TV forecasters, about half of whom have a degree in meteorology.” Perhaps if more had a degree their views might be more in line with the scientific knowledge:

The American Meteorological Society, which confers its coveted seal of approval on qualified weather forecasters, has affirmed the conclusion of the United Nations’ climate panel that warming is occurring and that human activities are very likely the cause. In a statement sent to Congress in 2009, the meteorological society warned that the buildup of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would lead to “major negative consequences.”

The article discussed the differences between meteorologists and climate scientists:

…climate scientists use very different scientific methods from the meteorologists. Heidi Cullen, a climatologist who straddled the two worlds when she worked at the Weather Channel, noted that meteorologists used models that were intensely sensitive to small changes in the atmosphere but had little accuracy more than seven days out. Dr. Cullen said meteorologists are often dubious about the work of climate scientists, who use complex models to estimate the effects of climate trends decades in the future.

But the cynicism, said Dr. Cullen, who now works for Climate Central, a nonprofit group that works to bring the science of climate change to the public, is in her opinion unwarranted.

“They are not trying to predict the weather for 2050, just generally say that it will be hotter,” Dr. Cullen said of climatologists. “And just like I can predict August will be warmer than January, I can predict that.”

Climate Progress discusses further how TV weathermen are not climate scientists:

Meteorologists are not required to take a course in climate change, this is not part of the NOAA/NWS [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather Service] certification requirements, so university programs don’t require the course (even if they offer it). So we have been educating generations of meteorologists who know nothing at all about climate change.

3 Comments

  1. 1
    Tom says:

    TV Weathermen Are Not Climate Scientists http://bit.ly/a8gMqT #p2 #gop #tcot #topprogs #dems #teaparty

  2. 2
    Rubber Stamp Roskam says:

    RT @tlw3: TV Weathermen Are Not Climate Scientists http://bit.ly/a8gMqT #p2 #gop #tcot #topprogs #dems #teaparty

  3. 3
    Theophilus Punoval says:

    Attention, climate science deniers: TV weathermen are *not* climate scientists. http://tr.im/TVbk #climate

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