Scientists Study Links Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather
In the article, Scientists Study Links Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather, John Schwartz examines a new collection of studies that came out this year on the link between extreme weather and climate change. This study examined a series of 28 extreme weather reports in 2014, but the results are mixed. Part of the research hint that climate change caused by humans was the reason for heat waves in regions like China and Europe. However, the scientists did not find a consistent correlation between climate change and other weather events like drought or wildfires. The scientists acknowledged that the failure to find a connection between events and the human fingerprint might be because of poor models or inaccurate data. They also stressed that they were describing the analysis of probability that they got off of their computers and not cause and effect. The article ends with Dr. Mann, a climate expert at the University of Pennsylvania stating, “If anything, this particular debate underscores that the question is no longer whether there is an influence of climate change on extreme weather events. The debate is simply over the magnitude and extent of that influence.”
This article is very important in terms of influencing greater society. Climate change is a growing concern in our world due to excessive pollution and human waste. This article was a reminder of this and also updated people on what research was being done and what results it yielded. This research is also important in making informed decisions about extreme weather in the future. As Heidi Cullen, an author of one of the studied and chief scientist for Climate Central put it, “The efforts to evaluate the effects of climate change are important for planning responses to extreme weather and a changing world.”
I thought this article was pretty well written. The author presented the overview of the study that came out very well. He also did a good job of giving examples of extreme weather like the wildfires in the Midwest this summer and stating whether or not climate change had a direct effect. In addition, the author included many quotes and mentioned how this type of research can positively affect society. However, he could have talked a little more about the 28 different studies that were recently published. Overall, this article did a very good job of informing me on the recent research on the correlation between extreme weather and human induced climate change.
Schwartz, John. "Scientists Study Links Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather." The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Nov. 2015. Web. 05 Nov. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/06/science/climate-change-extreme-weather-global-warming.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0>.
I enjoyed every aspect of Emily’s review of her article. The descriptive detail she included was helpful in clarifying my understanding of the effects of climate change on our environment, and her simply-written and informative summary of the article helped me to gain a basic appreciation of the topic. Additionally, Emily included quotes that helped readers understand different perspectives (scientists, researchers, etc.) on the topic, which I found helpful. Finally, I found Emily’s critical analysis of the article helpful in determining the validity of the source and the quality of information in the article.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Emily’s review is well done, it would have been helpful if she had added more information about the weather reports described in the first paragraph, as understanding this piece was crucial to gaining a complete comprehension of the topic. Also, it would have been helpful to add more information about the researchers discussed in the articles, as they are featured multiple times throughout.
Climate change is a major issue today, and this article added to my understanding of what specifically is happening in the world and what we can do about it. I look forward to further analyzing and discussing topics like this in the future.
ReplyDeleteDear Emily,
Your essay on Scientists Study Links Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather was an interesting read. I think one aspect of your writing I liked was your essay's presentation; it’s length is a decent size. Looking at your article was refreshing because it isn’t that long of a read, which these articles should be. I think your review is straightforward and your summary is straightforward, which makes it very easy to understand the gist of your article. Also your incorporation of data is also a great addition because you create a nice balance of information that not only allows us to get a gist of your article, but understand it a bit further.
If you had to change anything though, I think it would have to be going a bit into some specifics and highlighting what exactly the scientists uncovered. Because I am slightly confused after reading your review if these scientists can really deduce the extent to how much humans are affecting the earth’s climate because you mentioned “The scientists acknowledged that the failure to find a connection between events and the human fingerprint might be because of poor models or inaccurate data. They also stressed that they were describing the analysis of probability that they got off of their computers and not cause and effect.” Another thing to consider improving your review is by adding more data on the weather reports you were referring to gain more of an understanding.
In addition, I think your reaction to the article is insightful because like you said, we often don’t ponder on the insignificant details of life which actually can have significant impacts.These scientists must make decisions so that every data they collect can be as accurate as possible. However limited technology can hinder those advances. We tend to shy away from the climate change problem, even though NYC hosted that parade almost a year ago; however this article draws our attention that this problem is perpetual and isn’t going to magically disappear.
Schwartz, John. "Scientists Study Links Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather." The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Nov. 2015. Web. 05 Nov. 2015. .