Well, people that make reference to anomalous weather events as “proof” of wordwide warming or cooling or a lack of either one are making a big mistake, especially when not taking into consideration what is going on globally. Usually when it snows in Houston its unseasonably hot somewhere else. Its important to distinguish between weather and climate. When we talk about snow in Houston we are talking about unusual weather. If Houston had a colder
climate, snowfall occurring there would not be worth mentioning at all.
I don’t know the extent to which humans are influencing any climate change that is occurring and I don’t think an absolutist viewpoint one way or the other is justifiable. And I don’t know that the cure for global warming is any better than the symptoms. Climate is complex and its difficult to separate out and test variables that effect it. But I especially don’t see how you rule out some human influence given humans have been burning fossil fuels for the last 150 years, that CO2 absorbs radiation in frequency bands than other GH gases do not absorb it in, and that increases in GH gases initially occurring in lower concentrations such as CO2 result in the most absorption.
I also think it’s a huge mistake to attach too much significance to cherry picked quotes offered up without due consideration to context. I reference “climate gate”. Several months back the results of a study financed by the tea party supporting, oil industry insiders Koch Bros. determined that global warming is indeed occurring. See link 1. While the lead researcher, a former GW skeptic, does not identify the source of the warming, he says it’s a good idea to reduce CO2 emissions. Meanwhile, the scientists attacked in climategate have been exonerated (link2).
http://news.yahoo.com/skeptic-finds-now-agrees-global-warming-real-142616605.html
http://news.yahoo.com/climategate-scientists-cleared-wrongdoing-again-035209228.html