Global warming deniers are misinformed

It's as predictable as the tides that after the recent onslought of headline-grabbing snowstorms and cold winters in the United States and Europe, someone would claim that this demonstrates the fallacy of the global warming contention ["Global warming hard to believe this winter," Letters, Jan. 12].

Once again, myopic thinking grabs people's minds. I remember a similar commentary by Sean Hannity after last winter's series of headline-grabbing snowstorms. The fact is that at the time that was going on, much of the western United States and most of Canada were having a warmer-than-average winter.

The real science is done by experts - those capable of gathering and statistically analyzing reams of weather station records from around the whole world. A recent report came out that 2010 tied with 2005 as the hottest year on record.

Peter Harris

Coram

A letter scoffed at global warming in light of the big snowstorms we have experienced this winter. But scientists have warned that one of the results of global warming will be more frequent and more violent storm systems, as the melting Arctic releases more moisture into the air. Warmer air holds more moisture, and the increased moisture leads to bigger and stronger storm systems.

The fact that we are seeing these monster storms more and more often is a sign of global warming, not an indication that it doesn't exist.

Marie Brown

Baldwin

A couple of readers have mocked Al Gore and global-warming scientists because we have had a few severe winter storms. They seem to feel that global warming means that it will be hot all the time. Nothing could be further from the truth.

While the overall temperature of the planet is measurably rising, the concept of global warming means there will be extreme weather patterns. These would include floods, earthquakes, droughts, heat waves and, yes, severe snowstorms.

It is sad that these readers are so misinformed that they think global warming just means hot weather.

Anthony Pirrone

Malverne