People are often heard linking an unusually hot day to global warming, but as American science fiction author Robert Heinlein once said, “Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get”.
Climate and weather should not be confused, explained Meteorological Office manager Charles Galdies. A similar quotation to Heinlein’s is one by another American author, Mark Twain, who had noted that “Climate lasts all the time, and weather only a few days”.
“Both quotations embrace the essence of the difference between weather and climate,” said Dr Galdies.
Basically the weather is what is happening to the atmosphere at any given time. Climate is a measure of what to expect in any month, season or year, and this measure is found using statistics based on local observations over many years, said Dr Galdies.
He went on to say that climate statistics often concentrate on averages, but it is the extreme events that the public is most perceptive to; it is these events that generate the most interest. However, while dangerous, these rare extremes are still part of our normal climate.
On the other hand, the concept of climate change is about significant shifts in meteorological conditions lasting for many years.
These changes may involve a single measure (say temperature), but usually accompany more general alterations in weather patterns to warmer, drier, and sunnier conditions over prolonged periods that result from shifts in weather patterns around the world, said Dr Galdies.
As pointed by the National Centre for Atmospheric Research, located in Colorado, scientific research has taught us that climates are changing because earth is warming up.
While this may contribute to a warm summer day, global climate change is actually much more complicated than that because a change in the temperature can cause changes in other weather elements such as clouds or precipitation.
The World Meteorological Organisation observes that our knowledge of changes in the climate over the last few thousand years was transformed during the 20th century.
Few will remember that way back in 1988, the Maltese government took up a proposal of international law professor David J. Attard, requesting the United Nations to protect the global climate.
Prof. Attard had written to The Times of London, proposing a UN resolution declaring the weather and climate to be part of the common heritage of mankind, and that the appropriate mechanism be established to protect these natural resources in the interests of mankind.
In his letter, Prof. Attard had referred to a front-page article that had appeared in the newspaper a week before, titled ‘Soggy summers may be with Britain for good’.
The article had considered the phenomenon of a steadily rising average annual rainfall in the upper latitudes of the northern hemisphere and the very high temperatures in the southerly latitudes from the Mediterranean across northern India.
His proposal led to the 1992 UN Convention on the Protection of Global Climate, and in 2007 he was jointly awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize together with Albert Arnold (Al) Gore Jr. The award was a sign of recognition for his valuable contribution to the work of the multi-disciplinary Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC).
Science helps us predict future climate change. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) explains that the reason studying climate and a changing climate is important, is that it will affect people around the world.
Rising global temperatures are expected to raise sea levels, and change precipitation and other local climate conditions. Changing regional climate could alter beaches, forests, crop yields, and water supplies.
It could also affect human health, animals, and many types of ecosystems. Deserts may expand into existing rangelands, and features of our green areas may be permanently altered.
