|
|
Fallacy: Record snowfall debunks global warmingWhen media headlines announce a major unexpected snowfall, many people exclaim, "This proves the Earth is cooling, not warming up!"
Their logic is simple: Snow requires cold weather, therefore, record snowfall must indicate record cold, not warming. But the apparent logic is deceptive. Snowfall is also determined by other variables, including precipitation. In fact, global warming models predict more erratic weather, with increased drought in many locations along with increased precipitation (including snowfall) in others. This is a tricky one, because a well-meaning person can unwittingly use it as an example of logic, while a propagandist may know it's BS. So I'm guessing it might or might not be called a fallacy, depending on how it's used. Is that correct? What kind of fallacy would you call it? Thanks. |
| asked on Sunday, Apr 22, 2018 11:51:41 AM by David Blomstrom | |
Top Categories Suggested by Community |
|
Comments |
|
|
| |
Want to get notified of all questions as they are asked? Update your mail preferences and turn on "Instant Notification."
Part one is about how science works even when the public thinks it doesn't. Part two will certainly ruffle some feathers by offering a reason- and science-based perspective on issues where political correctness has gone awry. Part three provides some data-driven advice for your health and well-being. Part four looks at human behavior and how we can better navigate our social worlds. In part five we put on our skeptical goggles and critically examine a few commonly-held beliefs. In the final section, we look at a few ways how we all can make the world a better place.
* This is for the author's bookstore only. Applies to autographed hardcover, audiobook, and ebook.
|
|
That's a common one. People are confusing weather with climate. This is like claiming that a cancer patient is in remission because they are having a good day. I would say that this is a result of general ignorance (lack of understanding in the difference between climate and weather) and fallacious thinking. The fallacy, or class of fallacies, would have to do with hasty generalization or drawing a conclusion from a small sample (favoring a sample size of one - the cold day - over decades of data).
|
| answered on Sunday, Apr 22, 2018 12:02:18 PM by Bo Bennett, PhD |
Comments |
|
| |
