The study finds that extreme weather, both warm and cold, is
connected to global climate change. In the Discussion the report
states that almost all recent temperature changes are due to
climate warming.

The study goes on to acknowledge the overwhelming evidence that
most of the warming over the past fifty years in anthropogenic (man
made), concluding that the recent extremes in temperature would not
have occurred without human influence on climate.

The study looks at the specific example of the record-setting
summer 2010 Moscow heat wave. The findings show an approximately 80
percent probability that the heat wave was a direct result of
climate change.

This study is very technical, but the findings are important
because this information is consistent with what is expected from
the Fifth Assessment Report of the target=”_blank”>Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC).

The findings in this study are also consistent with the data
used by Al Gore in the target=”_blank”>Climate Reality Project. It is his belief that
in order to mobilize society into action, we must tie local events
and human experiences.

What it means is that planning and policymaking should assume
tha extreme weather events will continue and become more intense,
and we should not miss the ‘opportunities’ to communicate the
effects of climate change on our daily lives.

While it should be made clear that changes in the weather is not
always linked to, or indicative of, climate, these findings about
the connection to both hot and cold weather events means we can
expect a greater likelihood of summer droughts and extreme winter
storms.