Re: [Phys-L] Polar Vortex

[John Denker <jsd@av8n.com>]

On 01/07/2014 11:23 AM, rjensen@ualberta.ca wrote:
> there is a change in the terminology used by climate
> scientists. "Global warming" is being replaced with "climate change",
> but still attributable to anthropogenic activities. It is much harder
> to dismiss statements like "Climate change is resulting in extreme
> weather events" given the frequency of extreme weather. Simply,
> climate scientists are beginning to understand and cater to the
> publics experiences,

I agree with the sentiment and the science ... but beware that
the provenance of the term _climate change_ is very nearly the 
opposite of what you might think.

The term was coined by Frank "Death Tax" Luntz back in 2003.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Luntz#cite_note-15
The best interests of the public and/or the scientific community 
were *not* factors in the original coinage.  The intent was to 
spin up something "less frightening" than global warming.
  http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2003/mar/04/usnews.climatechange

The fact that the concept turned out to be accurate and 
actually helpful to the public and to the scientific community
is spectacularly ironic.

I mentions this only as a human-interest story.  The odd provenance
should not make us hesitate to use the term.