The political cartoon debunking the idea of climate change — or more specifically global warming — on the basis of record cold weather (Jan. 14) represents a favorite source of humor to those who fail to see the difference between the forest (climate) and the trees (weather).
The severity of the weather at any single place or time neither supports nor denies the fact of significant global warming. There is a clear consensus of the scientific community (as represented by virtually all national and international science academies and professional societies since 2007), which largely follows or endorses the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change position that "An increasing body of observations gives a collective picture of a warming world and other changes in the climate system ... There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities."
Rather than look out the window to find support for what we know and don't know about climate change, go to the Environmental Protection Agency's Web site: www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/stateofknowledge.
Gary Walton
Salt Lake City