What is the big connection between climate change and extreme weather events and disasters?

• Based on what you just saw and read - how would you answer this question?

There is definitely a connection between climate change and the extreme weather events/ disasters. There are going to be years where extreme conditions occur. But when these conditions are record breaking, more that regular, that is when you can draw connections. With climate change, the globe is heating, causing more rain in certain places, more drought in other places and sometimes more extremes/disasters. There is no significant amount of proof saying that they are 100% connected, but there is nothing to prove that is not.

• What are the connections? Does it even matter?

The most recent extreme weather disasters like Hurricane Sandy or all of the wildfires occurring, are not necessarily pure coincidence. There is proof that climate change has been linked to multiple heat waves. When it comes to linking climate change to specific hurricanes or droughts is where it becomes particularly shady. Personally, I don't feel as though we need to necessarily prove the connection between the two at this current moment. The extremes are causing people to open up their eyes enough to see that the climate is changing. Although there is no proof that the extreme weather is directly associated with climate, there is enough there to convince people it is.

• Is there a good analogy you can use to illustrate the connections?

The connections between climate change and the extreme weather patterns/disasters are like human emotions and different scents. It is believed that different scents make us feel different ways. How else would Yankee Candle be so popular? This is called aromatherapy. Although there way not be significant proof of this method, people still use candles and other scents to manipulate their emotions. There are scents that relax you, make you sleepy, give you more energy and other things. Although there is no real direct science, there is no science proving that it is not true. This is very similar to climate change and weather. Although there is no proof that the global warming is causing extreme weather, there is nothing saying that it is not.

• And - who is Kevin Trenberth?

He is a senior scientist with the federal government's national center for atmospheric research, He is originally from New Zealand, as well as a former rugby player. He also earned his doctorate degree from MIT. He has spent a significant amount of his career studying variability in climate but has recently switched to studying the global water cycle and how it is responding to climate change. He is currently leading a world climate research program.