Northwest expert illuminates on climate change

By John Dodge | The Olympian • Published March 17, 2009

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Western Washington weather guru Cliff Mass played the role of global warming myth buster for an audience of about 100 people who attended his noon lecture Monday at the state Capitol Campus.

Mass, an atmospheric sciences professor at the University of Washington, author of the just- released book "The Weather of the Pacific Northwest," and weather blogger (http://cliffmass.blogspot.com), agrees with the vast majority of scientists who believe the Earth is warming because of the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

"Carbon dioxide has an effect on global temperatures," he said. "It's absolutely well understood and nonsensical to suggest otherwise."

However, he said, he considers himself a centrist in the climate change debate, not ready to blame global warming as the culprit for all the weird and wild weather in the Northwest.

He said there's no scientific evidence to show that global warming will lead to increased heavy rain events and flooding in the Northwest, just as cold March weather doesn't mean climate change isn't real.

"Will we have more or less rain in the Pacific Northwest due to global warming?" Mass asked. "It's too early to tell."

And, he said, claims that there's already been a dramatic decrease in snowpack in the Cascade mountains in recent decades doesn't hold up under scrutiny.

"The glaciers are melting, but the snowpack hasn't changed in 30 years," he said.

Effect in Northwest

He said global warming is likely to build in the Northwest slower and weaker than in other regions of the world, largely because the Earth's eastern oceans � for example, the Pacific Ocean � is not warming as quickly as the world's western oceans.

"Temperature change will be slower and delayed because we're downstream of the Pacific," he said. "But once it gets rolling, it's going to be fast � there won't be any skiing at Snoqualmie Pass in 2080."

Mass said that prediction assumes humans don't curb greenhouse gas emissions in the decades ahead.

He described global warming as a symptom of a planet occupied by more people than the Earth's resources can sustain.

"It there was only 100 million of us, it wouldn't be a problem," he said.

John Dodge covers the environment and energy for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5444 or jdodge@theolympian.com.