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What is Anecdotal Evidence?
posted 1/2/08
All across
the northern United States, cities and
states are reporting record snowfall.
Cities reporting record or near-record snowfall are: Detroit,
Michigan; Aspen, CO; Boston, Mass; Oshkosh,Wisconsin; Laconia, NH;
Rochester, NY; Salem, Mass; and Madison, Wisconsin.
The northern chill is even reaching into Florida, where the overnight low in sunny Daytona Beach is expected to be 30ºF.
Although this is all anecdotal evidence, it very clear that weather records (whether for record low temps or high temps, snowfalls, drought, or rain) are made to be broken.
Anecdotal evidence is not scientific. It's very small amounts of information based on what the observer can gain through their senses of sight, sound, feel, etc. Because our bodies and viewpoints can change minute by minute, anecdotal evidence like this is not reliable for coming to valid conclusions.
Just as being in the middle of a record snowfall does not mean there is no global warming, being in the middle of a drought or heat wave does not mean that global warming is occurring.
What's needed is reliable scientific data without any political or social biases. This is sorely lacking in the global warming debate today.
To see how much you know about global warming, take the Global Warming Test
related articles...
·Flawed temperature stations
·Has global warming stopped?
·Take the Global Warming Quiz
·What is Anecdotal Evidence?
·Solar activity and global cooling
·New data shows ice cap is back
The northern chill is even reaching into Florida, where the overnight low in sunny Daytona Beach is expected to be 30ºF.
Although this is all anecdotal evidence, it very clear that weather records (whether for record low temps or high temps, snowfalls, drought, or rain) are made to be broken.
Anecdotal evidence is not scientific. It's very small amounts of information based on what the observer can gain through their senses of sight, sound, feel, etc. Because our bodies and viewpoints can change minute by minute, anecdotal evidence like this is not reliable for coming to valid conclusions.
Just as being in the middle of a record snowfall does not mean there is no global warming, being in the middle of a drought or heat wave does not mean that global warming is occurring.
What's needed is reliable scientific data without any political or social biases. This is sorely lacking in the global warming debate today.
To see how much you know about global warming, take the Global Warming Test
related articles...
·Flawed temperature stations
·Has global warming stopped?
·Take the Global Warming Quiz
·What is Anecdotal Evidence?
·Solar activity and global cooling
·New data shows ice cap is back