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Weatherman Forecasts Climate Change

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    Meteorologist Jim Gandy tells Alan why he explains environmental issues in his weather reports.

  • Duration 8:37
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Welcome home welcome Jim -- -- nineteen Keith meteorologists have to be LTX hints in South Carolina.

And you've been in the U whenever you're if you're a legend in -- market right 37 years as a professional meteorologist.

The end here in this market for -- years.

And everybody knows your name as they say that T that TV show but you're doing something recently.

That really has you -- would've thought would have some riled up some people in South Carolina but hasn't had that effect tell me what's going on.

Well I it probably has -- -- some people I mean we it's not like we haven't had some some comments negative comments.

We were expecting ten -- I think part of the reason why probably hasn't been as bad for me is that -- -- -- so well established here.

And didn't.

I've got such a track record.

-- two you know sometimes people kind of look past settled.

I remember before I started doing this segment climate matters.

I did.

Scientific technology page on our web site and it'll -- -- -- this -- one night.

And this guy just went right off the DP and and -- -- remember what the story was about but he had the science totally wrong at a spot for me because I'm normally don't respond to comments.

And and had actually -- cannot I cannot let this be on our web -- and -- challenged.

So I broke my rule and I challenge -- that actually -- about three pages worth.

Response.

As you can -- comments.

In the next morning I woke up.

Maybe I was a little harsh and I looked at our web side and looked to comments and he had responded in his first line -- but you're my favorite meteorites.

So what you're doing -- you can you kind of worked out some stuff for the center for climate change communication at George Mason University.

And you met some folks I guess at a party who kind of got you involved and in doing climate change reporting his party weather forecast.

Whether it can it actually goes back to about 2005.

When I was at a retirement party.

For -- -- at the University of South Carolina and in a couple of the geology professors came up to -- and started asking me.

If I thought -- global warming was real.

And I really had thought that much about it so -- you know it's time.

To start learning.

So why I hit the books.

And Spain in 2009.

Game is when I got involved with a project with the citizens crime change communication at George Mason University.

And climate central.

And we bring storm we came up with.

They they were doing a research project.

I was the test case came up with the program we put the modules together.

And we spent a year doing climate matters on TV now of course climate matters continued after the project.

But it's it's evolved it's it's doing well.

Made and it's gotten some pretty good reaction.

You don't have management city you -- you gonna do this you gonna do the other side as well.

No no -- in fact a we did -- and engage in this project.

Without their support they were fully supportive of the effort.

And among the things you've talked about is that -- carbon dioxide from fossil fuels has a particular chemical footprint there is evidence that in fact.

Our presence on the planet does affect the climate.

Sure does and -- the the evidence now is pretty overwhelming.

And what I am trying to stress to people now.

With climate matters here is because you know -- we talk about global warming.

And and certainly you know during the hot part of summer that he just gets to -- -- It's more than just that we are changing their chemistry.

Became -- big chemical makeup of the atmosphere and you say you have a carbon -- -- accept only treat -- what a treat gas.

As it turns out had huge ramifications.

As to what happens now just in the sanctity trapping heat but our oceans.

Are absorbing.

Some of that carbon dioxide they're very becoming more acidic and I've been working with some of the he colleges -- at the University of South Carolina they're telling me.

What an effect is happening on our our marine block.

And the folks and that's -- George Mason actually came up with specific information particular to Columbia, South Carolina correct.

That's right we wanted to make this -- local you know you you talk about global warming well -- about how is that affecting you.

And that was one of the things we wanted to educate that we were related to -- -- that climate change is occurring now.

It's real candidates affecting you in ways that maybe you don't understating it.

Like poison -- for example right.

That was the perfect example -- here in South Carolina there are few things that are are our bigger problem.

I -- I like that segment because it wasn't about whether.

It was about the bias here it was about biology.

And in South Carolina we have a problem with poison -- and we have a problem with people who are allergic to poison ivy.

And it was great because this study was done -- duke university's.

Which is not far away.

And they had done this beautiful research -- -- -- had been.

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and we took that information and can.

Still the distilled it into.

Modules that we could use on here.

And they found out of that for example the -- tonight in -- grow faster.

Because of climate change could.

That's right as you would expect with carbon dioxide increasing plants grow faster but -- -- plants grow fastest and the point can -- be.

Grew fastest at all now it also this is the part that surprised me.

It was more toxic but not by -- little bit.

It was if you double the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from the pre industrial age the toxicity increased about 80%.

-- -- -- Danny he's news nineteen chief meteorologist in South Carolina.

What is different between weather and climate.

Well -- which you see and -- day to day basis climate it is over an extended period of time.

And generally you know I -- -- climate around here using about thirty years' worth -- -- And and we've been doing our own kind of in house look at the data here in South Carolina particularly here in Columbia.

And one of the interesting things we have frame count if you take a look at this thirty year moving average.

Of rainfall.

Since the middle 1980s.

Our -- here in this area has been getting drier.

But one of the things that we discovered a couple of years ago that surprised.

-- has -- number days in which we have extreme rainfall events.

Is increasing.

-- you've got this climate it's getting drier but when he does rain it rains -- So you're not getting if you don't get hate mail on a regular basis either people who come after you -- to have dare -- -- because there's a huge industry dedicated and left some money behind.

The notion that.

We do not cause climate change and let people a lot invest -- And you know we were prepared for that but -- -- whatever reason we kind of flew underneath the radar but thanks to -- we probably are no longer under the rate.

I'm not that important -- And I'm under the radar so there's no -- here to -- about the.

Thing is that we were prepared for that we were also prepared in their we're using only in the peer reviewed.

Research.

And in addition.

You know.

As -- -- Gmail -- rather substantial scientific background.

And money argument is this what now one game now I -- what I was going through.

Florida state university and and learning meet your own energy.

They never told me there it -- the greenhouse effect was either -- liberal or conservative.

Which is the well conservation that comes same route -- -- conservative so you know I didn't I don't know why there's a political.

Angle to this I don't think there should be it's really just science.

And Jim I do appreciate your talking -- -- about this tonight and thanks for the all the good work you're doing well thank you thanks very much Jim dandy news ninety chief meteorologist.

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