Factual factors in weird weather

Will the world end in 2012? asks a young blogger. No, but rumors about the end of the world in 2012 will, comes a sharp reply. The Newsweek's May 2, 2009, issue carried an article that went to the root of the source of the rumor: the Mayan calendar (actually calendars called "long count") which according to the Gregorian calendar ends in 2012.

The end-of the world hype was created ostensibly to promote the Hollywood science fiction film, 2012, a saga of oceans swallowing up mountains. Search engine Baidu now has a huge number of sensational blog websites for "End of the World in 2012" and "Climate Change Rumors" (in Chinese) with mainly young people blogging a mix of naive and witty responses.

Rumors are dangerous and should be met with science. The basic fact about climate change is that climate does change. Abnormal weather certainly affects communities and makes news. The World Metrological Organization says it takes at least 25 years before a place is visited by abnormal weather again. Some recent blizzards, droughts, extreme temperatures, torrential rain and super cyclones across the world and in China are indeed abnormal.