The question comes up after every major natural disaster of late: is this further evidence of climate change? The answer is often yes, from huge fires to huge tornadoes.
It helps to go back and look at the history of the Earth's climate, and Karen Grove and Benjamin Santer offer just such a service, through a class they will soon teach at OLLI in Ashland.
Their analysis of climate considers longstanding trends displayed on the planet, as well as more short-term fluctuations, like El Niños and La Niñas.
The teachers give us a short overview of what they'll cover in 12 hours of classes.