Like a GBU-57 bunker buster, global warming turned into global boiling and then suddenly turned into weather so cold it burst pipes in Canberra schools. Using the expression that has now been put into text by our esteemed Editor-in-Chief, it must be CLIIIIIIMATE CHAAAAAAAANGE!!!

Coldest night in 40 years. Must be global warming (aka CLIIIIIIMATE CHAAAAAAAANGE!!!)

— Rowan Dean (@rowandean) June 14, 2025

A recent opinion article from Canberra claimed that climate change caused burst pipes at two Canberra schools due to extreme cold events. However, the evidence suggests otherwise, pointing to normal winter conditions and infrastructure issues as the likely causes.

Burst pipes are a common occurrence in Canberra during winter, with historical data showing frequent incidents during cold snaps. For example, in 2018, plumbers were inundated with calls to fix burst pipes after sub-zero temperatures at several ACT public schools. The recent incident at Charnwood-Dunlop School and Giralang Preschool, while disruptive, fits this pattern, with temperatures around -7.6 degrees Celsius, not unprecedented in an area close to Australia’s highest mountain.

However, many people are reporting much lower temperatures with local thermometers than those recorded by the BOM (Whoops, they don’t like that, I mean ‘The Politburo’. Whoops gain, ‘The Bureau’.) We recorded -9 degrees Celsius the other morning in Gunning, and our dog Frankie’s water was frozen all day. As it has in previous years.

Meanwhile, reports of scientific studies indicate that climate change is leading to fewer extreme cold events, not more. A recent report by Carbon Brief, for example, demonstrated that few places globally have seen an increase in extreme cold days over the past 55 years, with rapid winter warming compensating for any potential effects. In Canberra, the ACT State of the Environment report also confirmed a warming trend, with projections of more heatwaves and fewer cold days.

The real issue seems to be infrastructure. Many buildings in Canberra, especially older schools, may lack proper insulation or maintenance, making them vulnerable to cold weather. Comments on the original article suggest poor plumbing as a more likely cause, aligning with historical patterns rather than climate change impacts.

My own experience in my environmentally unfriendly yet perfect double brick federation cottage with wood fires proves this point. My pipes were frozen in winter, too – quelle surprise!!!

Rather than exploring historical weather patterns, scientific evidence on climate change, and infrastructure considerations, it seems any random can claim climate change is causing global boiling and burst pipes from a typical inland NSW/ACT winter.

In the words of one of my PhD supervisors, a theory that explains everything explains nothing and is therefore not a theory. Karl Popper would agree. How we ever got to a scientific consensus is anybody’s guess, but it’s pretty cold this winter. Analyse that.

Citing ‘record-breaking sub-zero temperatures’ as evidence of ‘global boiling’ climate change is bizarre. Further, suggesting climate change brings implications for education and equity because one experienced a typical Canberra winter is next-level absurd.

Plumbing service websites note that burst pipes in Canberra are common during cold winters due to water freezing and expanding, a phenomenon exacerbated by older metal pipes, hard water, and poor installation.

Further, the claim that climate change causes more extreme cold events is contentious and not supported by the prevailing scientific consensus.

Calls for national leadership and policy settings to treat climate resilience in schools as a pillar of education policy typically cite Independent MP Zali Steggall’s Climate Change (National Framework for Adaptation and Mitigation) Bill.

One might also call for educators to ‘follow the money’. If one does, it is obvious that burst pipes during a Canberra winter can only be attributed to CLIIIIIIMATE CHAAAAAAAANGE!!!

Dr Michael de Percy @FlaneurPolitiq is the Spectator Australia’s Canberra Press Gallery Correspondent. If you would like to support his writing, or read more of Michael, please visit his website.