So far no one has been able to explain a downside to global warming for us northerners. We’ve had a very warm winter here in southern Michigan and I’m not hearing a lot of complaining.
Today is the first day in a while where its supposed to stay just below freezing and its expected to get back up into the mid 40s by tuesday.
Oh the horror of a longer growing season.
That being said...one of the FIRST things strangers inevitably ask me when they find out my profession is about AGW. They get an EAR full. I have the presentation down to about 6 minutes. A couple once asked me what I thought about "global warming" on a ski-lift at Breckenridge. They had NOWHERE to go. They were New Yorkers. Libs.
The LAST question I ALWAYS ask is this: "But lets ASSUME (after ALL I have just said) that I am wrong and AGW is happening: In the HISTORY of mankind...and we have multiple relatively rapid rises in global temps...The Egyptian Warm Period...the Roman warm period...the medieval warm period...Now...in the HISTORY of mankind...WHEN has global WARMING EVER been a negative? It's only global COOLING that's been a climate negative and stopped civilization...not GW. GW has always led to humanity THRIVING. Can you or has anyone EVER shown us how GW would have an overall NET negative impact?
"No...because it wouldn't. Wouldn't you like a warmer winter? Don't you think the ships would like easier passage through the ice packs? Wouldn't that bring the cost of goods down?"
Stunned Silence.
I welcome the fairly unusual winter weather we’re having here in MI. I still see some of the ponds and small lakes freezing, frost, “black ice” and occasional snow flurries but no blizzards, ice storms or snow drifts being moved around.
I expected to hear some of the local news and weather “authorities” explain it away or merely suggest it as being evidence of global warming/climate change but I’ve been surprised to hear nothing to that effect. However, they sure are in the tank for Obama’s green energy policies, the GM Volt and all of the things that go with the assumption that global warming is something we should take credit and responsibility for.
I received a little gift from Consumers Energy (gas) the other day. I didn’t order it for myself, though. It’s in a nice box and has printed on one side, “FREE! Energy Efficiency Starter Kit”. The kit consists of two 13w compact flourescent light bulbs, one flow-restricting adjustable shower head with the word “Earth” printed on it in green script and two different faucet aerators made by Niagra Conservation Co. in New Jersey. There is also some sort of plastic seal or adaptive device needed for the installation of one of these items. The overall product quality looks good but I will not put any of these items to the test. What I will do is send back the whole kit and kaboodle with a letter explaining why I’m not interested and why I resent their ‘generosity’.
I am complaining. It has been really tough to maintain my ice rink.