| GREG-STRANGE.COM |
"If you haven't found something strange during the
day, it hasn't been much of a day." -- John A. Wheeler
day, it hasn't been much of a day." -- John A. Wheeler
PROVIDING SUBSTANTIVE COMMENTARY ON THE
PEOPLE, POLITICS, EVENTS AND ABSURDITIES OF
OUR TIME. SERVED UP WITH ACERBIC WIT, YOU
SHOULD FIND IT QUITE SATISFYING.
PEOPLE, POLITICS, EVENTS AND ABSURDITIES OF
OUR TIME. SERVED UP WITH ACERBIC WIT, YOU
SHOULD FIND IT QUITE SATISFYING.
Snow in Baghdad, But Global Warming Rages On
It's not often that it snows in Baghdad. In fact, no one can
remember the last time it happened.
But just because it has now snowed in Baghdad for the first
time in anyone's memory doesn't mean that global warming
isn't raging on unabated, killjoy climate experts are rushing to
tell us. Don't let this one little cold weather anomaly get you
too excited because it doesn't mean a thing and mankind is still
rushing headlong toward planetary catastrophe.
Nonetheless, that didn't stop locals from taking delight in the
beautiful and unheard of sight and declaring it an omen of
peace.
"It is the first time we've seen snow in Baghdad," said
60-year-old Hassan Zahar. "A few minutes ago, I was covered
with snowflakes. In my hair, on my shoulders. I invite all the
people to enjoy peace, because the snow means peace," he said.
It's a lovely sentiment and if you believe many climatologists,
peace in the Middle East is a much more likely scenario than a
reversal of the runaway train of catastrophic global warming.
Sure, the warmest year for the planet was back in 1998, a full
ten years ago, but that is nothing more than a nattering detail.
"Global warming has not stopped," said Amir Delju, senior
scientific coordinator of the World Meteorological
Organization's (WMO) climate program. He went on to say
that climate change, primarily caused by human emissions of
greenhouse gases, would bring bigger swings in the weather
alongside a continuing warming trend.
"The more frequent occurrence of extreme events all over the
world -- floods in Australia, heavy snowfall in the Middle East
-- can also be signs of warming," Delju said.
Oh, okay, now I get it. I'm kicking myself for not figuring this
out sooner. All extreme weather events, even of the cold
variety, are signs of global warming. Makes perfect sense, what
was I thinking?
So, presumably that would include one of the coldest winters
ever in South America last year which included record low
temperatures, widespread frost and the first snow in Buenos
Aires in 89 years. And Australia's coldest June on record. And
New Zealand's record spring lows. And the first significant
snowfall in a quarter-century in Johannesburg. And the record
snowfall that fell in New Hampshire last month. And the snow
in Malibu last year. And the . . .
Well, you get the idea. Every weather extreme of every sort is
further proof of anthropogenic global warming. But doggone it,
there are still "some people," according to Rajendra Pachauri,
head of the UN Climate Panel that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace
Prize with Al Gore, "who would want to find every single excuse
to say that this is all hogwash."
Yeah, well, excuse me for living--and excuse me for having a bit
of trouble grappling with the concept that the ultimate result
of human productivity will be the destruction of the planet.
Can the climate Cassandras possibly get how counterintuitive
that seems to us common folk who instead have the idea that
productivity is a good thing?
Delju said that temperatures would have to be flat for several
more years before a lack of new record warm years would
become significant, or, that is, before we could "say that this is
all hogwash." If it happens, though, don't expect the
doomsters to go away quietly without a fight, and without a
phantasmagorical web of explanations and rationalizations
about why they got it all wrong.
It's not often that it snows in Baghdad. In fact, no one can
remember the last time it happened.
But just because it has now snowed in Baghdad for the first
time in anyone's memory doesn't mean that global warming
isn't raging on unabated, killjoy climate experts are rushing to
tell us. Don't let this one little cold weather anomaly get you
too excited because it doesn't mean a thing and mankind is still
rushing headlong toward planetary catastrophe.
Nonetheless, that didn't stop locals from taking delight in the
beautiful and unheard of sight and declaring it an omen of
peace.
"It is the first time we've seen snow in Baghdad," said
60-year-old Hassan Zahar. "A few minutes ago, I was covered
with snowflakes. In my hair, on my shoulders. I invite all the
people to enjoy peace, because the snow means peace," he said.
It's a lovely sentiment and if you believe many climatologists,
peace in the Middle East is a much more likely scenario than a
reversal of the runaway train of catastrophic global warming.
Sure, the warmest year for the planet was back in 1998, a full
ten years ago, but that is nothing more than a nattering detail.
"Global warming has not stopped," said Amir Delju, senior
scientific coordinator of the World Meteorological
Organization's (WMO) climate program. He went on to say
that climate change, primarily caused by human emissions of
greenhouse gases, would bring bigger swings in the weather
alongside a continuing warming trend.
"The more frequent occurrence of extreme events all over the
world -- floods in Australia, heavy snowfall in the Middle East
-- can also be signs of warming," Delju said.
Oh, okay, now I get it. I'm kicking myself for not figuring this
out sooner. All extreme weather events, even of the cold
variety, are signs of global warming. Makes perfect sense, what
was I thinking?
So, presumably that would include one of the coldest winters
ever in South America last year which included record low
temperatures, widespread frost and the first snow in Buenos
Aires in 89 years. And Australia's coldest June on record. And
New Zealand's record spring lows. And the first significant
snowfall in a quarter-century in Johannesburg. And the record
snowfall that fell in New Hampshire last month. And the snow
in Malibu last year. And the . . .
Well, you get the idea. Every weather extreme of every sort is
further proof of anthropogenic global warming. But doggone it,
there are still "some people," according to Rajendra Pachauri,
head of the UN Climate Panel that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace
Prize with Al Gore, "who would want to find every single excuse
to say that this is all hogwash."
Yeah, well, excuse me for living--and excuse me for having a bit
of trouble grappling with the concept that the ultimate result
of human productivity will be the destruction of the planet.
Can the climate Cassandras possibly get how counterintuitive
that seems to us common folk who instead have the idea that
productivity is a good thing?
Delju said that temperatures would have to be flat for several
more years before a lack of new record warm years would
become significant, or, that is, before we could "say that this is
all hogwash." If it happens, though, don't expect the
doomsters to go away quietly without a fight, and without a
phantasmagorical web of explanations and rationalizations
about why they got it all wrong.