CNN-ScreenCap What's With The Weather?
About two weeks ago temperatures were nearing eighty degrees here in Central Illinois. Those temperatures were abnormally high. Everyone seems to celebrate the end of Winter when an early Spring is in progress, but deep down we know there's something wrong. And we try not to think about the long term, big picture implications of Summer weather in March.
Now just a few weeks later the weather has turned upside down. It is December outside, and yet it's actually April! An unbelievable mix of frigid subfreezing temperatures mixed with strong gust of wind has turned Spring into Winter.
Despite loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in crops, and the obvious sign that something is very wrong with the weather some people continue to stick their heads in the snow.
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(AP) Texas Snow Storm - April 2007 - Bush Crawford Texas Ranch Entrance
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Drunken Republican Fools Still In Global Warming Denial
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Last night I ran into two drunken fool twenty something republicans who were claiming that weather like this (i.e., subfreezing temperatures in April) proved that global warming didn't exist. Of course these same ignorant fools were still big on the Iraq war (obviously not enough to join up, and serve), and were critical of Al Gore. I usually don't get hot under the collar, but despite the fact there were two of them, and one of me, I wanted to thrash them both - with the truth folks, only with the truth.
The Exchange
JeromeProphet: Have you boys gone to college?
TwentySomethingRepublican: Yes.
JeromeProphet: I was wondering, because you seem so uninformed.
TwentySomethingRepublican: Well Gore spent $35,000 on utility bills last year!
JeromeProphet: And this proves there's no global warming?
TwentySomethingRepublican: Gore's a hypocrite!
JeromeProphet: Don't you think this weather is just a little odd?
TwentySomethingRepublican: No.
JeromeProphet: Maybe it's because I'm a little older than you, but I can tell you this weather isn't normal.
TwentySomethingRepublican: Well I think it is normal.
JeromeProphet: I talked with people all around the country today, and those who spoke about the weather, from South Dakota, to Georgia, to New York City told me they believe there's something mighty odd about this weather. For God's sake it's December out there!
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WeatherChannel - More Snow Predicted For This April 8th 2007 Weekend
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Fragile Republican Brains Unable To Grapple With Complex Relationships
Their fragile conservative brain cells couldn't quite grasp that global warming is actually driving bizarre weather like this. By adding energy into frontal systems global warming is increasing the number of hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, flooding, and movement of fronts - including cold fronts.
With less energy in the global weather system there is less energy behind fronts, and cold temperatures tend to stay farther north, and hot weather tends to stay farther south at this time of year. Putting energy into the system is forcing anomalous weather like the kind we are currently experiencing. This isn't good for anyone. From agriculture to insurance being able to predict weather is important.
While a few cold days in April is certainly normal in Central Illinois, a week of subfreezing weather is breaking records for a very good reason - it just doesn't happen - not within a normal human lifetime.
Central Illinois isn't the only area effected either as the entire Midwest, and Eastern U.S. has been effected.
What's going on with the weather folks? It's time to take responsibility. To own up to the situation. We must own the problem, before we can address it.
