Despite the nation experiencing its tenth straight year of temperatures cooler than 1998's peak, and much of New England experiencing its worst ice storm in decades (video embedded right), the Associated Press on Sunday published one of the most hysterical articles concerning global warming I've ever seen.
In writer Seth Borenstein's view, climate change is "a ticking time bomb that President-elect Barack Obama can't avoid."
"Global warming is accelerating. Time is close to running out, and Obama knows it."
Where's Rod Serling?
For those that can stand it, here are some of Borenstein's disgraceful lowlights:
When Bill Clinton took office in 1993, global warming was a slow-moving environmental problem that was easy to ignore. Now it is a ticking time bomb that President-elect Barack Obama can't avoid.Since Clinton's inauguration, summer Arctic sea ice has lost the equivalent of Alaska, California and Texas. The 10 hottest years on record have occurred since Clinton's second inauguration. Global warming is accelerating. Time is close to running out, and Obama knows it. [...]
U.S. emissions have increased by 20 percent since 1992. China has more than doubled its carbon dioxide pollution in that time. World carbon dioxide emissions have grown faster than scientists' worst-case scenarios. Methane, the next most potent greenhouse gas, suddenly is on the rise again and scientists fear that vast amounts of the trapped gas will escape from thawing Arctic permafrost.
The amount of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere has already pushed past what some scientists say is the safe level. [...]
Scientists fear that what's happening with Arctic ice melt will be amplified so that ominous sea level rise will occur sooner than they expected. They predict Arctic waters could be ice-free in summers, perhaps by 2013, decades earlier than they thought only a few years ago.
What kind of media outlet would publish this hysterical nonsense with much of the nation in the grips of extremely harsh winter conditions? Does the AP have any idea?
It snowed in Houston Wednesday tying a record for the earliest appearance of the white stuff in the city's history.
There were rare snowfalls in Southern Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi Thursday.
They're expecting possible record-breaking cold in the Pacific Northwest.
Record cold in Montana.
Record cold in Denver.
Supposed to snow in the San Francisco Bay Area Monday.
And the AP thinks we're running out of time to solve global warming.
With Democrats in control of Congress, and about to take over the White House, I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry.
Actually, given how cold it is outside, I think I'll opt for the former as my tears would be icicles.
*****Update: University of Oklahoma's David Deming responds to Borenstein's piece (with permission):
How can this guy call himself a "science reporter?"
He is perhaps the worst propagandist in all the media, and that's stating something.
In his latest screed, he screams: "global warming is accelerating"
How then does he explain the fact that the mean global temperature (as measured by satellite) is the same as it was in 1980?
How can global warming be "accelerating" when the last two years have seen dramatic cooling? Is this guy totally removed from all reality?????
He completely ignores any evidence contrary to his personal beliefs, and twists everything to meet his preconceived notions.
How can anyone so ignorant be a reporter for AP? Seriously?
Beats me, Professor.
