Monday, January 23, 2006

Is Europe's cold weather anyone's fault?

Today from the Associated Press :

Freezing Cold Spreads to Much of Europe

The bitter cold seizing Russia retained its icy grip Monday and severe freezing temperatures spread westward into much of Europe.

More than 50 people have been reported killed by the cold wave in Russia, and scores of victims were recorded elsewhere in Europe over the weekend.
...
I'm sorry for the bitter cold and deaths. I hope the weather moderates.

But extreme cold in Europe is nothing new. Europe’s experienced extreme cold weather about as often as it's experienced extreme hot weather. Both have contributed to deaths there.

Until a few years ago, nothing I've just said would have provoked any comment other than perhaps: "Why is John saying the obvious?"

I'm saying it for the reason many of you have already guessed: There are "scientists" and "climatologists" as well as "officials in Brussels" and surely a "spokesperson at the Democratic National Committee "who'll blame President Bush for this latest weather extreme.

Do any of you doubt that most MSM news organizations will report what the "scientists'" and others' say as if it were all true?

Unless we keep saying "Wrong" to obvious misstatements, pretty soon even sensible people will start believing them.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, of course, it is Bush's fault. He didn't sign the Kyoto Accords and global warming is what is causing all this cold.

He wants to drill for oil in the Arctic and the Arctic is fighting back.

Due to the war in Iraq many of our relationships with European nations have cooled and that is contributing to the deep freeze that is killing so many.

Ok, I'm all out of goofy,but somehow I don't think what I have said here will even be competitive when the awards for goofiest scientific statements are announced, you see I don't really believe what I just said, that damn reality thing keeps intruding. The opposition doesn't bear that burden.

JWM said...

Fish and straightarrow,

Thank you both for comments that are on point. Loved the humor, too.

John

Anonymous said...

From the Weather Channel to Hollywood to the MSM, we are bombarded with weather horror scenarios. IN the case of Katrina, horror may come true (I was in the Katrina zone).

Michael Crichton, unlike many other MainStream novelists (especially Dan Brown in Western culture)has sought to make things clearer for the average person, rather than more fearful. I happened to see his discussion of the below talk thru CSPAN; I was impressed. Please take time to scan thru his speech (which you may already know) at http://www.crichton-official.com/
The speech, entitled Fear, Complexity, & Environmental Management in the 21st Century, was given November 6, 2005 at the Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C.