Global warming?

There seems to be two sides to the argument over whether the crisis championed by ex-US Vice-President Al Gore is real. I've been pondering a brief commentary on this subject for some time, but never really had a supporting argument one way or the other.

How about now?

Most of the regulars here at The Stream know that I'm a bit of a footy fanatic. No, I don't have an obscure personal fetish - I love the beautiful game: football, or soccer if you must. Whilst reading some quick updates on the sport courtesy of Fox Soccer, I came across this statement at the end of an article noting the cancellation of two Carling Cup games today:

Meteorologist Stephen Davenport of the MeteoGroup said the country (the United Kingdom, that is) could be witnessing "one of the coldest winters of the last 100 years.

Oh really? According to Al Gore, we're in the midst of a global warming crisis and the UK is experiencing perhaps their coldest winter in a century? Makes one wonder.

I can personally attest to the fact that it's not warm in the Sunshine State - Florida - for the uninitiated. My gratitude to weather.com for the image below, showing current temperatures across the US at 3:20 EST. 

That's right; in the middle of the afternoon, it's 40 degrees and sunny in northwest Florida - at least where I am. And that cute phrase that the Weather Channel likes to use? Feels like 34.

34?!? In the middle of the day? When it's sunny? For heaven's sake, it's only 58 degrees in Miami. I don't think they even own jackets in Miami. Unless you count those thin cotton ones like Crocket used to wear.

I bet it wasn't 58 the day they shot this promo.

It may be an inconvenient truth that we need to wake up and light the furnace - the earth has warmed and cooled for thousands of years; it's kind of the cyclical nature of things. Gore may have A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis, but I'm more concerned about a plan for me to stay warm tonight at my son's soccer game. Forecast temperature at kickoff? 35 degrees (feels like 28).

Maybe Mr. Gore can come watch the game in his guayabera and loafers - no socks of course - apparel befitting the dangerously warming climate we'll be playing in. Of course, if he gets chilly, I'll offer him my foot warming pads - I'll be (mostly) snug under two pairs of long johns, two shirts, two pairs of socks, a hooded sweatshirt, two pairs of gloves and a wooly hat.

I'll be drinking the hottest coffee I can find but I'll be sure to offer Al a nice cup of iced guarapo, since he'll be warmer than the rest of us.

Anybody else worried about being too warm tonight?


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