Global warming did it

So, lest my blog ends up like Adam's (R.I.P.), I've decided to let loose on global warming (sorry for the serious post).

In case you've been asleep in an igloo for the past couple of days, you've probably noticed that it's rather toasty outside. So toasty that many say they've never seen it this hot. It MUST be global warming. In fact, a CNN poll reported that 75% of people think that this current heat wave is a direct consequence of global warming. Forget that GLOBAL warming doesn't necessarily refer to Podunk, Kansas, but theoretically it refers to longer periods of time and smaller shifts in temperature.

Now, it can be certainly argued that the average temperature of the Earth has been rising over the past years, but why is is that people always tend to exaggerate whatever is currently happening? How many times have you heard (or even said it yourself):

• This is the hottest summer ever.
  
• This was the worst blizzard ever.

Let's face, we have short memory spans and every year seems to be the worst for something when in reality it's just like every other year that's come before. We also assume that every single temperature flucation these days is due to global warming, while ignoring all temperature abnormalities before we even produced the levels of greenhouse gases we produce today. One example: in Denver, a record was set for the hottest day ever. However, there were many longer stretches of days above 90 degrees back in the late 19th century (when obviously there was nowhere near as much pollution as there is today). Global warming could certainly be having an effect on our enviorment, but I think it's also important to understand that natural variability over long periods of time could also have a large influence on our current weather. This natural variability seems to be overshadowed, however, when people seem to only remember the last batch of weather.

Freakonomics update: I have skyrocketed up the list to #695 (from 725. 30 spots in 6 days for a zooming average of 5 spots a day). At the current rate, I will have the book in 59 days (after waiting a total of 81 days). The reader should be happy to note (please excuse my enthusiasm), that a good number of people (250 fellow fools) have built up the line behind me!!! There is NO worse feeling, than standing in a humongous line, only to be the absolutely last one to join it. At least now I can wait for 60 more days knowing that at least I wasn't the last person to want the book. PHEW!