Snow No! It’s Global Warming!

The volume, frequency and devastation of earthquakes, tsunamis, snowstorms and rainstorms recently has had some calling it a sign of the end of world. While others are using it as proof that global warming isn’t real (in fact, a recent Gallup Poll found that 48% of Americans now believe that the "seriousness of global warming is generally exaggerated," up from 41 percent last year). The truth of course lies somewhere in between, the world is going to end, but it’s not going to happen this year, these things take time. But Global Warming is real, the problem is in the branding. Logic would follow that if we’ve messed up the planet and ice caps are melting and everything is getting warmer than we shouldn’t have MORE snowstorms, we should we wearing t-shirts in February right?

Of course Al Gore the spokesperson for climate change awareness had to defend the idea that heavy snowfall is no reason to think everything is A-OK. In a recent New York Times Op Ed he wrote:

"The heavy snowfalls this month have been used as fodder for ridicule by those who argue that global warming is a myth, yet scientists have long pointed out that warmer global temperatures have been increasing the rate of evaporation from the oceans, putting significantly more moisture into the atmosphere — thus causing heavier downfalls of both rain and snow in particular regions, including the Northeastern United States. Just as it’s important not to miss the forest for the trees, neither should we miss the climate for the snowstorm."

I read a little more about it and it turns out that as the planet gets warmer rain and snowfall get heavier (by about 10-20 percent) , with the more intense storms will most likely to happen in late autumn, winter, and early spring. Aside from the obvious problems like flooding, power outages, snow and down tree removal and the associated costs to already strained infrastructure. There’s the irony that more precipitation might actually mean less useable water. Basically reservoirs will fill earlier than normal, and snow will melt earlier in the year, which will put the water runoff all into spring rather than being able to draw it out through summer. The systems that can't hold an entire season of runoff all at once will be challenged to meet the demands of their water customers later in the season.

So maybe it’s confusing to call it “global warming” because the name only covers part of the cause and not the whole problem. But climate change by any other name still spells the same result.

Americans More Confused About Climate Than Ever

Snowmageddon Is A Sign Of Global Warming

Global Warming Water Shortage

You know where to send the check

There is a lot of snow in New York right now. Growing up in West Michigan it doesn’t seem like quite as big of a deal as everyone is making it out to be. I remember one year when we got this much snow in early October when all of the leaves where still on the trees (and I had to walk 2 miles to school up hill both ways).

But this “blizzard of ‘06” has gotten people quite worked up. What would we do without all the cheesy graphics and constant updates? There is a lot of snow, so what. Penguins and polar bears deal with much worse and look at how happy they are.

Being the sad and bitter person that I am however I have tallied all the things that are owed to me personally due to the 26 inch snow fall.


1. Offence: Friends not showing up for my party Saturday night because it had started to snow. Damage: cost of food ($50), time spent preparing food and apartment (approximately six hours), severely bruised self-esteem (priceless).

2. Offence: Book club meeting canceled without my knowledge as they only had my work email address. Damage: Cold and wet feet from walking 20 blocks to the bar where book club was supposed to meet only to find it canceled, time spent commuting back and forth to said non-existent book club meeting (2 hours), having to read all 500 pages of self important crap in the assigned book; A Million Little Pieces, yet never actually discussing it (cost of the book: $12, time spent reading it: approximately 12 hours)

3. Offence: Roommate’s cats hiding and possibly eating or pawning my watch due to the extreme emotional stress of being trapped alone with me and without their owner because she flew to Miami for the weekend with her boyfriend and her return flight got cancelled. Damage: my watch ($50), being late to work this morning because I was looking for my watch.

4. Offence: Hearing everyone talk about the weather endlessly for the next week Damage: Listening to everyone talk about the weather endlessly for the next week, annoyance at hearing the phrase “Blizzard of ‘06” and seeing pictures everywhere of cars with a lot of snow on them.

5. Offence: Becoming one of those people who talks about the weather. Damage: increased self loathing.

Total cost in dollars: $112

Total cost in time: 20.25 hours (at a rate of $26/hour = $526.50)

Total cost in irreparable emotional damage (translated into a dollar amount for calculation purposes): $475

Overall amount owed to me personally: $1,113.50



I’ll be watching the mail for the check..