With all the hysteria about global warming and the impact that it will have on the globe, I found it quite funny that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported yesterday that we just experienced the coldest winter since 2001. Hey Al Gore -- how can that be? I remember when I was growing up, in the mid- 1970's, Newsweek magazine had a cover story about the beginning of the ice age. Amazing what can happen in 25 years. We can go from an ice age, to global warming. Not bad.
According to the NOAA report:
"In the contiguous United States, the average winter temperature was 33.2°F (0.6°C), which was 0.2°F (0.1°C) above the 20th century average – yet still ranks as the coolest since 2001. It was the 54th coolest winter since national records began in 1895. "
Why not ask the Chinese about global warming? They just experience a horribly snowy winter which has been a major cause of inflation. Extreme cold temperatures were the norm this winter. Over the last 150 years or so the global mean temperature has increased by 0.7 degrees Celsius. This small amount of warming is not unusual, and falls well within the range of variation for both warming a cooling.
Could it be that this whole hysteria is just another way to try and redistribute the wealth? Increasing taxes, making the US less competitive economically so that the third world can try and catch up?
With the global economy experiencing a slowdown, how about a bit of perspective on the issue of global warming. Just look at the whole ethanol movement. It basically does nothing for the environment but because of subsidies given out to farmers, we now have surging food prices across the globe. Maybe if we can reverse some of the legislation that is leading to the economic slowdown, we can get back to enjoying economic growth.
As one of my favorite economists Thomas Sowell wrote: " Global warming" is just the latest in a long line of hysterical crusades to which we seem to be increasingly susceptible."
How about some perspective?
Aaron Katsman is the lead Portfolio Manager and Managing Director of America Israel Investment Associates, LLC. and Senior Editor of IsraelNewsletter.com. DISCLOSURE: Writer's fund has no position in any stock mentioned, as of 3/14/08.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-14-2008 @ 8:58PM
John said...
Rock. Fence post. Snot.
3-14-2008 @ 10:52PM
Michael said...
Global warming is a trend, it doesn't mean you can't still have the coldest Winter on record! Some parts of the world will actually cool down (to a certain point) due to increased precipitation and resultant evaporation which has a cooling effect.
There's also natural cyclic events that play a very large part in global temperatures, one of these at the moment is the La Nina. Whilst it may be true that America has had a cool Winter, where I am in Adelaide (Australia) we've just had the longest running heatwave (temperatures above 95F) for any Australian capital on record for any month, and it won't be over for another couple of days! This has occurred in March, where January is normally the hottest month. So far this month the average temperature has been 11C (20F) above normal for March!
3-17-2008 @ 1:23AM
Lulu said...
Re: Michael
I see.
When it's cooler than average, it's not evidence to dispute global warming. But when it's warmer than average, it is evidence of global warming?
You should join Al Gore's circus. Maybe he'll teach you how he invented the internet?
3-15-2008 @ 1:16AM
Mark Dias said...
Funny you should talk about global warming. In my entry, http://mark24609.blogspot.com/2008/03/global-warming-alert.html I talk about a global warming alert because of my stock that has been going up instead of down. In the past year Compass Minerals, CMP has gone up 85%. What do they make? The company is the second-largest salt producer in North America, (Goderich, Ontario.) This rock salt is used for de-icing roads during the winter season.
3-15-2008 @ 5:41AM
Paul said...
@Lulu:
Dear Lulu, thanks for showing the world that you have absolutely no clues about this topic.
Michael is right, what he says is true and in line with 99,9 % of the scientific community (who are not part of the Al Gore-circus).
3-15-2008 @ 7:49AM
miacollin said...
ok--global warming nuts--lets see what Gore has to say in court. Weather Channel founder is sueing him for--lets say--- he thinks Gore is full of carbon credits. He will not debate the guy--so he had to sue him (Gore) to talk.
The world is ending and its Bushes fault and so is Gore getting rich off the nuts--what a great scam!!
3-15-2008 @ 12:08PM
Martin said...
I have to agree with Michael.
Just like stocks, the market can fluctuate greatly... but then there is this thing called trend. Well the trend for earth, it is getting warmer and warmer. The signs of it happening are there, but sure there are fluctuations.
Martin
3-15-2008 @ 8:50AM
william lindblad said...
Whatever opinion that you may have to cause there is little doubt that we are in a weather change cycle, most of which points directly toward human activity. However, while it points in this direction may be natural and we may be able to do no more than mitigate the circumstances. Warming and cooling cycles are part of the history of this planet and a quick study of the little ice age period reveals that natural conditions dominate. Atmospheric pollution is bad from any approach, but magnetic divergence is beyond our control. There is speculation that this may be in the near future. What happens with polar shift is an unknown, likewise meteor impacts and the other disaster scenarios. While these are of concern I prefer to look at the immediate and that disaster is economic. This one is real and will effect the entire world in a very negative sense.
3-15-2008 @ 10:52AM
John Littleton said...
Al Gore is laughing all the way to the bank with the money he has made off this scam.
3-15-2008 @ 12:50PM
sherry4sue said...
The words/term GLOBAL WARMING...refers to the melting of the ice caps, which translates to extreme weather changes all over the globe..Easy to understand, or are you still not getting it?? DUH... Extreme cold/storms/ snow to areas that do not normally get this type of weather.... extreme heat and droughts to other areas. Warm/hot weather in Alaska...Do I have to explain this further???
Still do not understand..DUH...Extreme rain/floods in other areas...Extreme storms in another area ON THIS PLANET, ...ONLY time will tell what is to happen next..DUH....Got it yet???
3-15-2008 @ 6:16PM
zoltano said...
Such an ignorant take on a proven, science-based topic.
Global warming, well, as the name implies, plays out on a GLOBAL scale. The atmosphere of the whole earth is heating up slowly. Thanks to heat exchange, the oceans and seas do the same.
At the same time, climatic changes also intensify globally, resulting in MORE EXTREME WEATHER all over the globe. Pockets that were hot can became hotter - cold pockets can became colder - mostly in accordance with the changes occuring to the warm and cold ocean currents.
I think authors on this site should focus on the financial markets when looking for topics, otherwise blunders like this will become regular occurances.
3-15-2008 @ 7:05PM
cyberweather said...
It really looks as though some of you who make statements about there being no such thing of global warming should do real research. Some of your comments don't even come close to what this means.
3-16-2008 @ 10:46PM
jime said...
i just want to tell sherry4sue that global warming as it is known is the warming of earth due to man and his breathing....so please stop hyperventilating and eat less grass.....
3-17-2008 @ 5:46AM
John said...
"ok--global warming nuts--lets see what Gore has to say in court. ..."
Anything can happen in court, but since almost nothing that Al Gore says is not fully vetted by scientists from NASA (space, rockets, monkeys - those guys) and NOAA and America's most notable climate scientists, I rather doubt the moron who started the weather channel stands a snowball's chance in Hecksville.
3-18-2008 @ 1:52AM
gumby said...
What is wrong with moving around civilizations?? many are already digged up for outhouses and the land is already stunk up and in need of renewing... If it floods, lets move to higher lands and start digging up new latrines all over again.. Oh , I cant believe it is not butter!
3-20-2008 @ 11:52AM
John said...
Gumby, our high ground is already plumb full of septic systems. What makes you think the Canadians see us as civilized?
3-19-2008 @ 9:01AM
paul said...
For those of you who wish to debate the cause and effect relationships of global warming and whether it is a natural phenomenon or caused by man you have to remember one thing - those who believe that it's our fault and that we can do something about by returning to the caves have been indoctrinated by people like Al and by the media as thoroughly as any cult that has ever existed. You will not change their minds by anything as weak as logic or facts. You will need something more powerful like smoke and mirrors. For those of you who still have a little ability to make your own decisions think about this. The last Ice Age included an average 5 degree change in global temperature and we had nothing to do with it. Now we have a 0.7 degree change in global temperature and people think that it's the end of the world and it's all our fault.
3-19-2008 @ 12:34PM
John said...
Nobody is suggesting anybody return to the caves.
If mankind were to cover all of the earth's land surfaces with white plastic during the off season, what would it do to to the earth's temperature? Every child has done the experiment for this: white paper and black paper. Done long enough, we would get exceptionally cold.
So much for the lunacy that mankind cannot change the earth's temperature.