I got a copy of the venerable book this year as a gift, and found an article that would have made a younger man’s hair curl: a “consultant” (who lives the Sunbelt, natch) claims that global warming is all upside. Herewith an excerpt I found online:
Believe it or not, the news about global warming isn’t all bad. Keep an open mind as The 2007 Old Farmer’s Almanac lists some of the possible benefits warmer weather will have on our environment.
Melting glaciers, rising oceans, increasing storms: The future, with global warming, looks bleak. There certainly are severe problems associated with the present warming trend, but there are also some significant benefits. Here are a few.
Warmer weather is healthier. Statistics show that warmer weather is healthier for people. Some of Great Britain’s leading medical experts have calculated that a rise in the average temperature by 3.6 degrees F over the next 50 years would increase yearly heat-related deaths in Britain by about 2,000 – but would reduce cold-related deaths by about 20,000. A similar study by American doctors estimated that a warming of 4.5 degrees F would lower the annual death rate in the United States by 40,000, while reducing medical costs by almost $20 billion per year.
Warmer temperatures save energy. U.S. Department of Energy studies show that a warmer climate would reduce heating bills more than it would boost outlays on air-conditioning. If energy prices remained constant and we currently enjoyed the weather predicted for the 21st century, expenditures for heating and cooling would be cut by at least $12.2 billion annually. If energy prices go up, the savings will be greater.
Water is more abundant. Warmer air holds more moisture. Global warming will mean more condensation and more evaporation, producing more and /or heavier rains. With warmer world temperatures, we will see more moisture, which will be carried farther inland before it cools enough to precipitate out as rain or snow.
Plants thrive in heat and CO2. The magazine Science found that the climate changes that occurred between 1980 and 2000, a time of dramatic warming, had resulted in 6 percent more plant growth globally. The Amazon jungle, an area that had been dwindling, accounted for 42 percent of the increased plant growth.
Arctic shipping routes will save time and energy. As the ice melts, new waterways are being freed up, saving time, energy, and freight costs.
The preceding excerpt is from The 2007 Old Farmer’s Almanac.
I don’t how something could be so wrong so many ways. For one thing, anyone who is engaged in this discussion knows it’s called “climate change” not global warming. The consensus among scientists is that some places will get warmer, other cooler, but I haven’t heard anyone claim an upside to it all.
Tell the folks in the Maldives about lower shipping costs or better health outcomes for Americans: I’m sure they’ll be pleased.
The prognosis for Western Europe is not all that cheerful: research shows that the Gulf Stream, responsible for the mild climates in Western Europe’s maritime areas, is not delivering as much warm water as in prior times, perhaps forecasting a mini Ice Age. But hey, the North Polar Route will be ice-free, the better to ship stuff no one will want or be able to buy. The assumption that there will be a supply or demand for oil to ship into Churchill is a bet I would be reluctant to take. If China and India continue to grow as they have been and their oil requirements keep pace, the routes will not over the Pole but overland or through the Indian Ocean: ice has rarely been an issue there.
I think this guy has it about right: mankind shows why he is actually stupider than apes.