Global Warming

I am sure you have heard that it is cold in the Midwest. It's true. Very cold. And if you are reading this, then it just follows that you have seen Stephen doing his famous impression of Richard Nixon pretending to be cold and saying "Brrrrr," and shaking his head back and forth. (Even Dan Aykroyd has done that famous Nixon "Brrrr" impression.) Recently Stephen talked about the current president and one of his tweets.

It goes something like this:

"In the beautiful Midwest, windchill temperatures are reaching minus 60 degrees, the coldest ever recorded. In coming days, expected to get even colder. People can't last outside even for minutes. What the (heck) is going on with Global Waming? Please come back fast, we need you!"

I used the word heck. You can figure out what was really used but I'm not going to say that here.

There are a few things wrong with that tweet.

First, of course is the Miss Spelling of Warming. Stephen pointed that out.

Second, there is the fact that he (current president) does not understand the concept of weather versus climate. Weather is your basic day to day conditions. You wake up and wonder what the weather will be like today. Will it be hot? Will it be cold? Will it rain? Will it snow? You know, the kind of stuff the weatherman (woman) talks about on the TV machine.

Climate is studying a whole bunch of weather over a long period of time for someplace. No one ever had a job on TV as a climateman (woman). No one wakes up and wonders what the climate will be like today.

Third, he is wrong about it being the coldest ever recorded. Wind chill temperatures of minus 60 means the temperature is cold, maybe 45 degrees below zero. When you add in the blowing wind, then it seems as cold as if it was minus 60.

But there are records of temperatures being as cold as minus 60 degrees and that isn't even taking the wind into consideration. It would feel even colder and therefore the wind chill would be lower than minus 60. Fact: There are wind chills of minus 67 that have been recorded in Minnesota. (I found that on the internet.)

Fourth, and I think this is actually the most important thing that is wrong with that tweet, he had it all backwards, or inside out, or kitty-wumpus. Every other president would have written something like this:

"It's winter and the Midwest is experiencing extremely cold temperatures and even colder wind chills. And it is expected to get worse. Stay inside. If you must travel, dress warmly in layers. Cover all exposed skin. Have emergency kit in your car. Let your loved ones know when you leave and when you are expected at your destination. Look out for your neighbors, especially elderly people and people that live alone. Get medical help if you have any signs of frostbite. We need to look out for each other."