"The planet can't be getting hotter and colder at the same time"

Global warming is dead, let's move on
Imre Salusinszky

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, 2010 was Australia's coldest year since 2001. Since logic tells us the planet can't be getting hotter and colder at the same time, we can confidently pronounce global warming dead, buried and comprehensively beaten.

This victory happened because individuals pulled together, within nations, and then the nations of the world themselves pulled together. Meetings were held in places such Kyoto. Rousing speeches were made by world leaders. People clapped and felt good about themselves. Documents were signed.

Clearly, with each meeting, each speech, each inked treaty, global warming was pushed back.

Here in Australia, we also did our bit, big time. We declared global warming the great moral challenge of our generation. We talked confidently about doing something or other. (OK, I can't remember what it was, and we never actually did it, but then we talked about doing something different . . . though maybe not straight away.)

Anyway, it worked, because last year was the coldest year since 2001.

Tim Flannery, Al Gore and others published books and made films. Clearly they deserve a slice of this massive victory over global warming. To them we say: "Thank you, gentlemen, you may now return to private life."

But now that we know what we can do by dint of collective effort, we should turn to new challenges.

For example, free trade between nations is demonstrably the greatest force there has ever been for the alleviation of poverty, and the equalisation of living standards between nations.

The development of genetically modified crops promises to turn back the tide of hunger and disease in poor countries.

Now that global warming is finished, due attention can be given to these issues.

But before all of that, I think we've earned a moment's pause, just to give ourselves a pat on the back.

We did it. We acted together. We killed global warming.

And now we will never have to hear anything about it, ever again.

Link:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/global-warming-is-dead-lets-move-on/story-e6frg71o-1225990501249