Once again, it is a bit cold here in the good old Windy Apple. This is a snapshot of my car temp gauge this morning on my way to work:
This is the second “cold snap” like this so far this month. With wind chill, it is cold enough that they called off school again.
In Minnesota.
The reason I bring this up is that I was just at lunch yesterday (in our work lunchroom) and a large group of my coworkers was talking about how the term “polar vortex” was just fear mongering by the liberal media with fabricated weather hype. And that this phenomenon was completely natural and part of earth’s normal cycle.
And while I agree that “polar vortex” is a bit of a sensationalistic term for a dip in the jet stream, I don’t think that our weather has been in any way “natural” or “normal”.
I casually injected that “global warming” doesn’t necessarily mean that our winters are going to be warmer every day, but it means that there will be overall climate change and more dramatic weather swings and events.
This was basically poo-pooed.
The sad thing is that one if the most outspoken is our new Lab Cub who is all of 24 and should be more enlightened as part of Gen Y or Z or whatever.
I also casually dropped that 9 of the top 10 hottest years in recorded history have all been since 2000. Along with stronger hurricanes/typhoons, severe droughts, extreme floods, etc.
Again– all dismissed as merely part of Earth’s cyclical nature.
To which I replied: speaking of cyclical. How about those 50 degree temperature swings we’ve been seeing this month?
-14 today. 36 tomorrow. Back to – whatever. That’s completely normal for January… Right?
*crickets*
Another topic that came up was that China and India are polluting so much, trying to regulate greenhouse gasses is pointless so we should just say fuck it.
Yeah. These are the people I work with daily.
Regardless, it’s positively fucking polar today.
Mangina Monologues 
Polar vortex is more than a dip in the jet stream – it’s more rapid and severe and short lived. While not new it used to be very uncommon. And while it sounds hyped, it is accurate and a meteorological term and not made by the media – they’re not that smart or creative.
I weep for our future. What to you see my post tomorrow on China displaying sunrise on screens because pollution has blocked it out for so long!
I’m proud of you for attempting to interject some reason/science into the conversation. Your knowledge of and ability to recite the facts is impressive. Sorry its so effing cold there.
this country is so full of fucking idiots; sorry you have to work with some of them. and I don’t envy your temperature swings.
Fox news seems to warp the very old and the very stupid!!
My fav was Snowmageddon…it was classic!!
That is friggin’ cold. We’ve been having some crazy swings here as well but nothing sooooo low. Don’t forget to be kind at work since your a big honcho (hehe) now.