We usually ignore inane network online news polls that ask
readers to weigh in on current debates by clicking on a “Yes,”
“No” or “Undecided” bubble in response to a stated question. But
the ABC News site featured a poll Wednesday that was so
egregiously nitwitted that it deserves comment: A massive winter
storm has dumped snow on 22 states this week. One area of
upstate New York received record snowfall, with some regions
getting more than 12 feet of snow. How do you reconcile Global
Warming with winter weather? Yes. Although it is cold today,
average temperatures for the year are rising. No. With storms
this large and the arctic temperatures many experienced last
week, I have my doubts. Maybe. There definitely seems to be
changes happening in our climate, but is it global warming?
Where to begin? Well, first of all, one might point out that
“Yes,” “No” and “Maybe” are not grammatically acceptable answers
to the stated question, but the real problem with this poll was
much more serious. The science behind cl