If Global Warming Exists, Then Why Is It Cold Outside? Haw, Haw

This is really fucking annoying.

Yesterday, the New York Times ran an article entitled "10 Things to Scratch From Your Worry List." It's a light-hearted puffy-poo piece "debunking" ideas such as killer hotdogs and an increase in shark attacks. Fine, wev, but a few of the points brought up are obviously there to ease guilt regarding global warming and carbon footprints, and as a result we get this gem:

2. Your car’s planet-destroying A/C. No matter how guilty you feel about your carbon footprint, you don’t have to swelter on the highway to the beach. After doing tests at 65 miles per hour, the mileage experts at edmunds.com report that the aerodynamic drag from opening the windows cancels out any fuel savings from turning off the air-conditioner.

I'm not big on using the A/C in my car, but I know I'm most tempted to use it when I'm stuck in stop-and-go traffic in the sweltering heat. I'd be willing to say that this goes for most other people, yes? And exactly how often do you find yourself driving at 65 miles per hour on the highway? I know that here in the Chicago area, we've got incredible traffic problems, not to mention constant road construction that causes the entire area to be in a neverending state of stop-and-go traffic, even on the highway. (I'm thinking such cities as Manhattan and L.A. might have similar problems, ahem.) When you're creeping along at 5mph, something tells me that "aerodynamic drag" isn't using as much gas as your straining, creeping SUV with the A/C roaring*. Hell, I drive a Mini, and when I try to use the A/C in crawling traffic, you can practically see the gas level dropping before your eyes.

And, of course, there's never any traffic on the way to the beach in the summer.

I suppose I'm just splitting hairs, but this "don't worry about it" crap irritates me. If people want to use air conditioning in their car, that's fine by me, but please don't present its use as nothing to "worry" about. I have further annoyance because I know this study, and this sloppy article, are exactly the sort of thing that global warming deniers love to point to as proof that we have nothing to worry about. "Hey, tree-hugger! Better roll up your windows; you're killing the planet!" You know this will be on Limbaugh's show any minute now.

*(Maybe it's just me, but when the weather is beautiful, I love driving with the windows down. I'm always shocked by the amount of people driving around with their windows up and a/c cranked when it's a perfect high 70s, low 80's day with no humidity. Don't people breathe real air anymore?)