Monday, July 23, 2012

A Comment on Crops, Crop Prices, Global Warming and Abject Stupidity

One of the odd things about reading economic reports on a daily basis is you wind up reading about sectors your never thought you would read about.  For example -- and as some of you may have noticed -- I've wound up becoming interested in agricultural futures (yes, the movie Trading Places and the infamous phrase "crop report" enters my mind on a regular basis).  As a result, I've noted that over the last 5 years, we've had several major weather related seasons that horribly impacted crop prices.  In 2008, it started with Russia being on fire -- that is, literally the whole country was engulfed in a wildfires, leading to the country banning exports, which in turn drove up crop prices.

This year, the entire US Mid-west -- in what was supposed to be a banner year -- is now in the middle of a horrible drought which is literally killing the latest crop.

All that being said, here's the deal: there is no way to look at these events -- along with the massive amount of record temperatures being reported across the country (not to mention the record polar ice cap melt) -- and not come to the conclusion that global warming is here and we better get ready to understand its impact on the economy.

So, if you don't think global warming is real, let me make this comment: you are
  • an idiot
  • a dolt
  • a moron
  • an embicile
  • dumber than a stump
  • dumber than a post

More importantly, your stupidity has voided your first amendment right to speak.  Put another way, you're too damn stupid to have a place in sane public discourse Please go back to the children's table in the kitchen and let the adults discuss this matter as adults.

Here's Bill Nye, doing what he does best: explaining things in a way even an idiot political operative or blogger can understand (OK -- maybe I'm overstating the case)