A good friend of mine noticed this Reuters story on the as-yet unheralded benefits of global warming. Some choice bits:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Rising global temperatures will melt areas of the Arctic this century, making them more accessible for oil and natural gas drilling, a report prepared by the United States and seven other nations said on Monday. […]
Such a change would threaten coastal cities, change growing patterns for vegetation and destroy habitats for some wildlife, but an energy-starved world would have new areas for oil and gas exploration, according to the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment report.
The Arctic region, particularly offshore, has huge oil and gas reserves, mostly in Russia, Canada, Alaska, Greenland and Norway. Warmer temperatures would make it easier to drill and ship oil from the Arctic, the report said.
Who knew there could be such opportunity in adversity? Just think: those whose homes aren’t washed away by rising ocean tides, and who manage to survive the increasingly frequent and severe hurricanes, typhoons, and tornadoes that will come as a result of global warming, will be able to continue driving their cars for several years longer.
So tell all those Gloomy Guses who think global warming is a problem to turn that frown upside down. The glass isn’t half empty, it’s half full–of melted Arctic ice, that is! Well, that and crude oil. But you get the idea.
The Distant Ocean 