Tondeleo: When I talked with Doc about global warming in the last post, he continued talking about it in some ways that actually impressed me. He is uneducated, but definitely not stupid. Most of him and his friends are the same way. They are not fully engaged with the English language, but all of them are fairly competent at being inventive, repairing broken rubbish and sometimes at seeing through the hype that our media tells us.
In the conversation about global warming, Doc talked about a programme that he and Marilyn watched over at Big Dave's house. Big Dave actually has satellite TV. There is no cable out where they live.
Doc: OK, Tondy, about this global warmin' they keep promisin' but cain't deliver. This dude on TV was cryin' about the north pole meltin' because the temperature was now 2 degrees higher than it was a few years ago. All them scientists was wringing they's hands and sayin' the north pole will melt if it stays 2 degrees hotter. Then they showed a picture of a polar bear on a ice flow an' said it was floatin' out to sea and would drown when the ice melted!
Tondeleo: Well, Doc, that IS a problem! I have seen those pictures of polar bears being carried out to sea as the ice melts. It's horrid!
Doc: Tondy, you ain't know nothin' either! Polar bears has always floated out to sea to catch fish! If the whole place was frozen they would starve! When I was in school they showed us pictures of ice flows, an' they had polar bears on 'em back then! They float out there, and look in the water for fish! Then they dive into the water and catch 'em! They has always done that! It ain't nothin' new! They got more polar bears nowdays than ever! Marilyn read that on the interweb.
Tondeleo: But there is a grave danger if the temperature goes up two degrees, you must admit...
Doc: NO! Ain't no danger. If that North Pole is minus 10 degrees and it warms up to minus 8 degrees, ain't nothin' gonna melt! Two degrees ain't mean nothin' except wherever it is always 32 degrees (f). Then if that place goes up 2 degrees stuff'll melt. But anyplace it is like 28 degrees and it goes up to 30, ain't nothin' happenin!
Every where else in the world, two degrees hotter means longer growin' seasons and that means more food and Lord knows we need more food! More food for animals and more food for people. So, I am votin' for global warmin' for it to get 2 degrees warmer and so is Marilyn.
