CNN: A Century of Fires

It didn't take long for the global warming enthusiasts to try and connect our seasonal fires in Southern California to some coming global catastrophe. Take for instance, CNN:

CNN exploited a national tragedy on October 23 by finding a way to blame global warming for wildfires.

During the October 23 “Anderson Cooper 360: In the Line of Fire,” Cooper reported from Southern California saying, “People are wondering if these fires are a result of global warming in some way.”

Although Cooper admitted that, “no one really knows for sure,” the broadcast still took the time to predict the future with CNN’s Tom Foreman who warned of a possible “century of fires, just like what we're seeing now” as a result of global warming.

"Climatologists say, while we can't blame on fire on climate change, we can say that these factors are combining in that area [Southern California] to set up what could be a century of fires just like what we're seeing now," said Foreman.

Foreman cautioned viewers that, “greater periods of rain” that fuel “increased vegetation growth” over the next century may provide a “potential link between these fires and global warming.”

What I would love to see is an honest climatologist go on one of these networks and explain the cooling effect that may occur thanks to the tons of particulates that are being thrown into the atmosphere by the fires. Those little particles block sunlight which in turn cools the areas underneath. There are many examples of cooling that has resulted from volcanic eruptions - why shouldn't the fires contribute to the same cooling effect?

Right here where I am the sky is a sickly reddish brown and the temperature is 80 (at 11am). It was supposed to get up to 91 today, but if the smoke clouds stick around, we'll stay much cooler (imagine that!).

Maybe instead of some sort of dire warning from Mother Gaia, this is just her way of cooling herself off.

UPDATE - Drudge adds this memo from CNN chief to the news division encouraging them to use the fires to promote an upcoming global warming special:

If you're having trouble reading it, it says:

Great job on the 8 o'clock special on Friday; great job on the coverage. We shouldn't irresponsibly link this to Global Warming, but it is a nature story, so we should be able to use it to push the Planet in Peril special tomorrow night.