And the wind turbines chop up birds. A new study from M.I.T. indicates that vast wind farms to generate electricity may raise local temperatures as much as 1degree Celsius (1.8 degrees F) on land, but have the opposite effect over water. That’s significant considering the IPCC was all exercised about a 0.6 degree Celsius temperature rise over the entire 20th Century.

Currently only about 2% of electricity in the U.S. is generated by wind power, but the Department of Energy estimates that as much as 20% of electricity could be generated by wind by 2030. (That estimate may be just wishful thinking.) To generate 20% of our electricity by wind power would require installation of millions of turbines across the U.S.

The extremely cold and snowy winter of 2010-2011 may be challenging the core case of global warming.  The earth is warming, the greenhouse gases are rising, and the oceans are rising… Right?  This is a long-lasting debate that stirs extreme emotion from both sides of the political isle, whether it be called ‘Global Warming’ or ‘Climate Change.’  Regardless of which side you believe, there has to be an ongoing thought somewhere in the back of most minds of the world’s population… What if it is all just normal climate patterns?  More importantly, what if it is all a sham?  If you have been in most of the United States or Northern Europe this year, the questions may be even more present.

Before you blast this or endorse this, this is an altruistic inquiry.  A report out today is telling you what you may have already guessed: this is one of the coldest winters in years. It may be the coldest back into the 1980′s, or it could even go all the way back to the 1910′s.  If you have watched financial and breaking news around hurricane season, chances are that you have run across Joe Bastardi as the Chief Long Range Forecaster at Accuweather.com.  His report is actually calling for next winter to be worse than this winter and three or four of the next five winters could be just as cold as this winter.