The onslaught of winter 2005 may cause people to stay home more, to cozy up in the comfort of their own living rooms with a blanket and a cup of hot tea. Rising heating costs may also put a crimp on Christmas, making Mom and Dad think that maybe it's best not to buy expensive toys this year.
Winter heating bills are expected to be significantly higher across the country, especially for those who heat with natural gas. This will obviously affect homeowners, but it also affects our businesses and institutions. Our public schools in Minnesota, already squeezed by legislative penny-pinchers, cannot hold down rising utilities costs. Neither can our colleges struggling at a disadvantage to keep tuition rates within reason while expenses soar.
Well, maybe it won't be as bad as it looks. At any rate, it could be worse. The National Weather Service predicted Wednesday that there is a 60 percent chance of warmer than normal temperatures in the Dakotas, southwest Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and parts of Texas, New Mexico and Colorado.
We have experienced several warmer winters over the last decade, so we'd naturally assume we're due for a rough one this year. But if it's unseasonably mild again, we're not going to complain -- especially now.
Of course, another warm winter would amplify the voices of the global warming crowd. But, hey, scientists inform us that global warming is an exceedingly slow-developing phenomenon, and there's plenty of time to worry about it next year -- after the winter is over. And in the meantime, if we have to stay home more often to save money, that's not such a bad thing, either. It may not be great for the business community, but perhaps an extra Scrabble game or two will help us get to know our families better.
