GLOBAL WARMING STINKS?...

GLOBAL WARMING STINKS? Was global warming responsible for the foul odor that suddenly descended on New York at the start of the week? The Washington Post, in a climate-change round-up, notes that in 2006:

New Jersey logged its hottest temperatures ever.

While the The New York Times today reports on the origins of the nasty smell:

the New York DEP spokesman, cited three possible scenarios -- all of them pointing to the land of Tony Soprano.The first was a release from a New Jersey chemical facility, although it was later ruled an unlikely source, he said. Next was a natural process, such as decaying vegetable matter caused by the recent spate of warm weather. And last was a build-up of sewer system gases in both New York and New Jersey, tied to Tuesday's wet weather.

So two out of the three reasons under consideration are related to the winter's unusally warm weather patterns. Makes me wonder if there wasn't perhaps some weather-related change behind the sweet syrupy smell that descended on Manhattan earlier in the year, as well.

--Garance Franke-Ruta