The Winner of Global Warming: Manatees!

Yesterday it was confirmed that 2012 was indeed the hottest year on record in the Lower 48, and yes maybe global warming may mean doom and gloom for the future of humanity.

But don't worry. There's a cute side to the story. Thanks to a warmer winter, fewer manatees died in Florida waters this year than in the past few years.

Clearly, manatees shall inherit the Earth. Accept them as our new overlords now.

According to Florida Today, 392 manatees died in Florida this year. That's down from 453 in 2011; a 13 percent drop. It's the lowest death toll in four years.

Of those deaths, just 28 died due to exposure to the cold. That's down form 282 in 2010, and 114 in 2011.

Of the deaths, 81 were caused by water craft. That's down from the five year average of 87.

An increasingly heated globe may be bad for nature at large, but clearly the manatees stand to benefit, at least in the short run. Plus, once half of Florida is underwater they'll have more territory to swim around in.

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