Environmental Issues

[Iceberg]

More evidence:

"Wildfires ravaging Texas, Oklahoma":

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2005/12/28/wildfires051228.html

"Alberta towns isolated after winter road ice melts":

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/12/28/alberta-road-051228.html

Two predicted outcomes of climate change are beginning to assert themselves.

 

[t3sqr]

Here ya go ICE....
More proof of Global Warming...
Britian's coldest and heaviest snow fall in decades:
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-13486839,00.html
and
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1207299,00.html

Maybe you can send our brothers across the pond some of your record heat.
Or better yet we can send them some of our big nasty SUV's. They can fire them up and warm themselves up a bit.

Seems kind of funny the all of the "Global Warming is not so global.
Last year the Russia territory of Siberia had the longest cold streak in more the 40 years (almost 2 months of -40C or below.)

 

[Iceberg]

2005 was still the warmest year in recorded history, though, narrowly beating out the El Nino year of 1998. One week of cool weather in one place does not signify a global annual cooling trend.

Also, if you had read much of the RealClimate.org site, you would have read that cooler spells are likely to rise as a result of greater energy in the atmosphere, which will cause the jet stream to bend more wildly, creating the conditions possible for blizzards in Britain, 10 C (53 F) days on the Canadian Prairies and Northern Plains of the US in the winter, and the current severe flooding rains and snows in the Pacific Northwest of the US.

Also, the Siberia thing. -40 (C and F, since they are equivalent) is actually a touch warmer-than-normal for certain parts of Siberia. The average January temperatures (yes, temperatures, not windchills) reach -50 C.

 

[mindido]

Well, it looks like the 2005 hurricane season is finally over as of about 4:00 p.m. yesterday. 27 named storms (a new record), 14 hurricanes (a new record) and 3 major storms hitting the U.S. coast resulting in the costliest season ever.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060106...gRG2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

It will be interesting to see what 2006 brings.

 

[t3sqr]

Mindido and all of the southern state gang,
CSU Guru of Hurricane predictions is out with his last predictions/forcast for 2006 season. It's a shame to see him go. His accuracy has been about 90% or better for the last 20 years or more. Hopefully his replacement will have the same insight. We all feel for ya'all, during that time of year (and the aftermath)
http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/051206_hurricane_forecast_2006.html

Ice,
I found this link inside the one above on the 2006 hurricane forcast.
http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/050915_more_hurricanes.html
and then this link inside there:
http://www.livescience.com/environment/050317_global_warming.html
It says quote:
Even if all industrial pollution and auto emissions suddenly ceased today, Earth's climate will warm at least 1 degree by the year 2100 and seas will rise 4 inches (11 centimeters), according to a new study.

The warming is likely to continue through 2400, another study forecasts.

I guess that the "Kyoto Protocal" is more like Global Warming all the time... just bunch of HOT AIR!!

 

[mindido]

t3sqr,

"southern state gang"???

I don't know where you came up with that but, as is clearly evident from my location, I'm from Wisconsin and Ice is Canadian (hardly southern states).

And I brought up the CSU predictions last Dec. 14 in the Katrina thread (post #107). A bit behind the times???

 

[cableguy]

13 feet of snow in japan.. this might be the most conclusive proof of global warming to date!!!! oh, and the recent cold snap in europe as well... well, as they say in the global warming community--two colds make a hot...

more proof of global warming...

 

[t3sqr]

Hey all you tree huggers out there...
More Shocking Global Warming News*******
Plants...yes plants are a major contributer to global warming

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060111/sc_nm/environment_methane_dc
And this one comes from Reuters

What are we going to do now????

I think it is time to fire up the chainsaws cut down all those Methane producing rain forests and coverup all of those rice paddies if we are going to live within the Kyoto Protocals that have been setforth for all of us to live better by.:angryrazz:

 

[cableguy]

actually, t3, i was going to post that one... you are wrong, however... this is actually great news for the global warming crowd... it can be summed up in two words: "MORE PROOF." yes, the fact that plants emit methane, a "greenhouse gas," is simply more proof that President George W. Bush is personally causing the global temperature to rise, likely at a rate of 10 degrees celsius per year or more!!!! all human life will be extinguished by the year 2015 unless we all stop using anything made from oil, share all of our wealth with the less fortunate, and pay 100% of our earnings in taxes... oh, and no more machinery as well...

 

[Iceberg]

You don't get it, do you, cable? Due to the onslaught of GHGs, plants cannot absorb excess GHGs in the atmosphere. Therefore, they begin to emit GHGs, especially with the deforestation going on on this planet.

Every tree that is cut down emits a fair amount of CO2 and Methane, which would normally be retained by the tree if it remained alive. Desertification of otherwise fertile land causes plants to decay and emit GHGs into the atmosphere as they die.

One more example of human activities which contribute to climate change.

 

[Iceberg]

Hey cable! Did you get a look at this?

Warm Winter Perspective - UPDATED

...REGION ON TRACK FOR RECORD WARMTH...

EXCEPTIONALLY WARM MID WINTER TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN IN PLACE OVER
THE REGION DURING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF JANUARY. IN FACT...TEMPERATURES
HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY ABOVE AVERAGE SINCE THE LAST HALF OF
DECEMBER. HOW UNUSUAL THIS WEATHER PATTERN IS CAN BE SHOWN IN THE
TABLES BELOW. SO FAR THE TEMPERATURES ARE ON PACE TO SET RECORDS FOR
BOTH JANUARY AND THE WINTER SEASON. HOWEVER...THERE IS STILL A GREAT
DEAL OF WINTER LEFT FOR OUR REGION. THE MEDIUM RANGE PREDICTION FOR
MOST OF THE REMAINDER OF JANUARY CALL FOR ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURE
PATTERNS.

THE MILD TEMPERATURES OVER THE PAST 4 WEEKS HAVE BEEN DUE TO TWO
MAIN FACTORS. FIRST...WIDESPREAD CLOUD COVER DURING THE NIGHT HAVE
PREVENTED LOWS FROM FALLING TOO FAR FROM THE DAYTIME HIGHS. THE
CLOUDS KEEP MUCH OF THE HEAT FROM ESCAPING INTO SPACE OVERNIGHT.
ADDITIONALLY...THE JET STREAM HAS REMAINED IN CANADA DURING MUCH OF
THIS PERIOD. THIS HAS KEPT THE COLD ARCTIC AIRMASSES CONFINED TO THE
POLAR REGIONS.

BELOW ARE TABLES WITH DATA FOR HECTOR AIRPORT IN FARGO...THE GRAND
FORKS AIRPORT...AND THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA / NWS CLIMATE
STATION.

HIGHEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE /DEGREES F/ FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY.

FARGO HECTOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT /KFAR/
CURRENT AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AS OF JANUARY 16 2006...24.5 DEGREES F / 18.2 DEGREES F ABOVE NORMAL

10 WARMEST JANUARYS
RANK VALUE YEAR
1 21.8 1990
2 21.1 1944
3 19.6 1931
4 18.2 1987
5 18.0 1942
6 17.4 1958
7 17.3 1992
8 16.5 2002
9 16.1 1983
10 16.1 1947

GRAND FORKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT /KGFK/
CURRENT AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AS OF JANUARY 16 2006...23.2 DEGREES F / 18.5 DEGREES F ABOVE NORMAL

10 WARMEST JANUARYS
RANK VALUE YEAR
1 18.7 1990
2 17.7 1944
3 16.2 1983
4 16.1 1992
5 15.9 1942
6 15.7 1958
7 15.0 1987
8 13.9 2002
9 13.9 2001
10 10.5 1984


GRAND FORKS UNIVERSITY/NWS /KFGF/
CURRENT AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AS OF JANUARY 16 2006...24.8 DEGREES F / 20.4 DEGREES F ABOVE NORMAL

10 WARMEST JANUARYS
RANK VALUE YEAR
1 20.1 1990
2 17.4 1983
3 16.6 1942
4 16.2 1931
5 15.8 1987
6 15.7 1992
7 15.1 1958
8 14.7 1981
9 13.9 2002, 1908


HIGHEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE /DEGREES F/ FOR THE METEOROLOGICAL
WINTER SEASON DECEMBER - JANUARY - FEBRUARY.

FARGO HECTOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT /KFAR/ AS OF JANUARY 16
CURRENT DECEMBER - JANUARY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 20.9 DEGREES F

10 WARMEST WINTER SEASON /DECEMBER - JANUARY - FEBRUARY/
RANK VALUE YEAR
1 22.2 1986
2 21.9 1930
3 20.9 1997
4 20.2 2001
5 19.9 1991
6 19.6 1982
7 18.1 1999
8 17.6 1943
9 17.5 1941
10 17.3 1920

GRAND FORKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT /KGFK/ AS OF JANUARY 16
CURRENT DECEMBER - JANUARY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 19.5 DEGREES F

10 WARMEST WINTER SEASON /DECEMBER - JANUARY - FEBRUARY/
RANK VALUE YEAR
1 19.6 1982
2 19.4 1997
3 18.9 1986
4 18.1 1991
5 17.5 2001
6 16.9 1999
7 15.8 1980
8 15.1 1957
9 14.9 1943
10 14.3 1941

GRAND FORKS UNIVERSITY/NWS /KFGF/ AS OF JANUARY 16
CURRENT DECEMBER - JANUARY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 21.2 DEGREES F

10 WARMEST WINTER SEASON /DECEMBER - JANUARY - FEBRUARY/
RANK VALUE YEAR
1 20.0 1983
2 19.9 1987
3 19.3 1998
4 19.0 1931
5 17.8 2002
6 17.8 1992
7 17.3 2000
8 15.9 1981
9 15.4 1942
10 15.2 1908


FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT MARK EWENS CLIMATE SERVICES
FOCAL POINT AT 701.795.5198 OR EMAIL AT MARK.EWENS@NOAA.GOV

$$

EWENS

From: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=fgf&storyid=1109&source=0

And, heck, this isn't an El Niño year, but a weak La Niña year, which should leave us cooler than normal! (I'm not far from Fargo and Grand Forks, nor are you.)

 

[mindido]

Ice,

Thanks for the info. Our local weather (southern Wisconsin), as reported by the local weather service, said just a few days ago that the first half of January was the warmest on record.

 

[mindido]

Oooh, ouch!

Seems that some of the former heads of the EPA - five Republicans and one Democrat - say that Bush is doing a lousy job with the environment and global warming.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10913795/

A couple interesting quotes:

"All of the former administrators and EPA’s current chief, Stephen Johnson, raised their hands when asked by the event moderator whether they believe global warming is a real problem, and again when he asked if humans bear significant blame."

"Russell Train, who succeeded Ruckelshaus in the Nixon and Ford administrations, said slowing the growth of “greenhouse” gases isn’t enough. “We need leadership, and I don’t think we’re getting it,” he said at an EPA-sponsored symposium centered around the agency’s 35th anniversary. “To sit back and just push it away and say we’ll deal with it sometime down the road is dishonest to the people and self-destructive.”"

 

[cableguy]

localized warm winter this year... tell that to the europeans and the japanese... oh, and other portions of the US as well... why is it that i am not allowed to use localized cold trends and you ARE allowed to use localized warm trends??? more hypocracy... and the epa should be disbanded immediately... not only is it unconstitutional, and thereby illegal, it is a waste of taxpayer dollars...

 

[Iceberg]

localized warm winter this year... tell that to the europeans and the japanese... oh, and other portions of the US as well... why is it that i am not allowed to use localized cold trends and you ARE allowed to use localized warm trends??? more hypocracy... and the epa should be disbanded immediately... not only is it unconstitutional, and thereby illegal, it is a waste of taxpayer dollars...

Whoa! So misguided!

First of all, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has said that increased warm and cold spells are likely results of climate change. Therefore, the abnormally warm winter on the Northern Plains, along with the cool and snowy conditions in Europe and Japan, are signs that an overall global warming is occurring.

Secondly, how the heck is the EPA unconstitutional or illegal? That statement is just as bizarre as saying Hitler was a peaceful man and Robert Mugabe is a friend to Caucasians.

In its mandate, the EPA is supposed to prevent certain activities which are detrimental to the environment. (Under Bush, this has not happened, however.) So, if operating as it was intended, the EPA is a vital instrument in preventing the destruction of the environment. Any monies put forward to protect the environment is well worth it.

 

[Iceberg]

Cable, you're also sounding like a little kid who can't get their way, which is like what most climate skeptics have become.

Climate skeptics these days whine and complain about not being taken seriously or that their views are being suppressed. In reality, they are wrong, should not and cannot be taken seriously, and their views must be suppressed because they can influence those without a solid foundation in the climate sciences (or any sciences for that matter).

Climate skeptics (or 'contrarians') complain that their views are in the minority like a Galileo and that they try to attract sympathy from the general public. In reality, climate scientists (those who believe climate change is happening and is primarily the fault of humans) were those Galileos a few decades ago. Since then, their research and conclusions have reached the overwhelming majority of climate scientists and have led them to conclude that climate change is happening and is primarily the fault of humans. It is the climate skeptic who refuses to listen to reason, proper scientific procedure, and common sense and stubbornly maintains their opinion without scientific backing, rather with flawed research.

 

[Iceberg]

Sorry about the new post. However, I thought this deserved it:

"2005 Was the Warmest Year in a Century:

The year 2005 may have been the warmest year in a century, according to NASA scientists studying temperature data from around the world.

Climatologists at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York City noted that the highest global annual average surface temperature in more than a century was recorded in their analysis for the 2005 calendar year.

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/environment/2005_warmest.html

Hmmm. The warmest years on record are:

1. 2005
2. 1998
3. 2002
4. 2003
5. 2004

Any coincidence? I think not! Get ready for 2006 to take its place in the top three, if not displacing 2005 from #1 spot.

There, I said it. My prediction, January 24/06, is that 2006 will be at least in the top three. (We'll have to see in a year's time if this is true.)

 

[mindido]

Darn Ice,

You beat me to that post!

 

[Texan]

That's interesting considering that we are still coming out of the "little ice age" and just slightly warmer than the medieval warm period.

 

[Duke E. Pyle]

Which reminds me that it was said here that the temp has never changed this much this fast. For 40 years parts of the planet were covered in ice as late as the early 1900's. That is what you call drastic, and guess why it happened? Guessed yet? Lack of "sun" spots. The mini ice age. I knew the sun had something to do with our heat!:mrgreen: