Tag Archives: weather

Pale Green Horse & Global Food Crisis: Scientists say best defense against Climate Change is Adaptability

The following are statements heard at the ongoing American Association for the Advancement of Science annual show taking place in British Columbia, Canada.

“If there’s greater variability, the odds the temperature being so high that you can’t grow a crop are greater.”

“Food insecurity is likely to (be) higher than it has been for some time.”

“We need to understand how the region will fare under projected future scenarios…adapt or mitigate potential consequences.”

“A super-generalist can co-exist with other species if it focuses on just a few of its possible prey at a time and switches prey regularly. It’s stabilizing the system because it allows populations to recover.”  [in other words, if you have a diet that is very specific your chances of starvation are higher]

“biomass processing depots” “would process 100 to 200 tons of feedstock per day. Once processed, we could ship it much longer distances to the large scale refineries.”  farmers “could own part of the depot and share in some of the income from it.”

In other words, those who will fair well in the radically changing climate are those who can quickly adapt, with new ways of acquiring food.

I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.  They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Global Warming, Ice Age? U.S. study says Ice Age caused by particulate matter. Japan study shows Warming starts inside the Earth. Tropical Vietnam hits 25 Fahrenheit!!!

At the end of January 2012, the Christian Science Monitor published a story about a study done in the U.S. and Canada, which said, in a round-about way, that particulate matter in the air causes Ice Ages, not global warming.

A few days ago the Japanese Meteorological Agency reported the results of their  a study, which said ocean temperatures have increased.

I’ve been following the research on supposed global warming, with doubts about most of the claims, because traditional scientific hypothesis always said that large amounts of particulate matter in the air, either from volcanoes or man made pollution, causes cooling.

The latest study in the U.S. backs that up, but they found more than one cause.  What the researchers discovered is that changes in the weather are caused by  ‘triggers’.  Regarding Ice Ages; they found that it’s a combination of major triggers such as decreased activity from the Sun, increased particulate matter in the air and the depletion of the ozone in the upper atmosphere.

Although we’ve certainly had increased particulate matter in the air (from both pollution and volcanoes) the Japanese study showed that temps deep in the ocean have been rising about 0.02 Celsius (32.036 Fahrenheit) per year over the past decade!  They say the deep ocean temps are now an average of 0.15 C (32.27 F) warmer than 60 years ago.

But note that it’s deep ocean temperatures, not surface level.  The temp readings were taken at about 700 meters (2,297 feet) depth.  This means, to me, that the latest Japanese study says global warming originates inside the Earth.

Can there be warming and cooling happening, seemingly at the same time? Yes. There are hypothesis that say they are interactive cycles, one leading to the other.  This would mean that humans have nothing to do with it.

Studies have shown that decreased ozone in the upper atmosphere leads to a cooling of the atmosphere.  Everyone should know that there are now huge holes in the ozone above the North and South Poles.  Scientists say this is why ice forms at those regions, and why most of the Ice Age glaciers originate from the Poles.

Some scientists also say that ozone depletion is connected to Sun activity (not just pollution).  Is the Sun taking a break? Back in summer 2011, astronomers reported that Sun activity was declining.  Now, parts of Europe are being hit with a micro ice age (have you seen the pics of cars and buildings covered with inches of ice, which formed overnight?).

Another interesting thing is that even though South America is in the middle of summer right now, Peru’s mountainous areas have been hit with record cold temps and snowfall (at least 3,000 Alpacas froze to death)!

There are other reports that show a connection between depletion of ozone and the weakening of the Earth’s magnetic field.  A few years ago PBS did a report that showed the magnetic poles have become extremely weak, and that mini poles were popping up in other parts of the world (specifically one near south western Africa).

Sun activity was high in the past decade, which just happens to be when many people were crying “Global Warming”.  But increased Sun activity can only account for surface warming, and atmospheric warming, and it’s obvious now that many parts of the surface of the Earth are cooling.

Increased ocean temperatures, at more than 2,000 feet down, can only be caused by activity within the Earth.  Yes, there is an increase of earthquake and volcanic activity.  Especially around the Pacific Ring of Fire. Already there have been seven “significant” (magnitude 6.5 or higher) earthquakes in the first month of 2012, and all seven have happened around the Ring of Fire (or adjacent to it).

In total there have been more than 500 earthquakes around the Pacific Ring of Fire, since January 1, 2012!

Activity inside the Earth also affects the magnetic field.  One scientists described the core of the Earth more like an old wind up watch spring.  As it spins it releases energy such as the magnetic field, and like a watch spring it winds down weakening the magnetic field.  As it slows down it’s actually winding itself back up, eventually to spring back the other way, releasing the built up energy when it was winding up.

When you compress a spring, it builds up energy, and heat.  Scientist know that the Earth’s core is about to spring back into action, sometime soon.  The core is winding up, building up energy and heat, which could explain the deep ocean temperature increases.

Increased ocean temps would melt the fresh water polar glaciers faster than warm air temps.  Realize that the oceans are now full of fresh water, which floats on top of salt water.

The atmosphere of Earth is cooling and drying.  Anyone who’s lived in a freezing, yet dry, environment knows that you still have lots of evaporation (I’ve even seen what I call freeze dried snow and ice).

Ice that is evaporating, but not melting, is recognizable by the cavities forming inside.  It melts but that ice melt is almost instantly evaporated into the air.

Other studies have shown that it doesn’t take much of a surface temperature change to effect radical weather changes.  Only about 3 degrees Fahrenheit, plus or minus, over about ten to 20 years. Scientist have also realized that radical weather changes happen fast, not slowly as once thought.  Again, anyone notice how much the ice built up in the micro ice age that’s hitting parts of Europe right now?

What about tropical Vietnam?  Vietnam is partly blaming an outbreak of H5N1 influenza on unusual cold weather. On top of that, on January 15, 2012, Vietnamese media reported that 7,000 water buffalo froze to death, after temps in tropical northern Vietnam hit minus four degrees Celsius (25 Fahrenheit)!!!

So we now have a situation with lots of fresh water in the oceans and an extremely dry, and cool, atmosphere.  A dry atmosphere, even though cool, will suck up as much water as it can. When it gets saturated it’ll dump out the excess water.  If overall temps are still warm, we could see tropical weather almost everywhere.  But if temps are cold…Ice Age.

What we are seeing now, is an Earth that is in between major cycles. An Earth whose watch spring core has wound down, and is winding back up for the next run. Round and round it goes, where it stops nobody knows.  Maybe the Mayans are correct about 2012?

What Global Warming? Europe & Asia suffer freezing WX, at least 420 Europeans freeze to death, even North Africa affected

“It’s awful. I had to walk two hours through freezing temperatures just to get to the metro. The area is full of trees that have fallen on cars but no one’s come to help us.”-Federico Maneski, Rome, Italy

While North America is experiencing a warmer than normal winter, Europe and Asia are breaking records.  From record snowfall in Japan and Korea, to record low temps in Europe.

Japan and South Korea had reported record snowfall, and record freezing temps, but not as freezing as the temps in Europe.

As of February 6, at least 420 Europeans, mostly homeless people, have frozen to death!  Finland has hit -40 Celsius (-104 Fahrenheit)!   The deaths of people who do not have access to heat sources range from France, Italy, Poland, Romania to Ukraine.

In Serbia, an area of 70,000 people has been cut off by record snowfall.  Police and military units have to use helicopters to fly in supplies.  In Croatia, a woman gave birth to a daughter with the help of her neighbors in her village, because the road to the hospital was blocked by snow. She named her daughter Snjezana, which means Snow White in Croatian.

The freezing temps have even hit the North African country of Algeria.  16 people were killed when their cars slid off ice covered roads.

 

 

 

 

 

Global Climate Change Extremes: While one South American country is freezing, several others are heating up, Brazil flooding

Peru is experiencing extreme cold weather, so far 2,500 baby Alpacas have frozen to death.  Yet Columbia and Argentina are on fire!

The heat is so intense in Argentina that demand for electricity to run air conditioners has hit record levels.  Several areas experienced power outages that lasted 12 hours, some areas were without power for 48 hours.

In Columbia three sections of the country are on alert for extreme fire danger.  The Caribbean, Andean and Orinoco regions are under Red Flag fire alerts.

In Brazil, landslides and flooding due to heavy rain has caused at least 13 deaths.  Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes.

What Global Warming? It’s Summer in South America, yet 2,500 Alpacas die due to extreme cold

When it’s winter time in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s summer time in the Southern Hemisphere, yet it’s so cold that animals are freezing to death in one South American country.

In the Cusco region of Peru, officials are reporting that at least 2,500 baby Alpacas froze to death.  That’s based on the areas that Civil Defense authorities could get to, most roads are blocked because of heavy snow: “There are 700 families who are dedicated breeders in the area, but we can not get to them because of the snow….we might discover even more deaths.”-Jose Suyco Quispe, Civil Defense Technical Secretary of Espinar province

What Global Warming? E Coli contamination in Idaho blamed on cooler than normal weather

An outbreak of e.coli in the water at Sandy Point Beach, at the Lucky Peak State Park in Idaho, could be caused by colder than normal weather.

Officials with Parks and Recreation think cold weather delayed the circulation of water through the swimming area.

Because winter like conditions lasted well into spring, the Army Corps of Engineers were not able to create the usual lagoon current, that normally flushes out the swimming area.  The result is that officials suspect geese droppings built up in the water, resulting in high levels of e.coli.

The swimming area is now being flushed.

What Global Warming? Cooler wetter weather damaging Idaho cherry crop, expect prices to go up

 

“We still have quite a few cherries (in this year’s crop), but it’s down from what I normally see. Maybe two-thirds of what we had last year.”-Paul Pinard, cherry farmer Emmett, Idaho

Because of a lack of global warming in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, there are going to be a lot fewer cherries, and a lot later.  The cooler than normal weather is affecting the $573 million cherry market.

cherry chubbuck

Chubbuck, Idaho, July 2, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last year, in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Utah, as many as 7 million boxes of cherries were packed.  This year the commercial cherry farmers will be lucky to get 2 million.

On top of that, cherry picking season ends in June, but not this year, many cherries aren’t even ready.

I can vouch for that.  I have a cherry tree, and I’ve been wondering what the heck is going on.  Not only have the cherries not fully developed, but they’re shriveling and dying.  Normally, by the end of May I’m swamped with too many cherries for me and my kids to eat, but this year…it looks like nothing.

shriveled cherry

Chubbuck, Idaho, July 2, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another factor in driving up prices for cherries, is that demand is up.

But it’s not just Cherries that are being negatively affected.  The asparagus picking started late, and northwest growers associations are reporting delays in melons, peaches and corn.

cherry pityful

 

 

 

 

 

So even if you try to grow your own, to keep from paying higher prices at he store, Mother Earth just won’t let it happen.

Coca Cola raises prices, blames inflation, bad weather, Pepsi and others to follow suit

Coca Cola will raise prices at least 3 to 5% in July.  They raised prices 2% earlier this year.

They blame the rising costs of resources, due to speculators playing the commodities markets. They also blame the cost of transportation due to high fuel prices.

In China, Coca Cola bottlers will use smaller bottles.  Hangzhou bottler already changed its 600 milliliter packages to 500 milliliters in May, but charges the same price.

Industry analysts say the inflation in commodity prices has to be passed on to consumers sooner or later.  A month before Coca Cola’s price rise announcement, Smuckers raised prices on its coffee products.  Eventually consumers will see more price rises across the food market.

A big factor for commodity price increases is the bad weather most of the United States is experiencing.  Cooler, wetter than normal weather in the north west.  Massive flooding in the plain states, and mid west.  Hotter weather in the east.  All these weather extremes are resulting in less crop production.  Less crops on the markets will drive the price up.

 

What Global Warming? Idaho has record snowpack levels, and it’s summer! Guarantees more flooding

According to surveyors from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, June 1 had Idaho breaking record snowpack levels.   Normally most of Idaho’s mountain snowpack melts off by the end of May.  This year’s cold wet spring has delayed that, and actually added to some the mountain snowpacks.

In eastern Idaho, Two Ocean Plateau’s snowpack is at 113% of peak average, as of June 28.  What global warming?

The concern now is that temperatures are finally warming up to what is normal for the time of the year, which means all that snow is gonna melt and just continue the flooding that’s already taking place.

The same is true of snowpacks in the Rockies, and other western U.S. mountain ranges.  This is why officials have warned the flooding from the Missouri River could last through the month of August.