writeaboutwarming

February 7, 2019 Today is a "first-timer." For the first time, I saw a full page of newspaper articles (in the Vancouver, Wa. Columbian  ) about climate change. They're in a section of the paper called "In the Know." Here's some of what they have to say: - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tells us that between the years 1980 and 2013 - 33 years, for all you math whizzes - our country averaged six disasters a year that cost us at least $1 billion in repairs. In the last five years, since 2019 has just begun, we've averaged more than a dozen such disasters a year. Last year, we endured 14 billion-dollar disasters (remember, $1 billion is the minimum) at a total cost of $91 billion. There were 3 "main events": Hurricane Michael, Hurricane Florence, and the wildfires out here in the West. Sadly, 2017 was far worse. Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, and Irma, as well as massive wildfires in the West, cost a total of $306 billi...

February 15, 2015 -NASA released a report on Friday the 13 th , detailing the effects of megadroughts they foresee occurring in the United States throughout the rest of this century.  I don’t think I need to tell you that the only way to mitigate these effects is by sharply reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE).  What might very well need saying is that our future and the future of humankind rests in the hands of the Chinese, and the people of India.             Don’t misunderstand: we must all do much better, and very, very soon.  However, the population of the United States is paltry when compared with the populations of either of these two countries.  Combine that fact with the increasing demands of rising middle classes in both, and you get bad news.  Combine that bad news with the fact that China burns staggering amounts of coal, and you get, according to NASA, megadroughts i...

May 14, 2012 - One of the more sophisticated devices available to climatologists in their struggle to gain further understanding of the changing climate is the polar-orbiting satellite.  Capable of continuously scanning our planet from north to south, instruments aboard the satellite can also monitor volcanic eruptions, gather sea surface temperatures, and locate emergency beacons indicating aviators or mariners in distress.  Oh yes, and they help forecast the weather.  Without these satellites, weather and climate forecasts are less accurate.  Furthermore, climatologists' ability to monitor natural disasters declines significantly. The NRC (National Research Council) has issued a new report concerning ongoing satellite programs, an update of a decadal report published in 2007.  Long story short, these programs are in trouble.  I'll bet you'll never guess what the problem is!  Gosh, you're good: not enough money.  While the launching of the next...