printFor the second time in fewer than four weeks, the Pacific Northwest has experienced a severe storm, with temperatures plummeting well below the freezing point. This time, the region was buried beneath 13 inches of snow, in some places. It even snowed on the Oregon coast —a first, if I am to believe the reports.
As for the rest of the country, MSNBC’s headline blared: “Freezing weather grips nation’s midsection … The storm was expected to continue through the weekend, laying down a coat of ice and snow from Texas to Illinois, where an ice storm warning was in effect through Monday morning.”
CNN reports that “frigid arctic air reached as far south as southern and central California.” And, “More rain, freezing rain and snow was expected from northwest Oklahoma all the way to Wisconsin on Sunday.”
So far, we’ve not experienced power outages, the kind that enveloped Oregon and Washington States in December 2006. Those plunged us into primitive conditions never before experienced by this writer, who’s lived in Israel, South-Africa, and Europe. (However, I am told that since democracy arrived in SA, and jobs were taken from some —the qualified —and given to others —the politically qualified —14-hour rolling blackouts are a permanent feature of beautiful Cape-Town.)
The power companies now confirm what I had theorized well before the audit was in: 90% of the damage to power lines and grid was caused by trees. This is a tree hugging region. People won’t hear of cutting them away from the source of electricity. Not even if a few lives are sacrificed. We have to keep the Goddess Gaia happy, you know!
During the outage last month, I listened with disbelief as radio hosts fielded calls from women who told of leaving their unheated homes to go to local shelters to get warm. Is that reason enough to go lounge about with strangers and use public showers and toilets? Shelters are for those at risk, the homeless come to mind, not those who couldn’t be bothered to pull on a pullover. What’s wrong with a few layers of clothing? We managed okay in temperatures of 45 degrees in the house, although I’m happy to report that I now own a generator. Self-sufficiency cannot be overemphasized since civilization’s enemies, the Reds, seized control.
Other idiotic calls treated with great sympathy by radio hosts were requests from dog owners for “generous” strangers to “rescue” their mutts from dark, cold homes (the owners had already fled to the shelters). “My dog is going to freeze in the house,” one moron moaned. If a dog freezes indoors he should be put down. But let me steer clear from further comment about this dog-deranged society. Some people even kiss the creatures on their filthy traps.
Given the Big Freeze enveloping the country, comments about global warming are nowhere to be found. But, as I keep repeating, the “watermelons” —green on the outside, red on the inside —will invariably tell you that “every permutation in weather patterns —warm or cold —is a consequence of that warming or proof of it.”
And those of you who read this space will reply a la Mercer (channeling Karl Popper): “Yours is a theory not refutable by any conceivable event, which is why global warming is junk science.”
From around 150,000 to 130,000 years ago, North America experienced colder and generally more arid than present conditions. About 130,000 years ago, a warm phase slightly moister than the present began, and conditions at least as warm as the present lasted until about 115,000 years ago. Subsequent cooling and drying of the climate led to a cold, arid maximum about 70,000 years ago, followed by a slight moderation of climate with a second aridity maximum around 22,000-13,000 14C years ago. Conditions then quickly became warmer and moister, though with an interruption by cold and aridity in many areas around 11,000 14C years ago.
ref:http://www.esd.ornl.gov/projects/qen/nercNORTHAMERICA.html
I wonder how MAN (How many there Even where in NORTH AMERICA?) caused the earth to warm??
Yes the earth is warming…… but Is MAN the cause or are there celestial forces we no nothing about at work here?
You wrote, “It even snowed on the Oregon coast—a first, if I am to believe the reports.”.
I don’t know about that, Ilana. I’m sure it’s snowed on the Oregon Coast before. I live on the coast of Northern California about 90 miles south of Oregon.
It’s snowed on the coast here before and did just the other day. It doesn’t last long and melts pretty quick, but it does snow on rare occasions.
Something is going on with the world’s weather but who really knows what it is. The perma frost is melting, warmer temps etc. Scientists tell us that over the millenia the temperature has chilled down, warmed up and all combinations of the two. I’m no scientist but I have to see some proof from somebody other than the usual gaggle of loud-mouthed, leftist fruitloops that this temperature change is man-made. Of course if it is man made then the United States is the obvious culprit and we should atone by reducing our standard of living back to he late stone age, donating all of our money to third world dictaterships and letting the UN run our country.
Global warming? Horse feathers..
“And those of you who read this space will reply à la Mercer (channeling Karl Popper):…”
I’m so glad to see someone making “the Popperian point,” as I like to think of it, about global warming: a theory that is confirmed no matter what happens is a theory with no real content.
James wrote “Of course if it is man made then the United States is the obvious culprit…”. [Huggs was being cynical]
Except the U.S. air has been generally getting cleaner. Air from other countries, like India and China, is getting dirtier.
Let’s not blame this SUPPOSED warming on the U.S.
Oh, and that’s assuming that the supposed warming trend is caused by human activity.
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
Robert Frost (1874—1963)
[How lovely–and from a biologist. Thanks]
As one who has studied climate change, I should point out that the term “global warming” is potentially misleading to the uninitiated with reference to weather (short term effects) as opposed to climate (long term effects). The more likely reality is that the Northern hemisphere is entering a period of less predictable weather that may be superimposed on a long term (hundreds of years) trend towards warming. This is a cyclic phenomenon and has indeed happened in the quite recent past (not least between the end of the 1100s and circa 1492). But it is impossible to be certain to what extent the current change is anthropogenically driven. Nevertheless we should take steps to be less profligate in our energy conversion – even if it makes no difference to the weather.