Friday, September 27, 2013

Hot, hot, hot...

The first half of the year it wouldn't stop raining, since July it hasn't rained much to speak off and is very warm.  I am not saying climate change... DOH ! I just did but what the hell, something is screwy !  August was in the lowest 10% of driest months ever recorded apparently.

Warm dry weather brings an increased fire risk, as this screen grab of the aptly named (no pun intended) "Fires Near Me' android app displays

"Fires Near Me" android app screen grab from 10/09/2013

if it looks like 1/2 the state is on fire, well, it is ! but this is so early in the fires season it's astounding.  Toni is in the local Rural Fire Service, who do a great job.

Toni, before her new clothes get used "in anger"

She is there for community involvement and to learn, lets hope she stays safe !

Climate Change

2012 summer, a new colour scale was needed for hotter temps
Scientific American
It’s time to accept the facts about climate change and move on

"When David Biello asked last week “what will it take to solve climate change?”, my initial reaction was that we should start by agreeing on what we know about climate change – facts as determined by scientists around the world. After that, we can have rational discussions and spirited debates about how to most effectively curb greenhouse gas emissions."


ABC News
UN group links heatwave to climate change

The United Nations's (UN) chief climate science body says there is no doubt last week's extreme heat in Australia is part of a global warming trend.

Being an advocate of evidence and facts, I realise the danger of climate change.  Watching this recent lecture by Professor Kevin Anderson drove it home even further.


Those of you that get this via email may have to come to the webpage to click the link if you do want to watch it, it's probably the best wake up call I have ever seen or read.  Appropriately he says it's too late for supply side changes (ie government to mandate via market driven mechanism eg carbon tax etc) to do anything to stop > 4c, if there is to be a chance of even holding 4c, demand side change has to occur.  remember this was last year, and nothing changes.  Look to the recent Australian election for proof of that that and no, I didn't vote Greens !

A recent survey indicated most people were happy to accept > 4c when asked, as they didn't think it that significant... that clearly points to an issue of not understanding the consequences.  The difference in temperature between the last ice age and now was only about 5c degrees.

Lack of "alarm" ? 

There was a recent op-ed in the New York Times raising concern again over the seeming complete lack of alarm.  Along with Forbes magazine, that bastion of American business that had an article headlined  "The Daily Mail Is Wrong: The Earth Keeps Warming" and this bit caught my eye, especially in relation to my comment about this winter being "hot" and last winter being "cold"...  "when you’re looking at long term trends in climate, you have to look at just that – the trends. Not the year to year noise"

Skeptical Science Temperature "escalator"


The science is unequivocal, as the years roll on, some being wetter then average and some being drier, some being colder but most being hotter, groups like the volunteer RFS will be under extraordinary pressure because hotter and drier is the very thing that turn bushfires into infernos.

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