Weather, or Not category archive

. . . and some of the (possible) side effects may be–er–somewhat disconcerting.

And the sea levels, they are a-rising.

It’s the middle of January and we’re running the air conditioner. The high today was in the mid-70s Fahrenheit. According to my sidebar over there (——–>) on the right, it’s 70 at this moment.

Yeah, I know that “climate” and “weather” are not the same thing, but we wouldn’t be having this kind of weather in bleepin’ January if the climates they were not a-changing.

I grew up about 40 miles north of where I type this. Back in the olden days, when I was a young ‘un, 50 Fahrenheits in January qualified as a warm day.

I am not sanguine.

. . . and, as the evidence shows, it’s no shrimp of a problem.

As an aside, the forecast high for today in these parts is 70 Fahrenheits.

In December.

Afterthought:

In my darker moments, I find it difficult to avoid fearing that we are nearing an extinction event.

. . . and I’m getting a sinking feeling.

Der Spiegel looks at the mass deaths of Amazon River dolphins. A snippet:

Together with her colleagues, Marmontel set out to learn what caused the mysterious die-off. They dissected the cadavers, took water samples, analyzed weather and climate conditions and interviewed fishermen and locals. Was it a virus? Were they killed by an organic poison used by indigenous tribes for fishing? Was the lake polluted by pesticides? Could the dolphins have starved to death?

Ultimately, only one possible explanation remained, says (Marine biologist Miriam–ed.) Marmontel: “The animals were victims of climate change.”

The Colorado Sun takes a deep dive into some shallow water–specifically how Lakes Powell and Mead, the two largest reservoirs west of the Rockies–are but a trickle of their former selves.

If this doesn’t motivate some action, then nothing will:

The price of beer could rise sharply this century, and it has nothing to do with trends in craft brewing. Instead, a new study says beer prices could double, on average, because of the price of malted barley, a key ingredient in the world’s favorite alcoholic drink.

By projecting heat and drought trends over the coming decades, a team of researchers in China, the U.K. and the U.S. found that barley production could be sharply affected by the shifting climate. And that means some parts of the world would very likely be forced to pay much more for a beer.

Details at the link.

Via Le Show.

It’s October and I’m running the blankety-blank air condtioning for Pete’s sake.

. . . and the outlook is getting darker.

In a recent comprehensive assessment by PLOS, the Public Library of Science, firefly experts estimate that at least 14% of North American firefly species are threatened; classified as critically endangered or endangered.

Scientists at PLOS say their numbers are dwindling due to climate change and the use of pesticides.

When I was a young ‘un growing up on the farm about forty miles north of where I type this, we saw fireflies flashing throughout the summer evenings.

I can’t remember the last time I saw a firefly.

Dick Polman has more.