Monday, February 18, 2008

Recent climate-related headlines

Just a few more recent, telling articles that relate to climate change, packaged together here for your reading pleasure.

China battles "coldest winter in 100 years"| Reuters
:

CHENZHOU, China, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Millions remained stranded in China on Monday ahead of the biggest holiday of the year as parts of the country suffered their coldest winter in a century.

Freezing weather has killed scores of people and left travellers stranded before the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival -- the only opportunity many people have to take a holiday all year.

J'lem experiences second snow of '08 | Jerusalem Post :
Dozens of snowplows and tractors, and 34 tons of salt stood ready in Jerusalem to battle the snowstorm that began on Monday night, which is the second one to blanket the capital this year.

By evening the bright sunshine had turned into driving rain and strong winds. A bit after dark, the flakes began falling. Forecasters said that snow could cover areas as far south as Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev.

The Associated Press: 3 Dead As Snow Hits Texas Panhandle:
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — A snowstorm hit the Texas Panhandle early Thursday, leaving at least three people dead and causing a 40-vehicle pileup that shut down an interstate for several hours, officials said.

One person was killed and at least two were injured in the pileup caused by blowing snow that limited visibility and slick, icy spots that made Interstate 40 treacherous, Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Wayne Beighle said.

The Associated Press: Warmer Atlantic Worsens Hurricanes:
WASHINGTON (AP) — When the water in the hurricane breeding grounds of the Atlantic warms one degree in the dead of summer, overall hurricane activity jumps by half, according to a new study.

Scientists have long known that hurricanes get their enormous energy from warm waters, so the warmer the water, the more fuel a storm has to either start up or get stronger. The study calculates how much storm frequency and strength is due to warmer sea water, said author Mark Saunders, professor of climate prediction at the University College London.

Right! That's why the past few hurricane seasons (predicted to be looming disasters) have been a complete bust. Drop the Al Gore schtick already. An article a few days earlier said this...

The Associated Press: Forecasters Debate Hurricanes, Warming:

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A lively and sometimes scrappy debate on whether global warming is fueling bigger and nastier hurricanes like Katrina is adding an edge to a gathering of forecasters here.

The venue for the 88th annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society could not have been more conducive to the discussion: The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is where thousands of people waited for days during the storm to be evacuated from a city drowning in water and misery.

'60 Minutes' Preempted This Sunday for Global Warming Hysteria | NewsBusters.org:
This teaser raises many important questions. For instance, will even one of the over 400 scientists that don't believe man is responsible for global warming be interviewed by Pelley? Or, will he exclusively talk to folks that are involved in advancing this yet unproven theory?

Will any of the scientific studies concerning historical ice levels in the Arctic and the Antarctic be sited, or just the satellite data for the past thirty years?

Assuming the top NASA scientist Pelley will be speaking to is the controversial head of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies James Hansen, will he be asked about his connection to George Soros? Or that the GISS predicted an ice age back in 1971? Or that Hansen's organization made a huge error in calculating temperatures this decade that was uncovered by Climate Audit's Stephen McIntyre?

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