Global Warming, do you notice it where you live?

[Hardbopjazz]

I live in NY. This past weekend we were hit with a major snow storm. The snow fall by me didn't start to stick to the ground until the storm was half way over. The ground was too warm. Three days later, it has already melted away a good deal of it. To my surprise outside my house today I saw tulips and pansies growing. I also saw my first robin on my lawn. Those birds usually don’t return north for at least another month. December and January have been the warmest every recorded in the north east of the United States. This may have been what tricked the robins to come back already, but it is not normal.

Have you noticed any changes in the environment where you reside?

[jazzbo]

Heck yeah. NOT warmer summers really, but . . . warm warm warm, record warm falls and winters.

[BeBop]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but aren't we talking about a long-term, gradual effect? Not this summer versus last. I'm not sensitive enough to notice a change in average temperature of two degrees over six years (or whatever).

[Guy Berger]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but aren't we talking about a long-term, gradual effect? Not this summer versus last. I'm not sensitive enough to notice a change in average temperature of two degrees over six years (or whatever).

Yup. One warm winter isn't necessarily indicative of global warming. OTOH global temperatures have been on the rise in the recent past.

Guy

[Hardbopjazz]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but aren't we talking about a long-term, gradual effect? Not this summer versus last. I'm not sensitive enough to notice a change in average temperature of two degrees over six years (or whatever).

I understand what you're saying, but it is clear as day where I live. The earth's overall temperature has risen 1 degree Celsius in the past 75 years. The polar caps are shrinking to where polar bears are finding it hard to hunt. Watching the Olympic Games this week, parts of the Alps were covered with a material to prevent the snow from melting away. Which would have happened if this wasn't done. Water lines along the cost are rising. I live 4 blocks from the Atlantic and the piers have water marks higher than ever before.

[jazzbo]

Yes, I'm reporting winters warmer about five in a row now, and the last two being significantly changed.

I think this is global warming. But I'm only a part-time alchemist, not a real scientist. Maybe it's my alchemy that is responsible?

[Robert J]

Skiing kind of sucks for us in the Toronto area Too much man made snow on the few hills we have north of us. Though we are taking the kids to Bristol Mountain, NY this March Break and I hope they'll have some decent amounts of white stuff.

[Guy Berger]

Skiing kind of sucks for us in the Toronto area Too much man made snow on the few hills we have north of us. Though we are taking the kids to Bristol Mountain, NY this March Break and I hope they'll have some decent amounts of white stuff.

Think of the upside, though -- Canada's going to become a much better place for surfing...

Guy

[BeBop]

While I can't 'feel it', I can certainly see the long-term effects, so I'm not doubting the phenomenon. Every time I'm in Greenland, Iceland, Alaska, extreme Southern Argentina/Chile, I can see where the glaciers have receded.

[paul secor]

"long-term, gradual effect" sounds like the Republican/big biz party line, meaning no changes in environmental laws so we can make our bucks now. Y'all can change the laws in 50 years when we've made our money and when it's too late.

To answer the question - This winter has been the warmest I can remember. I have no proof that this is due to global warning, but I have no reason to doubt it.

[GA Russell]

But the climate is always changing, isn't it? It's either getting warmer over the long term or getting colder, right?

My understanding is that the real dispute is over the extent to which the change is accelerated and increased by man's actions.

And from what I read there is no consensus among the scientists. There are plenty on the pro side and plenty on the con side. Most of the talk seems to come from the politicians, not the scientists.

That said, it is my opinion that there wouldn't be pollution if somebody weren't making millions of dollars by creating it.

edit for typo

Edited February 15, 2006 by GA Russell

[Jim Alfredson]

Hey, it's been a very mild winter here, but you know what? I ain't complaining, especially with the cost of heating one's house skyrocketing.

[Hardbopjazz]

Hey, it's been a very mild winter here, but you know what? I ain't complaining, especially with the cost of heating one's house skyrocketing.

I've said the same thing. But I most likely won't be alive in 50 years, but my daughter will. It will get tougher as the years go on if we don't stop burning fossile fules and cutting down the tress.

I just read, the Earth as about a 10% increase of cloud cover in the past 45 years. We'll turn into Venus soon. No way for the trapped heat to escape the Earth.

[frank m]

NASA gets into the global warming flap through the dismissal of a PR man who tries to moderate the announcements of a top level NASA climatologist. The guy, named Deutsch, it seems was a political appointee of Bush, who had been a worker in his election campaign. They discovered that he had claimed to have a degree, when he had no such of a thing.

Deutsch made a statement tother day saying "It's a culture war issue. They" (NASA I guess)" don't like Republicans. They do not like people who support the president. They do not like Christians...... and if are perceived as disagreeing with them, they will stop at nothing to discredit you."

[frank m]

NASA gets into the global warming flap through the dismissal of a PR man who tried to moderate the announcements of a top level NASA climatologist. The guy, named Deutsch, it seems was a political appointee of Bush, who had been a worker in his election campaign. They discovered that he had claimed to have a degree, when he had no such of a thing.

Deutsch made a statement tother day saying "It's a culture war issue. They" (NASA I guess)" don't like Republicans. They do not like people who support the president. They do not like Christians...... and if are perceived as disagreeing with them, they will stop at nothing to discredit you."

[Hardbopjazz]

While I can't 'feel it', I can certainly see the long-term effects, so I'm not doubting the phenomenon. Every time I'm in Greenland, Iceland, Alaska, extreme Southern Argentina/Chile, I can see where the glaciers have receded.

I believe the glaciers are receding the length of 3 football fields a year. Didn't recently an iceberg the size of Rhode Island just melt?

[BeBop]

While I can't 'feel it', I can certainly see the long-term effects, so I'm not doubting the phenomenon. Every time I'm in Greenland, Iceland, Alaska, extreme Southern Argentina/Chile, I can see where the glaciers have receded.

I believe the glaciers are receding the length of 3 football fields a year. Didn't recently an iceberg the size of Rhode Island just melt?

Keep in mind, that we are talking about very slow change in terms of human lifespans. It may be quite rapid by the standards of geologists and climatologists. Check out the (fairly impartial) Wikipedia and some of the links therefrom. Even the most radical environmentalists aren't reporting change at rapid pace - like degrees per year. That said, even small changes can have a major impact on the environment.

Excerpts:

Relative to 1860-1900 the global (land and sea) temperature has increased by 0.75 °C. Temperatures in the lower troposphere have increased between 0.12 and 0.22 °C per decade since 1979.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

[BeBop]

I believe the glaciers are receding the length of 3 football fields a year. Didn't recently an iceberg the size of Rhode Island just melt?

I'd intended to comment on this with my last post.

I know some glaciers are receding much faster than others. And I seem to recall that a glacier recently broke off (calved, I believed is the term) a hunk of substantial size. This happens regularly in any event, but more frequently ina warming environment.

[Guy Berger]

Every time I'm in Greenland

woah!

[BeBop]

Every time I'm in Greenland

woah!

One of my favorite places on Earth. I go every chance I get, though I didn't intend to imply that I GET to go there as often as the other places I mentioned.

For anyone interested, this is a neat site: http://www.greenland-guide.com/

I personally like Tasiilaq/Ammassalik over Kangerlussuaq or Qaanaaq.

[couw]

And from what I read there is no consensus among the scientists. There are plenty on the pro side and plenty on the con side.

wrong: all serious scientist will tell you that things are changing and that humans are the cause. All scientists that tell you otherwise have too much corporate money in there pockets. It's leaded gasoline and CFCs all over again.

[Hardbopjazz]

And from what I read there is no consensus among the scientists. There are plenty on the pro side and plenty on the con side.

wrong: all serious scientist will tell you that things are changing and that humans are the cause. All scientists that tell you otherwise have too much corporate money in there pockets. It's leaded gasoline and CFCs all over again.

I agree 100% with this. Put money in someone's pocket and they will tell you what you want to hear.

[BeBop]

I agree 100% with this. Put money in someone's pocket and they will tell you what you want to hear.

...otherwise you wouldn't have put the money there in the first place, right?

[John Tapscott]

To answer the question, yes, BIG time. While the winter of '05 was fairly cold and long, this winter has been quite mild. And this is now becoming fairly typical. Hardly any snow, at least where I live. 30-40 years ago when I was a kid in this same general area, outdoor rinks could be kept frozen for at least 2-3 months of the year; there was lots of sledding and snowmobiling, and other winter sports. No more. (Hard to do in any case, because the area is now much more urban). Long term I know it's bad, but for now it's great for lowering the heating and electricity bills.

[Free For All]

The warm winter made the high-heating-cost warnings not such a big deal. Seems like the only nasty weather has for the most part been out east. In KC we're just now heading into some cold weather- it's been a very warm and dry winter. We could use some precipitation.

Did anyone get socked with unusually high heating bills this winter?