Thursday, January 15, 2009

Global Warming and My Own Backyard

I know there are two strident voices out there in regards to global warming. Some say "Aye"! Some say "Nay"!

I only know my own backyard. Last night the temp got down to a minus 20 degrees. That's a new record low for this date in January. The previous low was a minus 18 set in the year 1972.

The past two summers here have been unseasonably cool and totally unlike the summers of previous years when we might experience temps well above 100 several days in a row. Not that I want to see those kind of days...I actually LIKE a cool summer.

Did you know that the State of Iowa has been covered with several glacial Ice Ages, the last one at its height a mere 20,000 years ago and melting a recent 13,000 years ago. So...with glaciers retreating from a major portion of Iowa so recently, it would seem to me that we can consider weather cycling a rather recent phenomenon in terms of geological time (where scientists often speak in terms of millions of years, not thousands).

And did you know that the Northern Hemisphere experienced a Little Ice Age a mere 300-500 years ago. According to this PBS article (click here) glaciers advanced "in China, New Zealand, and Peru, and snow covered Ethiopian peaks." North America and Europe experienced disastrously cool temperatures in regards to crops and harvests.

You can read about the glaciers that covered a major portion of North America here. And more info here where you can view a small active map of the retreat of the glacial ice.

5 comments:

Cat Rocketship said...

For the reasons that you stated, the new PC term is "climate change". Overall, the globe is warming, but very slowly. This results in more "inclement" and wildly varying weather than usual.

cinnamongirl93 said...

Hmmmm, That is very interesting.
It was -9 degrees when I woke up this morning. The wind chill is about 30 below. Brrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!

Sheri said...

It was -13 here this morning. brrr. Just hunkering down and hoping for Jan.thaw soon.

Angoraknitter said...

And in the mohave desert this past summer it was pretty mild. I've only been here for five summers, but the last two have been more tolerable, and the car temperature guage didn't go above 110 near as often. When we first arrive, it was averaging about 114 most of the summer. Yeah, I'd say we're actually a little overdue for an ice age.

Angoraknitter said...

I also forgot...this winter, we got the largest snow fall I've ever seen...several feet of snow on seperate days within a week!

It's more common to have a light dusting of snow that quickly melts once a year.