U.s. Has Second Warmest Summer On Record

[ALLSKIING]

I really did not think it was even close to a record but I guess it was:???:


http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2006/s2700.htm

 

[thetrailboss]

The good news, not to be political, but conservation awareness has increased thanks to high gas prices. Folks are beginning to talk more about emissions standards and emissions trading. Also conservation and alternative sources of energy. We're going in the right direction...albeit slowly.....


Again, no political rant intended.

 

[JimG.]

The good news, not to be political, but conservation awareness has increased thanks to high gas prices. Folks are beginning to talk more about emissions standards and emissions trading. Also conservation and alternative sources of energy. We're going in the right direction...albeit slowly.....


Again, no political rant intended.

I'm not sure what any of that has to do with a single relatively hot summer. Do you honestly believe that higher gas prices will result in cooler summers? From a scientific standpoint only.

On a more important note, the last time we had a summer with record heat we were rewarded with an exceptionally cold and snowy winter. Now that's something to write home about!

 

[thetrailboss]

I'm not sure what any of that has to do with a single relatively hot summer. Do you honestly believe that higher gas prices will result in cooler summers? From a scientific standpoint only.

On a more important note, the last time we had a summer with record heat we were rewarded with an exceptionally cold and snowy winter. Now that's something to write home about!

The discussion was about a record warm summer and I read an inference that it had to do with global warming. I was speaking to efforts to curb it.....

 

[hammer]

I guess it depends on what part of the country you live in...according to the temperature data from the site, the NE was warmer than normal but certainly not to "record" levels:

We may have been higher in the NE if we didn't have the stretch of moderate temps in August, but IMO this summer was not as warm as last year.

The nice thing is that September has been pretty good so far...IIRC September was pretty summerlike last year as well.

 

[dmc]

voodoo science...

 

[JimG.]

The discussion was about a record warm summer and I read an inference that it had to do with global warming. I was speaking to efforts to curb it.....

I guess I knew that.

Nowadays anything warm is due to global warming. Soon, folks will complain about global warming if their soup is too hot.

 

[Marc]

I guess I knew that.

Nowadays anything warm is due to global warming. Soon, folks will complain about global warming if their soup is too hot.

I blame global warming on striking out with the ladies for the past....



Well forever, really.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Oil continues it's slide to $62 and change. Unreal. Watched an interview the other day with the Oil Minister of Saudia Arabia. He said OPEC can be comfortable with even crude at $60. He said the reason why is simply that if oil is low than the motivation for the US to focus on reducing it's dependence on foriegn oil fades away.

That is definately what happened in the past and based on the fact we did not reduce consumption at all this summer does not bode well for the future. Will the current focus on wind energy continue?

Interesting report on CNN about a new wind turbine project recently completed in PA, not sure exactly where. I think they said it's 27 turbines. Initially when proposed some locals were against it. Mainly the viewscape issue. Now, many support it, it powers 22,000 area homes. Maybe there is hope.

Interestingly the decade old Searsburg windfarm powers no homes in Vermont but has wide support from locals.

On another front Ford, Daimler-Chrysler, announce huge losses, huge plans to cut jobs and plants. Ford doesn't see themselves turning a profit until 2009. Not much talk about changing their products in any big way, will continue to sell SUV's and big trucks. I don't get it. Dr. Z, what's the story?

Global warming is a scientific fact. Whether it's just a normal global cycle or whether it's caused by factories, power plants and our cars should be a moot questions at this point. I mean if Picabo Street says it's a problem who are we to argue.

 

[JimG.]

Global warming is a scientific fact. Whether it's just a normal global cycle or whether it's caused by factories, power plants and our cars should be a moot questions at this point.

There is some hairsplitting about terminology I've heard whereby "Global warming" refers only to human induced changes and "Climate change" refers to normal cyclical climate changes. Whatever, I agree with this statement.

But I do not agree that the cause is moot. If this is part of a normal cyclical climate change and, worse for many species, it is a rapid climate change (there is irrefutable scientific evidence that there have been many rapid global warmings and coolings in the past going back to prehistory), then there is absolutely nothing humans can do to change this pattern. Nor do I believe we would want to change it, it's the way the Earth works and we are not so smart as to fool with that. We either adapt to it or we die as a species.

If it is caused by humans, maybe we could change it. I don't believe this is the case.

 

[riverc0il]

this blows my mind. last year, summer felt MUCH hotter than this year. this summer felt down right balmy at times. especially august.