Global warming? - NOT amateur radio

Temperatures reached 20.3deg C in Wales today. This is the highest ever winter temperature in the UK.

It is beyond doubt that our world is warming, despite what rubbish President Trump may spout in support, allegedly, of his coal and oil lobbyists about global warming being a Chinese hoax.

Nor sure what evidence he has, but his views seem at odds with most scientific evidence. I trust science. Sorry, but I don't support the views of a billionaire president.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47360952

Grass mowing - NOT amateur radio

In the UK we have had a hot, dry summer. For just the second time since May, I have cut our grass.  Although parts are still brown, it is slowly recovering as we have had some rain.

Perhaps President Trump can be persuaded that global warming is a reality and not a Chinese plot.

Storms?

For about a week now it has been very hot indeed for us. Today could be the hottest June day ever. Please someone tell the president of the USA. No, global warming is not a Chinese hoax. Just look at the real data.

Tomorrow, the weather could break with a return to more usual June weather here in the UK. With heavy thunder and lightning, maybe tomorrow will not be a good day to play radios? I shall be watching the maps.

See https://www.lightningmaps.org/?lang=en#y=52.9182;x=-3.2938;z=5;t=3;m=sat;r=0;s=0;o=0;b=0.00;n=0;d=2;dl=2;dc=0;

Is that it? - NOT amateur radio

We had some snow this morning here, but it has stopped now. Barely a covering on the ground! In some ways I am pleased, but it was nice to see a snow covering for a week or so. Not these days.

If people tell you the climate is not warming on average they must be blind or stupid. The evidence is that this is largely due to us. A Maunder Minimum may help in the short-term, but only a bit. The trend is a warming world. That this is just due to natural fluctuations is a myth and the sooner we wake up the better.

UPDATE 1246z: It has all gone and the sun is shining in a cold, blue sky.

Methane release - higher than expected

From the BBC website:

"Scientists have uncovered what appears to be a further dramatic increase in the leakage of methane gas that is seeping from the Arctic seabed. Methane is about 20 times more potent than CO2 in trapping solar heat. The findings come from measurements of carbon fluxes around the north of Russia, led by Igor Semiletov from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks."

See http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8437703.stm

Climate change: Copenhagen fudge and disappointment

The climate change summit ended in a mess with nothing much of substance coming out of it. Let us hope that a legal binding international agreement can be forged next year, although I have my doubts. The full text of the agreement (can you call it that even?) is available for view.

Whatever your views on the reasons for  rising global temperatures, and the scientific evidence for man's influence on this is now overwhelming, we do need to take steps to put the breaks on further rises. My biggest worry is the risk of the tundra's permafrost melting releasing huge quantities of methane. This would make the CO2 problem seem like a walk in the park. If this happens we could be looking at human life in deep deep crisis. We MUST, and can, take steps to avoid this if the data is made clear to people and we take collective action.

Rising sea levels - what would happen?

Whatever your views on the causes of climate change, it is a FACT that the Earth is currently warming and sea levels are rising. This interactive map allows you to put in the likely sea level rise, in 1m steps, to see how the coastline would change. Some places are little changed but others are e.g. The Netherlands and the Fens in the UK.

A draft text for an agreement on climate change reduction has been released today in Copenhagen. It needs a lot of work.