Saturday, December 19, 2009

Are we at the end of a natural warming period

There are two strong memories from my childhood: the snow was very deep and we were at war most of the time. I was born at the end of a warming blip that had existed during most of the the lifetime of my parents (1916-1940) which was part of a larger trend that began around 1850 after a cold period of several centuries. Whereas their formative years contained memories of dust storms, shriveled crops and nights so hot in Illinois they couldn't breathe, I remember giant snow drifts and winters that seemed to last forever followed by warm, idyllic and pleasant summers. Of course, I was shorter then, so it wasn't that tough to say it was up to my waist. However, another warming blip began in the 1970s, and I can remember driving to Illinois in the winter with our children and not seeing a snowflake. I still remember the summer of 1988--it was so dry and hot in Ohio, the Bruces broke down and bought an air conditioner for our Columbus house, and took a lake cruise to get out of the heat of Lakeside. Now things seem to be getting cooler again with lots of ragged, wild weather around the edges. I wouldn't even think of driving to Illinois in the winter now--the last five years where I grew up have been brutal with deep snow. Here in temperate mid-Ohio we muddle through gray winters as we always have with one or two blizzards a year and then weeks of melting snow drifts. This morning I woke up to the sound of snow plows, but didn't recognize the noise. We may get 2-4" as the northeast is pummeled.

The other memory--that of war--is a reminder that we need to be vigilant. Hitler was marching through Poland (Polenfeldzug) when I was born. I believe our President was trying to work out some sort of "accord." During my youth and right up to the collapse of the USSR, some version of socialism has been the enemy of our republican form of government--either the National Socialism of Hitler, or the Communism of Lenin/Stalin/Mao--both of which chewed up most of Europe and Asia. The other, centuries old absolute loyalty to a monarch, was Japan, now a democracy. This is another thing that is cyclical. Our ignorance and forgetfulness. Socialism doesn't need armored tanks anymore.

10 comments:

Proud Member gNOp said...

Oh no, we're doomed. That collection of Liberal, Progressive, Marxist, Socialists left wingers over there at the Pentagon are pushing this global warming thing now.

"U.S. military and intelligence officials are factoring the symptoms of climate change into their estimates of where and what kind of conflicts are in store."

Read their lefty Propraganda here

Norma said...

Warming isn't propaganda; it's a fact and it's been going on for many years. Belief that we control the climate is faith, not fact.

Proud Member gNOp said...

"Belief that we control the climate is faith, not fact." That's the whole problem. The United States Army War College doesn't share our belief that man has nothing to do with Climate Change. And while it obvious that they're not on top of the subject like, say, Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin. They're of the opinion we must do something about it or there could just be heck to pay. Here's a snippet from a report they recently released,.

Taking up the Security Challenge of Climate Change

"Climate change, in which man-made global warming is a major factor, will likely have dramatic and long lasting consequences with profound security implications, making it a challenge the United States must urgently take up. The security implications will be most pronounced in places where the effects of climate change are greatest, particularly affecting weak states already especially vulnerable to environmental destabilization. Two things are vitally important: stemming the tide of climate change and adapting to its far-reaching consequences. This project examines the destabilizing effects of climate change and how the military could be used to mitigate global warming and to assist at-risk peoples and states to adapt to climate change, thereby promoting stability and sustainable security. Recommendations are made on the importance of U.S. leadership on the critical issue of global warming, on defining and dealing with the strategic dimensions of climate change, and, as a case in point, on how Sino-American cooperation in Africa would not only benefit areas where climate change effects are already pronounced, but also strengthen a crucial bilateral relationship

Read The Full SSI Report Here

Norma said...

The earth has been warmer than it is now, long before the industrial age, and your sources don't deny that either. When you libs-for-higher-taxes try to deny the facts--ice cores, tree rings, sea sediment, fossils--you do it by attacking the messenger with name calling instead of the message. Old boring trick. Doesn't work on this blog. Try someone else.

Anonymous said...

"the military could be used to mitigate global warming and to assist at-risk peoples and states to adapt to climate change, thereby promoting stability and sustainable security."

That's not at all in conflict with skeptics who deny the cause is CO2. However, using the military to ensure stability during climate change sounds like a recipe for invasion. Esp since the climate is always changing.

Anonymous said...

Yes, but the very first sentence in the synopsis does conflict with the skeptics.

"Climate change, in which man-made global warming is a major factor, will likely have dramatic and long lasting consequences with profound security implications, making it a challenge the United States must urgently take up."

Norma said...

Well, man-made is sort of correct. Man made it up! Then Al Gore ran with it and made a bundle.

Anonymous said...

Suffer from Ostrich syndrome do you?

Norma said...

No. I read a wide variety of scientific publications, and use my common sense. Also don't watch ABC, CBS and ABC for my science fact of the day. And you?

Anonymous said...

It would appear that I do many of the same things you say you do. With one noticeable difference, I don't get my facts from Faux News either.