Winter?

[Longshot270]

Originally Posted by 88Racing

We had the coolest summer on record this year with only 2 or 3 days in the 90's.

I think that is really strange, we've had one of the hottest driest summers for the last few years and it sounds like your at the opposite. I think we had over 60 days IN A ROW over 90, or 100 but either way it was kinda warm this summer.

Originally Posted by 88Racing

Hopefully that won't translate into the coldest winter on record either.
That would bite the big one! Really bad!

We can usually tell if its going to be a warm winter if it was a wet summer, and a dry summer turns into a cold winter. In texas we can only look at the long term weather. Thats where our quote for "Dont like the weather? Give it a minute, it'll change." Either that is texas' natural weather or our weathermen are really bad. I think its both

[Jackpine]

I've read, somewhere, sometime, that the overall effect of "global warming" will be to make dry regions "dryer" and wet regions "wetter". We're certainly dryer than normal, and have been for the last 10-15 years. We used to see incredible thunderstorm lightning displays during the summer in what is called our "monsoon" season. I haven't seen one of those for years and years. We are in a severe drought.

At the same time, I note that the southeast has had a pretty good share lately of rain - and it ALWAYS got rain anyway, just not this much. I can't talk about this being a long term trend, but it's been pretty severe this year, hasn't it?

And, of course, scientists say the effects of global warming are not uniform at all. Some places are supposed to be colder than normal. And, some places will just be completely atypical. What I've learned, from everything I've read, is that conditions will simply have "wider" swings and will often become extreme.

My Sister, who lives outside of Colorado Springs, has had several years now of pasture that is too wet to drive through with a truckload of hay for her horses in the late summer when she needs to get the hay in. This is supposed to be an "arid" climate, and it is - they've had droughts that have been VERY hard on the forests but there she is in a "swampy" pastureland.

For what it's worth, I DO believe our climate is changing, and maybe not for our overall benefit.

- Jack

[Longshot270]

Jack, that is definitely one of the FEW environmental statements I have heard that makes sence.

[ROB281]

I remember last December we went from 70's one day, to 6" of this weird white stuff the next day

[Longshot270]

Haha, Rob I remeber that, that was crazy.

[88Racing]

All the white stuff disappeared this afternoon but the winterization of lawn sprinklers is high demand right now. Haha caught them guys with their pants down! But if everyone up here would just follow the simple rule of winterizing by October 1st none of this hurry hurry rush rush would be happening right now.
Man if only I had one of the pull behind air compressors and 400 ft of hose, I could be raking in the cash right now!
One company here in town charges $55 per house and a regular residential system takes approx half to three quarters of an hour to blow out.
Of course being the nice guy I am I did 4 of my neighbors systems for nothing!
With the company air compressor.

Lars

[sam8]

We had one of those weird "summer's over," deals, too.

About 3 weeks ago on a Saturday we were on the lake and the family was doing the watersports.
It was around 90~Water temp had cooled, but still quite tolerable.
The following weekend we had a fire in the woodstove, I was in jeans and a sweatshirt draining the block on the boat so we could tuck it away for the winter.
I would really prefer all four seasons, instead of winter/summer/repeat.
Jack, I would go as far as you have and end to agree that out climate may be changing.
I ain't ready to say 100 years of people burning stuff is the cause of it. As someone recently said, "never let a potential crisis go to waste".
I am an admitted pessimist, and, alsas, find myself distrustful of most people inpositions of politcal power, and other folks in gen'ral.
25 years of wearing a badge and gun does things to you...

[Jackpine]

Sam, I don't know that I trust some of the things I hear from the government either, but I get pretty concerned when ice caps start shrinking like they're doing and, I see the glaciers in Colorado shrinking too.

One thing we have to acknowledge is that the last 100 years have seen a huge increase in pollutants due to the Industrial Revolution.

And, I'd like to see us move away from so much dependence on fossil fuels.

By the way, I noticed a while back that I'm a former neighbor of yours, sort of. I was born in Grass Valley and lived there up until until age two and then again from five to about ten. We moved away so my Father could play in two wars: WWII and Korea. Some day I have to go back there and see what it looks like now.

- Jack

[Power Hungry]

Some may list this as environmentalist propaganda, but the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car" was quite enlightening. After being in the automotive industry for 25 years, there are a few facts that pertain the handling of the electric car I can personally attest to and some that I found quite shocking.

If you've seen the movie (recently aired on the "Green" channel), it is something that really makes you think for a minute. If not, and you're the least bit confused about how greedy corporations and an apathetic government work hand in hand to suppress innovation and technology while keep Americans dependent on fossil fuels, then this is an interesting way to spend two hours.

Who Killed the Electric Car?

[Jackpine]

Originally Posted by Power Hungry

Some may list this as environmentalist propaganda, but the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car" was quite enlightening. After being in the automotive industry for 25 years, there are a few facts that pertain the handling of the electric car I can personally attest to and some that I found quite shocking.

If you've seen the movie (recently aired on the "Green" channel), it is something that really makes you think for a minute. If not, and you're the least bit confused about how greedy corporations and an apathetic government work hand in hand to suppress innovation and technology while keep Americans dependent on fossil fuels, then this is an interesting way to spend two hours.

Who Killed the Electric Car?

There are great monetary savings for companies (and consumers) associated with keeping the "status quo", aren't there? If your major product development costs are slanted toward mostly cosmetic or "convenience" improvements, that grab a consumer's attention, those costs can be kept low and profits can be maximized.

To create a radically new product, such as the electric car, will require a major commitment on the part of industry. Not only does it require a completely new, practical vehicle design, but the supporting infrastructure (power stations) will have to be put in place everywhere. Additionally, the design of the vehicle will need refining to make it as "convenient" as a petroleum powered vehicle. Charging times will have to be reduced, or the vehicle will never be practical for trips. Finally, consumer demand will have to rise, possibly through Government incentives to make the switch. We're already seeing incentives to buy CFLs instead of ordinary incandescent light bulbs, incentives to upgrade heating, air conditioning and insulation and so on. Why not have the same thing for vehicles? Possibly, it would be a better use of "bailout" money than giving it to the banks.

- Jack