Comments on: Good News And Bad News

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:12:36 +0000

It is a real example of why this is “climate change” and just warming. Essentially it disturbs the major currents in the atmosphere, so that the weather systems that form go to different areas.

We are getting weather and rain that belongs North of us in the Winter. This creates a problem for the Midwest because it is providing the moisture for the big snow falls by sucking water from the Gulf. The jet as moved further South than normal.

The El Niño normally moves that jet further North which is why we get more hurricanes, but you get milder weather.

By: LadyMin

LadyMin — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:37:12 +0000

While most of the planet seems to be negatively affected by the El Nino, here in the Midwestern US we see warmer winters with less snow. I didn't realize until recently that it caused such havoc with the climate everywhere else. I suppose this is a good preview of what global warming will bring. LadyMin´s last blog post..I Love Red Flowers

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:13:59 +0000

The most effective manager I ever knew was Colonel Ratto on Shemya. He stayed out of the way and provided a lot of good food. He really didn’t get involved with what we were doing, but gave us what we needed that was within his power [and some that, technically, weren’t]. That’s management you can believe in. Given that he had to balance SAC, the Alaskan Air Command, 15th Air Force, and USAFSS/NSA, that was quite a performance. The key was that he had to do everything, there was no way to shift things because there was no staff to speak of.

It would be nice if they could simply the command lines when there was a major event so that everyone knew who to connect to without all of the layers that a political system creates. Everyone in one place, reachable in one call, so that things can be coordinated ASAP and resources allocated.

Obviously communication with the people affected need to be improved, and that will cost money so the politicians have to be involved, but that has to happen now so people don’t forget why it’s being done. Waiting too long to take action removes the pressure to do it.

Actually, it is warmer at both extremes, Jill. Not only were the fires triggered in part by higher than normal temperatures, the Yukon Quest trail has been affected by higher than normal temperatures. Sled Dog races may have to shift dates to get the cold conditions required. The dogs can’t run if it gets too warm because the effort generates too much heat. They can get heat related problems at 30° and that happened in last year’s Iditarod with some of the teams that were raised in the deep interior cold. You may see teams racing only at night to get colder temperatures.

By: cookie jill

cookie jill — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:39:05 +0000

You’ve been covering both extremes of the spectrum….fire (australia) and ice (alaska.)

By: Kryten42

Kryten42 — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 08:17:15 +0000

The interim report is due in August (which considering the scope, is pretty short).

Ahhhh… ‘Risk Management’ 🙂 Isn’t that a lovely phrase? 🙂 As an engineer and project manager on several projects, I know what that *actually* means. 🙂 To any senior exec (whether holding public or private office) it means ‘Cover my ass and to hell with anyone else’. 🙂

Same old, same old… nothing changes. Hang a few of them, and don’t stop until the rest learn. That would minimize the public risk in no time. IMHO, the fewer greedy, ignorant, myopic, self-absorbed exec’s around, the lower the risk.

Simple really. 😉 LOL