Beyond human endurance How climate change is making parts of the world too hot and humid to survive

Vladimir · August 7, 2021

On 8/4/2021 at 6:28 AM, Kirk W said:

Don't forget the influence of politics. Even our culture plays a part in what we do and how we view things. The culture we come from plays a major role in how we view things, even science.

To me, it seems obvious that the incredible increase in human population and the major changes that humans have made to the natural environment would have an impact on the weather and all parts of the natural systems. Here in the USA we now have farms, factories, and cities in places that only 200 years ago were grasslands sprinkled with bison and a few native hunters.

Humans have changed natural ecosystems for thousands of years. The impact is incredible. We view natural ecosystems as "natural" simply because we ignore the land management by Indians in the American west.

Human impact on weather??

Well, maybe urban heat island effects for one.

UC Berkeley had a study on "tule fog" in the central valley of California and its disappearance due to air quality laws and regulations. Limiting particulate matter has significantly reduced the "tule fogs".

Here in eastern Washington I am convinced the Roosevelt's Columbia Basin Irrigation Project has changed the weather in eastern Washington. How else do you explain the endless cloudy weather and fogs during the winter months in what was originally known as the "Great Columbia Desert". Full disclosure, all the NWS employees I have discussed this with, think I am full of it!!!

I am sure there are other examples from elsewhere on earth. However, looking at the ecosystems of California (where I got my ecology education) they have been totally changed by invasive species below the forested public lands. The change is species predicted by climate change models is NOTHING compared to the wholesale changes due to the invasive species during the past 150 years.

I think you would enjoy reading the book I mentioned earlier.

This book: https://www.amazon.com/Up-Down-California-1860-1864-Journal/dp/0520238656

It covers the drought in the early 1860's. Great read on the "natural" ecology of California, though it was already being thrashed by that time.

justRich · August 7, 2021

Looking forward, the collapse of the Gulf Stream ocean current is expected to cause freezing in the Northeast and western Europe.
The climate will probably whipsaw.

RV_ · August 7, 2021

I've read that too Rich. My son over in the Kaiserslautern area of Germany has had non-stop rain before and after the big recent floods. We lived there for seven years but an hour North at Spangdahlem AB. He was there and graduated High School at Bitburg High School. Strange weather in Europe in the last year. Like Texas and their third big freeze (1989, 2011, and this past winter 2021)

Brace for flooding. A moon 'wobble' is coming, NASA warns

The moon is in its tide-amplifying cycle right now, and there is no cause for concern of dramatic flooding given sea levels in the U.S. haven't risen much. However, when the moon returns to the tide-amplifying cycle, the seas will have had nearly a decade to rise.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2021/07/13/moons-wobble-cause-record-number-flood-nasa/7958703002/

justRich · August 7, 2021

Melting ice has not caused an actual "rise" in water levels - but ice that melts over land will do that - and sea level may well change with that event.

Fresh water sinks - as it is added to the ocean it was theorized (many years ago) that it would slow the gulf stream - which brings warm currents and air to the US east coast and Britain.
It's only theory - until it's tested and proved otherwise.