<article>Snowfalls are now just a thing of the past

silverharp

You might get a chuckle out of this 2000 article. gotta luv the net for having these articles for posterity. apologies if posted here before



http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/snowfalls-are-now-just-a-thing-of-the-past-724017.html

Britain's winter ends tomorrow with further indications of a striking environmental change: snow is starting to disappear from our lives.


Britain's winter ends tomorrow with further indications of a striking environmental change: snow is starting to disappear from our lives.

Sledges, snowmen, snowballs and the excitement of waking to find that the stuff has settled outside are all a rapidly diminishing part of Britain's culture, as warmer winters - which scientists are attributing to global climate change - produce not only fewer white Christmases, but fewer white Januaries and Februaries.

The first two months of 2000 were virtually free of significant snowfall in much of lowland Britain, and December brought only moderate snowfall in the South-east. It is the continuation of a trend that has been increasingly visible in the past 15 years: in the south of England, for instance, from 1970 to 1995 snow and sleet fell for an average of 3.7 days, while from 1988 to 1995 the average was 0.7 days. London's last substantial snowfall was in February 1991.

Global warming, the heating of the atmosphere by increased amounts of industrial gases, is now accepted as a reality by the international community. Average temperatures in Britain were nearly 0.6°C higher in the Nineties than in 1960-90, and it is estimated that they will increase by 0.2C every decade over the coming century. Eight of the 10 hottest years on record occurred in the Nineties.

However, the warming is so far manifesting itself more in winters which are less cold than in much hotter summers. According to Dr David Viner, a senior research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia,within a few years winter snowfall will become "a very rare and exciting event".

"Children just aren't going to know what snow is," he said.

The effects of snow-free winter in Britain are already becoming apparent. This year, for the first time ever, Hamleys, Britain's biggest toyshop, had no sledges on display in its Regent Street store. "It was a bit of a first," a spokesperson said.

Fen skating, once a popular sport on the fields of East Anglia, now takes place on indoor artificial rinks. Malcolm Robinson, of the Fenland Indoor Speed Skating Club in Peterborough, says they have not skated outside since 1997. "As a boy, I can remember being on ice most winters. Now it's few and far between," he said.

Michael Jeacock, a Cambridgeshire local historian, added that a generation was growing up "without experiencing one of the greatest joys and privileges of living in this part of the world - open-air skating".

Warmer winters have significant environmental and economic implications, and a wide range of research indicates that pests and plant diseases, usually killed back by sharp frosts, are likely to flourish. But very little research has been done on the cultural implications of climate change - into the possibility, for example, that our notion of Christmas might have to shift.

Professor Jarich Oosten, an anthropologist at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, says that even if we no longer see snow, it will remain culturally important.

"We don't really have wolves in Europe any more, but they are still an important part of our culture and everyone knows what they look like," he said.

David Parker, at the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research in Berkshire, says ultimately, British children could have only virtual experience of snow. Via the internet, they might wonder at polar scenes - or eventually "feel" virtual cold.

Heavy snow will return occasionally, says Dr Viner, but when it does we will be unprepared. "We're really going to get caught out. Snow will probably cause chaos in 20 years time," he said.

The chances are certainly now stacked against the sortof heavy snowfall in cities that inspired Impressionist painters, such as Sisley, and the 19th century poet laureate Robert Bridges, who wrote in "London Snow" of it, "stealthily and perpetually settling and loosely lying".

Not any more, it seems.

Ali Babba

Global warming my @rse...........I want my taxes back please!!!!

Ciaran500

Heavy snow will return occasionally, says Dr Viner, but when it does we will be unprepared. "We're really going to get caught out. Snow will probably cause chaos in 20 years time," he said.

He's 10 years off, but still...

silverharp

Ciaran500 wrote: »

Heavy snow will return occasionally, says Dr Viner, but when it does we will be unprepared. "We're really going to get caught out. Snow will probably cause chaos in 20 years time," he said.

He's 10 years off, but still...

it was the only sentence that made any sense , but still was Ireland or Britain ever prepared?

Min

I fancy becoming a scientist as a side job and get paid for making it up as I go along.

dfx-

Ali Babba wrote: »

Global warming my @rse...........I want my taxes back please!!!!

:mad:

Stinicker

Global Warming - Global Cooling more like, If snow falls are a result of Global Warming then forgive me for polluting with all my Co2.

I highly doubt that Global Warming is anything but a made up scam to prey on peoples emotions and more importantly raise taxes on us in the West. If anyone of us who has travelled will tell you, the World is absolutely gargantuan, it takes over 50 hours flying at almost 1000km/h just to go around it.

Now the atmosphere is about 100miles or so deep from the ground, now you do the math and thats alot of Air for us humans to burn into Co2 in any quantaties to have an actualy effect.

Ideally we would go to a situation where we had snow on the ground from early November to March and hot dry summers in between, we are in the right latitude (We're as far north as Canada). F&ck the rain, the only precepitation I want to see is the white variety.

amen

Cold winters and heavy snow fall could actually be due to global warming.

As the polar ice cap melts more fresh wearater is introduced into the Atlantic which may impace the gulf stream weaking or slowing it. This could lead to colder winters in Ireland.

Global warming looks at the overall Global temperature and again 2010 looks like a record year.

Local seasonal weather should not be confused with global weather.

Ali Babba

amen wrote: »

Cold winters and heavy snow fall could actually be due to global warming.

As the polar ice cap melts more fresh wearater is introduced into the Atlantic which may impace the gulf stream weaking or slowing it. This could lead to colder winters in Ireland.

Global warming looks at the overall Global temperature and again 2010 looks like a record year.

Local seasonal weather should not be confused with global weather.

"could" i'm really getting tired of all the "ifs" and "buts" that go with the global warming con job, it's a load of bull that's only another means of taxing people and more jobs for the boys, this planet has been warming for millions of years if it means that we're all going to die? Get used to it because we all are someday anyway. I'm very sure this planet will adapt, after all we as humans are only living here for a very short time in this planets lifetime. Planets come and go anyway so that's just the way things go. I love the way people rattle on about the planet as if we own it and are in control of it, we are no more important in the scheme of things than the birds and bees and the sooner people realise that the better. Made in Gods image? My @rse, we're insignificant, a virus on this planet at best.

amen

"could" i'm really getting tired of all the "ifs" and "buts" that go with the global warming con jo

that's the nature of science.
See something such as rising global temperatures, think of a way to explain it, publish and let other scientists prove/disprove.

If the way to explain the issue appears to be correct then it may become a theory such as the Theory of Gravity i.e. there may be a better way to explain why we don't fall off the planet earth, why planets orbit starts etc.

Global warming is similar. We know that certain gases trap heat. In the case of the earth we have been pumping these into the atmosphere for +200 years and over that time span we have seem a gradual increase in global temperature.

Of course this could be a natural cycle but no one yet has a good explanation for the why it is only occuring now?

The Ozeon hole over the Artic is a good example. Growing over a long period of time due to CFS in fridges, spray cans etc. CFS banned. Hole continued to grow as expected due to high CFS levels but now the hole is shrinking as CFCs reduce in atmosphere.

dfx-

Ali Babba wrote: »

"could" i'm really getting tired of all the "ifs" and "buts" that go with the global warming con job, it's a load of bull that's only another means of taxing people and more jobs for the boys, this planet has been warming for millions of years if it means that we're all going to die? Get used to it because we all are someday anyway. I'm very sure this planet will adapt, after all we as humans are only living here for a very short time in this planets lifetime. Planets come and go anyway so that's just the way things go.

The coulds ifs and buts are far better than "it's not warm outside, so global warming is a myth" utter nonsense :mad:

Ali Babba

dfx- wrote: »

The coulds ifs and buts are far better than "it's not warm outside, so global warming is a myth" utter nonsense :mad:

My argument is why should we be bled with taxes for something that's going to happen anyway, global warming has been happening for millions of years and we aren't going to stop it, we just have to adapt to it. This idea of being penalised for everything beggars belief really. The bottom line from where I see it is taxes for all to make jobs for a select few who tweak the figures to make themselves look efficient and you can't deny this isn't happening.

dfx-

We are accelerating it unless it is put under control. The control can only be tax. There isn't any doubt to this.

amen

amen wrote: »

Cold winters and heavy snow fall could actually be due to global warming.

As the polar ice cap melts more fresh wearater is introduced into the Atlantic which may impace the gulf stream weaking or slowing it. This could lead to colder winters in Ireland.

Global warming looks at the overall Global temperature and again 2010 looks like a record year.

Local seasonal weather should not be confused with global weather.

Its a textbook North Atlantic Oscillation which happens every so often and has happened on and off for thousands of years

Ali Babba

dfx- wrote: »

We are accelerating it unless it is put under control. The control can only be tax. There isn't any doubt to this.

I just don't agree, that's my opinion, I don't think what we do has any real bearing on it long term.

dfx-

If x causes it and we add more x, we are affecting it.

Min

amen wrote: »

Cold winters and heavy snow fall could actually be due to global warming.

As the polar ice cap melts more fresh wearater is introduced into the Atlantic which may impace the gulf stream weaking or slowing it. This could lead to colder winters in Ireland.

Global warming looks at the overall Global temperature and again 2010 looks like a record year.

Local seasonal weather should not be confused with global weather.

More likely to be solar cooling due to less sunspots, also linked to the mini ice age when we had the Maunder minimum.