[Archived] Climate Change

[jim mk2]

I feel sorry for people who reside in hot countries. I've experienced temperatures heat like that a few times and I must say I found it a living hell and couldn't wait to get home. Last summer here at 80 degrees plus was bad enough. The world's climate does seem to be more volatile - record rainfall here this month and record low temperatures in the US. Violent storms seem to be more frequent too. Whether all this is man-made or in the natural order of events I wouldn't like to say but it is obvious the planet is extremely fragile and a catalysmic event quite likely to happen sooner or later.

[dave birch]

We hit those temps in Perth the other week (think it didn't quite hit the record temp), when the first round of bush fires started, currently a new outbreak in the southern suburbs, getting a bit to close for comfort. For a couple of nights it only dropped to low 30's .From my limited experience of being over here (7th year) certainly does feel like summers are getting hotter and longer.

When I first arrived it was May and thought it was hot then, boy was I in for a shock that first summer

Funnily enough, Perth, I found the first few years (1969- 1975) hotter consistently over summer.

I have experienced a hot 10 days driving to Adelaide and back in January a few years back. That was no lower than 45c during the day. I froze a stubbie in the freezer at our hotel in Broken Hill, put it in the eskey and drove 100 kms to Menindee Lakes. At lunch, I thought a beer would be good, took stubbie out, still very cold, five minutes later, completely thawed and very warm.

There was one very heavy storm overnight in Adelaide, but for the rest, just HOT. Thank god the aircon in the car was on song.

[Guest Norbert]

45 C is just wrong in my book. That is one reason I'd never want to go to Australia.

[dave birch]

Norbet, in Sydney, it hasn't got that hot for years, in the bush, yes, but generally on the east coast it's fairly temperate. Sydney has the perfect climate for me.

[Guest Norbert]

It's also Australia, and if I have any children, I'd prefer them not to end every sentence like they're asking a question. Or play for Australia if they are as gifted at sport as their great grandad.

[perthblue02]

Norbet, in Sydney, it hasn't got that hot for years, in the bush, yes, but generally on the east coast it's fairly temperate. Sydney has the perfect climate for me.

Spent a bit of time on the South West coast around Albany and that has the ideal climate for me . Keep trying to persuade the Mrs to move down there between November and April each year but she doesn't fancy the 10 hour to and from drive each day for work , bloody selfish if you ask me.

[PAFELL]

i don't know about climate change or if this is the reason for these floods etc. But they way the government etc have responded to the floods in the south of UK is an utter disgrace.

I have never known anything like this. If this governments responce is an example how the powers that be, discuss or plan for various climate changes - then were in trouble.

No they can't stop the rain or the wind - or even flooding in some areas.

But they can do things better - a lot better - to help folk in serious need in situations like this.

[ABBEY]

Makes me laugh that Somerset can be under water for a month but as soon as the Thames is affected politicians @#/? their pants..

Also how many foreign countries are collecting for the flood victims in the Uk ..?

[thenodrog]

Also how many foreign countries are collecting for the flood victims in the Uk ..?

I bet the luvvies don't come out with that comment on Red Nose Day Abbey! But they should, I've a feeling Oscar Pistorious could count em on his toes!

[Guest Norbert]

That last comment did make me chuckle Gordon.

I can't see many dodgy African leaders spending much time thinking about it. Just a shame we can't scoop all the water and give it to drought ridden parts of the world.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

It's interesting to see how the floods have changed the free enterprise Tories of the Thames valley into state intervention Socialists. All of these areas voted either Tory or Lib-Dem at the last election. They actively voted for cuts in public spending, and are now seeing the effects. Public spending doesn't just mean giving handouts to a feckless underclass, it supports many services you only appreciate when they're gone.

[thenodrog]

Nonsense Tyrone. No one can predict (or counter) the worst flood waters in 200 years. Never heard of King Canutre have you?

[Mike E]

Nonsense Tyrone. No one can predict (or counter) the worst flood waters in 200 years. Never heard of King Canutre have you?

Didn't he play for Spurs and Seville?

[jim mk2]

It's interesting to see how the floods have changed the free enterprise Tories of the Thames valley into state intervention Socialists. All of these areas voted either Tory or Lib-Dem at the last election. They actively voted for cuts in public spending, and are now seeing the effects. Public spending doesn't just mean giving handouts to a feckless underclass, it supports many services you only appreciate when they're gone.

Correct. The Environment Agency has been taking terrible criticism but its funding (which would have paid for more dredging) has been slashed by the coalition. The government says it wants to rebalance the economy and narrow the so-called north-south divide and one idea mooted to achieve this is to drop the communities minister Eric Pickles from a great height into the flood waters thereby causing a massive tsunami that would engulf the entire south east and London. Personally I think it's a bit drastic but it would finally make some use of the useless fat Yorkshireman Mr Pickles.

[thenodrog]

I think a little memory refresher is needed to prevent knee jerk reaction, although that won't suit the agenda's of the scapegoat seeking opposition along with assorted sensation hungry press and media.
We need to consider that there is a significant lobby in this country that vehemently opposes drainage and dredging etc. It displaces newts, bees, bats, frogs etc which I accept is important BUT is almost becoming a hanging offence these days. Not only that but until 20 months ago the entire country east and west of Lancashire was in drought and had been drought affected for a number of years! Small wonder that in a deep recession and cuts required from cutting govt budgets that policy making was affected to conserve moisture in the land is it?

Rem most of the experts putting our increasingly dry conditions down to global warming? Now the same experts are putting the floods down to gloabal warming too! I accept that preserving wetlands can in many cases if managed properly does actually prevent flooding of course but this had not been the priority for some years until late Spring 12.

As for the Somerset levels.... anybody who builds at or close to sea level is always taking a massive risk.

[jim mk2]

I have done some research on the internet this morning and every article says dredging has been cut back because of reductions in government spending - no mention of displacing newts etc etc so I'm not sure what you are on about there. Are you related to Ken Livingstone? I'm not sure even dredging though would have prevented the catastrophe in the southwest.

Global warming does not mean we’ll all have warmer weather in future. As the planet heats, climate patterns change, with more extreme and unpredictable weather across the world – many places will be hotter, some colder, some wetter and others drier.

[thenodrog]

I have done some research on the internet this morning and every article says dredging has been cut back because of reductions in government spending - no mention of displacing newts etc etc so I'm not sure what you are on about there. Are you related to Ken Livingstone? I'm not sure even dredging though would have prevented the catastrophe in the southwest.

I did allude to that in the middle of my post. Pointless waste of scarce money when the country had been in regular drought for years. We have only had above average rainfall in the south and east of the country for less than two years.

As for flora and fauna farmers are being paid to block drains up and provide wetland habitats. Some of these measures will help in times of flood and others not. Keep trawling WB.

[ABBEY]

The floods are so bad 2 rescue boats on the thames have been help up by Somali pirates.

[broadsword]

It's interesting to see how the floods have changed the free enterprise Tories of the Thames valley into state intervention Socialists. All of these areas voted either Tory or Lib-Dem at the last election. They actively voted for cuts in public spending, and are now seeing the effects. Public spending doesn't just mean giving handouts to a feckless underclass, it supports many services you only appreciate when they're gone.

OK, so what you're saying is that if the socialists had been in power, they would've been spending heavily on flood defences?

Since when has that ever been a priority for socialists?

Your post reeks of political opportunism.

Apparently the Dutch only started spending heavily on flood prevention when 2,000 people died in the fifties in one massive almighty flood.

No need for point-scoring, really.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Who's point scoring ? If the cap fit's the present Government should be wearing it. They've cut the funding for flood defences not Labour.

[yoda]

I read that the dredging stopped in 95

[ABBEY]

2 & 1/2 hours to get back from Trafford center . I don't normally to prayers but my prayers going out tonight to the artic driver and the people trapped in the car underneath it on the M60 near Ashton . M62 shut to high sided vehicles .. Why leave the m60 open for them it's crazy weather and wether it is police or highways someone has & is still endangering lives. And on top of that pillocks are still driving at 100mph

[Tom]

I got on the train back from Edinburgh at 4, they announced we'll be in Preston slightly late as they were going slow

Got to Carlisle and they said this train is now cancelled, no replacement bus service as the m6 is closed and no options offered.

What seemed like mass panic ensued, I rang my boss and managed to get a hotel room on my company card but the queues in hotels was mad

Feels like something out of Cloverfield with all routes home blocked

[yoda]

I got on the train back from Edinburgh at 4, they announced we'll be in Preston slightly late as they were going slow

Got to Carlisle and they said this train is now cancelled, no replacement bus service as the m6 is closed and no options offered.

What seemed like mass panic ensued, I rang my boss and managed to get a hotel room on my company card but the queues in hotels was mad

Feels like something out of Cloverfield with all routes home blocked

According to the bbc

M6 closed between junctions 19 at Knutsford and junction 21a, the Croft Interchange, with diversions in place

[Tom]

At the time there had been an accident near Lancaster I believe and the only option was getting my wife to come up and no chance I wanted her to go out in this just to get me

Got wifi here so can get some work done in the morning if it's still a mess