Climate Lynx

  Imagine a race where no one shows up. This is how it has been for 30 years. For thirty years humanity, with only a few exceptions, did not show up for the race. The “race” being the one to save the climate. This has changed. It seems like only yesterday, when I substitute taught in three of the local schools, I mentioned to other teachers and staff we had a problem with global warming. I remembered the looks I received.   I had to check to see if I had come to work without my pants on. I think the most common reply was, “You do not believe in THAT, do you?”   I purchased 600 dollars of National Academy of Science booklets on climate to which I added references to the world’s leading meteorological and science organizations.   Our teachers and staff, when they have information from reputable sources, work hard to make sure they are on the right side of fact. The turnaround of science understanding in our schools was rapid and encouraging. But within the pu...

Temperature records from pole to pole have been tumbling. One of, if not the longest continuous temperature records, comes from the Midlands of England. Monthly records go back to 1659 with daily record keeping from 1772. Contemplating and researching the motivation of these dedicated recorders would be an interesting study in and of itself. Every day they laced up their boots to march out, rain or shine, to the weather station to take and record a reading. I wonder if they anticipated their readings would be referenced in 2022. Each day the UK Met Office records the temperature at the Midland’s and the continuous line of data sets a new record. Impressive, but it is not the record I am interested in highlighting. On July 19 th modern day instruments registered a new “high” temperature record for the midlands and much of England. The previous high Midland’s median temperature, one spanning over 91,000 readings for 250 years, was 77.4 F. On July 19 th the median temperature re...