Climate Lynx

I still have friends, which is a puzzle. If you are around me or in my home, you either hear me talk about climate change or look at piles of science magazines and climate-related books.  If you like science, it is interesting to inspect my stacks of literature. It is just repetitive, and these days, it can be disheartening. Two summers ago, I was visiting my much-loved relatives in Canada. I listed some provocative climate facts. In response, my cousin Lou said, "I hate to say it, but I find this depressing."  To which I said, "You should be me." For Canadians, last year was a year of forest fire-induced national depression. Few, if any, deniers are left in Canada. But, just like here, factions are pushing the use of oil. The Canadian factions, unsurprisingly, congregate in Alberta. Last year, a Super El Nino on climate change steroids hijacked our UP winter. Temperature records are being crushed worldwide, and floods are large and frequent. Humanity us...

2023 was the warmest year, smoking the previous record set in 2016 by .27 degrees F. The 2023 rise was the single most significant leap ever recorded. One cause of this massive warming worldwide was the natural El Nino cycle, another was climate change, and another element we missed was early snow. Many people, those psychologically unable to accept 150 years of climate science or who fail to consult the world's most respected science organizations, will exclusively blame the weather phenomenon called El Nino. Other people like to simplify life into "either/or" binary thinking. Decision-making for them is like lighting a room with an on-and-off switch.   Some problem-solving is binary, but our earth is a complicated life system. Scientists continually discover switches that shed light on our living planet. Many switches are not binary, but are like slider switches that gradually light our minds with understanding as we strive to understand. Locally, our disastro...

The last five columns were focused on the most reputable science organizations an American Citizen can access for climate information. Accessing these and reading what they have to offer builds personal climate confidence. These organizations were the National Academies of Science (NAS), the American Meteorological Society (AMS), The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). My purpose introducing these to you was two-fold. One was to assure you I am not making things up but I have been, for 300 columns, sharing information from the most reputable organizations. The second goal has been to encourage the curious to go to these organizations to learn from the experts. By learning from different reputable organizations, all telling us the same story, gives a person confidence they are developing a valid opinion. There are a vast number of educa...

NASA, or the National Aeronautical and Space Administration, is an independent United States Agency with two missions. One is space exploration, and the other is keeping an eye on the health of Earth. The second is critical to our survival. Their main focus is climate change, and it has been for decades.   The mission to inform us about our home planet is called the Earth Science Enterprise. The centerpiece of this enterprise is NASA's "Earth Observing System, EOS". The EOS is done by scientific platforms that orbit the Earth: satellites, instrument-laden aircraft, and surface-based observation posts.    According to NASA's Earth Observing System mission page, over 30 satellite missions remain active. The data is captured from these sources in an information system called EOSDIS or Earth Observing System Data and Information System. NASA uses this data to study changes in the biosphere of Earth. The focus of this data collection surrounds  climatic science . ...