Thursday, May 26, 2016

Climate change is here, but it's not what you think.

Many people think climate change means warming temperatures and rising seas. That's true but those effects are gradual. The more immediate effect is extremes in weather, for example more storms more often. A good example happened just recently. A couple days ago(Tuesday May 24) it was sunny and 26 degrees celsius, everyone was going around in t-shirts and shorts. The next day I had to wear a jacket and warm cap. It was only 3 degrees celsius. This morning it is snowing. I don't think I have seen such an extreme temperature swing.
Many years ago, twenty or more, the weather used to be more stable. Temperatures would warm or cool gradually depending on the season and time of year along with the weather. Of course later on in the Fall the weather would  typically be stormy and you would even get the occasional storm in the summer. That was normal. Now you often get long stretches of cold wet weather lasting a week or more followed by a stretch of stable weather, any time of the year. And last summer was the coldest I can ever remember. Even the elders say it was one of the coldest they ever seen.
Taken late June  94
I do remember one time, however, back in the 80's I think,when it was snowing in mid June or late June. I know because I have a picture of the snow man I built in front of our house. There is also a reference in Captain George Cartwright's journal when he was sailing up the south coast late June or early July, and got stuck at Batteau for several days because there was too much ice. That's unusual for there to be so much ice around that time of year.

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