Tag: weather

A Few Environmental Notes

I always try and make sure that I write plenty of posts about the environment. Right now, I feel as though climate change has taken a bit of a back seat whilst crazy politics takes over the news streams. As climate problems are – in my view – the most important issues in the world currently, I think we need to ensure that we are constantly drawing attention to pollution, wastage and energy.

Energy Crisis

In the UK and globally there is an increasing lack of gas and oil supplies. This is forcing prices to go sky high and causing some people to be unable to properly heat their homes this winter. At times like these, we have to be able to see the benefits of using power sources that do not come from fossils.

My house is completely electric and I want to keep it that way. I hope that very soon all of our electricity will stem from renewable sources such as wind, solar and via hydroelectric generation. Norway has made great strides in this direction and countries with plenty of hills and coastline should easily be able to convert to one hundred percent renewable electric.

What is currently happening?

The Thwaites glacier in the Antarctic is larger than the UK and has been seen to be fracturing quite dramatically. If it melts completely it will add at least 65cm to global sea levels. Here is a link to a Guardian article about it.

Warmer winters across the globe are showing real signs of upsetting ecosystems. From Polar Bears struggling to hunt on the depleted ice sheets to less snowfall, problems are apparent all over. Reduced amounts of snow cover means less melting runoff in early spring. This can make the land dryer and more prone to forest fires over a more extended period than usual.

I have no intention of telling people what to do but I will keep the conversation moving forward. Global warming is real and impactful so we have to start making changes that will help to keep it at bay. One thing that needs dealing with urgently is our over reliance on fossil fuels. Perhaps if we sort that out, our lives will be a little easier and energy prices can come down.

The government are taking tiny steps towards sustainable living but we also need to be proactive about this. Making changes and pushing for policy making to be environmentally considerate is the way forward.

For another article about climate change and some good ideas for becoming more eco-friendly, click here. Please drop your comments underneath and let me know how global warming is affecting your part of the world.

If you enjoyed this blog post please consider following my blog for future similar content.

Winter Rocks

It is widely known that I absolutely love cold weather. Global warming is making our winters much more mild, which is a shame in so many ways. I have fond memories of weeks of heavy snowy back when I was a child but these days we just get morning frosts and the occasional light covering of snow, if we are lucky. Last year, it only lasted for one day.

Snow presents imagery of lovely scenes of frozen countryside and hours of fun in the snow. For me, coming back into a warm house after spending time in the snow is very appealing. The idea of taking off the thick coat and gloves, then warming by a heater (or open fire when I was little) then having a hot drink, is wonderful and soothing. I know that snow can cause disruption but it is a natural part of our weather and climate change seems to have reduced it a lot.

Anyway, having said all of that, some people love snow and many others dislike it strongly. Here is a short poem that I wrote about why I love winter so much.

Scraping the car windows,

First thing in the morning.

Driving in the dark,

Feeling cold and yawning.

Slipping on thin ice,

Patting gloves together.

Try to keep on working,

Never mind the weather.

Holding that hot chocolate,

Steam goes up my nose,

Had to put more socks on,

To try and warm my toes.

Walking in the brisk breeze,

Knees are almost knocking,

Snow is tickling my ears,

Winter’s finally rocking.

For another example of my poetry click here. My blog is about books, entertainment and the environment. Please consider following it and adding comments about your thoughts on winter.

Covid or Climate Change?

I worry everyday that while Covid continues to be causing problems, climate change is being sidelined, almost as if it doesn’t matter. We probably have to live with Covid for ten years but the environment can’t wait that long to be saved. We need to act now!

Already the Glasgow Summit, which was only a month ago, has been forgotten about in the news and in the general media. It is a shame that at a time when we have come to demonstrate clearly how vulnerable our ecosystems are, we are getting distracted by other things.

Climate Change matters because:

– Every day pollution is growing and the atmosphere is being damaged. This will have a knock-on effect with weather systems and storms. Only last week America suffered stronger tornados, Antarctica had its hottest day on record and typhoons have destroyed homes in the Phillipines.

– Political changes could lead to funding for renewable energy and sustainable transport. Without government initiatives and support, many necessary changes to industry and transportation will be overlooked.

– The Glasgow leaders’ meeting really brought climate change to the forefront. If we can keep it in the spotlight then we can influence change more swiftly.

– Extinctions of species wait for no body. Covid or no covid, many groups of animals and plants are dying out as we speak. We have the power to slow or reverse this process of extinction.

These are my thoughts on the issues of global warming and temperature rise. I do wonder how you feel about the situation. Do you feel that climate change needs to have more awareness given to it or do you think it should sit on the back burner until Covid has died down?