I do run my trains all year round as well, however another big advantage for the MTS system, i take my remote and get in the pool in summer and run them from there as it is so hot here in Queensland.
Rgds Ian
And that is the problem it is warmer than usual in your part of the world for this time of year and we are getting more varied weather here than we can remember, on the other side of the world; somethis is happening i am sure of it. But is it a cyclic thing? i am not sure either way.
A thing that has been worrying me for about 20 years and you would have to be in my age group to detect this but two things have been happening together for about 100 years or i think they have anyway. If you take the line of thought far enough it is frightening. Those two things are global warming and human females are maturing earlier and earlie for the same length of time. Does mother nature know something we don't and are we facing something frightening on a world scale, where this will be important from a survival point of view.
I've seen nothing definitive that has convinced me that global warming actually DOES exist and that we, as humans, are the cause of it.
Don't get me wrong. I'm extremely glad that many laws have been enacted that have reduced the pollution levels here in the U.S., but mostly because it has cleaned up our air, land, and water. Mother nature is very good about cleaning up any messes that we have created. She herself has poisoned the atmosphere on levels far beyond what we have been able to generate, but she always rights herself.
Still, that said, it's been far warmer than normal this winter here in the great lakes area and that brings mixed emotions with it. On the one hand, I'm glad that it's happening as it has caused my electric and gas bills to be reduced. Yet, on the other hand, I know that this can cause lake levels to be reduced over the course of the coming years, which will change the landscape and coastal eco-system.
As for running trains, I haven't been able to run for reasons other than weather. Just been too busy with other things.
Mark
Yes mate i understand el Nino is causing both our countries a lot of problems, different problems but it is something which appears to be new though.
If you go back to Moses he had the idea that el nino hit you every 7 years and it always has in the past as far as i know, he certainly thought so, what 3000 years ago.
Well el Nino is visiting australia more often that every 7 years lately as a matter of fact he doesn't appear to have left for about 5 years.
Yes Cacole i agree with you, but the idea of long term changes are very serious and hard to be sure of one way or another. We here in the southern hemisphere would have a similar view but from a different direction and the idea of global weather confusion has some merit.
A few things of extremes 1) they have had ice bergs in the shipping lanes off New Zealand for the first time since Captain Cook discovered the area in 1770.2) 2002/3 was Queenslands hottest summer in 100 years. 3) A day in August 2005 was its coldest day in 50 years, it got down to 12 deg C max and 10 deg C minimum.
So to me something is changing but being the skeptic i am i cannot say for sure that it truly is.
Once the jet stream changes the temps will return to normal conditions. It was 71 degrees here in USA Maryland.
Global warming will be so minute in temperture change (i.e. 1 or 2 degrees or less) people won't even notice, however it will cause havoc on the ecosystem.
dan
Actualy these are your averages Vic:
Monthly Average Maximum & Minimum Temperatures
Measured in Degrees Fahrenheit
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Annual
61.9
62.9
63.3
65.3
66.9
69.2
72.1
73.5
73.0
70.7
67.1
63.2
67.4
46.6
47.6
48.4
51.2
53.8
56.9
60.3
61.4
59.9
56.4
51.0
47.4
53.4
67.6
70.1
77.0
80.7
87.3
94.8
95.3
91.5
84.1
74.8
68.9
80.4
39.2
40.7
41.7
44.7
48.9
52.9
57.4
54.6
48.8
42.4
38.8
47.3
66.5
67.3
67.9
70.4
71.5
74.2
78.1
79.2
78.9
76.2
71.9
68.0
72.5
45.0
46.5
48.0
54.3
57.8
61.1
61.8
60.5
56.0
49.9
45.9
53.2
57.3
60.4
64.8
88.9
94.7
88.6
78.2
65.5
75.1
31.4
35.1
39.7
53.1
60.6
66.1
64.2
46.4
35.2
28.9
46.9
65.0
65.4
67.7
69.1
72.0
75.3
76.5
73.9
70.3
66.2
70.2
47.2
50.2
53.0
56.2
59.5
62.8
63.8
62.6
58.5
52.1
47.8
55.2
67.5
68.3
73.6
77.3
82.6
84.3
82.5
78.4
72.2
74.4
45.5
49.6
52.3
56.7
60.1
63.6
57.9
50.3
45.2
54.7
66.3
68.8
71.1
77.1
82.4
83.2
81.8
77.6
74.1
49.7
51.1
53.5
56.5
59.7
63.1
64.0
62.7
58.8
49.4
55.9
69.4
72.6
77.8
79.0
83.6
89.8
87.9
75.4
70.9
79.1
47.9
49.0
50.5
57.1
64.3
65.2
58.3
51.4
55.7
51.5
52.5
53.9
59.3
66.0
81.3
80.8
76.9
68.5
58.9
36.2
36.5
36.7
40.8
47.1
55.8
62.4
58.4
50.8
42.7
37.7
58.2
62.1
81.5
90.0
97.5
96.8
91.2
80.2
67.2
32.2
35.5
38.7
43.6
50.4
57.5
57.2
37.8
32.5
46.8
66.7
68.4
74.0
76.6
89.5
87.5
81.2
77.2
44.5
46.0
49.1
52.6
60.2
61.0
59.2
54.0
43.4
51.3
65.7
69.8
77.4
83.1
90.7
90.6
88.3
81.1
73.4
38.1
40.3
42.2
45.6
58.0
42.5
38.5
71.6
88.2
70.0
41.4
60.7
61.2
59.1
45.8
41.6
50.9
47.5
76.7
84.9
56.1
48.1
64.4
35.0
36.6
36.9
40.9
54.9
58.7
35.7
63.7
64.1
64.9
70.5
71.7
67.0
58.6
62.5
61.7
50.0
55.5
71.8
74.5
79.4
78.7
76.4
72.4
44.8
46.3
50.1
57.0
61.5
45.3
52.7
66.4
77.9
71.0
55.0
60.9
61.3
54.4
50.6
55.3
The Dixie D Short Line "Lux Lucet In Tenebris Nihil Igitur Mors Est Ad Nos 2001"
Lets see, its was 70F yesterday (normal)
Today is forcast for 84F (well above normal)
This weekend should be 58F (below normal)
We're experiencing "Global Confusion"
Have fun with your trains
Yes well this is all well and good and Kim has a point but so has jack; i personally think there is room for concern but i really believe no one really knows.
In this land of sunshine we are having one of the coolest and poorest summer in many years.
We are seeing many extremes all over the world, but have we seen this pattern before? Well i just don't know.
We are not tracking right down the middle of "the long term temperature averages". This winter is warmer than average. This is evident if you take a look at the crude oil market, and the lower than normal demand for heating oil. Global warming is a serious problem. However, this warm weather is not directly linked to global warming and it is important to distinguish the difference. This is an El Nino winter which usually results in above average temperatures (for our location). When El Nino weakens like it has in the past, winter feels cold as usual. If El Nino weakens next winter and it feels cold as normal, this does not mean Global Warming went away. It just means El Nino weakened. Global warming is and increase in global temperature that is not as noticeable as El Nino unless ofcourse, you look at temperature data from all over the world. It is also more difficult to predict the weather during El Nino seasons. Not trying to debate, just trying to say El Nino is often confused with global warming (same with heat waves). But at the same time, everything is connected...
I very much hope to visit this year, but it depends greatly on a number of work related issues, namely a possible deployment to the middle east. I'm going across the pond one way or another.
I haven't noticed my train time increasing or decreasing, I run year round anyway.
I was out cutting the grass in short sleves today. Although that is unusual, it's not uncommon. I don't have the energy for another global warming debate since there is nothing I can do about it anyway. I'm enjoying the warm spell, next month is traditionaly very cold and blustery where people complain about the record cold. If you look at the long term temperature averages we are tracking right down the middle of the graph.
I keep a chicken in the back yard to warn me when the sky starts to fall. So far no warnings have been issued.
Has anybody noticed any effects yet from said warming up? Here in Blackpool we are in the depths of winter and my roses are blooming, shrubs are flowering, gladiolii are now 7" high and it's warm, well warmer than it normally is. My lawns are being taken over by a ground hugging liitle leaved plant and in all of my 55 years I've known nothing like it. How are you fairing? or is it still the usual 5' of snow? or in Ian's case 40 odd degrees of blistering sun.
Cheers,
Kim
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