New Normal, Humanity's Impact...'No one can deny this!'

[grrrr]

If my grandparents were to have read this same "New Normal, Humanity's Impact" 100 years ago, it would have been just as relative to them as it is to us.

[farmaholic]

As long as we an evolve as fast as the changes we'll survive as humans. We may be the only thing left here....cannibalism anyone? Which lowly race are we going to designate as food?

Maybe we need a new version of 1984. How about 2284? Kinda fitting the catch 22 predicament we will catch ourselves in.

Time to lay off the BC mushrooms...

[grassfarmer]

Ten degrees warmer would put most of western Canada into Pallister triangle conditions. Not much hope of growing two crops a season without adequate moisture. Significantly warmer in summer would increase evaporation and reduce plant available moisture.
Fossil data from Drumheller indicate previous periods of droughts lasting 30 years significantly drier than the recent droughts of 2002 etc. I don't wish for conditions that would make modern agriculture impossible.
I agree ten degrees warmer in winter would be more pleasant.

[mustardman]

Ah heck less rainfall ,we'll just irrigate.
Oh wait the south sask river basin gets its flow from mountain snow pack and glacial melt.
So we change the name to south sask trickle

You guys that think an increase in temp is a good idea please give your Heads a shake

[sumdumguy]

You assume that hotter means dryer, but every rain this summer resulted from heat not cool weather.

[TOM4CWB]

Hotter Air holds much more moisture Mustard...

Which is why El Nino means more moisture for North America... Hurricane Patricia being a prime example of a Cat 5 with the huge dropping of moisture[20 inches in places] in the southern US and Mexico.

Green energy has a massive impact on local environments...Why are these environmental impacts of Solar and Wind Farms not considered a negative environmental hazard... when they are actually much worse for wildlife and local environmental ecosystems than conventional power generators! Not to mention who will have the money to clean up the mess when wind n solar wear out or simply need replacing. Lots of toxic metals in solar and tell me how we will take down the wind mills n reclaim the soils in the roads cutting across farm fields that service those windmills.

[grassfarmer]

You'll have to explain to me how heat (or cool weather) makes rain. Temperature is one aspect of weather, precipitation is another.
Even if you had a 10 degree hotter summer with more precipitation you'd still be behind due to the increased evaporation. And just think of the thunderstorm potential.

[dmlfarmer]

Tom is right. Hotter air holds more moristure.... and hold it... and holds it... until there is cooling and then rain falls. If it just took hot air for rain then the Sahara would be the wettest place on earth. No Tom, hot air alone does not result in more rain. In many places, due to topography, winds etc, it means less precipitation. Like California, and like Alberta. It also mean more severe storms. But 20 inches of rain over a day is not desirable is it. Check out the Insurance Bureau and see the real impact of warmer tempertures - including the severity of hail storms in western Canada

[grassfarmer]

Tom, you are talking hot air again!

El Nino consistently producer warmer and drier winters from the midwest north and to the west coast. It does not bring more moisture to us although it does to Mexico and the SW US.

Your comments on green power having worse environmental impacts that conventional are just crazy talk. You worry about who will remove the windmills and reclaim the roads leading to them - why? it's not like the wind is going to run out or quit blowing. Maybe you are confusing it with the issue of the oil leases in Alberta where reclamation needs to be done on a huge scale and it isn't happening - companies find it more economic to abandon sites. If you are worried about the environment try getting after these guys.

[bucket]

Good points grassfarmer.

The oil companies get great royalty rates by blackmailing governments by saying they will leave otherwise.

Then they won't even clean their messes up and the government never forces it.

Why not have a bond for these guys that cover clean up costs. Paid up front. If they clean up their mess they get it back.

If they don't or the government spends the money and can't give it back - tough shit. Just like the oil companies giving the bill to taxpayers for clean up.

BTW anyone look at pump prices - just 3 wondering why shit is slowing down at those prices. There has to be tremendous margins somewhere in the chain.