Wild wonderful West Virginia is warming

climate news (4.00 / 1)

Meanwhile, the news on the climate front suggests existing models are optimistic. Global climate change is happening even faster and even more dramatically than previously predicted.

For example: Lack of permanent Arctic ice surprises explorers.

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by: Clem Guttata @ Sat Apr 18, 2009 at 22:48:59 PM UTC

It shows just how pugnacious (4.00 / 1)

It shows just how pugnacious those whom control the Republican Party (and most of those whom follow it) have become.

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by: WV26003 @ Sat Apr 18, 2009 at 23:20:38 PM UTC

Just a thought here guys. (0.00 / 0)

   No doubt our West Virginia weather- she is a changing. darn tootin, only a blind man could deny that.

 I have been back here four years after a 23 year absence and I keep telling my husband where the weather is concerned............" honey it didn't used to be like this I swear"

 No doubt we are having some very unusual weather since I decided to come back home to Wild Wonderful West Virginia.

  But my suggestion is as follows and it applies to the media as well. ............ Unfortunately words do matter and phrases like "global warming" have become buzz words that stir up controversy among the uneducated right wing.

  Even mentioning that the climate is warming gets their panties all in a bunch. ..............  May I suggest that sometimes when dealing with irrational folks the best thing to do is keep them guessing and having to actually think............  Obviously they are not very good at that.

   I'd advocate that when speaking about this issue folks in general and certainly the media mix up the language a bit................ call it climate science.............. weather analysis...............  USDA zone studies...............  Weather Pattern data.................  Mix it up a bit and keep the right wingers guessing .............  LOL trust me that will require them to actually think. .............
Op Oh that is tough for them.  They cannot just say no to everything. Being against " weather data collection" is not cool even for a right winger.

   So sometimes when words and phrases become distorted and take on unintended meanings as with " global warming" and " conservative" its best to change words on them...........mix it up a bit.  Strictly from a marketing standpoint it makes no sense to continue to use a failed brand name if you seek to succeed.

  I will bet that progressives are smart enough to figure out what folks are talking about even if we mix it up a bit................. wanna bet right wingers aren't?

  My money is on them not being that smart.

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by: wvpeach @ Sun Apr 19, 2009 at 00:28:40 AM UTC

Strictly speaking (4.00 / 3)

the appropriate terminology is climate change or global climate change. The climate is, in fact, changing but not every area of the Earth is experiencing warming.

As for the wing-nuts, it matters little what terminology is used they will deny the scientific evidence no matter what the label.

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by: wv voice of reason @ Sun Apr 19, 2009 at 12:31:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Marketing to the masses wvreason , that is what I am talking about. (0.00 / 0)

   Those familiar with the political history of this nation would have a hard time denying that Republican conservatives have done a much better job marketing to the citizens of this nation.

  Marketing is something the progressive liberals have not done well and that is why they have been out of power so long.

  Words do matter.  And not to be condescending but we still have a large segment of the population that would rather be involved with watching NASCAR or American Idol than worry about what the politicians are up to.  
   People who are  mainly uneducated either by design, neglect or choice often vote against their own self interests.  ..........  Think about that very monumental fact............  People voting against their own self interests .  In all manners and sectors.  Against their own economic interests. Against their own civil liberties.  Against protection of the planet that sustains their lifes.Why would people do such a thing? ...........  Simply Marketing.  The republicans have been very successful where progressives have failed in marketing their ideologies and propaganda.

  Take the word Libertarian a wonderful word........ progressive liberals should love that word. It calls to mind  liberty and rights for all. ...........  But what is a modern Libertarian? A bunch of conservatives. Mainly young ones. Being fooled by the Rhetoric of Ron Paul . When in truth they don't even have a clue the things Ron Paul advocates are lunacy and would  be disastrous for the nation............   I mean come on now?  Ron Paul advocates ending all social programs.  LOL Says he has faith charities will take up the slack out of the goodness of the American heart...........  Yeah right.  History proves him nuts on that .
  Paul advocates allowing corporations to be on the honor system where pollution is concerned. Says he is sure they won't overly pollute...........  Yeah right.......... History proves him wrong on that.
  He advocates a return to the Gold standard and shown that alone would not work he advocates competing currencies along with his gold standard. ..........  LOL I tell you right now I am not accepting currency from the bank of Texas , hard to tell if it would be any good.
  Although according to Paul anybody with some Gold could start their own currency so it would be nice to see some WVU bucks..........  But I doubt anybody outside of West Virginia would accept that as legal tender.

  Point being Ron Paul is a loon. But because of marketing this last election he became a virtual movement mostly among young people who didn't know any better .  That weren't really aware of what he was advocating.  And old nutcase conservatives............  Who don't care if a bunch of dumb kids vote them in to power they still get what they want anyway.

   They marketed Paul to his followers.  Marketed .  Which means they did not publicize his crazy idealogies..........  They just marketed a end to taxes , wars and the federal reserve. Which marketing surveys prove plenty of people get behind.  
   Same thing the Republicans have been doing since the early 1900's and it's worked.

 So nobody should be discounting the need to market the progressive agenda.  Marketing in ways that gain support and don't attract a lot of dissenting attention from the other side.
   Thus the need to change titles and language from time to time. Global Warming and Climate Change have become marketing tools that get the uneducated right up in arms and out to the polls...........  So change the term. Call it Climate science. ..........  It will take them awhile to get that out to their masses.  Once they are on to that we can call it Historical Climate data Collection or some other thing.

  Point being progressives are able and can follow that Marketing change..........  Especially when it helps to further progressive agendas .
   The right wing.......... not that smart.  It would take them awhile to catch up with their base.  And that lull in time can give us all the time we need to effect change.
   

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by: wvpeach @ Sun Apr 19, 2009 at 19:50:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Examples (4.00 / 1)

When I was growing up, I heard that nothing would ever surpass the Big Wheeling Creek flood of 1963. The diversion of Big Wheeling Creek to facilitate construction of I-70 created an entirely new flood plain. My mother grew up with the floods; from the neighbor's infant being dropped into the water and drowned in 1963 to the "glaciers" that formed in the basement. My grandmother still talks about how the barometer before that flood went a full revolution backwards. Millions and millions of dollars were spent to upgrade and protect the Big Wheeling Creek watershed.

Then, in September 2004, Hurricane Ivan reached our Valley dumping well over 11 inches of rain in Wheeling, and Big Wheeling Creek at Elm Grove set a new record of 13.83 feet exceeding the 1963 damage. The only major difference was that more upstream communities received far less damage than in 1963. Unfortunately, not enough had been done for the downstream tributaries, and the Middle Creek Dam (which is only about 1/4 mile from Middle Creek School) nearly broke. Btw, the Bu$h Administration cut the funding to fully repair the dam after the flood.

I also heard that nothing would ever surpass the Ohio River flood of 1936 which hit 55.5 feet in Wheeling. Gratefully, Ohio River improvements since 1936 prevented what would have been catastrophic disaster for Wheeling when the Ohio hit 47.5 feet after Hurricane Ivan. The Army Corps predicted that without such improvements, the river level at Wheeling would have exceeded 60 or even 65 feet.

To say that the weather has changed in West Virginia is an understatement. I'd swear that back in the 1980s we rarely received lake effect snow out of Cleveland. Now, it's commonplace.  

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by: WV26003 @ Sun Apr 19, 2009 at 16:24:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Just a note (4.00 / 1)

If the Ohio River at Wheeling ever exceeds 60 feet, the Wheeling Suspension Bridge would be underwater. I hope that gives some perspective.

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by: WV26003 @ Sun Apr 19, 2009 at 16:26:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Shelley a wingnut! (4.00 / 2)

I finally figured out what to call SMC.......a wingnut is very appropriate and not very hurtful either.  It illicits a carefree, happy go lucky, conservative-thinking, I'll go my way you go yours philosophy.  Unfortunately that's not what we want in our elected representative....is it?

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by: JBdem4usa @ Sun Apr 19, 2009 at 13:33:17 PM UTC

have you noticed less snow (0.00 / 0)

I've live in the Kanawha Valley my whole life (I'm in my mid-30s) and I've noticed significantly less snow over the years. Any know if the weather service posts historical snowfall numbers online? I can't find anything.

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by: jcsaunders @ Mon Apr 20, 2009 at 01:28:20 AM UTC