With tornado and severe weather season ramping up into high gear lately, it is a good time to review safety rules.  You probably have the safety tips for humans stuck in your head pretty well by now.  But how about for your pets?  What types of things do you need to have in place to keep them as safe as possible when a bad storm hits?  How about for caring for them in the aftermath?  The Humane Society of the U.S. has put together a comprehensive plan for pet owners.  You should definitely take a good look at this as there is much to learn on how to keep you precious animal friends cared for.  You will find it printed below.

• Put a collar with visible identification on your pets, including indoor-only pets.
• Keep pictures of your pets on hand for identification purposes. Ideally, you should also be in the photo.
• Create a pet emergency kit (see below). Items should be refreshed every few months.
• Talk to your neighbors about how they can help your pets if you are not at home if disaster strikes.
• Create a list of hotels that allow pets. Know where you can take your horses: Make arrangements with a friend or another horse owner to stable your horses if needed.

• Three-or-more-day supply of food in airtight, waterproof container, and drinking water.
• Bowls for food and water.
• Current photos and physical description of your pets, including details on markings.
• Medications, vaccination records and pet first aid supplies.
• Comfort items such as a toy and blanket.
• Small garbage bags.
• For dogs include: leash, harness and a sturdy carrier large enough to use as a sleeping area.
• For cats include: litter and litter box and a sturdy carrier large enough for transport.
• For horses include: Coggins tests, veterinary papers, identification photographs and vital information such as medical history and emergency phone numbers.

Posted under Education, Severe Weather, Storms, Tornadoes

I’m sure you’ve heard a phrase like, that was a 100 year downpour, or a 50 year flood that we just had.  It’s important to know how frequently any one area can expect such rain events because it allows planning of infrastructure, buildings, roads, sewers, and so on to handle it.  The last time these numbers were updated was 1963, (yes 50 years ago).  It’s about time I would say.  Below is a brief article about this topic from the National Weather Service Green Bay website.  There is a link within it to take you directly to the new chart of rainfall frequency in Wisconsin.  For example in Wausau, the frequency of getting 1.30″ of rain in a 10-minute span is once every 100 years.   The frequency of getting 4.5″ of rain in Wausau in a 24-hour span is once every 25 years.   This is very interesting stuff.  Check it out.

Interests in private industry, government and academia have eagerly awaited the publication of new precipitation frequency estimates for Wisconsin as well as sixteen other Midwestern and southeastern states. Those estimates were recently published by the NWS Office of Hydrologic Development as Volumes 8 and 9 of NOAA Atlas 14, a web-based publication available at:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hdsc
The Wisconsin precipitation frequency estimates are available directly at:
http://hdsc.nws.noaa.gov/hdsc/pfds/pfds_map_cont.html?bkmrk=wi
The last time that these estimates were updated was in 1963.

Precipitation frequency estimates are estimates of climate variability. They are used as design standards for civil infrastructure built to cope with rainfall and runoff such as storm water drainage systems, roads, bridges, culverts, small dams, roofs, airport runways, stream erosion control, pollution control systems, flood insurance rate maps, and soil conservation, just to name a few. These new estimates directly contribute to the preparation of more cost-effective designs, plans and maps for protecting life and property and preventing pollution.

NWS precipitation frequency estimates–prepared since the 1950s–are cited as design standards in many Federal, State and Local Government regulations. These new NOAA Atlas 14 volumes will result in new design criteria for a large range of engineering and planning projects.

Posted under Education, Flooding, Natural Disasters

The National Wildlife Federation recently published a report, “The Forecast Calls for Play”.  They surveyed 1000 parents and found that 61% cite weather as the number one reason kids don’t go outside and play.  The go on to suggest that we as a society are harming kids by not encouraging them to go out an play in many different kinds of weather include rainy, windy, snowy, and chilly days.  Now they understand that there are extreme weather days like severe cold or lightning, tornadoes, and blizzards which are not safe for kids to be out in.  I tend to agree with this.  I feel like our society has gotten a lot “softer” than years ago.  It probably goes back to the fact that so few people farm now compared to 60 years ago.  Most people just don’t have to be out in the elements on a day to day basis anymore to tend to the animals and crops and cut wood.   So unless it’s somewhere between 60 and 80 degrees and sunny there doesn’t seem to me much excitement to be outdoors.  These attitudes then can easily get passed on to the next generation.

Numerous studies show the physical and mental health benefits of kids spending more time out in the elements playing.  They often are less stressed, get more Vitamin D, develop stronger bones and muscles, have better eye sight,  and have improved thinking skills.  They also develop a healthy appreciation for all the seasons and learn what that means to life around them and on the planet as a whole.  The National Wildlife Federation has set a goal to get 10 million kids outside playing in diverse weather conditions that normally don’t.  They have a whole web site dedicated to this with interesting articles and strategies to make it happen.  Check it out at http://www.nwf.org/Be-Out-There.aspx

Posted under Education, Recreation & Sports

March 18th through the 22nd is Flood Safety Awareness Week in the U.S.  Flooding is one of those sneaky things.  It doesn’t seem as dramatic or frightening perhaps as a tornado or blizzard.   However it certainly is one of the main causes of property damage, personal injury, and weather related fatalities each year in our country.  Flooding comes in a variety of forms, speeds, and types.  Of course there is spring snow melt flooding.  There is flash flooding, which is more common during summer thunderstorm episodes, and then general river flooding.  All pose definite hazards and warrant our full attention.  If there is one phrase you will want to remember when it comes to flooding it is….”turn around don’t drown”.

NOAA has put together a very comprehensive flood page.  It has great information regarding the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services, the United States Geological Survey, River Gauges and River Forecasts, Flood Insurance, and Flood Safety.  Please take advantage of the wealth of information at http://www.floodsafety.noaa.gov/

Posted under Education, Flooding, Severe Weather, Spring, Weather Safety

Posted under Education, Rainfall Reports, Science, snow, Technology

If you have kids that are interested in science of any type, hopefully they have a chance to be involved in something called Science Olympiad.  My son Douglas is involved through his high school and kids as young as 7th grade can take part.  It’s a great way for them to challenge their science skills and take part in some fun competiti0n.

The article below from Douglas gives you more insight.

Science in Today’s Youth: Science Olympiad

Douglas Schumacher

For nearly 30 years, the Science Olympiad organization has been helping to bring science to life, to show how science works, to emphasize problem solving aspects of science and the understanding of science concepts for students across the nation.  Through 26 high school and 24 middle school events, Science Olympiad provides a competitive basis for students to explore science.

I’m  currently on my high school’s second team and have competed at the middle school level last year and now the high school level.  Last year my favorite event was Meteorology, In which I placed 1st at an invitational, 3rd at regionals, and 5th at state.   This year so far our team competed in Boyceville.  One very interesting event I participated in dealt with glaciers and climatology.  I also was involved with outdoor geocaching.  It was challenging because it was raining and their was slush on the ground.  On a good note, I ended up getting 4th place!

The metorology event that I competed in last year was a test event in which you study about you topic , create some notes, and then, you guessed it, take a 50-minute test on the subject.   Other events, however, require a student to build some sort of contraption to complete a certain task, such as a box designed to insulate a beaker or a air-pressure powered bottle rocket.  No matter the case, Science Olympiad is a lot of fun.

If you would like to learn more about all the Science Olympiad does, visit their official website at http://soinc.org/.

Posted under Education, Science, Technology

It is almost that time of year to do something really dumb! No, not dress up as Gumbi, have too many adult beverages, and fall flat on your face at a Halloween party. It is nearly that time of year for Daylight Savings Time! (DST) Check out this past blog post to read about the myriad of ways DST is bad for people, bad for the economy, and bad for the environment (Check out Standard Time or this facebook page for more opinions). Yes, it is really a dumb thing to do – something that was devised to help with energy conservation back when people lit their homes with whale blubber oil. I got news for everyone – we have electricity and light bulbs now. It is the 21st century.

I used to be like everyone else, just mindlessly changing my clock every Fall and every Spring because the government said so (and everyone else is doing it, so not changing your clocks would be a pain). Not everything the government says is correct or well-reasoned, and this is one of those cases. I used to believe the old idea that DST saves energy – that it made sense. It doesn’t. Despite loads of evidence about the negative outcomes of DST, pretty much everyone will go along with it again this year. In fact some people defend it quite vigorously, even without knowing the facts (such as - it WASTES energy!)

Defending DST on the fact that it is nice during the warm/Summer season in the northern part of the country to have an extra hour of daylight after work – is at least a defense based in reality. I understand. Keeping the “Summer” time all year long would be better than doing nothing. However, in the countries that have dropped DST (because it is stupid), and the states (part of Indiana and Arizona) that do not change their clocks, everything is fine. No one complains. I should know, I just got back from Arizona. Everyone was enjoying life and they don’t have to deal with all the negative side effects of DST.

Have a nice Tuesday! Meteorologist Justin Loew

Posted under Education, Environment, Seasonal Items

Even though we have unseasonably warm air in our area through mid-week we are no doubt heading into the season of cold weather.  If you haven’t fired up your fireplace or wood stove yet, you will be soon.  Can you hear the crackle of the flames and smell the rich wood odor just thinking about it?   Many of you are probably quite experienced at it and know how to best go about the business of burning wood.  However this is a good oppurtunity to review tips from the experts on how to make wood buring as efficient, safe, affordable, and the least harmful to the environment as possible. 

The EPA has put together a press release on such matters in their “Burn Wise” program.  Below are some of the main points.

Tips:

Burn only dry, seasoned wood. Properly seasoned wood burns hotter, producing more heat and less pollution. Seasoned wood is darker, has cracks in the end grain, and sounds hollow when struck against another piece of wood.
Use a moisture meter. Wood burns best when the moisture content is 20 percent. Purchase a wood moisture meter for less than $20 to test the moisture content of your wood before you burn it.
Burn hot fires. Once you’ve enjoyed the warmth, many people think they should let a fire smolder overnight, but reducing the air supply does little for heating and increases air pollution. A smoldering fire isn’t efficient.
Start fires with newspaper and dry kindling, or consider having a professional install a natural gas or propane log lighter or a catalyst device in your fireplace to reduce pollution and to increase efficiency.
Regularly remove ashes from your wood-burning appliance to maintain proper airflow. For safety, put ashes in a metal container with a cover and store outdoors.
Never burn painted or treated wood, wet or moldy wood, household garbage, cardboard or driftwood. The can release toxic chemicals into the air – and your home. During the holidays, remember not to burn Christmas trees or wrapping paper!
Upgrading to an EPA-certified wood stove or fireplace insert will make even bigger improvements in fire emissions and efficiency. These models are more efficient than older models, making the air cleaner, homes safer, and fuel bills lower, while still keeping warm in the winter.

 
Learn more on Burn Wise at www.epa.gov/burnwise

Molly Hooven
Press Office
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
202-564-2313
hooven.molly@epa.gov
EPA newsroom: http://epa.gov/newsroom
EPA news releases on Twitter: http://twitter.com/epanews

Posted under Ecology, Education, Pollution, Seasonal Items, Weather Safety

Through the years when following all the research and headlines revolving around anthropogenic global warming (AGW) I have often found and shared what seemed to be some stark contradictions. Such as, AGW is going to destroy the environment and everyone is going to starve, but it has also been blamed for the obesity epidemic. Or, AGW is going to cause more El Nino conditions in the Pacific Ocean and California will suffer from massive storms vs. AGW is going to cause more La Nina conditions and California is going to suffer more drought (“Agriculture will become impossible”). Then of course we have some speculation that AGW will cause more intense and numerous hurricanes, vs speculation that there will be less hurricanes. The most notable contradiction is having more flooding rains but also more drought (this is possible, by the way, even though at first glance it doesn’t seem to make sense).

The latest contradiction comes surveys about acceptance of AGW theory. In one study, it is claimed the most people are too stupid to know that they don’t understand AGW and this leads to their skepticism of AGW. In another survey, it was found that people with higher math and science knowledge tended to be more skeptical of the proposed dangers of AGW. So dumb people and smart people are both skeptical of AGW? (to put it in non-politically correct blunt terms). I suppose that is possible. I guess I am in good company, being somewhat skeptical of AGW theory and prognostications. It appears people a whole lot smarter than me are skeptical too!

I think there might be two things going on here. One, scientists are naturally more skeptical. Broad claims of environmental destruction have been made over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over again throughout the last few decades, plus there is the old axiom that extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof (which has been slowly developing in regards to AGW). So some skepticism is natural. Also, scientists don’t like to be told “this is how it is, this is the truth, don’t question it”, which was the distilled essence of many a science-media AGW pronouncement over the last couple decades (whether it was a fair characterization or not).

Most scientists are well trained to root out bias as well. Maybe they are seeing some possibilities of cognitive bias and group-think in the AGW profession. After all, there are now bots that constantly argue in favor of AGW theory and apps that only show how things around the world are getting worse.

There is also the fact that many scientists (most that I know anyway) are much more concerned about other more immediate existential threats to humans than AGW. Maybe their skepticism is just really a lack of immediate concern.

By the way, I don’t think anyone is too stupid to understand AGW. If you spend enough time reading about the science behind it, the global weather patterns, and climate model projections, you can get a reasonable grasp of what is going on. You can construct a reasonable opinion.

Have a fine Tuesday! Meteorologist Justin Loew

Posted under AGW, Climate Change, Education

As you know, I have been beating the drum lately about vacuousness of the traditional metrics of economic ”growth” (ie, building more things just for the sake of “growth”, not because we need them or that they would be good for us as a whole). I am not sure if many people agree, but the other forces (besides my will) seem to be at work to create what I consider positive changes (less population growth, less urban sprawling).

The decline in real wages and poor employment market seem to be squeezing younger generations and they are not starting families nor buying many houses. These themes turned up in a recent opinion article about the non-recovery in the U.S. housing market. Good to see more people noticing the trends. I am not happy about financial trouble. I wish the economy was expanding, but at the same time I also hope that people will continue to consider focusing on health, happiness, and the future, instead of just consuming more stuff and building bigger houses. It would be better for the environment and better for people as a whole.

A transition away from old growth models would be difficult. Change is always difficult. That is one of the reasons why I write about controversial topics and new ideas in the blog – in order to help everyone adapt to the technological changes that are coming. These changes could of course be great for the environment and climate, but they will disrupt the normal flow of life to which we have been accustomed.

I mention the ways in which technology is changing things for the better quite often (even outside of the alternative energy and pollution sphere). One change that I have noticed that will shake a lot of people is the revolution (or evolution) in education. The on-going changes will make a lot of people angry no doubt, but it is undoubtedly better for the environment. It is online education.

Khan Academy

Many colleges are offering free (and some paid) courses online nowadays, including MIT and Stanford. You can get credit for the course if you watch the lectures submit work, and take test. All free (in most instances). The Kahn Academy is also free and simple to use. Kids can learn from an expanding list of short videos explaining everything from math to economics. The Kahn Academy is revolutionising education. The Internet gives us great tools for collaboration and personalized learning across continents.

Making greater use of the Internet is more environmentally friendly as well. Instead of electrifying, heating, and air conditioning hundreds of thousands of large buildings and shipping millions of kids (and teachers) off to school everyday, kids could learn at home. Teachers could tutor and guide kids over the Internet. It is going to be a big change, that I know a lot of people will not be happy with. Right now, a lot of families have both parents working. There is also the issue of socialization of children (although this does not seem to be much of a problem with home-schooled kids). But maybe these “problems” are the result of the modern economic “growth” model. In order to have a big house, three vehicles, a boat, and a vacation property, both parents have to work. If people focused more on the family and happiness, maybe they would be able to work less and help educate their kids with the help of online resources & online teachers. Environmentally friendly online learning is just getting going. How long do you think before the education system reaches a tipping point and online learning becomes the majority of traditional “education”? Do you think it is an overall good trend? Or a bad one?

Have a nice Tuesday! Meteorologist Justin Loew.

Posted under Education, Pollution