Category Archives: Weather

The Invasion of the Invasives Is Here (Right In My Back Yard)

Washington Post

Scientists warn invasive pests are taking a staggering toll on society

The authors of a major new U.N.-backed report say invasive species are costing the world more than $423 billion a year

By Dino Grandoni
 — September 4, 2023

Invasive pests are wreaking havoc across the planet, destroying crops, disseminating pathogens, depleting fish people rely on for food and driving native plants and animals toward extinction, according to a major report backed by the United Nations.


[COMMENT: Also from a report in my tiny back yard in Durham NC. . . .]

Continue reading The Invasion of the Invasives Is Here (Right In My Back Yard)

OMG! Hurricane Hilary Is Coming; and She’ll Soon Have Company

 

Hurricane Hilary’s path as of early Saturday morning August 19, 2023. It looks so harmless in these mellow pastel shades. But don’t be fooled!

It’s late Saturday night and I’m feeling lots of solidarity & concern for friends & family in the far southwest. Just days ago we faced a severe thunderstorm that produced flooding and widespread power outages in just an hour of fierce wind, flooding rain, and explosive lightning.

That was then. Since Tuesday, there’s been horrible wildfires in Maui (& elsewhere), and now a hurricane is making its way up Baja California over the Mexico-U.S. Border, the first such in 84 years.

Hurricane Hilary was a Category 4 behemoth some hours ago. It has weakened, but is till expected to produce flood dangers over a wide interstate swath of the west. Continue reading OMG! Hurricane Hilary Is Coming; and She’ll Soon Have Company

After the Sudden Storm: Minding the Light Again!

About 10:30 Wednesday night, I was ready to pack it in: tired and frazzled from a day spent largely looking for chargers to recharge chargers for phone & Ipad, and then charging the devices while circling in the Fair Wendy’s air-conditioned EV., and buying drippy bags of ice from a darkened but open vape shop for the room temperature fridge/freezer.

I turned off the MSNBC audio feed my phone still had and was starting the push up out of the recliner when — voilá!

Continue reading After the Sudden Storm: Minding the Light Again!

Dyer-Spain, the far Right, The burning sun, the future . . .

GWYNNE DYER: Spanish election — Franco’s ghost? July 20, 2023

Spain has been a democracy since 1975, but right-wing Vox leader may dream of filling former dictator’s shoes

Spain’s far right Vox party leader Santiago Abascal says he is open to forming national and regional governing coalitions with the mainstream conservative People’s Party after the July 23 election. Continue reading Dyer-Spain, the far Right, The burning sun, the future . . .

Dyer- Climate Tipping Points Are In Sight & Near

Gwynne Dyer  — Climate Crisis Speeding Up

What we’re seeing is climate impacts that scientists thought would accompany certain temperatures happening far more rapidly, with far more devastating effects than had been forecast,” said Dr. Simon Nicholson of the Forum for Climate Engineering Assessment at American University.

“We didn’t think that the Arctic would crash by now, and yet it’s almost gone. We didn’t think we’d be seeing these wildfires in Australia and the United States and elsewhere with the frequency and severity that they’re being seen.

Continue reading Dyer- Climate Tipping Points Are In Sight & Near