Greetings once again to one and all! If you celebrated the holidays, I hope all went well for you and the new year is off to a good start. In atmospheric science news, our changing climate is front and center (understandably so) in much of the information we read. We’ll be covering that often. Also, along with these posts will be the occasional winter weather safety link that I hope you’ll find helpful. On a more personal note, I appreciate the continued best wishes for a speedy recovery during my rehabilitation from prostate cancer surgery. On that note, let’s get started on this week’s reads.
- As we look back at 2019, here’s a concise overview of natural disasters in the USA.
- While this list could be considered subjective, I feel there are some very valid events that will forever change science. “New Scientist ranks the top 10 discoveries of the decade.”
- As mentioned earlier, climate change has been front and center and will continue to be for some time. This review is an excellent look back at the past ten years of climate change coverage in charts.
- In the year we’ve just begun, there are a myriad of environmental and science challenges. Here’s one review of many important topics to keep an eye on.
- According to a new NOAA report, “Ocean acidification threatens to cause billions of dollars in damage to the U.S. economy, harming everything from crabs in Alaska to coral reefs in Florida and the Caribbean.”
- The irrevocable link between air quality and your health. “The number of health effects linked to air pollution keeps growing. We already know dirty air is associated with problems in the lungs, heart, uterus and eyes and could potentially affect mental health – and now weaker bones can be added to the list.”
- The Australian brush-fires that started in December 2019 will go down in the history books as one of the most devastating disasters to ever occur on that continent. It’s also an ominous view of what climate change looks like.
- Reading about the ongoing Australian brushfires is one thing, but looking at startling photographs is another. They bring a whole new dimension to a dire scenario that, as of this post, has no end in sight.
- Forecasting tropical cyclones (hurricanes, tropical storms, intensities, paths, etc.) is challenging enough…but this exciting new endeavor has great possibilities for future forecasting scenarios complicated by climate change. “A Pre-Hurricane Climate Change Analysis Gets Major Revision After The Storm.”
- Last but certainly not least, this link has a very strong connection to the National Weather Service Infographic below. Disinformation, which has reached a pandemic level in our society (online and otherwise) is everywhere. Have hope, all is not lost. To put it more succinctly, “The digital age has heightened our vulnerability to falsehood, but recognizing such weaknesses can help guard against them.”
That’s a wrap for this post! Once again, Happy New Year to one and all! If you’re on Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr, so is Tornado Quest. I’d like to thank so many of you again for all the thoughtful comments I’ve received over the past few weeks. As of this post, I’m still recovering well from surgery. Cancer does not have to be an automatic death sentence and I have no intention of giving up this fight and will accept nothing but absolute and total victory. If you’re a male over the age of 40, you should discuss getting your PSA tested with your doctor. The Prostate Cancer Foundation is only one of many reputable sites with further information.
Cheers…and Good Luck!
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