Greetings to everyone! I hope everyone out there is staying healthy and faring well in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve plenty of interesting topics to cover this week. In atmospheric science, our changing climate is proving to be an obstacle in dealing with the pandemic and finding a long-term path of adaptation. The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season has also gotten off to a historical start but is on a temporary hiatus due to unfavorable conditions for tropical cyclone formation and a large amount of Saharan desert dust that has crossed over from the Saharan desert region. Speaking of tropical cyclones, we’ll take a look at hurricane safety and preparedness information and much more with this week’s picks…so let’s get started.

• Fortunately, the USA’s NIST website is still up and running. If you want the true and official time, you’ll find no more accurate source of information.
• It wouldn’t be 2020 without weirdness of some kind…and here’s a look at a long-standing pseudoscience that has no validity whatsoever.
• One of the interesting social aspects of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is how this global health crisis has exposed humans tendency to believe in or trust facts that coincide with their perspective on social/political events.
• We know little about the atmosphere on other planets outside of our own solar system. Here’s fascinating read on new information concerning the atmosphere on three exoplanets.
• Misinformation is rampant on the world wide web. When it comes to climate change, it is commonplace with claims from denialists running amok. How does climate change misinformation spread on the internet? Easily and quickly.
• The more we look for plastic pollution, the more we find…including places where we never would have guessed we’d find remnants of a substance that will be around for thousands of years.
• In countries where air-conditioning is the exception rather than the rule, this heat would be brutal & potentially lethal. “Climate change: UK could hit 40C ‘regularly’ by end of this century.”
• Florida has had it’s fare share of devastating hurricanes with the most recent being the Category 5 Michael. As some people continue to struggle to recover while dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, the threat of the current Atlantic hurricane season looms large.
• Could the Covid-19 pandemic lead to longer power outages caused by a land-falling hurricane? By some accounts, the answer is, ‘yes.’
• The Atlantic basin is quiet for now with no tropical cyclones forecast for development. It’s still early in the season and that means it’s the perfect time to prepare for the storm you hope never happens. NOAA has a great website to help you get ready with plenty of helpful tips and infographics to help you get the supplies you may need.

HURRICANE AND SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS

This handy checklist from the American Red Cross is an excellent starting point for anyone assembling an emergency kit. Even if you live in an area that is not prone to severe weather or hurricanes, an emergency kit is an essential part of a home and workplace.

That’s a wrap for this post! I’d like to extend a warm welcome to my new followers in social media. I’m glad you’re along for the fun! If you’re on Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr, let’s connect! Once again I’d like to thank so many of you for all the thoughtful comments I’ve received as of late regarding my prostate cancer treatment. I’m doing well and am further bolstered by your words of encouragement and support. 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 an excellent website with further information. As for COVID-19, please stay home if possible, practice good personal hygiene, mind your social distancing, sport a spiffy mask, stay safe, and stay healthy!

Cheers…Stay Healthy…and Good Luck!

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