The measured
global warming
global warming
since 1979,
by all three
by all three
measurement
methodologies,
methodologies,
has been mainly at night,
mainly in the coldest six months
of the year, and mainly in
the higher latitudes.
I think that's something
to celebrate, in addition
to more CO2 in the air
'greening' the planet.
Those drier areas, and
drier times of the year,
are where, and when,
CO2 should have the most
greenhouse warming effect.
But the lack of warming
in Antarctica
since the 1960's,
is contradictory evidence,
against greenhouse warming.
The small amount of melting there
is local -- edges of the ice near
areas of the sea that are warmed
by underseas volcanoes.
Of course the rest of Antarctica
is too cold to melt !
There is no way CO2
could cause that
local warming,
while the large majority
of Antarctica's surface
did not warm at all.
The Arctic area --
specifically the northern half
of the Northern Hemisphere,
has had the most warming
since 1975.
Do people living in Alaska,
for one example,
care about warmer
winter nights?
I assume that would
make them happy.
We know from ice core
climate proxy studies
that our planet's
average temperature
is always changing.
And humans certainly had
little or no effect on the mild
warming and cooling cycles
for billions of years
before 1950.
Anyone with sense,
hopefully everyone
reading this blog,
would prefer a
mild warming trend,
over a mild cooling trend,
if they lived in
the higher latitudes,
assuming
they had a choice.
I assume most people
living in higher latitudes
would prefer mild warming,
over mild cooling, based on
my own experiences.
Maybe 'ski bums' would not,
but I can't figure them out.
I skied for two seasons while
working weekends at a ski
resort in my New York
home town.
I appreciated the free skiing,
but never appreciated
the cold weather
-- I'd have preferred skiing
in the summer on artificial snow,
if such a thing existed !
Watching a series of friends,
who were better skiers than me,
break their legs
( the most common injury in 1969 - 1970 ),
( the most common injury in 1969 - 1970 ),
caused me to give up the sport,
before it was my turn !
Here are some
interesting facts
interesting facts
about cold
and warm weather:
and warm weather:
YOUR HEART:
Your heart works harder
in cold weather,
to pump blood and maintain
your body's core temperature.
Your body uses a lot of energy
to keep warm and add humidify
the air you breathe.
A recent study of 53 hikers
found they burned 34% more
calories in cold weather, hiking
between 14 and 23 degrees F.,
than in moderate weather,
hiking at about 50 degrees F.
That's an interesting factoid,
but I've hiked on trails in
both cold and moderate weather --
I wouldn't hike very far
at 14 to 23 degrees. F.,
so hiking a much longer distance
at 50 degrees F. would burn
a lot more calories for me.
The extra stress of exercising
in cold weather strengthens
your heart ... but if you have
heart disease, or are at risk
for heart disease, be careful !
Some relatively young men
have genes that cause rapid
artery clogging -- even those
who are slim and exercise
regularly.
A famous runner,
Jim Fixx,
had that problem,
at age 52.
Inherited from his father,
who had a heart attack
at age 35, and died of one
at age 43.
And that's why my wife
shovels our driveway,
here in Michigan,
and she actually
likes the exercise,
while I watch, amazed,
from inside the house,
thinking I was avoiding
a fatal heart attack !
YOUR BRAIN:
People perform some cognitive
tasks, such as making decisions,
better in cooler conditions.
And warmer conditions discourage
complex tasks.
But the studies don't make
much sense to me.
I write three blogs and an
economics newsletter for
mental exercise.
I do my thinking indoors,
where the temperature
is always comfortable.
If the inside temperature
was too cool, or too hot, for me,
my thinking would only be focused
on changing the temperature,
not writing !
SLEEPING:
In a warm room, it will take
longer for your core temperature
to drop, and longer for you
to fall asleep.
With darker winter mornings,
you are likely to sleep longer,
although blocking all outside light
from your bedroom, would work
for other times of the year.
ALLERGIES:
I found out in mid-life,
after leasing
a sports car convertible,
as my company car,
that driving in September
with the top down,
made my eyes turn red,
itch, and swell up.
From weed pollen.
But there is
almost no weed pollen
in cold weather.
Unfortunately,
for people allergic
to indoor mold,
mildew and dust mites,
winter can be
horrible for them.
Tips for them:
Keep your home's
humidity low --
under 50% ( or drier,
if you can tolerate it ).
Don't use
a humidifier.
Do use
bathroom exhaust vents
during baths and showers.
And consider using a
dehumidifier too.
INFECTIONS:
In the winter you are more likely
to be in close contact with other
people who already have
bacterial or virus infections.
You are likely to get more colds,
especially if you touch your nose,
eyes or mouth with your hands
-- scrub your hands before touching !
The good news is that colder weather
can activate your immune system,
enhancing your ability to fight infections.
The bad news is that flu infections
thrive in dry air, common inside homes
during the winter.