Heavy Rains, Wind, Thunderstorms Expected This Week
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
By Heather Bremner
Gilroy - Keep those umbrellas handy and the sunglasses tucked away because this week should be filled with rain, more rain and even some thunderstorms.
A series of storms heading toward the South Bay will bring periods of heavy rain, according to the National Weather Service. Today, expect thunderstorms and a partly cloudy night with a chance of showers, Thursday should also be cloudy, with a chance of rain in the evening, according to the National Weather Service.
The rain is expected to return Friday and stick around until New Year's Eve. New Year's Day may be rainy and should be partly cloudy. Daytime temperatures should remain in the 60s throughout the week, with nighttime lows dropping to the mid-40s.
Although it will be wet and windy, flooding isn't expected. The recent rains haven't caused flooding anywhere in Santa Clara County.
"We're in pretty good shape for the storm coming in (Tuesday night)," said Mike Di Marco, spokesman for the Santa Clara Valley Water District. "We think that we won't see any reservoir spilling."
Gilroy's creeks have receded during the past couple of rain-free days and aren't near the flooding point, said Di Marco.
"We don't anticipate any problems but it is a fast-moving storm," said Di Marco. "Just in case there are any problems we're gong to have our crews ready."
The storm should bring strong winds and rain to the Tahoe area, except at the highest mountain elevations above 8,000 feet. The storm has prompted a winter storm watch for the Tahoe Basin and the western valleys will be under a high wind watch.
The snow level is expected to gradually drop to lake level today with winds blowing between 25 to 35 mph with gusts reaching 55 mph. In the valleys, the snow level was forecast to fall gradually to 5,000 feet tonight, accompanied by winds of 20 to 35 mph gusting to 55 mph.
On Tuesday, the avalanche danger in the Sierra was considered to be at steep elevations above 9,300 feet in areas outside developed ski areas.
http://www.gilroydispatch.com/news/contentview.asp?c=175798
NSW mops up after wild storms
The New South Wales State Emergency Service (SES) is warning residents to be wary of summer thunderstorms.
Wild weather lashed the central and mid-north coasts, Hunter and north-west regions late yesterday.
Hailstones the size of ping-pong balls struck Lake Macquarie near Newcastle.
Further north, winds gusting to 133 kilometres an hour brought down trees at Narrabri, closing the Newell Highway for three hours.
Debris from high winds caused traffic congestion and lengthy delays for drivers on the Pacific Highway at Nambucca Heads and on the F3 motorway near Mt White.
SES spokesman Steve Delaney says crews answered more than a dozen calls for help, with the Taree and Port Macquarie region the worst hit.
He says there are simple precautions people can take.
"People remember to park their cars under shelters and not under trees, keeping away from any fallen electrical power lines, and generally making sure there are no loose objects around the yard that could become projectiles in the weather," he said.
Mr Delaney says more storms are expected over the next month.
"The weather bureau tends to warn us on a daily basis now, especially now that we're getting into the height of summer of the possibility for thunderstorms and major weather fronts moving through the state fairly quickly," he said.
"The major sort of weather fronts moving through the state fairly quickly and this pattern will continue across the state for the next month or so."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200512/s1539063.htm
Wind complicates NSW bushfire fight
A southerly wind exceeding 115 kilometres an hour is racing up the New South Wales coast, bringing relief from the day's extreme heat but extra hazards for bushfire crews.
The Rural Fire Service (RFS) has abandoned containment efforts on the central coast to focus on protecting property.
Three properties have been destroyed on the central coast along with seven cars belonging to RFS volunteers.
Three fronts of fire at Umina, Brisbane Waters National Park and Mount White are expected to merge as the southerly wind pushes into the central coast.
The RFS says it is too dangerous for firefighters to battle the blaze amid such strong winds.
Property protection
Rural Fire Commissioner Phil Koperburg says all firefighters remaining in the area are now devoted to property protection.
"We have removed all firefighting personnel from the the fire-ground we've taken them out of the bush so to speak," he said.
"Property protection will continue of course but firefighters will have fallen back to roadways and individual properties."
Commissioner Koperberg has called for calm.
"I'm not suggesting that we won't suffer some losses but it won't be for the want of preparation or resources," he said.
"Stay calm, dress in good sturdy clothing, make sure the houses are competely closed up when the fire approaches and we'll get out of this okay."
F3 closed again
The bushfires have again forced the closure of the F3 Freeway and the Pacific Highway north of Sydney.
The roads are closed in both directions between Warringah and Ourimbah.
Peter Williams drove along the F3 at Mount White a short time ago, and says it was frightening.
"We went round one corner and there was a lot of flames just beside the road not too far away," he said.
"Went around the next one and there was fire all across the road in the middle and across up on that little cliff there on the side, sparks everywhere.
"Very hot, very smoky. A couple of fire brigade and a policeman there and they seemed to be scampering all over the place."
In the north, Woy Woy Road remains closed between Kariong and Phegans Bay.
While in the south, Appin Road is closed in both directions between Appin and the Princess Highway.
Diversions are in place.
Train services have resumed between Hornsby in Sydney's north and Gosford, after the bushfire threat forced the closure of the line.
But Diana Long from CityRail says there are still delays.
"At this stage we're urging customers to make their way home on the trains but we are working closely with the emergency services and getting the latest information just in case we do have to close the line again due to the bushfires," she said.
Evacuations
Evacuations have taken place at Horsfield Bay and Phegan's Bay, the Cataract Dam recreation area at Appin south of Sydney.
The tiny Riverina towns of Illabo and Bethungra have also been evacuated as a large-scale fire heads towards them from near Junee.
About 25 people sought medical help at the Junee Hospital this afternoon after a bushfire swept past the outskirts of the Riverina town and headed towards Illabo.
The most serious emergency involved a 21-year-old Junee man who suffered burns to 50 to 60 per cent of his body.
He is being transferred to Concord Hospital in Sydney tonight.
Most of the other patients have been discharged after being treated for eye irritation and smoke inhalation.The fire has burnt more than 1,500 hectares of farm land from Junee to Eurongilly and Illabo.
Properties have suffered extensive stock losses.
Homestead saved
A historic family home in the Riverina has been saved from fire, just as priceless antique carriages were about to catch alight this afternoon.
Lawrence Ryan, who is also known as stunt motorcyclist Lawrence Legend, says a helicopter dropped four water bombs on the 1884 Monte Cristo homestead as the flames circled it.
Mr Legend says there is still a blackout and no water pressure, so it was mostly luck that saved the house.
"We were lucky that we had some relatives, friends, brother-in-laws, anyone that was here," he said.
"We had buckets and hoses and a fuel pump in our swimming pool and we were just about to start losing valuable carriages and all sorts of things when the helicopter bomber came in and dumped four loads of water on us.
"If that hadn't come in I'm sure part of Monte Cristo wouldn't be here any more."
Energy Australia says it is progressively restoring power to the central coast once fire authorities clear repair crews to enter bushfire areas.
It says power has been cut to thousands of homes at Lake Munmora, because of a breakdown, unrelated to the bushfires.
In other developments:
The rain has helped to contain a large grassfire in Victoria's north-east. (Full Story)
A major bushfire continues to rage east of the seaside community of Ledge Point, north of Perth, and authorities have warned that properties and lives may be at risk. (Full Story)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200601/s1540327.htm
A year of survival
By DUSTIN BLEIZEFFERStar-Tribune staff writer
[oas:casperstartribune.net/news/wyoming:Middle1]
GILLETTE -- The past year was like no other for the Bohn family of Wright.On Aug. 12, their home was pounded by hail and flipped over by a tornado with five children and one adult inside. The family survived.Just weeks later, Brent Bohn learned he had colon cancer, putting the family's rebuilding efforts on hold while he underwent surgery and spent weeks recovering.In a matter of months, the Bohns survived a tornado and cancer.
When Brent's doctor in Gillette signed a release for him to go back to work, it seemed the Bohns' lives would finally begin a return to a "new normal." But just a week later he was laid off from his position as a temporary haul truck driver at a local coal mine.Brent Bohn looks back at 2005 as a year of incredible adversity overcome -- but at a heavy price. He and his family are survivors, yet Brent wears a weary look on his face as he looks forward to 2006."I'm just worried about having an income," Brent said as he sat on a couch in a mobile home provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.Sinking inJean Kingan, a co-director of the Wright Tornado Recovery Project, said families that were hit by the tornado four months ago are only now realizing the emotional and financial toll."The emotional enormity of the situation is starting to sink in, and people are starting to really grieve the losses they've experienced," Kingan said.Many families lost Christmas tree ornaments and other items that were handed down through generations and part of holiday tradition. Kingan said it's important that families continue holiday traditions and start new ones."They have to find a new normal, because they can't go back to the way things were before," Kingan said.The way it wasThe Bohns had just discovered their "normal" life in Wright before the tornado struck.Brent, his wife Louise and their three children had just moved to Wright in November 2004 from Ogden, Utah, because Brent got a temporary job at the Black Thunder coal mine. It was big break after two years of scant work in Utah, and the family settled into the small community where Louise's mother and extended family live just blocks away.
http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2005/12/26/news/wyoming/aaa71349cc7e79a3872570e2002681bd.txt
Climate Change Study Predicts Alteration Of Alaska
December 26, 2005 2:02 p.m. EST
Andrea Moore - All Headline News Staff Reporter
Anchorage, Alaska (AHN) - According to a federal study, climate change could thaw the top 11 feet of permafrost in most areas of the Northern Hemisphere by 2100. The thawing would alter ecosystems across Alaska.
The study was published December 17 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters showing how researchers used supercomputers in the United States and Japan to calculate how frozen soil interacts with air temperatures, snow, sea ice changes and other processes.
The study's most extreme scenario involves calculating the melting of the top 11 feet of permafrost, or earth that remains frozen year-round. The thawing would release greenhouse gases that would amplify global warming says lead author David Lawrence, with the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7001641942
CLIMATE CHANGE OVER CENTURY TO BE PREDICTED
AN action plan to tackle climate change is being put together.
A series of climate change workshops were held by UK consultants Acclimatise at the Manx Museum, in Douglas.Those invited to the workshops included business and government representatives and members of the public.Martin Hall, director of environment, safety and health at the Department of Local Government and the Environment, said participants were told even if carbon emissions stopped now, climate change would still take place, so preparation was vital.After presentations by Acclimatise, those at the workshops were split into groups reflecting their experience and asked to come up with ideas about how climate change would affect their particular sector.These ideas, said Mr Hall, would be put into a document, due to be finished in January, which will be used as a template for action.'This is the start of a long journey, it's about making sure we are prepared for the changes,' said Mr Hall.The DLGE commissioned Acclimatise to provide a forecast for the Island and come up with ideas on how to adapt to and plan for climate change.Infrastructure issues are being considered, as are potential flooding, drainage, harbour and agricultural issues.Acclimatise is using the latest computer-generated models to predict the Manx weather over the next century.The first stage of the project, which will run until March, will be to gather information about the Island and identify key issues.A climate change partnership could also be set up, acting as a focal point for planning on global warming.
26 December 2005
http://www.iomonline.co.im/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=870&ArticleID=1295898
National calls for bipartisan approach on climate change, offers to work alongside Government on the issue
27 December 2005National is asking to work alongside the Government to tackle a major issue.The party's environment spokesman Nick Smith has written to his political opposite numbers, asking to be consulted before any new climate change policy is put together.It comes after the Government decided to scrap a proposed carbon tax, and undertakes a wide-ranging review of climate policies.Nick Smith says National takes the issue very seriously and believes it needs a bipartisan approach.He says climate change is a long-term problem, which stretches beyond the life of any government.
http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/default.asp?id=58022&c=w
Power restored after wild Qld storms
Energex crews have worked through the night after severe storms caused blackouts across south-east Queensland during Christmas celebrations.
More than 25,000 customers were blacked out by the storms, stretching from the New South Wales border north to Bundaberg.
The storms started at 2:00pm AEST.
Line after line of severe thunderstorms rolled in from the west and were still active until late last night.
Energex spokesman Graham Metcalf says there were thousands of lightning strikes and the usual strong winds.
"For about a five-hour period we had about 7,500 lightning strikes recorded and that was the main cause of the problems on the power network," he said.
He says most homes had power restored by late last night.
West of Brisbane there were reports of some hail in and around Ipswich.
The State Emergency Service officials says there were no calls for help and no reports of damage.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200512/s1537888.htm
Kansas Tornados
A first-place finish this year for Kansas in the number of tornadoes recorded in the state.There have been 135 tornadoes in Kansas this year, up from 122 in 2004. Texas is second with 102 twisters in 2005.But the real damage in the state came from straight-line wind.Chance Hayes is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wichita.He estimates property damage from tornadoes at $6.4 million this year, while straight-line winds from severe thunderstorms cost the state an estimated $25.6 million.There were 21 injuries from straight-line winds, but no injuries caused by tornadoes.Hayes says the damage figure from tornadoes was relatively lowbecause most happened in low-population areas.
http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/2115602.html
Green diets vs. global warming
December 26, 2005
Rama Schneider
Having one's own personal effect on our growing global warming/climate change crisis is most certainly a multi step program. We often view our choice in automobile as the most efficacious and obvious first move forward, but two assistant professors at the University of Chicago say the gas we want to change may actually be the gastronomic type.According to a news short titled It's better to green your diet than your car found at the New Scientist web site the two professors "compared the amount of fossil fuel needed to cultivate and process various foods, including running agricultural machinery, providing food for livestock and irrigating crops". They also counted methane and nitrous oxide produced by cows, sheep and manure handling. (Note: in the print edition of New Scientist, Dec 17-23 edition, the article is titled "Green your diet before your car".)The numbers Gidon Eshel and Pamela Martin present are somewhat surprising: A typical diet for the United States with about 28% animal based foods is responsible for almost one and a half tons more of carbon dioxide than to a purely vegetarian (vegan) diet ... that's per person each year! In one decade that makes for a difference of 15 tons of climate altering, global warming gasses for just one person. (If vegan isn't for you eating poultry can help reduce your gaseous contribution.)
http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051226/RTD/51226001
Hope Those Gifts Are Waterproof
Skip directly to the full story.
Published: Dec 24, 2005
TAMPA - Tonight looks to be a decent night to be in the air, even at rooftop altitude in an open cockpit and powered by eight reindeer - as long as you're on the ground by daybreak.
The rain that forecasters predict for Christmas Day should reach the Tampa Bay area about dawn, bringing showers and a possible thunderstorm. Forecasters do not expect the thunderstorms to be severe.
The National Weather Service is calling for a 60 percent chance of rain Sunday as a cold front moves south.
Most of the rain should pass quickly once the front leaves, although some clouds will linger. The rain will diminish through the afternoon, giving way Sunday night to lower temperatures.
Forecasters said the low Monday morning for Tampa should be about 48 degrees and in the lower 40s from Brooksville north.
Neil Johnson
http://news.tbo.com/news/MGB360GBLHE.html
US global warming emissions reached new high last year
HOTTING UP: The new data comes two weeks after Washington said its voluntary measures to cut greenhouse gases were working effectively
THE GUARDIAN , LONDON Friday, Dec 23, 2005,Page 7
Advertising Emissions of global warming gases from the US have nearly doubled in 14 years and reached an all-time high last year, according to figures released by the US government.
But new analysis suggests Europe is also falling behind in its attempt to meet legally binding UN targets.
The US energy department report shows emissions rose 2 percent last year and stood one year ago at 7,122.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year -- about 25 percent of the world total. The rise was the greatest in five years and is part of an accelerating trend. Revised figures also published showed emissions in 2003 were at the second highest level. This year's figures have not been published but are expected by analysts to be similar or greater because of strong US economic growth.
The data, released just two weeks after the US government claimed at the Montreal climate talks that its voluntary approach to cutting emissions was working, drew immediate criticism from European environment groups and academics.
Lord Rees, the president of the UK's Royal (science) Society, said the new data showed all industrialized countries needed to intensify efforts to cut emissions.
"At the G8 summit in Gleneagles in July, the US and other G8 countries agreed to `act with resolve and urgency to meet our shared and multiple objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.' But these figures emphasize the need to act with even greater urgency and resolve now."
He said the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was about 380 parts per million, probably the highest for 20 million years and more than a third higher than before the industrial revolution.
"Industrialized countries will need to cut emissions by at least 60 percent by 2050 if we are to stabilize atmospheric concentrations at twice pre-industrial levels. It seems unlikely that the present US strategy ... will be enough," he said.
But there was little cheer for Europeans. A paper to be published next week suggests 10 of the 15 EU countries committed to reducing climate-change gases under the Kyoto agreement will fall short of their targets unless they take urgent action. Only the UK, Sweden and France are remotely on target, the Institute for Public Policy Research is expected to say. Emissions are rising in 13 of the 15 countries.
In a separate development, the governors of seven US states, frustrated by the federal government's refusal to set targets, yesterday signed up their states to work together to reduce global warming emissions. From 2009, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Vermont will begin trading carbon under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2005/12/23/2003285678
Governor outlines goals to fight global warming
PORTLAND — Governor Ted Kulongoski told the state Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) on Thursday that “a healthy environment helps us strengthen our economy,” and that he will move forward on a strategy to curb global warming and improve air quality in Oregon.
“The threat of global warming is real—not idle speculation,” the Governor testified. “This issue has been a priority of my administration.”Noting warnings by regional scientists and economists that climate change poses a real threat to Oregon’s economy and quality of life, the Governor reaffirmed his support of new tailpipe emissions standards that will reduce carbon emissions throughout the state and regionally. The Governor also restated his goal to reduce such emissions statewide to a level that’s 10 percent below the levels of 1990 by 2020—and by 2050, reduce emissions to a level that’s 75 percent below those of 1990.The Governor charged the EQC to create a strategic plan for the state Department of Environmental Quality to follow in developing and expanding existing programs to fight global warming and improve air quality. The issues are important because of their impact on the health of Oregonians and the economy, the Governor explained. “Oregon’s quality of life and our diverse natural resource base are among our greatest assets,” he added. “When I work on recruiting economic opportunities for our state, I look for companies that complement—not compete with—maintaining these values.”Many people overlook the relationship between the state’s environment and its economy, the Governor said, and competing interest groups often argue that Oregonians can have either but not both—a healthy environment and a robust economy. “It’s quite the contrary,” the Governor said. “A healthy environment helps us strengthen our economy.”The Governor pointed out recent findings by a group of Pacific Northwest economists who examined scientific reports on the effects of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. The economists warned of damage to the economy in eight key sectors if global warming continues unchecked.Two years ago, the Governor created an Advisory Council on Global Warming, to which he appointed a diverse group of citizens with backgrounds in business, agriculture, ranching, academics and environmental issues. He instructed the Advisory Council to study the effects of global warming on Oregon, and to identify ways to curb those effects.
The threat of global warming is real—not idle speculation
Governor Kulongoski
The Advisory Council’s recommendations included goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which the Governor announced last spring, including stricter vehicle emission standards for Oregon.If Oregon adopts stricter emission standards for cars and small trucks beginning with the 2009 model year, the state can reduce harmful carbon emissions by 13-18 percent, the Governor said. Such standards would allow reductions up to 30 percent over the next 25 years.“If we do nothing, our trend of increasing emissions will continue to grow at approximately 1.6 percent a year,” the Governor warned.The Governor foresees other benefits to stricter standards, including better fuel efficiency and new economic opportunities. But educating citizens and decision-makers about the harmful effects of global warming on their lives is a major challenge, the Governor said. He pledged to continue working with the Legislature to improve the public’s understanding and to take decisive action to curb global warming.The Governor called for expanding two existing programs to improve air quality in Oregon. The first is the “Air Toxics Program,” which is a national model for reducing toxic emissions from industry, motor vehicles, and many small sources that collectively pose greater health risks than industrial sources. Many of these contribute to fine-particle pollution, haze and greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing “air toxics” will help protect human health, curb global warming, and provide clearer air, the Governor said. The Governor also called for strengthening the “Oregon Clean Diesel Initiative,” which seeks to reduce harmful emissions from the most significant source of air toxics in the state—diesel fuel combustion products. He highlighted other technologies and techniques that can reduce diesel use, including an initiative he launched a year ago—anti-idling technologies at truck stops, which will cut down on diesel emissions.Bio-diesel is another tool that offers “enormous” economic benefits, as well as environmental benefits, the Governor said.For the text of the Governor’s remarks, go to:
http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/speech/speech_122205.shtml
Vermont joins global warming fight
Published: Thursday, December 22, 2005As the nation goes its own way on climate change, Vermont and six other states have stepped forward to join the global movement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Bravo for the Northeast states that agreed this week to do their part to cut the carbon dioxide emissions that are blamed for global warming.This is the right side to be on -- especially in light of the U.S. Department of Energy's discouraging report that the nation's greenhouse gas emissions increased 2 percent last year. Put in context, that's an extra 130 million metric tons of pollution entering the atmosphere, according to the National Environmental Trust. Not only are the seven Northeast states proposing concrete action in their own region, they are sending a message to Washington and the world that -- unlike the federal government -- they want to be part of the solution to global warming, not part of the problem. The other states joining Vermont in signing on to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative were New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire and New Jersey. Rhode Island and Massachusetts pulled out of the agreement, citing economic concerns. New York Gov. George Pataki, who spearheaded the regional agreement, has said that the regional market-based plan to reduce pollution might increase the annual household electricity bill by about $3 to $21. That seems like a small price to pay. The Northeast states' announcement came on the heels of a two-week United Nations climate conference in Montreal at which the United States stood out for its resolute refusal to agree to mandatory reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. Most industrialized nations signed on to begin negotiating a second round of reduction targets to follow the Kyoto Protocol, which ends in 2012. The United States should be part of this effort, and the Northeast states are showing they can lead the way. Vermont does not have coal-fired utilities, and only a small share of our power comes from out-of-state plants fired by fossil fuels -- major sources of carbon dioxide. But Vermont's participation is more than symbolic. This is a serious attempt by Vermont and the other states to make a commitment as a united region, and to follow through on promises made by the New England governors and premiers of the eastern Canadian provinces in 2001 to clean up their own back yards before calling for the Midwest power plants to clean up theirs. The reduction targets will require significant changes -- from improved efficiency to greater investment in renewable energy.Vermont is a green state that values conservation, efficiency and renewable energy alternatives that make sense for Vermont. As the state approaches a crossroads with the end of contracts with Vermont Yankee and Hydro Quebec, the regional push to reduce carbon dioxide emissions will help focus the debate on future energy sources. Gov. Jim Douglas is in the right place as he moves forward with a Commission on Climate Change to devise plans to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. He is also in the right place when he says Vermont is a special state that requires "Vermont-scale" energy solutions.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051222/OPINION/512220322/1006&theme=
Paris plant hit by tornado shutting down
PARIS, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. - Mohon International, whose plant was severely damaged by a tornado last month, will close the facility and leave more than 300 people without a job.Company officials said the cost to rebuild was not practical.The final closing date is Feb. 17, but some employees have already been laid off.The plant, which has 135,000 square feet, manufactures furniture.Storms Nov. 15 swept across West and Middle Tennessee. There were no deaths and but major property damage, especially in Henry and Montgomery counties.
http://www.southernstandard.net/news.php?viewStory=26653
Stratford family still recovering from tornado
STRATFORD - For many Stratford families, the stress of the holiday season will be topped off by the effort in deciding what else needs to be done in the aftermath of the tornado that ripped through their town in November.Unfamiliar living situations, belongings still unpacked and in disarray, dealing with insurance agents and rebuilding homes are a just a few things on their minds."I love Christmas and this time of year ... especially getting to decorate the house," said Tricia Rose, of Stratford. "But this year I could care if it comes or goes."Rose said it is difficult to look forward to holiday events after the tornado rocked her home in early November. Most of the roof blew off, and a breezeway and garage were shredded and scattered across town.
http://www.zwire.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=15793709&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554314&rfi=6
Dane County Exectuive Falk: Announces Funds for Tornado Relief
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Contact: Topf Wells, (608) 266-9069, or Steve Steinhoff, (608) 266-4270
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Contact: Topf Wells, (608) 266-9069, or Steve Steinhoff, (608) 266-4270 Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk announced today that $60,000 in grant funds are available to help towns, villages and cities pay for tornado debris removal costs. The storm, which occurred in late August 2005, affected the Towns of Dunn, Pleasant Springs, Christiana, Rutland, Dunkirk, and a portion of the City of Stoughton. The grants are made available through the County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. “Dane County has worked hard to provide whatever assistance we can to the residents and communities hurt by the tornado. “With tight budgets for local governments, tornado clean-up costs have severely strained local budgets. Although federal CDBG rules restrict what we can do, I am glad that we can offer partial reimbursement for the communities’ clean-up costs,” said Falk. She commented briefly on the decision by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) decision, released the previous day, to deny Wisconsin communities, including aid for the tornado damage. “State, county, local governments and thousands of volunteers are working together to help the citizens and communities hurt by the tornadoes. FEMA should have joined us in this effort; I think they made a big mistake.” Cities, villages, and towns in the tornado area are encouraged to apply for assistance under the tornado relief program by January 20, 2006. Applications will be mailed to the affected communities and also are available on the county's website: www.co.dane.wi.us. Under the federal rules, communities can apply for reimbursement of the costs for their public employees to remove storm debris from public right of way.For additional information about this program, contact Steve Steinhoff at 608- 266-4270 or Steinhoff@co.dane.wi.us.
http://www.wisdems.org/ht/display/ReleaseDetails/i/718988
Secret Santa Helps Family HitBy August Tornado
After 25 years in the farming business, Jim and Cindy Ace say they were finally content. Both were able to quit jobs in town to work their family farm full time. They had 17 buildings, and harvested corn, tobacco and soybeans. That was before August 18th.
The tornado that swept through the Stoughton area during the states worst tornado outbreak ever, took out 13 of their 17 buildings, and damaged the rest. The tornado plucked 3 of the 4 silos, and after spinning them in the air, crushed them like tin cans. Once the dust settled, the Aces crunched the numbers. After insurance, they were $75,000 - $125,000 short of what they needed to rebuild. The couple was back to square one, and considering all the options, including other jobs, even though they say, they just want to run the farm.
After FEMA denied federal aid to Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ran a story featuring the Aces, who said a low interest loan they may have been eligible for with a FEMA disaster declaration would be a "godsend". An anonymous donor saw the article, and contacted the Salvation Army, asking them to hand over a check.
The Aces first saw the check's amount of $20,000 during a news conference and Cindy immediately shed tears. "I've always told our kids that farming builds character and this will built A LOT of character!" She said.
For more information on the original 27 News report, and follow-up stories, click on ''Read the news archives'' or the ''27 News Vault''.
http://www.wkowtv.com/index.php/news/story/p/pkid/22917
Wintry weather makes a mess around metro
Freezing rain brings power outages, school closings and flight delaysBy MIKE MORRISPublished on: 12/15/05
Icy rain that fell across North Georgia early today broke tree limbs, cut electricity to more than 150,000 utility customers and forced some school districts to cancel or delay classes one day before many schools closed for Christmas break.
Classes were canceled in at least eight North Georgia school systems, and some parents in other counties packed their children off to school, only to have the students sent home early because of power outages.
Forsyth County schools delayed opening and then closed all together as reports came in of the outages, said schools spokeswoman Jennifer Carracciolo. Carracciolo said trees were coated with ice in the county, which has 24 schools and about 24,500 students.
The county's high schools postponed Thursday's missed final exams until Jan. 5, according to the schools' Web sites. Students will take their regularly scheduled final exams on Friday.
Schools were also closed Thursday in the city of Gainesville and in Banks, Dawson, Habersham, Lumpkin, Pickens and White counties north of Atlanta, while school officials in Hall County delayed opening for two hours.
In the City of Atlanta, Warren T. Jackson Elementary School and Sutton Middle School were closed because of power outages, but other schools in the system were open, said Joe Manguno, spokesman for Atlanta Public Schools.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/1205/15ice.html
Conference puts focus on global warming threat
Posted: December 16, 2005 by: Shannon Burns / Today correspondent MONTREAL - Hundreds of international experts and leaders - including many from First Nations communities in Canada - brought the urgency of a changing climate to the attention of the world at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Montreal in early December. The 11-day conference was a U.N. initiative to encourage preventive measures against global warming. Representatives from the Assembly of First Nations made up part of the American Indian congregation at the conference, which included many Inuit officials as well as men and women from various Native-geared organizations. The ambitions of those in attendance were unified. According to research and predictions outlined and discussed at the convention, climate change is real. Introducing the conference, UNCCC organizers wrote, ''The world's climate has always varied naturally, but compelling evidence from around the world indicated that a new kind of climate change is now under way, foreshadowing drastic impacts on people, economies and ecosystems.''
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096412126
TEN YEARS OF GLOBAL WARMING
A pattern of more intense global warming over the past decade has been confirmed by temperatures over the past twelve months that confirm that 2005 was one of the hottest years on record. According to data released by the United Nation's World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) this year is the second warmest ever, with an increase of 0.48 degrees Celsius. The WMO uses 1961-1990 annual average surface temperature as the benchmark for climate change measurements. In a year marked by record hurricanes in the Caribbean and melting ice floes in the Arctic, the WMO said the world experienced the warmest months of June and October ever, surpassing those recorded in 1998 and 2004 respectively. Gaps in data and outstanding readings for the final weeks of 2005 mean that this year overall could vary from being the warmest ever to being the eighth warmest when the final figure is released next February. "It could well be that this ranking could be modified but we are very confident that it will end up in the four warmest years," said WMO Secretary General Michel Jarraud. "In the northern hemisphere it will be the warmest year on record and in the southern hemisphere we anticipate that it will be the fourth warmest on record," he said.
http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=126351®ion=3
Scientists Sound Warning on Global Warming
Why Santa May Soon Need a Boat -- But It's No Joke
Dec. 15, 2005 -- NASA has just announced that for the fourth year in a row, it has recorded the hottest annual global temperatures since reliable records started in the late 1800s.
This year, 2005, tied for the hottest year ever with 1998 — and 1998 was "an El Niño of the Century year — and El Niños always make it hotter. If this had been an El Niño year, it would surely have been the hottest year of all," Dr. James Hansen, NASA earth sciences director, told ABC News.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Science/story?id=1407585
Global warming becomes a threat for Santa
London - Santa Claus may have to swap his sleigh for waterwings sooner than expected as global warming melts his Arctic home, environmental group WWF said on Friday.A new study for the organisation formerly known as the Worldwide Fund for Nature predicts that the earth could warm by two degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels as early as 2026 - and by triple that amount in the Arctic."This... could result in Santa's home changing forever," said the report by Mark New of Oxford University.And Rudolph and his fellow reindeer are not the only creatures under threat - polar bears, ice-dwelling seals and several forms of Arctic vegetation are also at risk.
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=qw113465142232B251
Thunderstorms lash Gold Coast
13dec05DANGEROUS thunderstorms have battered parts of south-east Queensland with golf ball sized hailstones and destructive winds.The Bureau of Meteorology said Rathdowney, near Beaudesert, south-west of Brisbane, was the hardest hit around 3.30pm (AEST) today.
In the Gold Coast hinterland Laravale and Kooralbyn were also struck by severe thunderstorms, it said.
The storm front was expected to lash Coomera, Logan Village, Beenleigh and Jacobs Wells – all south of Brisbane.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17557392%255E1702,00.html
Thunderstorms hammering the country
12 December 2005
Thunderstorms have been drenching the country over the weekend and will continue to do so for the rest of this week, MetService is predicting.
Meteorologists have issued a special weather advisory on thunderstorms for Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taupo, Taranaki, Taihape, Wanganui, Manawatu, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, and Wairarapa.
"The Tasman Sea is a breeding ground for troughs of low pressure at present, MetService spokesman Bob McDavitt said.
"The large high-pressure area east of New Zealand is blocking the normal flow of the weather, and this combination is keeping humid northerlies over the country until this weekend."
Over the weekend thundery showers brought 70 millimetres of rain to Taupo. One thunderstorm turned streets into canals in Palmerston North and another dumped 27 millimetres in an hour over Lumsden.
"These thundery showers may not have been very numerous in the north so far, but they have been bringing decent dollops of rain here and there.
"These can result in rapid surface flooding especially in and near mountain streams," Mr McDavitt said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3509531a11,00.html
Tornado tax break in works
By MARK WILSON Courier & Press staff writer 464-7417 or mwilson@evansville.netDecember 10, 2005
Some tornado-stricken industries in Warrick County will have to wait until after the first of the year to apply for tax breaks on rebuilding.
The County Council met in a special session during Thursday night's snowstorm to consider making the Warrick Research and Industrial Center, a privately developed industrial park located north of Vann Road, an Economic Revitalization Area. The council voted 4-1 to approve it on first reading. Council President Gary Meyer, who routinely opposes tax abatements, was the only vote against the measure on first reading.
http://www.courierpress.com/ecp/news/article/0,1626,ECP_734_4304738,00.html
US walks out of climate change talks as 150 nations move forward to adopt Kyoto
By Andrew Buncombe in Montreal
Published: 10 December 2005 The Bush administration's unwillingness to seriously confront global warming was increasingly at odds with the rest of the world last night as more than 150 other nations were poised to move forward with the Kyoto protocol.
The US faced widespread condemnation after persistently rejecting even the mildest commitment to deal with climate change at the UN talks in Montreal.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article332206.ece
Cameron pledges tough measures on climate change
By George Jones, Political Editor(Filed: 10/12/2005)
David Cameron promised yesterday that under his leadership the Conservative Party would be ready to take the "tough decisions" needed to cut Britain's greenhouse gas emissions to combat global warming.
He appointed Zac Goldsmith, an environmental and anti-globalisation campaigner, and John Gummer, a former Conservative environment secretary, to take charge of a new policy group looking at quality of life issues.
Mr Cameron has highlighted the environment, and in particular climate change, as key concerns that he feels the Conservatives have previously neglected.
He launched the policy review group at the London Wetland Centre bird reserve where he met members of Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12/10/ntory10.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/12/10/ixportal.html
Clinton addresses climate change meeting
MONTREAL, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Former President Bill Clinton made a surprise appearance Friday at the Montreal meeting on climate change, offering a compromise on the next steps.
The meeting ended with the United States and China refusing to curb emissions of greenhouse gases, the New York Times reported.
In his speech, Clinton suggested that environmentalists are pushing too much for hard targets for reduction. But he also rebuked the Bush administration for its attitude on the issue.
"There is no more important place in the world to apply the principle of precaution than the area of climate change," he said, after pointing out that the administration has adopted a precautionary attitude to terrorism.
The United States and Australia have not signed the Kyoto Treaty, which requires reductions in emissions from advanced industrial countries.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/?feed=TopNews&article=UPI-1-20051209-21330000-bc-canada-climatechange.xml
Slow climate change, indigenous people urge
Last Updated Fri, 09 Dec 2005 13:26:32 EST
CBC News
Indigenous people from around the circumpolar world are calling on nations to commit to tougher cuts on greenhouse gas emissions as a two-week climate conference in Montreal draws to an end Friday.
Ministers and government officials from more than 180 countries have been negotiating at the United Nations conference.
Indigenous leaders say the Arctic is seen as the early warning system for the rest of the world. As they watch changes in their local areas, they're not sure all the countries are hearing the alarm.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/national/2005/12/09/climate-call051209.html
Washington furious over Martin's climate change comments
Last Updated Fri, 09 Dec 2005 14:57:23 EST
CBC News
The White House has officially complained about Prime Minister Paul Martin's comments this week at the climate change conference in Montreal.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2005/12/09/katrina-global-warming-bush-martin.html
The Montreal Climate Change Conference
What got done
CBC News Online Dec. 12, 2005Climate change experts are far-sighted. They are thinking 20, 30, 40 years into the future. So with the Kyoto Protocol expiring in 2012, there's a sense of urgency when it comes to reducing the emissions that are cited as causing climate change.
That's why the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change organized the Montreal Climate Change Conference, which was held between Nov. 28 and Dec. 9, 2005.
The UN-organized conference gathered all the parties in the Kyoto Protocol – and then some. Approximately 190 nations were represented by the 8,000 delegates – the largest intergovernmental climate gathering since 1997, when the Kyoto Protocol was adopted. That's when 146 countries promised to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
It all boils down to gas emissions. Power plants, factories and personal vehicles emit a mixture of gases that trap heat in Earth's atmosphere, hence the term global warming.
Taking it beyond Kyoto But as the conference progressed, it looked as though it would end without a deal on going beyond Kyoto, on continuing the process of reducing greenhouse gases after 2012.
That changed in the early hours of Dec. 10 after the conference was supposed to officially wrap up. A deal was worked out, an agreement that is being called "the Montreal Action Plan."
"This is a major, major deal and a major historic day, to see this agreement going ahead," said Catherine Pearce, a climate change campaigner with Friends of the Earth International.
The new agreement extends the life of the 1997 Kyoto treaty, which came into effect on Feb. 16, 2005.
It legally bound participating developed countries to cut their combined greenhouse gas emissions to five per cent below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012.
In another significant step, a number of countries that did not ratify Kyoto – including Australia and the United States – have agreed to non-binding talks on a climate-change agreement that will eventually replace Kyoto.
Among the deal's highlights:
A call for binding commitments to cut greenhouse emissions beyond 2012 when the current Kyoto Protocol expires.
A working group of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol will report to each annual session of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto's parent treaty.
Members would have seven years to negotiate and ratify accords by the time the first phase ends in 2012.
The deal does not set emissions reductions targets for developing countries like China and India, but provides mechanisms through which they can get access to clean technology and financing for climate-friendly projects.
Beyond Kyoto is scheduled to get on track in May 2006, when officials are to meet to begin to carry out the "Montreal Action Plan."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/kyoto/
Kyoto Protocol may have no future
11:02 29/ 12/ 2005
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti commentator Tatyana Sinitsina.) 2005 began very favorably for the Kyoto Protocol but has gradually changed from positive to pessimistic.
The first international project aimed at lowering man's pressure on the atmosphere and stop climate change may have no future. Its outlook for 2006 is grim, as many experts say the unique document is hanging in the balance.
There are many reasons for such pessimistic forecasts, said Sergei Kurayev of the Russian Ecological Center, who attended the recent 11th Conference of the 189 Parties to the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Montreal.
"Take the no-budge stance of the U.S. administration, who does not want to hear the words Kyoto protocol," he said. "The Americans said before coming to Montreal that they would attend only the 11th conference of the Climate Change Convention but not the 1st Conference of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. In my opinion, Russia's procrastination with drafting the institutional base for the protocol has had its negative effect too."
However, the parties have made progress in Montreal although delegates from 150 states fought tooth and nail to defend their interests, unwilling to budge an inch. But conference participants approved the so-called Marrakech Accords, which specify measures needed to put the protocol into effect, including how greenhouse gas emissions are measured, joint projects implemented, quotas traded, and so on. They also stipulate additional quotas for forest powers ("oxygen sink"), which concerns Russia directly.
Approval of the Marrakech Accords will give the green light to the protocol as an effective international document of the UN. However, the delegations have not coordinated the individual obligations of each party, without which no movement is possible.
Debates on beginning talks on the second stage of the protocol's obligations after 2012 proved extremely difficult. Parties involved in the issue have no common understanding of the talks' format and rules of procedure nor have they put forth any practical proposals. Eventually they decided to set up a special working group that would formulate future commitments and a mechanism of voluntary accession by non-Kyoto countries.
Montreal gave the Kyoto Protocol a chance to start working towards full capacity. But how large can this capacity be without the United States, China and India, who are the main emitters of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere? The chances of involving them in the Kyoto process are slim, and the enthusiasm of the European Union, even if supported by Russia, is clearly not enough.
Americans say that they are taking national measures to reduce dangerous emissions. And India and China claim that they need to catch up with the world's industrialized countries at all costs. This leaves little chance for the Kyoto Protocol.
http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20051229/42776276.html
THE MARRAKECH ACCORDS
Donald GoldbergKatherine Silverthorne
After the collapse of climate change negotiations in The Hague, Netherlands, in November of 2000, many thought the Kyoto Protocol was doomed to fail. However, eight months later in Bonn, Germany, countries were able to pick up the pieces and resume negotiations with renewed momentum. The Bonn negotiations resulted in a political agreement that set forth broad-brush guidelines on key issues including the flexible mechanisms, "sinks," funding, and compliance. While this agreement insured continued momentum in the negotiations, it left many details to be finalized.
The Seventh Conference of the Parties (COP7) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), held in Marrakech, Morocco, in October of 2001 was tasked with finalizing the underlying legal texts for the Bonn Agreement and setting in place the accounting system for the Kyoto Protocol. This task was completed and the finalized texts are all contained in the 245-page Marrakech Accords. A draft of the Marrakech Accords can be found at
http://www.unfccc.de/cop7/documents/accords_draft.pdf.
THE MARRAKECH ACCORDS/Declaration
http://unfccc.int/cop7/accords_draft.pdf
Clinton scathing of Bush stance on global warming
As the US delegation at the Montreal summit walked away from entering a dialogue with other countries about global warming, former president Bill Clinton warned yesterday: "We will have meetings like this in 40 years' time on a raft somewhere unless we do something." Frank McDonald in Montreal reports.
In a rousing speech at a side event organised by the Sierra Club of Canada at the UN climate change conference, he said it was "crazy to play games with our children's future" by failing to take actions that would "give us all a chance to share the planet together".
Mr Clinton told an enthusiastic audience of delegates and other participants in the conference that "millions and millions of jobs" could be created in the developed and developing worlds by investing in alternative technologies, such as solar, wind and geo-thermal energy.
In a scathing attack on the Bush administration's negative stance on global warming, the former president said one of the big obstacles to making progress was the "old energy economy which is well-organised, well-financed and well-connected politically".
Referring to the fact that 192 American mayors had committed their cities to making deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, Mr Clinton said countries could do the same.
Even if they couldn't agree on specific targets, there was no reason not to take action.
"We have a heavy obligation because we know now what's happening to the climate and we also know we have alternatives," he declared.
But as Machiavelli had said, "there is nothing so difficult in human affairs than to change the established order of things".
Mr Clinton recalled that he "helped to write" the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, but his efforts to secure tax credits for the development of solar energy had been rebuffed.
However, he was sure the Danes were happy that 20 per cent of their electricity now came from wind power.
The former president's speech came on the last day of the summit after delegates had adopted a "rule book" to make Kyoto work and sought to reach agreement on a bland declaration to hold more talks on how to deal with the dangers posed by climate change.
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2005/1210/1779733406HM1FRANK.html
