I thought I would pass this on to anyone that might be interested. It's a picture of Donner Pass, taken on January 31, 2015. Donner Pass is infamous for the plight of the Donner Party, a group of pioneers moving west. They got stuck in the mountains due to the heavy snowfall and had to spend the winter in the mountains. They ran out of supplies and, at least some of them, resorted to eating the party members that had already died.
This winter, Donner Pass, the same one that trapped those people with heavy snow, is completely snow free. In the linked image above you can see the snow line on the mountains in the distance.The latest report by the California Department of Water Resources from March 3 found the snowpack to be only 19% of the long-term average.
The first time I went through Donner Pass was the winter of 1982 and I barely made it. There was a lot of snow on the ground and more was falling. The Interstate was closed within a few hours of my passing through. Not any more.
Ted Cruz just jumped in the Presidential race. I'm sure you're quite familiar with his denialist tendencies. He's a far better snake oil salesman than Scott is, too.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I am familiar with Cruz. I saw an article recently that said every potential Republican candidate denies evolution and climate change. The party that rejects science.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who doesn't accept evolution or climate change lacks the ability to make reasonable judgements in the face of overwhelming evidence. They should have no role in executive decision making. In fact, I've argued that people who reject either or both sciences should not be allowed to serve on a jury.
ReplyDeleteI would say that I will move out of the country if Cruz gets elected. But I have a feeling that my property in northeast Ohio is going to be prime beachfront real estate in a couple of years, especially if he has any role in climate policy.
I have refused to allow some students to do research with me due to the fact they were creationists. If they reject science once, I can't trust them not to do it again.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.academia.edu/7905284/Thorbjoern_Mann_Mapping_a_Climate_Change_Discussion
ReplyDeleteHey Dr. Keating, I wonder what your take is on this article.
I exchanged a number of emails with the author about this issue. Personally, I don't see the benefit of his work, but it isn't my specialty. It is kind of interesting to see how he mapped everything, but as a scientist I want to see a conclusion at the end of the paper. Still, I think its a pretty impressive work. The author put a lot of work and thought into it.
ReplyDeleteI well remember the Tule fog from my time in Davis during the early 1980's and trips through the central valley going home to Ventura County. As I recall, "pea soup" would have been thinner.
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