Wish I Had More to Write About
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Agate hunters enjoying the February sunshine along the Washington coast. I included my shadow just to show you there WAS sunshine!!NOWCAST - Not too much to write home about this week with a rather dull weather pattern present. Fair skies today, rain Wednesday, fair Thursday and so on. Nothing major of mix of clouds, sunshine, fog, and showers the next seven days. Temperatures will ride above seasonal norms except close to seasonal norms during any showery periods.
OUTCAST - Most locations around the great Northwest are running way behind normal for rainfall this month and it doesn't look like the rest of the week will help very much. Looking a head into March, I would think with a fairly moderate La Nina still round we should have a cool and somewhat wet month. However, the past couple of weeks has been acting more like El Nino with a split flow. So, where do we go from here? Guess we will have to wait a bit for more guidance, long range computer models that I have looked at are no help and I am not all that confident in them. So, let's take things a day or two at a time until we see a major change coming our way. Otherwise, status quo.
By now most of you have heard that fellow global warming critic George Taylor is retiring May 1. His name is flying throughout every media possible this week after his announcement last week of his voluntary retirement from the Oregon Climate Service. I want to share an article by Gordon J. Fulks, Ph.D. who lives in Corbett . He holds a doctorate in physics from the University of Chicago, Laboratory for Astrophysics and Space Research. Read Here.
George wrote in his bi-weekly column in the Democrat Herald the following:
Setting the record straight
By now you've probably heard the news. After nearly 19 years at OSU, I'm retiring.
Unfortunately, some things being said (and written) about me are either inaccurate or misleading, so I'm going to take this opportunity to set the record straight.
"Taylor calls himself the state climatologist."
Yes, and I call myself George, because that's what my parents named me. And in 1991, Steve Esbensen, chair of the Atmospheric Sciences Department at OSU, appointed me as State Climatologist.
Originally, the SC position was a federal one, but those were eliminated in 1973. States were urged to appoint their own SC, and Oregon did so in 1978. As in the case of most SC programs, Oregon's position was a faculty appointment at the land grant university. Very few were appointed by governors. Larry Gates, Allan Murphy and Kelly Redmond preceded me as SC at OSU. I arrived here in 1989, when Kelly left. In 1991, when the SC received state funding for the first time, Steve appointed me.
By the way, George Keller of OSU and legislators Cliff Trow and Tony Van Vliet were instrumental in getting funding for the office. Senator Trow sponsored the funding bill.
"Taylor doesn't believe in global warming."
Sure I do, and global cooling as well. Climate varies all the time, on a variety of time scales.
I believe that climate changes as a result of a combination of natural variations and human effects (including, but not limited to, greenhouse gases). But in my opinion, past changes in climate (in Oregon and elsewhere) are more consistent with natural variations than with increases in greenhouse gases.
That doesn't mean things won't change in the future. That doesn't mean we "shouldn't do anything." But based on looking at climate data for many years, I am convinced that the effects of things like tropical Pacific ocean conditions and solar radiation has dominated our climate, at least in the Northwest.
"Taylor was probably asked to resign."
Nope. I'm leaving on my own, and the decision was mine (in consultation with my wife, Cindy, of course). Here's why:
1. In 2003, I was diagnosed with cancer. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation followed. Also baldness (temporarily). Things look great now. But cancer really got my attention!
2. Last summer I turned 60. That got my attention, as well.
I started wondering "shall I keep doing what I'm doing, or do something else for the rest of my career?" I decided on the latter.
I'm going to start a small consulting business. Initially, at least, I'll focus primarily on a type of storm analysis called "Probable Maximum Precipitation" (PMP).
PMP is required whenever a dam or large water containment structure is built or relicensed. PMP helps determine the maximum flood that might be expected, and this in turn determines how big and strong the dam needs to be. A very important application of weather and climate, for sure, and not many scientists are qualified to assess PMP. That will probably keep me busy.
And I'm hoping for other new and interesting pursuits. I may be retiring from OSU, but not from weather and climate studies.
And MVS Editor Hasso Hering has invited me to continue writing my bi-weekly columns, something I have very much enjoyed.
It's been a fun ride, but I'm not going to stop riding. I'm just going to get on a different horse.
Chuckle Quote- "I want to be a weatherman. Seriously, who else gets to be so wrong so often and not get fired? " How many times have I heard this one? Too many thanks.
Love is spelled S-N-O-W- Read here
-- posted by Pat Timm @ 8:52 AM,
