February issue
Sweden had nothing close to a white Christmas, and the Baltic icebreakers were hanging around idle. Then came the devastating January storms that had already played havoc in the rest of Europe where people now are bracing themselves for another summer heat wave like the one that killed thousands in Britain and France a couple of summers ago.
The Nordic countries, in the meantime, are worrying about a new ice age.
The North American west coast was hit by a bad mixture of cold and wind that took out 3 000 trees in Vancouver's Stanley Park, and punctured the gigantic inflated roof of the B.C. Place Stadium, to the measured glee of eastern Canada that was enjoying balmy golf weather While the rising temperatures on the West Coast have been welcomed by the burgeoning wine industry in Oregon, Washington State and British Columbia, in California, a rise of another 4ûC in temperature will, according to some experts, mean the end of wine production in Napa Valley.
Even the continent of Africa experienced unheard of rain and flash floods that wiped out bridges and roads, while, in an ironic twist, not adding anything to the diminishing water flow in the Niger or the Nile or the ever-lowering water table.
The only good thing to come out of this havoc is that Òclimate changeÓ has now become front page news. There are, however, still many politicians and certain media that seem to be in denial and any connection to global warming seems to be taboo in many circles. You have to wonder why. As early as in 2005 various academies of science in 11 countries, including the U.S., in a joint statement declared that "the scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action".
Just like the tobacco companies "manufactured uncertainty" for years about the link between smoking and cancer, the oil lobby is successfully holding off any regulations by maintaining that global warming is unproven. Witness President BushÕs statement that "restrictions on greenhouse gases will destroy the U.S. economy".
With whacky weather now on our door-step, one can only hope that statements like these are seen for what they are and that this year brings a more sober look at what we are doing to our planet.
Have a nice February!
Anders
PS. Swedish Press has helped start a campaign for a Canadian stamp honouring Raoul Wallenberg at a recent Raoul Wallenberg Day in Vancouver. The Swedish diplomat saved as many as 100,000 people condemned to certain death by the Nazis during World War II. Raoul Wallenberg disappeared on January 17, 1945, in Hungary and was subsequently imprisoned in the Soviet Union. An honorary citizen of Canada, USA and Israel, he would have celebrated his 95th birthday this year. Sweden, Israel, USA and many other countries already have stamps in his honour, so now it is CanadaÕs turn. You too can help by writing to the Stamp Advisory Committee of Canada Post Corporation, 2701 Riverside Drive, Suite NO420, Ottawa ON K1A 0B1 asking for a Wallenberg stamp!
The Nordic countries, in the meantime, are worrying about a new ice age.
The North American west coast was hit by a bad mixture of cold and wind that took out 3 000 trees in Vancouver's Stanley Park, and punctured the gigantic inflated roof of the B.C. Place Stadium, to the measured glee of eastern Canada that was enjoying balmy golf weather While the rising temperatures on the West Coast have been welcomed by the burgeoning wine industry in Oregon, Washington State and British Columbia, in California, a rise of another 4ûC in temperature will, according to some experts, mean the end of wine production in Napa Valley.
Even the continent of Africa experienced unheard of rain and flash floods that wiped out bridges and roads, while, in an ironic twist, not adding anything to the diminishing water flow in the Niger or the Nile or the ever-lowering water table.
The only good thing to come out of this havoc is that Òclimate changeÓ has now become front page news. There are, however, still many politicians and certain media that seem to be in denial and any connection to global warming seems to be taboo in many circles. You have to wonder why. As early as in 2005 various academies of science in 11 countries, including the U.S., in a joint statement declared that "the scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action".
Just like the tobacco companies "manufactured uncertainty" for years about the link between smoking and cancer, the oil lobby is successfully holding off any regulations by maintaining that global warming is unproven. Witness President BushÕs statement that "restrictions on greenhouse gases will destroy the U.S. economy".
With whacky weather now on our door-step, one can only hope that statements like these are seen for what they are and that this year brings a more sober look at what we are doing to our planet.
Have a nice February!
Anders
PS. Swedish Press has helped start a campaign for a Canadian stamp honouring Raoul Wallenberg at a recent Raoul Wallenberg Day in Vancouver. The Swedish diplomat saved as many as 100,000 people condemned to certain death by the Nazis during World War II. Raoul Wallenberg disappeared on January 17, 1945, in Hungary and was subsequently imprisoned in the Soviet Union. An honorary citizen of Canada, USA and Israel, he would have celebrated his 95th birthday this year. Sweden, Israel, USA and many other countries already have stamps in his honour, so now it is CanadaÕs turn. You too can help by writing to the Stamp Advisory Committee of Canada Post Corporation, 2701 Riverside Drive, Suite NO420, Ottawa ON K1A 0B1 asking for a Wallenberg stamp!
posted by Nordicway at 3:32 PM
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