Think about this...

[Morticia]

I used to live in SD, snow? Where in SD?

[Pumpkin_Man]

Morticia, San Diego is in the Southern most part of California, almost on the Mexican boarder. That's why snow or temps cold enough for snow is so freaky. It's so far South, it has to be something that only occurs every 100 years or so.

And last March, a month that is usualy cold and rainy, and often snowy, we had temps here in Illinois in the high 80s. I actualy had to run my air conditioning on St. Patrick's Day last year, and it wasn't even spring yet.

Mike

[Murfreesboro]

Yeah, the weather has been weird the last couple of years, although I recall a particularly snowy winter in TN four years ago. I honestly think it is too soon for people to be certain that the climate is definitely changing. As a matter of fact, it was so extremely cold in the late '70s that I recall serious discussion of a new ice age! Around here, we recently had some record-setting warm temps for January, breaking records that had been set decades ago by one or two degrees. But then, that just shows that all those years ago (1920s?), it was also unseasonably warm. We also know from the fossil record that earth's climate has changed dramatically over the millennia. So even if we are in a period of climate change, that doesn't mean we human beings made it happen.

[Morticia]

I know Mike. I used to live there.

[NeverMore]

I used to live in SD, snow? Where in SD?

Up until a couple days ago I lived in the Normal Heights/Kensington area, now I'm down by Lemon Grove. Lemon Grove bills itself as the best climate on Earth.

• • • • • 

That was actually hail we had but about 1 inch collected on the ground. Enough to make a small snowman and throw some snowballs at the dog. As you know, it's not unusual for some of the surrounding communities in the higher elevations to get snow but, from what I read, there's only been three or four recorded flurries in the city. It's 80° right now. A bit higher than the norm.

[Demonic Duck]

Halloween Convo: We normally see stuff around late August early September around here and Christmas shows up around the same time(if not earlier in some places)

Climate Convo: Right now it's about 40F outside here in northern New Jersey. We've had a few snow storms and I'm about done with snow for the year. Though while it gets tiring I don't think I could move someplace without the seasons and the snow.

[Pumpkin_Man]

Murf, I tend to agree. I don't think that we are powerful enough to actualy controll the weather, be it by accident or otherwise. I do, however, think that we are doing a lot o harm to our environment, and in some cases we may not see that damage repaired in a thousand life times.

I would like to see energy alternatives for automobiles become practical. I love my Mercury and my Harley, but over the years, a cleaner running hydrogen engine might be the best way.

Mike

[NeverMore]

I would like to see energy alternatives for automobiles become practical.

Something new on the horizon. I've been reading about graphene supercapacitors recently. While they've been around for a bit they've been prohibitively expensive to create. A recent happy little accident in the lab may have come up with a way to make them cheap and use them with our current electronics. If testing proves out, this can change the world. A few seconds to charge your phone, a few minutes to charge your car.

[Demonic Duck]

That's awesome Nevermore hopefully we see that come to fruition.

[Pumpkin_Man]

Here's the problem with electric cars as I see it. Cars not only have an engine, but they also have lights, heat, air conditioning and in most cases a stereo. There is a type of a hydrogen fuel cell car that extracts electriity through reverse electrolisys, that could make it possible for all those systems to work and you can get 300 or 400 miles before having to fuel up with hydrogen. A lot of electric cars and hybrids boast that they can go 300 miles on a single charge, but everytime I talk to a car dealor about the milage with using lights, climate control and stereo, they don't seem to have any answers. You can probably get 300 miles on a single charge, IF you don't play the stereo, use air conditioning or heat, or lights. The problem is, there's no way you can go without head at this time of the year where I live. It's the same deal with aic conditioning. I can probably do without the air if temps arenot too hot, but when we get 90s and 100s, we have to use it. Also, if I drive at night, I have to use head lights, and all day long, turn signals and break lights. That also takes joice out of the batteries. And, of course, I love to play music while driving to work. I doubt that any electric vehicle could ever get me 300 miles if I have to heat, use lights and listen to music.

Perhaps your capacitor could be the answer to those problems, but for now, I think the hybrids are more practicle, as they have a gasoline engine as a back up when the battery runs down.

Mike

[witchy]

I used to live in SD, snow? Where in SD?

Up until a couple days ago I lived in the Normal Heights/Kensington area, now I'm down by Lemon Grove. Lemon Grove bills itself as the best climate on Earth.

• • • • • 

That was actually hail we had but about 1 inch collected on the ground. Enough to make a small snowman and throw some snowballs at the dog. As you know, it's not unusual for some of the surrounding communities in the higher elevations to get snow but, from what I read, there's only been three or four recorded flurries in the city. It's 80° right now. A bit higher than the norm.

Okay rub it in , we got 6 inch of snow last week, and it's been raining, flurrying and sleeting ever since, Highs in the thirties and the night in the twenties, UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Demonic Duck]

Witchy hang in there I think it's going to start getting warmer soon. I hope so because the temps here are similar to yours and while I'm pretty good about the cold I am growing tired of it.

[Pumpkin_Man]

Like I've said before, I'm ready for motorcyeling, warm weather, motorcycling, 'haunted road trips,' motorcycling, going to the beach, motorcycling, the 4th of July and fireworks, motorcycling, and my Birthday, motorcycling and a whole host of other Spring and Summer time fun.

I can't wait to barbecue my first Standing Rib Roast!

Mike

[witchy]

Thanks DD!!

Mike I can't wait either, come on spring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pumpkin_Man]

Right now it's snowing and in the mid 20s, but at least it's finaly March. Things can only go uphill from this point on.

Mike