You really have to wonder where December is. It was briefly cold on Friday and Saturday, but now things are back above normal again.
This is certainly affecting the whole nation, as there really aint much cold air at all, and as we go into mid-December, with highs in the mid 50s each day (10 degrees above normal) one really has to wonder when winter will get here at all.
Back in the 80s when I was a kid, you'd see the last insects out by mid October and they would be away till May.
By now temps would be in the 30s and 40s, if there were 50s it would be a brief spell. This season, it has been in the 50s most of the time. It is a huge temperature anomoly. And because of this, the bugs have never gone away. Would you believe I picked up a tick last week in Robert Cushman preserve in Ridge? Usually they're gone by now. Fortunately I saw it on my pants and removed it.
Winter is usually my time of the year for the woods. If it doesn't get cold and STAY COLD, ticks and pine flies will bug me throughout the winter.
And last winter (if you can call it a winter) I had to deal with pine flies in January. Nuts!
Long Island used to have a climate more akin to New England, but recently, it seems we are much more like the mid-Atlantic. I do believe global warming has alot to do with it. The weather patterns, esp the jet stream, have been quite abnormal. There is a Pacific jet stream, racing from west to east across the northern tier of the nation. This is keeping the cold air in Canada for the most part. Even up in Chicago it is in the 50s. 15-20 degrees above normal! And it will stay that way indefinately, there's no let up in sight.
I'm sick of turning on the TV and hearing them say how wonderful this is. It's like they are in dreamland or something. If you like warm weather, fine, enjoy the summer or move south. I think it's being kept out of the headlines in the interests of big oil, which wants to make sure nothing can discourage you from keep burning those fossil fuels, and driving those big chunks of metal.
It doesn't feel like Christmastime when it is warm like this. People need to wake up and see what is going on! Warming like this will have devastating impacts on the environment, even in the Pine Barrens. With insects being out year round, expect trees to suffer more infestations. A mild winter last year was part of the reason why many of the oak trees in the pine barrens were defoliated. In parts of Flanders, it was so bad with all the trees bare except for the pines, because the gypsy moth caterpillars were able to reproduce more, because of the mild winter.
Tropical species will move north. Stuff like fire ants, scorpions, black widow spiders, will invade. God knows what that will do to native pine barrens species. The warmth will act as a catalyst to ruin our waterways even faster and aid oxygen starvation. Fish used to cold water temps will die off. .
People really need to think about this, instead of joking about it.
But if this is the future, I will have to move north. I like cold crisp air, no bugs in winter, amd being able to hike in the winter without worrying about ticks. Maybe Maine is in my future. Today it was sunny with a high around 28F up there, with snow on the ground.
Only you can help reverse this. Don't use more energy than you need. That means compact flourescents, which are almost as cheap as light bulbs now, but last 10 times longer and use 1/4 of the energy. That means getting rid of that big slab of metal you drive, and getting a fuel efficient car or wagon. Large SUV's, like the Chevy Tahoe and it's bretheren get less than half the gas milage of a regular car, and put out 5 times as much carbon dioxide, because of old heavy truck engine design and heavy truck frames. Unless you have a business or go off road, you dont need a truck. 95% of folks who buy these things dont go near the woods. And folks in the Rockies, even with all the snow they get, drive 4WD cars. Better gas milage and they get through the snow just fine. Even if you go off road, anything more than a jeep is overkill. Besides, stuff like the Tahoe is so heavy it will get stuck alot.
People need to lower their carbon footprints. Remember, you get what you give. That's all I can say. I'd like to see this pattern reverse and LI's climate return to it's normal, temperate self, but whether it's in our hands or not, I certainly believe it's a lot better we don't risk our future. But in the end, it's up to the majority. And so far, they don't hear the message nature is sending them.
This is certainly affecting the whole nation, as there really aint much cold air at all, and as we go into mid-December, with highs in the mid 50s each day (10 degrees above normal) one really has to wonder when winter will get here at all.
Back in the 80s when I was a kid, you'd see the last insects out by mid October and they would be away till May.
By now temps would be in the 30s and 40s, if there were 50s it would be a brief spell. This season, it has been in the 50s most of the time. It is a huge temperature anomoly. And because of this, the bugs have never gone away. Would you believe I picked up a tick last week in Robert Cushman preserve in Ridge? Usually they're gone by now. Fortunately I saw it on my pants and removed it.
Winter is usually my time of the year for the woods. If it doesn't get cold and STAY COLD, ticks and pine flies will bug me throughout the winter.
And last winter (if you can call it a winter) I had to deal with pine flies in January. Nuts!
Long Island used to have a climate more akin to New England, but recently, it seems we are much more like the mid-Atlantic. I do believe global warming has alot to do with it. The weather patterns, esp the jet stream, have been quite abnormal. There is a Pacific jet stream, racing from west to east across the northern tier of the nation. This is keeping the cold air in Canada for the most part. Even up in Chicago it is in the 50s. 15-20 degrees above normal! And it will stay that way indefinately, there's no let up in sight.
I'm sick of turning on the TV and hearing them say how wonderful this is. It's like they are in dreamland or something. If you like warm weather, fine, enjoy the summer or move south. I think it's being kept out of the headlines in the interests of big oil, which wants to make sure nothing can discourage you from keep burning those fossil fuels, and driving those big chunks of metal.
It doesn't feel like Christmastime when it is warm like this. People need to wake up and see what is going on! Warming like this will have devastating impacts on the environment, even in the Pine Barrens. With insects being out year round, expect trees to suffer more infestations. A mild winter last year was part of the reason why many of the oak trees in the pine barrens were defoliated. In parts of Flanders, it was so bad with all the trees bare except for the pines, because the gypsy moth caterpillars were able to reproduce more, because of the mild winter.
Tropical species will move north. Stuff like fire ants, scorpions, black widow spiders, will invade. God knows what that will do to native pine barrens species. The warmth will act as a catalyst to ruin our waterways even faster and aid oxygen starvation. Fish used to cold water temps will die off. .
People really need to think about this, instead of joking about it.
But if this is the future, I will have to move north. I like cold crisp air, no bugs in winter, amd being able to hike in the winter without worrying about ticks. Maybe Maine is in my future. Today it was sunny with a high around 28F up there, with snow on the ground.
Only you can help reverse this. Don't use more energy than you need. That means compact flourescents, which are almost as cheap as light bulbs now, but last 10 times longer and use 1/4 of the energy. That means getting rid of that big slab of metal you drive, and getting a fuel efficient car or wagon. Large SUV's, like the Chevy Tahoe and it's bretheren get less than half the gas milage of a regular car, and put out 5 times as much carbon dioxide, because of old heavy truck engine design and heavy truck frames. Unless you have a business or go off road, you dont need a truck. 95% of folks who buy these things dont go near the woods. And folks in the Rockies, even with all the snow they get, drive 4WD cars. Better gas milage and they get through the snow just fine. Even if you go off road, anything more than a jeep is overkill. Besides, stuff like the Tahoe is so heavy it will get stuck alot.
People need to lower their carbon footprints. Remember, you get what you give. That's all I can say. I'd like to see this pattern reverse and LI's climate return to it's normal, temperate self, but whether it's in our hands or not, I certainly believe it's a lot better we don't risk our future. But in the end, it's up to the majority. And so far, they don't hear the message nature is sending them.
