El Nino forecast
Here is a brief summary from the Climate Prediction Center. The whole enchilada, dated September 10, is HERE:
SYNOPSIS: El Niño is expected to strengthen and last through the Northern Hemisphere winter 2009-2010.
[…]
…Current conditions, trends, and model forecasts favor the continued development of a weak-to-moderate strength El Niño into the Northern Hemisphere fall 2009, with the likelihood of at least a moderate strength El Niño during the winter 2009-10.
[…]
Temperature and precipitation impacts over the United States are typically weak during the Northern Hemisphere summer and early fall, generally strengthening during the late fall and winter. El Niño can help to suppress Atlantic hurricane activity by increasing the vertical wind shear over the Caribbean Sea and tropical Atlantic Ocean.
The real costs of fire management
Bob Zyback wrote an editorial that appeared in the September 14 edition of The Oregonian. Here is a brief excerpt:
The tab for U.S. wildfires as commonly reported by the news media is only a fraction of the full costs experienced by the public.
Darrel Kenops’ recent commentary in The Oregonian (“Balancing protection with beneficial use,” Aug. 25) makes the point that we export our environmental impacts to international destinations when we cannot find ways to locally meet our nation’s needs for forest products. Excellent point. But lost in this discussion are the year-in-and-year-out costs that citizens must bear each time a wildfire scorches mile after square mile of Oregon’s forests.
Real costs for wildfires are stupendous and insidiously invisible. It isn’t just the billion dollars or more diverted each year from other useful programs in federal and state budgets to stamp out fires as typically reported by the media. Most expenses are never assigned to the bottom-line costs of wildfire.
For example, less tangible values such as damaged wildlife habitat, degraded soil and lost recreational opportunities are difficult to value monetarily; yet, these are greatly valued by the public, as are clean air, clean water and beautiful scenery.
Thanks Dick and Bob
