"S'now problem..Really!

Is it over? Is winter really over? It’s been such a weird winter, no one can tell for sure!

 More snow fell in March than at any previous time of this winter-season. Most of it slush, followed by inches of snow followed by rain. High School physical ed students would usually spent a week or so struggling to keep their cross-country skis from crossing as they  spent a half-hour learning their new skill on our nearby athletic field that should be snow-covered, but for most of our winter, looked  more like an area to practice golf shots.

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Wintertime in 1936

Gone are the days like the “ Blizzard of 1936” while snow storms created  havoc..Snowdrifts were drifted as high as the telephone-wires. Roads, schools, everything halted and waited for that huge county snowplow to slowly force the snow to the side.  

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As much as 70 percent of Alpine snow could disappear by the end of the century as global warming increasingly cuts in on the annual ski season. That’s the conclusion of Swiss researchers in a paper analyzing how much snow could be saved if countries seriously tackle ‘climate change’.

Something's missing!

On the Norwegian island of Svalbard, temperatures were over six degrees warmer than the long-term average and the average temperatures slowly increase. NASA  and NOAA - indicated that 2016 was the warmest year on record.

Even the texture and appearance of ‘snow’ is changing. Stories of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” may  be story-book history. Snow color has been changing in some area.

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Changes in snow cover are caused by pollution from industrial places like China. Dark particles are settling on the snow.This residue  is often a dark soot. Charlie Zender, associate professor of Earth system science at UCI and co-author of  a climatic study states:

Chinese scenery

 “Dark soot can heat  up snow quickly. It’s like placing tiny toaster ovens into the snow pack”. This indirect soot  may have contributed to global warming of the past century, including creating the trend toward early springs.Soot from tailpipes, smoke stacks and forest fires enters the atmosphere and falls to the ground. Soot-infused snow is darker than natural snow and dark surfaces absorb sunlight and cause warming. We  all are aware of the appearance of melted and disappearing road-dirty snow every spring. Snow is changing.

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Things definitely are changing. In the Nordic area,winter skiers have snow to enjoy until April, but heavy snow-cover is usually found  in the high country and those areas are currently seeing less snow.The northern half of Scandinavia, with the exception of coastal Norway, is a safe bet for snow from December to April. In the populated southern areas, the winters are very different from each other, with either knee-deep snow, slush or bare ground. In the northern resorts, the winter sports season keeps on well into May. Nordic skiers still enjoying the white stuff  at Europe’s resorts this month should enjoy it while it lasts.

In some  areas, skiers have been reporting some strange snow-conditions. White snow is changing color!

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California  and Colorado skiers have become annoyed by brown snow. This has been the result of desert winds

Dustcovered brown snow

that have been blowing sand up from the southwest. All due to our use of ground cover that brings back  memories of the historic Western sand storms  as winds churned up soil from the plowed fields ruining the once-fertile land downwind.

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While Coloradans and Californians detest the appearance of brown snow caused by desert winds from the southwest, it’s pink snow we should all be worried about.

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 A  recent climate  report  explains that while pink snow is nothing new, it’s beginning to be a problem. Its rapid growth is a tell-tale sign of climate change and, again, causing melting glaciers across the world.

Pinksnow

Pink Algsae

     But what  is pink snow?
Pink-colored flakes found in the arctic snows are appearing as early spring flowers,  but this pink snow is much like a weed and is actually an algae. In a newly released study, researchers found this brightly colored algae from sixteen separate glaciers from Norway, Greenland, Iceland, and Sweden, is actually causing the ice to melt faster. More dark cover, more retained heat.In turn, this is making the algae expand quicker,  creating a vicious cycle born out of global warming. “The algae need liquid water in order to bloom. Therefore the melting of snow and ice surfaces controls the abundance of the algae". The more melting, the more algae.

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 "With temperatures rising globally, the snow algae phenomenon will likely increase, leading to more heat retained and not reflected away by snow” as stated by climate officials. The algae’s darker color causes the light to be absorbed and this accelerates melting. 

Iceshelf affected by warming

Over 90 percent of the entire Greenland Ice Sheet was affected by surface melting and this will  likely re-occur with increasing frequency in the near future . If  we continue our refusal to accept the facts, we humans are creating the perfect environment for these tiny red( or black) predators to grow and reduce the arctic’s ability to reflect light and keep our planet cool.  European skiers will have to go higher into the mountains  to continue finding snow-covered slopes on which to enjoy and we might have to wear daily ski-masks as they already do in China. Time for action? 

Time to sell our skis?

  

The Latest Number One

The latest poll is out. Who is number one?

Where would one find the best country in the world in which to live? There are many ‘rating sources’ with different criteria centered for a variety of age and personal interests. One reputable ‘rating group’ is The Economist Intelligence Unit which provides analysis and forecasts on more than 200 countries and key industries, including technology, finance and energy.

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The Economist Intelligence Unit, or EIU is a British business  providing services through research and analysis, such as monthly country reports, five-year country economic forecasts, country risk service reports, and industry reports.
NBC News used the latest EIU report to interview residents  in the latest “number one country”, unfortunately, the country chosen was not The United States Of America .

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The country determined to be the “Best Country In Which To Live”  was, once again, Norway.

 Norway has been rated “number one” by the EIU six years running and NBC reporters visited Norway to discover how they are achieving this feat. Keeping in mind, these ratings vary due to criteria and the rating-center’s results.Nevertheless, Norway consistently winds up in the top five in most rankings, sharing honors with their Scandinavian neighbors Sweden and Denmark, year after year.
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One of the NBC team’s interviews included that of two 18 yr-old Oslo residents. When asked if they planned to vote in their elections, they thought the question to be strange. Eighteen yr-old  Norwegian Aurora Aven stated ”It would seem very strange not to vote. It’s, like, a normal thing.” Norwegians are automatically registered to vote and  78% did vote in the last election. (The US percentage was twenty percent lower). They went on to say “ Norway has  a good system. No one feels left out and everyone knows their voice will be heard.”

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There are eight political parties in Norway’s legislature and debate is much milder than that in the US. To get anything done, they must utilize more cooperation than confrontation. Interviewees mentioned that the political members are not known to be of big personalities with high incomes. Taxes are nationally known to be very high, but residents do not object, knowing that their comfortable living standard, health care and education is, and will be available free of charge aided by the fact that Norway’s oil industry has provided a $880 million dollar ‘ Piggy Bank’ for Norway residents.
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Money does not seem to be a big issue for Norwegians. Money can’t  ‘buy a political job.’ One resident stated " In Norway we try to keep it so the politicians don't earn that much money. They do it because they care about the country and the future." 

      When asked about their opinion of America, most are aware of the musical entertainment industry and the US being a world leader as being very important, but worried about current American conditions that are causing concern to Europeans.
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Norway is famous for its economic practices, plus the residents are well-cared for with

emphasis on family-friendly policies. It is a well known fact that even fathers can take up to 12 weeks paid leave during the first three years after a new baby’s arrival. Norway’s residents are very aware of  outside areas. Tourists find that Norwegian youth can speak very good English! ( Americans, as a whole, are not known to reciprocate.)

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While Norway, Sweden  and Denmark are often found in the top 10 “Best countries”, The United States is not to be found in that category! In this EIU survey of 167 countries, the USA was ranked 24th. In this survey, the NBC staff found that the United States had been downgraded to being a “Flawed Democracy”.

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                       The latest EIU index as stated in the explanation:   
“Full democracies are nations where civil liberties and basic political freedoms are not only respected, but also reinforced by a political culture conducive to the thriving of democratic principles. These nations have a valid system of governmental checks and balances, independent judiciary whose decisions are enforced, governments which function adequately, and media which is diverse and independent.                                                                                                These nations have only limited problems in democratic functioning.”

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“A flawed democracy is a country with free elections but weighed down by weak governance, an underdeveloped political culture and low levels of political participation” according to the EIU. "Trust in political institutions is an essential component of well-functioning democracies.Jan 25, 2017.”

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   The US middle-ranking shared ratings with Columbia, a country of decades-long violence and violations of human rights, although making progress since 2002.  Also Argentina ,whose residents have struggled with military dictatorships, as well as India which is the world’s largest democracy  with a population expected to overtake China’s in 2028 to become the world’s most populous nation, but also tackling social and economic problems.

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In comparison of these issues, Norway is fortunate in their social, economic and political positions. Residents are content enjoying their national pride corruption free, lack of pollution, low crime rate which explains how Norway can deserve their title of “The Best Country In Which To Live.”