Moose and Morons in Minnesota

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“(Reuters) – The population of moose in northeastern Minnesota dropped by 35 percent since last year, prompting state officials to cancel this year’s fall hunt and conservationists to blame warming temperatures for the massive creature’s decline.”

“Doug Inkley, a wildlife biologist and senior scientist at the National Wildlife Federation, said climate change is a factor.”

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/09/us-climate-moose-idUSBRE91806Y20130209

“MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Scientists are trying to figure out why the moose population in Minnesota has gone down as much as 65 percent.

The answers aren’t good news.

The Minnesota DNR captured 49 moose calves and fitted them with GPS transmitter collars. Days after finishing their work, 22 of the newborn moose had already died.

The DNR said most were killed by bears and wolves.”

Scientists Find Out Why Moose Population’s Slipping

UK 5th Coldest Spring in 104 Years

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UK 5th Coldest Spring in 104 Years (data).

Spring Mean in C Year
5.8 1962
5.81 1951
5.88 1941
5.88 1917
5.99 2013
6.03 1979
6.18 1958
6.19 1969
6.29 1932
6.3 1986
6.31 1924
6.35 1996
6.42 1955
6.47 1916
6.51 1975
6.53 1922
6.55 1931
6.57 1970
6.67 1923
6.7 1983
6.75 1984
6.77 1915
6.79 1934
6.81 1919
6.83 1968
6.86 1925
6.87 1985
6.89 1930
6.94 1947
7.02 1977
7.02 1937
7.03 1987
7.06 1966
7.06 1965
7.11 1963
7.11 1929
7.12 1973
7.13 1976
7.13 1967
7.14 1980
7.15 1936
7.16 1978
7.17 1971
7.17 1935
7.17 1910
7.18 1928
7.19 1954
7.19 1942
7.22 1974
7.22 1956
7.28 1913
7.32 1995
7.35 2006
7.37 1994
7.38 2001
7.39 1972
7.4 1918
7.42 1927
7.49 1926
7.51 1946
7.52 1953
7.53 1939
7.55 1911
7.57 1964
7.58 1949
7.6 2010
7.6 1988
7.6 1914
7.62 1950
7.64 1982
7.67 1920
7.69 1989
7.69 1944
7.72 1921
7.81 1940
7.82 1981
7.88 1991
7.94 1993
8.05 2000
8.08 1938
8.12 2005
8.13 2008
8.18 1912
8.21 2012
8.25 1933
8.26 1960
8.27 1998
8.29 1957
8.36 1948
8.42 2004
8.42 1997
8.48 2002
8.48 1943
8.52 1959
8.52 1952
8.53 1961
8.54 1992
8.56 1990
8.62 2009
8.64 1999
8.76 2003
8.8 1945
9.05 2007
9.15 2011

HADCET May 2013 – Tied For 79th Coldest out of 351

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HADCET (Centreal England Temperature) May 2013 was tied for 79th coldest out of 351 with an average temperature of 10.4C. The warmest May was 15.1C in 1833.

2013 was tied with 1748,1783,1843,1851,1861,1880 and 1967.

The barplot is the 351 May’s since 1659. The temperature is the anomaly from the 1981 to 2010 average.

The most interesting thing about the following graph is the cluster of red bars from 1994 to 2009 which were all above average.

They were not hotter than previous years. They were just not interspersed with cold May’s. The two cold May’s in 2010 and 2013 are a return to normal with cold and hotter May’s occurring beside each other.

HADCET (since 1659) monthly mean - May

 

 

The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions – License To Kill Condors

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There is an old saying: The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions

Good Intention: Wind Turbines

Road To Hell: Slaughtering Condors

“The California condor’s slow 20-year climb back from the brink of extinction has long been a fragile not-quite-success story in the conservation world. So when the news came on Friday that developers of a wind-energy project near the Mojave Desert would not face criminal charges if the blades killed a single condor, environmental groups expressed grave concern.”

(Note the sick pun)

(h/t) Tom Nelson