Valentines Day 2016

So...how did YOU spend your Valentines Day?
With someone special? And did the earth move for you?
Hell, it sure did for me! THIS just happened...a "severe" 5.7 earthquake just off the coast and only 15km deep! It sure stirred things up, rollin' for about a minute!
And reports indicate it was felt up and down the whole country!

Say Cheese And Grab Dem Skis!

This winter, a small South Island ski field has been experiencing bumper snowfalls not seen in years.
Mt Cheeseman is a club ski field near the town of Springfield in Canterbury - but you don't have to be a member to ski there. It's open to the public, and is the closest club ski area to Christchurch - just 90mins (100km) drive.
It's two accommodation lodges, the Snowline Lodge and the Forest Lodge, were fully booked for the school holidays, and about 700 guests enjoyed pristine snow conditions last weekend.
The large flow of guests - some of whom usually frequent other Canterbury ski fields

Location, location, location...

such as Porters, Craigieburn and Mt Hutt - has not been seen since 2011. Marketing manager Ana Haase: "We haven't had much snow the last couple of seasons, but we don't really talk about those now. This year is great!"
Mt Cheeseman has been open for business since late June, and will stay open until the end of September if favourable conditions persist. The week before opening day, it had some fantastic snow...and it's just kept snowing.
Snow enthusiasts have also been enjoying sub-zero temperatures at the mountain's base, where an open-air ice rink recently hosted curlers from the West Coast and inter-ski field ice hockey comps.

Vanuatu Smashed By Pam

The headlines say it all:
'Cyclone Destroys A Nation'...
'Vanuatu Devastated'...
Torrential rain and winds reaching 295kmph (185mph) slammed the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu last Saturday.
The Atlantic reports that although the official death toll from Tropical Cyclone Pam is currently 24, the final figure may be higher: rescuers have been unable to communicate with outlying islands.
Pam destroyed schools, hospitals, downed power lines, flattened buildings throughout the country, and rendered thousands homeless. And even though many of the island's houses were built of lightweight materials and thus susceptible to damage by heavy storms, they were nonetheless family homes and the occupants are now without shelter.
Vanuatu is no stranger to major storms, but locals say they'd never experienced anything like this. The disaster's scale is unprecedented there and the people of Vanuatu are going to need a lot of help to rebuild their homes and lives.
Australia and New Zealand have sent military planes loaded with supplies, and have pledged millions of dollars in aid.
Vanuatu is a low-lying island nation considered extremely vulnerable to climate change. Roughly three quarters of the 267,000 population work in fishing and agriculture, two industries sensitive to rising sea levels and warmer temperatures. Prolonged dry spells have begun to threaten the country's water supply, while intense rainstorms have damaged staple crops.
Scientists warn against attributing single weather events to climate change, even storms the size of Pam. But an Australian govt report predicts regional cyclones will only become more intense.

She'll Be Roight, Mate!

image courtesy The Australian

Last Tuesday (04 March), as Christchurch was slammed by a once-in-a-century deluge (with metre-high floods, hail and 130kmph winds), a huge storm front also swept into Sydney.
Beachgoers, who'd been enjoying a sunny morning on Bondi Beach, seemed nonplussed by the event - judging by the awesome pix on the net. Swimming and sunbathing continued until the last moment, then the crowds ran helter-skelter for shelter!
Thought I'd share this pic with you, if you haven't seen it already.

Global Warming: Wind Turbines To Blame!

Here's a new drum for the wind farm critics to beat loudly!
The Wall Street Journal reports large wind farms increase local ground temperatures! Researchers, using nine years of NASA data from near four of the world's biggest wind farms, have found wind farms of a certain scale, while producing clean renewable energy, do have some long-term effect on the immediate environment.
Researchers studied a group of Texas wind farms as they expanded from a few dozen turbines in 2003 to more than 2,350 by 2011. On average, the night-time air around the wind farms rose 0.72C more than the surrounding area. Normally, the night air has layers of cool and warm air, caused as hot air rises and cold air sinks, with the coolest closest to the ground. As the giant blades churn the air, they pull the warmer air down to the surface.
Although researchers detected some daytime warming due to the wind farms, the temperature changes were highest in the predawn hours, when the air normally is still and not so turbulent. So far, the scientists don't know if these higher temperatures affect local rainfall or other weather patterns.
Ok, so it's a very minor temperature change, however as the use of wind farms worldwide grows, the boffins think they "might have noticeable impacts on local weather and climate"...but more research is needed (Of course! Gotta get those grants somehow).
For years, doomsayers have warned about wind turbines' impact on the local environment - spoiling the view, scaring the nearby animals etc - but this temperature lift could have a positive impact too. Think of the benefit to our kiwifruit industry if, instead of using low-level helicopter flights or lighting "smudgepots" every dawn to lift the cold fog blanket from vines, some strategically-placed turbines were doing that job as a 'by-product'!
Whether we like them or not, our demand for power means wind turbines are here to stay. They're safer than the nuclear option (which NZ would never tolerate) and cleaner than the depreciating fossil fuels and, if the biggest impact is a slightly warmer dawn, I'm sure Dawn would be happy.

Climate Change Makes Faster Birds

While debate continues about the causes of climate change, the fact is: the climate IS changing. And as it does, we're seeing other changes around us.
Wind speeds over the Southern Ocean have been increasing over the past three decades and those stronger winds are making seabirds stronger and faster. Wandering albatrosses are benefiting from the changes, with shorter trips, improved breeding, and weight gain.
The wind speed shift is linked to climate change, in a study published in the latest issue of Science.
Scientists studied the wandering albatross, which spends most of its life in flight, touching down on land mostly just to find food or to breed. But they believe other birds like petrels have been affected by the wind changes too.
The team analysed 40 year's worth of information on an albatross population on the Crozet Islands, a sub-antarctic group of small islands in the southern Indian Ocean. For decades, researchers have monitored the birds' feeding and breeding, and in 1989 they began outfitting the birds with satellite transmitters to track their travels.
The researchers found that Southern Ocean westerlies increased by 15% over the past few decades. Both female and male flight speeds got a boost as a result, with females alone traveling about 311 miles per day in 1990, but about 435 miles per day as of 2010. Easier flights have improved their breeding success, allowing them to grow larger. The weight gain may be an adjustment to the speedier winds, allowing the birds to experience greater wing loading while in flight.
The winds are also gradually moving towards Antarctica: all animals in the region, from birds to their prey, are likely to have been affected. It's predicted wind strength will continue to increase, and that the poleward shift will continue. 
At present albatrosses are under constant threat from longline tuna fisheries, which have indirectly killed as many as 300,000 per year! Of  22 albatross species worldwide, 17 are classified as threatened.

Ring Of Truth?

Whether you're a skeptic or not, Ken Ring’s words on Valentine’s Day were eerie.
The mathematician is a long-range weather forecaster who bases his predictions around the moon, sun and other scientific activity.
He publishes Ken Ring's Predict Weather Almanac and Isobaric Maps and is the author of The Lunar Code: How the Moon affects our Weather on Earth, Ken Ring's Predicting the Weather by the Moon and Moon and Weatherlore. All are based around his theory that the Earth's weather is caused by the moon's gravitational effect on our atmosphere, and therefore the weather can be predicted by observing the position and movement of the moon. And these weather predictions can be written 'twenty or 200' years ahead (it's the same methodology used for thousands of years in the past by our ancestors).
But it’s his earthquake calls that have got people buzzing.
On February 14th 2011 Mr Ring made this tweet: “Potential earthquake time for the planet between 15th-25th, especially 18th for Christchurch, +/- about 3 days.” As we know, the 6.3 magnitude quake struck four days from his 18th assessment, just one day outside his margin of error.
For some, that forecast - while not absolutely precise - was too accurate to discount. However, on the other side of the fence (and there's plenty of opinion on the internet) his ramblings have no basis beyond the minds of the mad.
Last September though, Ken Ring said that another big one was on its way: "The (Sept.4th) Christchurch earthquake was predictable. And there's another coming in 6 months."
TV3's Campbell Live interviewed Ken Ring - and so verbally mauled him that John Campbell apologised on-air the following night, after many complaints. TV3 has not found a single scientist, geologist or seismologist who believes Ken Ring, however they've found members of the public who say they joined his site and knew the latest big quake was coming.
Ken is now saying another biggie will strike on March 20th!
For the sake of Christchurch, Ken....I'm sure you'll appreciate the sentiment when I say I really hope you're wrong.
PS: 17 March 2011 - As the date draws near, many Chch people are growing terrified...
PS: 20 March 2011 - Ken Ring "softens" his prediction...
PS: 21 March 2011 - Chch had a 5.1 quake over the weekend. Scientists were very quick to say there was no link to Ken Ring's predictions. The big question is: BUT - HOW - DO - THEY - KNOW???

Ducks In The Wind...

Amidst the pre-Christmas hustle-and-bustle, we all need something to give us a wee smile and boost our spirits.
Well, here's a video showing dogged determination...or maybe that should be "duck-ed" determination. Nothing was hurt (save perhaps Mother Duck's pride) and, for the ducklings, it seemed like just another day at the office.
I'm sure Kansas wrote a song about this..."Ducks In The Wind".
Enjoy.

When It's Raining Cats...

There's a saying that dogs have masters, but cats have servants.
I am therefore greatly encouraged by the discovery of this new organisation — Cats Against Climate Change — because it suggests that finally something’s going to get done!
This video was submitted as part of the 'One Minute to Save the World' Climate Change short film competition, a competition that offered a unique opportunity for filmmakers to have their voices heard on the climate issue. Entries flooded in, from budding filmmakers and animators through to seasoned professionals. The winning campaign virals were shown at the Copenhagen Climate Conference (CCC) last December, and used in a global campaign to raise awareness of the CCC.
And no, I don’t like puddles either…

"Forget that this task of planet-saving is not possible in the time required. Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was possible only after you're done." - Paul Hawkin 2009

Bad Weather: Snow What?

Gale-force winds stranded about 1200 people on Mt.Hutt skifield overnight Thursday: skiers, snowboarders, schoolkids and staff squashed into a cafe 1600m up the mountain, as winds gusting up to 200kmh (hurricane strength) roared across the South Island skifield. Extreme winds closed the skifield about 11.40am Thurday, with the access road shut at 12.30pm as gales piled up snow drifts and cut visibility.
NZSki chief executive James Coddington said the quick arrival of the bad weather (which he claims was not expected until Friday) had surprised staff. In contrast, the MetService said winds up to 180kmh were expected Thursday, easing around dawn Friday.
Hmmmm, it sounds like someone in NZSki didn't read the forecast properly! Last week, a storm dumped ½m of snow all over that region. And from the start of this week, the MetService has warned of inbound seriously crappy weather due to hit the South Island on Wednesday! On all the tv maps, the imagery looked bad.
But NZSki are not the only ones in error. I wonder why a 300-strong school party went up on that day - surely organisers would have seen the forecasts too? Why didn't they delay the trip until after this storm had passed?
Operators in high-altitude locations, who rely on accurate forecasts, would be monitoring the weather extremely closely, on far more detailed alpine forecasts than what the public sees on telly. So there is NO reason why a small town's worth of people should have become stranded! The skifield should have been cleared and closed before the conditions got so severe!
Was nothing learnt from the 2008 Tongariro canyoning deaths?

Can Te Reo Save Maori?

In a speech today marking NZ Maori Language Week, Tariana Turia (co-leader of the Maori Party) asked: what will it take to revitalise the maori language?
"In 1972, 70,000 maori were fluent speakers of their language. Today there are less than 20,000. Te reo Maori (maori language) is in my mind 'food for the soul'...the sustenance that feeds our spiritual strength, cultural competency, identity. It is the fuel that drives us on, providing the energy and the momentum to search for a greater understanding. Our language can help restore ourselves to the essence of who we are. It is said that the limits of our language are the limits of our world. Conversely confidence and competence in te reo Maori opens the door to the wider horizons of our world - providing access to greater knowledge about our ways of seeing and being in the world."
That being said, with maori comprising 51% of our prison population (@ March 2010) but only 9% of the country's population, could it be argued that a competent grasp of their own language - and thus, according to Turia, a grasp of their own identity - might reverse this trend?
Perhaps a solution (albeit simplistic) is for maori tribes to invest wisely the fruits of their Waitangi Tribunal settlements, into education and self-esteem programmes for maori youth. This would mean maori working FOR maori with maori MONEY, maori DIRECTION, maori PROGRAMMES...NO government money, NO fuel for the backlash over endless pay-outs, NO forcefeeding of te reo to the entire population, NO reason for any white negativity. Quite literally, it would be a chance for maori to put their money where their mouths are.
On Breakfast TV this morning (and all this week too), every name on the weather map had been changed to a maori one: the presenter even delivered an entire forecast in maori. Now that's all very well for the less than 20,000 fluent speakers, but it smacks of tokenism, pandering to a minority...and offers more confusion than assistance with the advancement of the language.
For maori language to not only survive but thrive requires a major commitment of time, effort and money...from maori. I feel that from this would flow great improvements in NZ society - a decrease in crime, an increase in employment, an easing of racial tension which collectively will head us more positively toward the all-inclusive nation we claim to be.
But, just like someone quitting smoking, maori have to WANT to do it for themselves...
PS: 21 October 2010 - Despite $220-million being spent on it annually (!!!) the maori language is dieing. The warning cannot be more clear. Use it or lose it.
PS: 21 October 2010 - A maori academic says the responsibility for the language's survival rests with maori.
PS: 01 November 2010 - Today's Dominion Post: "Put health before beaches" says Pita Sharples. Finally someone in the Maori Party has the right priorities! God, vindication feels good!

Werewolf Weekend

Kiwis have a chance to see a partial lunar eclipse at the end of this week.
A lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes behind the earth and the earth gets in the way, blocking the sun’s rays from striking the moon. This occurs only when the sun, earth and moon are aligned with the Earth in the middle. Hence, there's always a full moon on the night of a lunar eclipse.
There are many myths, superstitions and rituals associated with eclipses: check out a few here...
This Saturday night, 26th.June between 10.30pm and 12.30am, up to 50% of the Moon may be covered by the Earth’s shadow. Mid-eclipse is officially timed for 11.38pm – that’s the point when the effect will be the most obvious. Weather permitting, it’ll be visible throughout NZ - unlike the last (total) lunar eclipse on December 31 which was not visible here, and the next (total) one on December 21, when only the northern part of New Zealand will see it. This weekend's one will also be visible from Australia and eastern Asia, and before sunrise setting over western North and South America.
But NZ's view all hinges on the winter weather which of late has not been exactly conducive to lunar observations... or much else, for that matter!

Beach Party

New Zealand has been in the grip of damn cold weather over this last week, with ice-cold winds coming up from the Antarctic, lots of rain and thunderstorms.
And then today...jeez!

A tornado in Warkworth, several waterspouts around the country, cows struck dead by lightning, and coastal Bay Of Plenty experienced such a heavy hailstorm that the beach was white. Yeup, the white stuff in the pic ain't sand - it's hail! Merrymakers were having snowball fights by the waves while some surfers were being towed along the beach behind cars, boogieboarding through the ice!

Now check out the waterspout: experts say that monster was sucking water about 10km up into the sky! And look at the depth of hail around the red car parked on the street: that's right up over the wheels!