Where is QM2?

[turquoise 6]

I respect you live on the Western Baltic coast and I would be an idiot to tell you about weather patterns in your area. I live quite literally on the on the coast of the English Channel\Western Approaches and when I say Easterly winds are feared by our local seamen, I am not making that up. I owned a 30ft motor cruiser and would not have any worries or concerns about being out in a force 8 or maybe severe gale force 9 Westerly winds but a 5 or at worse a force 6 Easterly would see me running for the marina.

 

To highlight how close I live to the sea this is the view from one of our front windows over looking Torbay and out into the channel.

 

The rear of our property we overlook Lyme Bay and during the last severe Easterly gales a cliff face was washed away causing parts of a very nice house to fall into the sea. Last week-end we had as you know hurricane force westerly winds and the sea never got near those cliffs.

 

I do not doubt you took your pictures and they are as you describe but if you were in the Western Approaches, as opposed to the Irish Channel (the gap further to the North that stretches between Ireland and the UK) then they would have been even more spectacular in you had encountered Easterly severe or Storm force winds. ;) Trust me and to suggest our small fishing boats fish in those conditions is just plain wrong :)

Hello glojo, your picture of the QM2 sailing outside your window facing the channel is AMAZING! Now the cliff erosion is alarming. I was unaware of this problem on the southern coast of England. Too often we see this erosion of the coast and houses falling in to the sea in California.

These storms are universal and seem to be more intense!

your contributions are thought provoking . well done

[Cats2010]

Hello glojo, your picture of the QM2 sailing outside your window facing the channel is AMAZING! Now the cliff erosion is alarming. I was unaware of this problem on the southern coast of England. Too often we see this erosion of the coast and houses falling in to the sea in California.

These storms are universal and seem to be more intense!

your contributions are thought provoking . well done

 

Climate change is the reason for this.

[Pushka]

The climate has constantly changed since the Big Bang.

[Salacia]

The climate has constantly changed since the Big Bang.

 

"The global average temperature increased by more than 1.4°F over the last century. [2] In fact, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the decade from 2000 to 2010 was the warmest on record, and 2010 was tied with 2005 as the warmest year on record. [3] Rising global temperatures have also been accompanied by other changes in weather and climate. Many places have experienced changes in rainfall resulting in more intense rain, as well as more frequent and severe heat waves. The planet's oceans and glaciers have also experienced changes: oceans are warming and becoming more acidic, ice caps are melting, and sea levels are rising. [4] All of these changes are evidence that our world is getting warmer."

References

 

1. NRC (2011). America's Climate Choices: Final Report . National Research Council. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, USA.
   
2. NRC (2010). Advancing the Science of Climate Change . National Research Council. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, USA.
   
3. NOAA (2011). 2010 Tied For Warmest Year on Record . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Accessed 3/16/2012.
   
4. EPA (2010). Climate Change Indicators in the United States . U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA.
   
5. USGCRP (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States . Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, USA.
   
6. NRC (2011). Climate Stabilization Targets: Emissions, Concentrations, and Impacts over Decades to Millennia . National Research Council. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, USA.
   
7. IPCC (2007). Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report . Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Pachauri, R.K. and A. Reisinger (eds.)]. Geneva, Switzerland.
   
8. EPA (2011). Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act, EPA Response to Public Comments. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed 3/16/2012
   

copied from http://www.epa.gov/climate/climatechange/basics/facts.html#ref2

[Cats2010]

Thanks, Salacia. For the first time in our history climate change is man-made.

[Pushka]

Thanks, Salacia. For the first time in our history climate change is man-made.

 

Man is responsible for some influence on climate change; mother nature is responsible for the rest.

The planet's oceans and glaciers have also experienced changes: oceans are warming and becoming more acidic, ice caps are melting, and sea levels are rising.

 

A chilly Arctic summer has left 533,000 more square miles of ocean covered with ice than at the same time last year – an increase of 29 per cent.

 

Some eminent scientists now believe the world is heading for a period of cooling that will not end until the middle of this century – a process that would expose computer forecasts of imminent catastrophic warming as dangerously misleading.

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2415191/And-global-COOLING-Return-Arctic-ice-cap-grows-29-year.html#ixzz2jqU0OjRO

Edited November 6, 2013 by Pushka

[Cats2010]

Man is responsible for some influence on climate change; mother nature is responsible for the rest.

 

 

A chilly Arctic summer has left 533,000 more square miles of ocean covered with ice than at the same time last year – an increase of 29 per cent.

 

Some eminent scientists now believe the world is heading for a period of cooling that will not end until the middle of this century – a process that would expose computer forecasts of imminent catastrophic warming as dangerously misleading.

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2415191/And-global-COOLING-Return-Arctic-ice-cap-grows-29-year.html#ixzz2jqU0OjRO

 

533,000 more square miles are just one little element of the total mozaic; it is far more complex than that, and what should be done at this stage is reduce CO2 emissions world-wide so that the financial consequences can be controlled and responded to - leave aside the desastrous consequences on mankind.

[Pushka]

That's exactly right. It is far more complex than a statistic. It is also not just about carbon emissions by humans. And humans try to explain everything as though we can control climate. We can't. Never have. Never will.

[Cats2010]

To elaborate statistics on the basis of measurement data are the only way to find out about tendencies, and maybe it is not possible to control climate change completely, but at least we can try to by applying environmental technologies. Not only they can help to keep control, they also they create jobs!

[cunardaddict]

That's exactly right. It is far more complex than a statistic. It is also not just about carbon emissions by humans. And humans try to explain everything as though we can control climate. We can't. Never have. Never will.

 

The reason for constant changes on earth are manifold. Otherwise the British Isles would not be isles at all.

 

Our cliffs are in danger because of the swallows that dig their nests into the cliffs. It really got worse when the government startet to protect them.

 

In general, erosion of massive material is mainly caused by the cooperation of freezing, rain/seawater and sun rather than storm. Only the results of a sudden storm are more prominent.

 

Right now I expect any moment a contribution saying that the smoke of cruise ships causes all this ;-)

[glojo]

Hello glojo, your picture of the QM2 sailing outside your window facing the channel is AMAZING!

Good morning Turquoise,

The Queen Mary is not a regular visitor to Torbay and since being launched she has made an appearance outside my window on just two occasions. Sadly my gain has been at the expense of an unfortunate sick or injured person, or persons on that ship. The draught of this vessel prevents it from entering the Bay and instead it has to get as close as possible to allow a pilot boat to come out and take off the casualties. This image was taken before the first cruise of this ship, she was on a shake-down cruise and unfortunately two ladies had broken limbs and had to be taken off the ship. I would guess the ship is facing up channel as it would be safer to have her pointing the bow into that slow running tide? (another reason why the ship's crew should be able to lower a boat whilst at sea) :o

 

Going back to the talk about climate change, the change to that property I highlighted is staggering. The first image was taken in 1996 and shows the house with a huge garden and no clue as to what was going to happen just over a decade later.

 

Going back to those images

Most of this erosion took place in just TWELVE MONTHS!!!!!! It went from a house to a pile of rubble in that short period and this was as a direct result of Easterly winds pounding our shores. As has been stated these winds are not usually that common and are historically mostly only seen during the summer months. This spring\summer however has seen a huge, huge increase in the numbers of these winds and this is the result! These winds are the only ones that damage our coast. Last week we experienced hurricane force westerly winds which have no effect on our shores whatsoever.:eek: Climate change is seeing far more of the 'wrong' winds but I am NOT suggesting this is a man made phenomenon. (and I'm not saying it is not):o:o I am only saying we are experiencing far more Easterly winds than is the norm and that is not nice.

[Cats2010]

 

Going back to the talk about climate change, the change to that property I highlighted is staggering. The first image was taken in 1996 and shows the house with a huge garden and no clue as to what was going to happen just over a decade later.

 

Going back to those images

Most of this erosion took place in just TWELVE MONTHS!!!!!! It went from a house to a pile of rubble in that short period and this was as a direct result of Easterly winds pounding our shores. As has been stated these winds are not usually that common and are historically mostly only seen during the summer months. This spring\summer however has seen a huge, huge increase in the numbers of these winds and this is the result! These winds are the only ones that damage our coast. Last week we experienced hurricane force westerly winds which have no effect on our shores whatsoever.:eek: Climate change is seeing far more of the 'wrong' winds but I am NOT suggesting this is a man made phenomenon. (and I'm not saying it is not):o:o I am only saying we are experiencing far more Easterly winds than is the norm and that is not nice.

 

I can't leave this unreplied, although I am not addressed, and I insist that it is basically men's intervention into the ecosystem that natural desasters have increased worldwide, not only by CO2 emissions but also by not doing enough on re-forestation, for example, which also contributes to landslide. Another factor is wildfire, especially in the South, which is often done, in an act of crime, in order to gain land to build houses on.

[BlueRiband]

Since this thread has take a social/ecological/political turn I'll add my $2.

 

We couldn't cause or arrest climate change (a/k/a "global warming") if we tried. Nature is far more powerful than any action taken by humankind.

[Pushka]

The reason for constant changes on earth are manifold. Otherwise the British Isles would not be isles at all.

 

Our cliffs are in danger because of the swallows that dig their nests into the cliffs. It really got worse when the government startet to protect them.

 

In general, erosion of massive material is mainly caused by the cooperation of freezing, rain/seawater and sun rather than storm. Only the results of a sudden storm are more prominent.

 

Right now I expect any moment a contribution saying that the smoke of cruise ships causes all this ;-)

 

Well, yes, of course they do. ;)

 

The protection of natural vegetation is one of the reasons why Australia is experiencing significant bushfires right now. Not the only reason, but certainly a contributing factor.

 

We need to do more to protect our environment but at the same time understand we humans are not the powerful beasts we think we are.

 

BlueRiband, I agree totally.

 

If we stopped ALL carbon emissions there would still be climate change.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Pushka

[Cats2010]

International top level scientists are in accord that human intervention has contributed to a large extent on the climate change problems in this and the past century. While it seems to be true that complete control of nature would be a challenge, there would not only be environmental catastrophies but also revolutions if not wars if we ignored the problems with the excuse that it's all 'natural'. I maintain that we have the ways and means and the technology to be put into effect.

[Pushka]

They aren't in accord. Scientists who aren't as alarmist about the human impact on climate change have been spurned by the more vocal "climate change by human interventionists" and many of the original claims have been found to be grossly exaggerated.

[Cats2010]

They aren't in accord. Scientists who aren't as alarmist about the human impact on climate change have been spurned by the more vocal "climate change by human interventionists" and many of the original claims have been found to be grossly exaggerated.

 

I am sorry, but the large majority IS in agreement. It might be true that there are some exaggerations, but in principle they agree.

[Cruise Liner Fan]

Since this thread has take a social/ecological/political turn I'll add my $2.

 

We couldn't cause or arrest climate change (a/k/a "global warming") if we tried. Nature is far more powerful than any action taken by humankind.

You are so right with this opinion and I agree with you on this subject. Regards,Jerry

[glojo]

And meanwhile the Queen Mary 2 is parked up at Hamburg. My sister was amazed at the greetings they received a few months ago on a visit to this port aboard this very ship with quite literally thousands upon thousands of balloons being released. I thought it a beautiful gesture but does this happen on every visit and if so how many visits has this ship made to that port this year? The streets must be lined with 'dead' balloons??

 

 

Start counting.... :eek::)

 

Just a section of some of these balloons from the cruise on 22-08-2013. I only give the date just in case it might be significant regarding the balloon release.

 

[Cruise Liner Fan]

In the late 1970s on the cover of either Time or Newsweek Magazine there was this bold prediction that by the year 2000 Earth was going to suffer weather that would be like another ice age. What ever happened to that ice age by the year 2000? And remember that at this moment in time we are 13 years AFTER the year 2000. Regards,Jerry

[Cats2010]

Some journalists write somelthing without having properly checked and/or to sell the paper. Very questionable.

[cunardaddict]

And meanwhile the Queen Mary 2 is parked up at Hamburg. My sister was amazed at the greetings they received a few months ago on a visit to this port aboard this very ship with quite literally thousands upon thousands of balloons being released. I thought it a beautiful gesture but does this happen on every visit and if so how many visits has this ship made to that port this

 

Yes, we greet this ship everytime it comes snd leaves. It is a tradition since 2005.

[glojo]

Yes, we greet this ship everytime it comes snd leaves. It is a tradition since 2005.

 

I have never had the opportunity to visit your beautiful country but as you can see, those aboard the Queen Mary 2 on this specific cruise really appreciated that very warm welcome.

 

It is nice to see that the residents of this great city never tire of turning out to welcome this ship

 

[Pushka]

It is great when the locals turn out, en masse, to see the QM2 when departing. Makes you feel very lucky when onboard. I especially like all the water traffic and tours hovering around the ship.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Pushka

[turquoise 6]

Yes, we greet this ship everytime it comes snd leaves. It is a tradition since 2005.

Hi Cunardaddict, The send off of the QM2 from Hamburg is amazing. It makes me think about the Ocean liner Tradition of Germany.

The Germans made the most magnificent and advanced technology whe they made their ships.

One I can think of was the S/S Imperator, in 1912, became the Berengaria

to the UK.