Hello All,
Thought it would be a good time to check in on this year's Northwest Passage conditions. As of this past weekend, the passage is open and boats are now moving through from both east and west.
Ice conditions have once again deteriorated and it appears the fabled NW Passage will be free of ice through September and once again a record number of boats will make the long traverse through northern waters.
This year's loss of ice could rival the record year of 2007 when we on Cloud Nine were the first American boat in history to go east to west, Roald Amundsen's route. We will have the data the end of September.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Back looking at Climate Change
Now that the Around the America's expedition is wrapped up it is time to refocus on the lessons learned from the voyage and also what is taking place this summer.
For years we have all been reading about the side effects of "climate change" and one of the biggest is erratic changes in local weather patterns. While east coasters were pooh poohing global warming after their cold, snowy winter, the weather heated up and the four warmest months in history were recorded. This follows exactly as scientists have been predicted. There is weather and there is climate and there is a huge difference in the two.
Here are a few examples of the crazy, erratic weather taking place worldwide, including right here on the "Midwest Coast" of the Iowa Great Lakes where I live:
RUSSIA
It has been the hottest summer ever recorded in Russia, with Moscow temperatures topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time. Russia’s drought has sparked hundreds of wildfires in forests and dried peat bogs, blanketing Moscow with a toxic smog that lifted yesterday after six days. The Russian capital’s death rate doubled to 700 people a day at one point. The drought reduced the wheat harvest by more than one-third.
The 2007 Intergovernmental Panel report predicted a doubling of disastrous droughts in Russia this century and cited studies foreseeing catastrophic fires in dry years. It also said that Russia would suffer large crop losses.
PAKISTAN
The heaviest monsoon rains on record, 12 inches in one 36-hour period, have sent rivers rampaging over huge swaths of countryside, flooding thousands of villages. It has left 14 million Pakistanis homeless or otherwise affected and killed 1,500.
The government calls it the worst natural disaster in the nation’s history.
A warmer atmosphere can hold and discharge more water. The 2007 report said rains have grown heavier for 40 years over north Pakistan and predicted greater flooding this century in south Asia’s monsoon region.
CHINA
China is witnessing its worst floods in decades, the World Meteorological Organization says, particularly in the northwest province of Gansu. There, floods and landslides last weekend killed at least 1,100 people and left more than 600 missing, feared swept away, or buried beneath mud and debris.
The Intergovernmental Panel reported in 2007 that rains had increased in northwest China by up to 33 percent since 1961 and that floods nationwide had increased sevenfold since the 1950s. It predicted still more frequent flooding this century.
UNITED STATES
In Iowa, soaked by its wettest 36-month period in 127 years of recordkeeping, floods from three nights of rain this week forced hundreds from their homes and killed a 16-year-old girl. The international climate panel projected increased US precipitation this century, except for the Southwest, and more extreme rain events causing flooding.
© 2010 Associated Press
For years we have all been reading about the side effects of "climate change" and one of the biggest is erratic changes in local weather patterns. While east coasters were pooh poohing global warming after their cold, snowy winter, the weather heated up and the four warmest months in history were recorded. This follows exactly as scientists have been predicted. There is weather and there is climate and there is a huge difference in the two.
Here are a few examples of the crazy, erratic weather taking place worldwide, including right here on the "Midwest Coast" of the Iowa Great Lakes where I live:
RUSSIA
It has been the hottest summer ever recorded in Russia, with Moscow temperatures topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time. Russia’s drought has sparked hundreds of wildfires in forests and dried peat bogs, blanketing Moscow with a toxic smog that lifted yesterday after six days. The Russian capital’s death rate doubled to 700 people a day at one point. The drought reduced the wheat harvest by more than one-third.
The 2007 Intergovernmental Panel report predicted a doubling of disastrous droughts in Russia this century and cited studies foreseeing catastrophic fires in dry years. It also said that Russia would suffer large crop losses.
PAKISTAN
The heaviest monsoon rains on record, 12 inches in one 36-hour period, have sent rivers rampaging over huge swaths of countryside, flooding thousands of villages. It has left 14 million Pakistanis homeless or otherwise affected and killed 1,500.
The government calls it the worst natural disaster in the nation’s history.
A warmer atmosphere can hold and discharge more water. The 2007 report said rains have grown heavier for 40 years over north Pakistan and predicted greater flooding this century in south Asia’s monsoon region.
CHINA
China is witnessing its worst floods in decades, the World Meteorological Organization says, particularly in the northwest province of Gansu. There, floods and landslides last weekend killed at least 1,100 people and left more than 600 missing, feared swept away, or buried beneath mud and debris.
The Intergovernmental Panel reported in 2007 that rains had increased in northwest China by up to 33 percent since 1961 and that floods nationwide had increased sevenfold since the 1950s. It predicted still more frequent flooding this century.
UNITED STATES
In Iowa, soaked by its wettest 36-month period in 127 years of recordkeeping, floods from three nights of rain this week forced hundreds from their homes and killed a 16-year-old girl. The international climate panel projected increased US precipitation this century, except for the Southwest, and more extreme rain events causing flooding.
© 2010 Associated Press
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Back in the USA
It took 26,000 miles to get here, but we are back in the USA with stops in San Diego hosted by the SD Maritime Museum then on up the west coast.
The visit to Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla was a huge highlight covering topics with scientists ranging from the North Pacific Gyre and the associated plastic garbage patch to climate change and the Keeling curve, the climate record that started it all by Scripps scientist Charles Keeling.
I had my family and Kirsty there on the San Diego dock upon arrival, so it was especially great getting in to see everyone. We found we had another fan of Ocean Watch and Around the Americas project in Bill Walton, the great basketball center who is quite an environmental activist. He had many insightful words about our oceans and the state of the planet and gave us a great boost of energy when we were just a little depleted.
The Pt. Dume Marine Academy was remarkable in Malibu with a school assembly of 300 grade school kids and then a science lab full of more extremely bright children who know their issues. On we went to Los Angeles and Marina Del Rey. More school groups and insightful children who give us faith in the future. They will make the necessary and hard changes which must be made but cannot by the current generation in power.
Now we are in Santa Barbara. Again more school groups and presentations at the SB Maritime Museum, our kind and gracious hosts. Captain Mark Schrader's father, Richard, lives here in town and at age 93 was on the dock to greet us. Special moment.
As happens, there is a gale, in fact, multiple gales. We are stuck in Santa Barbara while some of the crew split for Monterey. The hard core four, Mark, Dave Logan, Herb McCormick and I will sail the boat to Monterey and San Francisco. Nothing is ever easy out here, that is for sure.
We have published four features for Cruising World now with a new June article on the shelf with our Cape Horn article. Check it out. We continue to do our science along the way and are all busy working hard on the mission of this great Around the Americas expedition.
I will try to post more now with photos so stay tuned and watch for some website updates soon. Bye for now.
David
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Arrival in Mexico
Greetings from Acapulco. After 24,000 miles of sailing and over 40 stops around the Americas, we on Ocean Watch are one country and a few weeks from arriving back in the USA in San Diego May 4th. Wow, what a long, strange, fascinating trip it has been.
Just arrived from Costa Rica where we witnessed damaged reefs first hand on the eastern, Caribbean side of the country. This is the direct result of chemical applications and run-off from the banana plantations. Very tragic. The Galapagos Islands were hot and quite interesting. It was humbling to be in the land of Darwin and see first-hand many of the species he observed. They face all kinds of environmental threats there but probably the greatest threat currently is this very strong El Nino we are observing. The El Nino of 1982 caused the extinction of one species and devastated bird, tortoise and marine populations.
We sailed around Cape Horn in January and into the fiords and southern channels of Chile, one of the most beautiful areas of the world. Unfortunately, fish farming is omnipresent and destroying the marine environment in the channels. We exited Chile just before the devastating earthquake which destroyed the marina we had been at in Valparaiso.
The sail from Miami east and eventually south was marked by strong anti-currents and adverse trade winds. Very tough going and very, very hot along the coast of Brazil. It was above 90 degrees day and night in our main cabin and bunks for a solid six weeks. Holidays in Punta Del Este, Uruguay, and Mar Del Plata, Argentina. The surprise for us was the Falkland Islands. We met young scientists who are documenting all the species of the islands. A highlight was the King Penguin colony we observed and the rugged field trip out to the site.
Just a few highlights. Great voyage, wonderful experiences all.
Best to you all. Cheers! David
Just arrived from Costa Rica where we witnessed damaged reefs first hand on the eastern, Caribbean side of the country. This is the direct result of chemical applications and run-off from the banana plantations. Very tragic. The Galapagos Islands were hot and quite interesting. It was humbling to be in the land of Darwin and see first-hand many of the species he observed. They face all kinds of environmental threats there but probably the greatest threat currently is this very strong El Nino we are observing. The El Nino of 1982 caused the extinction of one species and devastated bird, tortoise and marine populations.
We sailed around Cape Horn in January and into the fiords and southern channels of Chile, one of the most beautiful areas of the world. Unfortunately, fish farming is omnipresent and destroying the marine environment in the channels. We exited Chile just before the devastating earthquake which destroyed the marina we had been at in Valparaiso.
The sail from Miami east and eventually south was marked by strong anti-currents and adverse trade winds. Very tough going and very, very hot along the coast of Brazil. It was above 90 degrees day and night in our main cabin and bunks for a solid six weeks. Holidays in Punta Del Este, Uruguay, and Mar Del Plata, Argentina. The surprise for us was the Falkland Islands. We met young scientists who are documenting all the species of the islands. A highlight was the King Penguin colony we observed and the rugged field trip out to the site.
Just a few highlights. Great voyage, wonderful experiences all.
Best to you all. Cheers! David
Sunday, October 25, 2009
East Coast USA
Miami ends our east coat run which has included stops in Boston, Newport, New York City,
Charleston and now Miami.
The crew of Ocean Watch has encountered many people from all walks of life from school children to top scientists in their respective fields of study. We are spreading the word by story-telling, presentations and news media of issues, especially in the Arctic, of changes to seas, oceans, ice, and culture.
While climate change remains the over-riding big issue tying all things together, the tropical and equatorial topics are changing the discussions now to coral reefs, bleaching, ocean acidification, currents, and fishery issues. These are just a few of the subjects we will be looking at as we move east to Puerto Rico and southeast to Brazil and beyond.
Keep up with us at aroundtheamericas.org
Thanks all, David
Charleston and now Miami.
The crew of Ocean Watch has encountered many people from all walks of life from school children to top scientists in their respective fields of study. We are spreading the word by story-telling, presentations and news media of issues, especially in the Arctic, of changes to seas, oceans, ice, and culture.
While climate change remains the over-riding big issue tying all things together, the tropical and equatorial topics are changing the discussions now to coral reefs, bleaching, ocean acidification, currents, and fishery issues. These are just a few of the subjects we will be looking at as we move east to Puerto Rico and southeast to Brazil and beyond.
Keep up with us at aroundtheamericas.org
Thanks all, David
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Well, after 8000 miles of sailing through the NW Passage from Seattle we are in our last Canadian port in the beautiful maritime city of Halifax. There is an open boat tour tomorrow and then I am off to speak at the New England aquarium in Boston on Monday. Whirlwind for sure.
Just as suspected, data is coming in and once again confirming the Arctic Sea ice is continuing its downward trend. Only the last two years have seen lower ice concentrations. Here is the latest from the NSIDC:
September 17, 2009
Arctic sea ice reaches annual minimum extent
Arctic sea ice appears to have reached its minimum extent for the year, the third-lowest extent since the start of satellite measurements in 1979. While this year’s minimum extent is above the record and near-record minimums of the last two years, it further reinforces the strong negative trend in summertime ice extent observed over the past thirty years.
Just as suspected, data is coming in and once again confirming the Arctic Sea ice is continuing its downward trend. Only the last two years have seen lower ice concentrations. Here is the latest from the NSIDC:
September 17, 2009
Arctic sea ice reaches annual minimum extent
Arctic sea ice appears to have reached its minimum extent for the year, the third-lowest extent since the start of satellite measurements in 1979. While this year’s minimum extent is above the record and near-record minimums of the last two years, it further reinforces the strong negative trend in summertime ice extent observed over the past thirty years.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
St. John's, Newfoundland
Ocean Watch sailed south of the Arctic Circle this past week and officially left the Arctic and in doing so completed the historic west to east transit of the Northwest Passage. We are the first American vessel to ever achieve this in a single season from the west and only the third small American vessel of any kind to make the easterly passage.
There were a record number of vessels attempting the passage this season another sure sign of a changing climate in the north. There will certainly be more and more attempts in the years to come. This comes with other consequences as sailors and boaters of any and all skill levels will be trying the north. The Canadian Coast Guard will be put to the test and as we found out this summer with another sailboat, it is very expensive when assistance is requested. The Canadian icebreaker burned through $25,000 in fuel to come to the assistance of the small sailboat only to find the owner had freed themselves of danger and not bothered to let the Canadian Coast Guard know. One of many stories.
The multi-year ice is diminishing and the cycle is in place for further melting. There is quite a discussion about how many events, such as the dramatic 2007 melt, the polar ice cap can withstand. I encourage everyone to take a serious look at the issue. Very easy to find information online. Here is some of the latest from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC):
August 2009 compared to past years
Arctic sea ice extent for August 2009 was the third lowest August since 1978, continuing the downward trend observed over the last three decades. Only 2007 and 2008 had lower ice extent during August. The long-term trend indicates a decline of 8.7% per decade in August ice extent since 1979.
Now we are heading south and on to Halifax, Boston, NYC, Charleston, and Miami. Our focus will shift into the science, education, and presentation modes. We look forward to the challenges ahead.
Again, thank you to all who have assisted us on Ocean Watch and those of you who have helped me in so many ways in a more personal manner.
See you in a port closer to home very soon...
There were a record number of vessels attempting the passage this season another sure sign of a changing climate in the north. There will certainly be more and more attempts in the years to come. This comes with other consequences as sailors and boaters of any and all skill levels will be trying the north. The Canadian Coast Guard will be put to the test and as we found out this summer with another sailboat, it is very expensive when assistance is requested. The Canadian icebreaker burned through $25,000 in fuel to come to the assistance of the small sailboat only to find the owner had freed themselves of danger and not bothered to let the Canadian Coast Guard know. One of many stories.
The multi-year ice is diminishing and the cycle is in place for further melting. There is quite a discussion about how many events, such as the dramatic 2007 melt, the polar ice cap can withstand. I encourage everyone to take a serious look at the issue. Very easy to find information online. Here is some of the latest from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC):
August 2009 compared to past years
Arctic sea ice extent for August 2009 was the third lowest August since 1978, continuing the downward trend observed over the last three decades. Only 2007 and 2008 had lower ice extent during August. The long-term trend indicates a decline of 8.7% per decade in August ice extent since 1979.
Now we are heading south and on to Halifax, Boston, NYC, Charleston, and Miami. Our focus will shift into the science, education, and presentation modes. We look forward to the challenges ahead.
Again, thank you to all who have assisted us on Ocean Watch and those of you who have helped me in so many ways in a more personal manner.
See you in a port closer to home very soon...
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