Are you traveling for the holiday weekend? If so, nothing real unusual weatherwise for much of the Southeast U.S. Whether it's Miami, the Keys, Tampa, Pensacola, Atlanta, Savannah, Myrtle Beach expect "summery" highs in the upper 80s to low 90s with scattered afternoon/evening thunderstorms. Weak low pressure will be developing in the extreme Northern Gulf of Mexico which should enhance weekend showers & storms for the First Coast & much of the Gulf Coast region. We average a named tropical system in the Atlantic Basin 1 out of every 2 Labor Day weekends, but we might escape without one this weekend. But it could be a close call as a pretty active tropical wave will move into the Eastern Caribbean with the potential for development...with another larger one about 500 miles to its east. But even if one or both of these waves do develop, they won't impact the U.S. this holiday weekend.
A voluntary recall on Oregon Scientific weather radios. Here's the info.:
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Oregon Scientific Weather Radios
Units: About 66,000
Manufacturer: Oregon Scientific Inc., of Tualatin, Ore.
Hazard: The radios could fail to receive National Weather Service alert signals in certain areas of the country. In the event of severe weather, this failure could put a consumer’s life and property at risk.
Description: This recall involves the following Weather Radios and Weather Stations:
NAME MODEL
All Hazards Portable Weather Alert Radio WR103NX
Portable Public Alert Radio WR108
Public Alert Weather Station WRB308
John Deere Public Alert Weather Station WRB308J
No other models are included in this recall.
Sold at: Retail stores nationwide, including some electronics and sporting goods stores, online retailers and in catalogs from December 2005 through June 2007 for between $30 and $150.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should not rely on the recalled weather radios to receive emergency information. Consumers should contact Oregon Scientific for instructions on returning the radio to receive a free replacement.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Oregon Scientific at (800) 203-4921 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www2.oregonscientific.com
If you'd like to see pictures of the specific radios being recalled, go to this site.
Nature photography buffs can go to the zoo this Sat. to learn all about photographing animals & plants in our digital world:
August 2, 2007 – Jacksonville, FL – The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens announced the next class in its series of gardening classes, “Nature Photography for a Digital World”. The class is scheduled for Saturday, September 1, 2007, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Zoo’s PepsiCo Education Campus. Anthony Hodge of GraphicStation will be the guest speaker. Anthony will talk about the many techniques you can learn in order to turn ordinary photos into beautiful images worthy of hanging on any wall. This talk will walk participants through the process of taking nature photography, uploading digital images to a computer, and manipulating those digital images to arrive at a final product.
The cost is $15 per person for Zoo members and $20 per person for non-Zoo members. Pre-registration is required, and seating is limited. For more information or to pre-register, visit the Zoo’s Web site at www.jacksonvillezoo.org.
"Earth Gauge":
Earth Gauge: Coastal Trends
As of 2003, more than 14 million people (9 percent of the U.S. coastal population) lived along the Southeast coast from North Carolina to Florida, and eight of the ten counties expected to have large population growth in the coming years are in Florida. A growing coastal population can also mean a growing impact on Southeast coastal ecosystems, and even if you don't live right along the shore, your activities can affect water quality in the Region's rivers and streams, which eventually reach the ocean.
Tip: One of the easiest ways to reduce your impact is to make sure only rain goes into storm drains, which lead directly to local surface waters. Instead of hosing off your sidewalks and driveway, which can carry oil, antifreeze, and other pollutants into the storm drain, use a broom to clean up. Not only will you help prevent water pollution, but you'll also save water.
(Sources: NOAA National Ocean Service. "Population Trends Along the Coastal United States: 1980-2008." http://www.oceanservice.noaa.gov/programs/mb/supp_cstl_population.html; EPA Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds (Patty Scott). Watershed Tips, April 11, 2005)
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Climate Fact: Diatom Dilemma
In the oceans, diatoms, which are tiny microscopic organisms that rely on the sun's light for energy, are known as “primary producers” because they ultimately feed all other life. Copepods and other plankton eat diatoms, and plankton then provide food for larger animals and ultimately fish, which in turn feed much of the world's human population. In the North Sea, between 1958 and 2002, the date when diatoms began their spring and fall blooms remained relatively steady, as their bloom is stimulated by the number of hours of daylight. The hatching and growth of many organisms higher up on the food chain, however, are stimulated by water temperature, and a 0.9 degree Celsius rise the North Sea's surface temperature during the last fifty years has resulted in these organisms starting their life cycles earlier. Unfortunately, this is often before their food source, diatoms, have begun to bloom.
(Source: Edwards, Martin and Richardson, Anthony J. "Impact of climate change on marine pelagic phenology and trophic mismatch." Nature, 430, 881-884: 2004.) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Climate in the News: "Global swarming: Is climate change bringing the state more bugs?" - O'Connor, Kevin, Times Argus, August 27, 2007 - www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070826/NEWS/70824001/1032
Growing numbers of ticks, mosquitos, and hemlock woolly adelgids are being documented in Vermont. Warmer temperatures, especially during winter, are likely contributing to this trend.
I'm out on a 4-day weekend in D.C. I probably won't -- but might -- post before Tue. I will regularly update "Talking the Tropics With Mike" ....Have a great & safe weekend!
