From the Canadian Department of Redundancy and the Journal of Paleohockey comes this hilarious study via press release that I first thought was a spoof. Sadly it is all too real. This a candidate for the Dr. David Viner Award.*
Children just aren’t going to know what hockey is.
Pond hockey heats up
Outdoor skating threatened by rising temperatures
Montreal, March 5, 2012 — Would Wayne Gretzky have blossomed into the Great One had he not honed his skills on a backyard rink as a kid? It’s a good thing that he grew up before global warming began wreaking havoc with our weather because the days of a game of shinny on that frozen pond are numbered.
The length of Canada’s outdoor skating season has decreased significantly, according to findings just published in Environmental Research Letters by Damon Matthews, professor in Concordia’s Department of Geography, Planning and environment — along with McGill colleagues, professor Lawrence Mysak and former graduate student Nikolay Damyanov. The evidence is already making headlines. Earlier this year, Ottawa’s Rideau Canal Skateway, the world’s longest skating rink, had to shut down due to warmer-than-usual seasonal temperatures.
The proof is in the snowstorms — or lack thereof. Canada has taken more of a hit from global warming compared to other countries. Since 1950, winter temperatures in Canada have increased by more than 2.5°C, which is three times the globally-averaged warming attributed to global warming.
In order to quantify how this temperature rise affects the outdoor rink, the researchers gathered information from outdoor public skating spaces in various Canadian cities. Taking the beginning of the outdoor skating season as the last in a series of three days where the maximum temperature does not go above -5°C, they created a set of weather criteria to determine the length of the outdoor skating season. Subsequently, the researchers counted the number of viable days during which the ice could be maintained to estimate the season’s length at each of the stations.
By comparing their findings with data gathered over 50 years, from 1951 to 2005, by 142 meteorological stations across the country, the researchers discovered that only a few of the weather stations showed a trend towards later start dates of the outdoor skating season. A much larger proportion of stations, however, showed a statistically significant decrease in the length of the skating season over the past half century.
The results paint a grim picture for the future of outdoor skating. The largest decreases in the skating season length were observed in the Prairies and Southwest regions of Canada. By extrapolating their data to predict future patterns, the researchers came up with some ominous news: within a few decades, we could see a complete end to outdoor skating in British Columbia and Southern Alberta.
No Canadian region is safe from that fate. For Matthews, it’s clear that we are all vulnerable to continued winter warming. “It’s hard to imagine a Canada without outdoor hockey,” he says “but I really worry that this will be a casualty of our continuing to ignore the climate problem and to obstruct international efforts to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.”
“The disappearance of outdoor hockey rinks and probably cross-country ski trails is not going to be good for the health of our youth and the leaders of tomorrow, who need all the exercise they can easily get.” said McGill Emeritus Professor, Lawrence Mysak, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.
Related links:
- Cited Study – “Observed decreases in the Canadian outdoor skating season due to recent winter warming”
- Concordia’s Department of Geography, Planning and Environment
- McGill’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
- Environmental Research Letters
For questions to Lawrence Mysak, contact:
Cynthia Lee, Media Relations – McGill University
cynthia.lee@mcgill.ca | T. 514.398.6754 | twitter.com/#!/McGilluMedia
To get in touch with Damon Matthews, contact:
Source:
Cléa Desjardins
Senior advisor, media relations
University Communications Services
Concordia University
Phone: 514-848-2424, ext. 5068
Email: clea.desjardins@concordia.ca
Twitter: twitter.com/concordia
===================================================
*“Children just aren’t going to know what snow is.” The Independent, March 20, 2000.
h/t to bladeshearer
Steve E
So apparently he undertook the study to advance a pre-conceived conclusion.
Now there is no surprise, it a classic case of ‘maybe’ being sold as ‘will’ to further political ideas and to keep the research money flowing in , never mind the actual science. Or in other words a fairly standard approach for climate ‘science ‘
I wonder if there is water running down the streets of Montreal today, not from melt but the result of the flushing of Concordia’s reputation down the sewer causing back-ups.
Shrewd PR. Canadians love their hockey like Americans love football or baseball. It’ll be much easier to get them alarmed by losing outdoor hockey than any of the usual fear mongering.
I remember an interview Wayne Gretsky once did, explaining how his Dad was able to have back yard ice in a warm climate. Walter G. would get out of bed in the middle of the night to flood the area so that the water was able to freeze and if the ice went out he would replace it. People were more ambitious in those days.
Wayne at 8:12 am
Yeah, the position is head up to the neck in their ……
Well, that’s where the sun don’t shine!
What?
Does this man we need to change our moniker from “The Great White North”
Not going to happen.
We shall fight them on the ponds, in the snow drifts and we shall never surrender our frozen heritage.
Did anybody record the actual dates of the start and end of the seasons? Or is this just another exercise in theory?
Well skiing is always an option.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/kevster1346/wolframalpha-20120118164548020.jpg
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=whistler+bc+temperature
I just played in a pond hockey tournament in Colorado on better than 12 inches of ice some 1000 miles south of where they are talking about. It was a great tournament.
I live in Chicagoland. The people a couple of streets over create a hockey area on the pond behind their house every winter… Except this one. I don’t recall seeing them out there once. We really did have a mild winter and I don’t think the neighborhood ponds ever froze to a safe-to-skate-on state, though they did freeze over a number of times. Also not much snow this season.
That’s weather for you.
Just sayin’.
My 12 year old is studying Bias in the Media in social studies, grade 7. They had to find news articles and expose the bias. This was the article I clipped for her to study. Thanks for the additional ideas in the comments.
The poor wee little kiddies need exercise? Well, just put ’em to work on all the new farms or to deal with the larger crops on existing farms during the warmer summers, and work all that extra weight off ’em. They’ll be needing the extra labor to deal with the longer growing seasons and better crop yields. Then come winter, let the poor dearies rest up and store up good fat layers to help them withstand next year’s farm work. A little good hard work is good for the soul, character, and healthy growth of the little wee dear ones. 😉
I wonder if it’s occurred to the researchers that it’s the abundance of relatively cheap energy that allows our species to even have the time and leisure to play sports like hockey at all? To live so far north, and still be in comfort and have warm places to retreat to once we’ve finished our outdoor snow sports?
They ought to be celebrating this development. It should lead to a significant decline in CO2 emissions. If the climate warms in the summer, you can suck it up and not run the AC and just sweat a little more. When winter comes to the Great White North, you don’t have the option of not running the furnace. You may buy yourself a Snuggli and turn the thermostat down, but that energy sucker is going to running from at least October to April or your pipes will be frozen and you may be dead. If CO2 were actually driving GW, shortening of the Canadian Winter would provide a nice negative feedback.
Has Dr. Tim Ball been informed?
http://drtimball.com/2012/ipcc-climate-science-failure-requires-someone-to-blame/
What’s the loss of some “pond hockey” compared to the opportunities for the exploitation of the ever increasing pond scum which will be beneficial in the production of biofuels ??
I refined my ice skating ability 40 years ago in Phoenix Arizona in the middle of summer when it was 100 degrees outside. Nothing like ice skating indoors on a warm summer day! On top of that, the Anaheim Ducks have two rinks they can work on their game in downtown Anaheim. Ice is no longer a winter sport.
News report, an assistant professor in the department of geography at Simon Fraser University, and of University of Victoria, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Kirsten Zickfeld reported on BCTV news tonight, computer programs tell her skiing on the north shore mountains and Whistler will be be at risk due to low or non existent snowfalls in thirty years time. Her program tells her even if C02 emissions are reduced to zero skiing will just be a memory. The University of Victoria is also the home of Andrew Weaver who is an adviser to the Provincial Liberal government when the carbon tax was brought in. Did we not hear something similar elsewhere about snow.
On the same news program a Vancouver restaurant announced they are now carbon neutral. BCTV news a leader in unbiased reporting, sarc off.
BC is also home to David Suzuki, need I say more.
Check the ladies bio, she is in deep.
Mar 5 2012
Pond hockey is fun.
I learned to play a few miles down the road from Fairlee, Vt., where the video I’m linking below was shot. In Rhode Island where I live with my family now 2012 was a no-go for pond hockey, but that has happened before and will happen again. We will also pond skate again and play pond hockey again. Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqMhnk3k7H8
*mutters obcenities under his breath as he scrapes snow off his windshield*
I skated in mid winter when I was a kid. There were many days that were too cold without risking frostbite. So, while the season may be shorter it’s very possible that there are more days during the season where skating is reasonable. Since this study did not cover that aspect, I think we can give it a big FAIL.
Not only that, but just look at the extended season for synchronized swimming. 😉
I don’t know about anyone else but I suspect that more kids get out of the house when it’s warmer outside. They may not be skating but there’s lots of other things to do that are more physical than sitting around watching TV because it’s too cold to risk life and limb.
Yes, and here in Vancouver, the cherries bloomed conveniently early that year …
LOL
Fred from Canuckistan says:
“Does this man we need to change our moniker from “The Great White North” ”
Yes, the TPPS (Tropics from Pole to Pole Society) will annihilate all whiteness. [Evil laugh]
Hey, wait a minute:
Some facts:
White people originated in cold climates.
Cold climate countries are predominantly white.
White people historically don’t do well in warm climates on average.
Non-white people originated in warm climates.
Non-white people range expansion correlates with Global Warming.
Fossil fuel restrictions would inhibit standard of living progress in predominantly non-white countries more than predominately white countries, impoverishing non-whites while whites enjoy their expensive renewable energy.
Most advocates for action on global warming are white. Al, Hansen, Mann, Schmidt, Jones, Gleick, etc. etc.
Obvious Conclusions:
CAGW mitigation advocates are racists attempting to limit the expansion and progress of non-whites.
Skeptics are the abolitionists of our time.
Facts wouldn’t lie, would they?
Just in case: I’m not serious, just pointing out that a list of “facts” pointing to an “obvious” conclusion can be dead wrong.
John West says:
March 6, 2012 at 2:16 pm
“Just in case: I’m not serious, just pointing out that a list of “facts” pointing to an “obvious” conclusion can be dead wrong.”
I would not be to quick to reject your “obvious” conclusions. The “Sustainability” goals of the Agenda 21 crowd who have been the prime movers in this whole mess will have disproportionately negative consequences for the poorer peoples of the less developed world who are less melanin challenged than they. Although their goals are ostensibly “redistributional”, history has repeatedly demonstrated that the primary effect for the supposed beneficiaries of such efforts is to be confined to permanent dependency, while the bureaucratic overlords who administer such plans always seem to find a way to improve their own circumstances enormously. They and the Swiss bankers who provide sanctuary for their ill gotten loot are always the only real beneficiaries of their “Noble Causes”.
The winter here in Ontario has been a very easy play for AGW promoters. It has been a heckuva warm winter with very little snow. It is easy to see why they would be rushing out with studies like this – it’s as easy as scoring on an empty net, and plays directly to the fears of hare-brained locals, which may be the majority where I live. This study will fade, though, when reality bites back. We have normal winters here, most every winter, and once in a while, an extremely cold and grumpy one. Within the past 5 years or so, I remember three weeks straight of near minus 20c.
Further to my point above about this being a great winter to promote the warmie ideology, we’ve had Sir Richard Branson in town saving polar bears whose – according the news bobble head I just watched – populations ‘are rapidly declining.’ Yeah. http://www.canada.com/Richard+Branson+polar+bear+duty+Toronto/6260366/story.html