They should redo the poll now after people have a chance to read the latest article in Nature, where even Trenberth conceded natural cycles are playing a big role, big enough to override the posited global CO2 control knob for climate. Of course we all know from past experience that these polls by Leiserowitz and Mailbach have been biased by their methodology, so even seeing this admission about their data is encouraging.
For Immediate Release ā Contact: Anthony Leiserowitz, 203-432-4865
ABOUT 1 IN 4 AMERICANS SAY GLOBAL WARMING IS NOT HAPPENING
HALF SAY THEY ARE āWORRIEDā ABOUT IT
January 15, 2014 – (New Haven, CT) A national survey conducted in the final months of 2013 finds that there has been an increase in the proportion of Americans who believe global warming is not happening (23%, up 7 percentage points since April 2013). But about two in three Americans (63%) believe global warming is happening, a number that has been consistent since spring 2013. The proportion of Americans who say they ādonāt knowā whether or not global warming is happening has dropped 6 points ā from 20% to 14% ā since spring of 2013.
On other measures, the survey found that public awareness over the past year has remained essentially stable:
- About half of Americans (51%) say they are āsomewhatā (38%) or āvery worriedā (15%) about global warming.
- Fewer than half of Americans (38%) believe they personally will be harmed a āmoderate amountā or a āgreat dealā by global warming. By contrast, majorities believe that global warming will harm future generations of people (65%) and plant and animal species (65%).
āOur findings show that the publicās understanding of global warmingās reality, causes, and risks has not improved and has, in at least one important respect, gone in the wrong direction over the past year,ā said researcher Ed Maibach, PhD, of George Mason University. āBetter public communication about global warming is needed now more than ever.ā
The survey also found that Americans (59%) are āinterestedā in global warming.
Moreover, about four in 10 say they feel āhelplessā (43%), ādisgustedā (42%), or āsadā (40%) when thinking about global warming. By contrast, four in ten (42%), say they feel āhopefulā about the subject.
āGlobal warming stirs a number of emotions among Americans,ā said lead researcher Anthony Leiserowitz, PhD, of Yale University. āBut these emotions differ greatly across āGlobal Warmingās Six Americasā. For example, other than saying they feel āinterested,ā the āAlarmedā are mostly afraid, sad, and angry about global warming, while the āDismissiveā are mostly disgusted and angry. These different emotional responses are clearly fueling the debate.ā
These findings come from a nationally representative survey ā Climate Change in the American Mind ā conducted by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. Interview dates: November 23-December 9, 2013. Interviews: 830 Adults (18+).āØTotal average margin of error: +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The research Energy Foundation, the 11th Hour Project, the Grantham Foundation, and the V.K. Rasmussen Foundation funded the research.
In addition to Dr. Leiserowitz, principal investigators included Geoff Feinberg, Dr. Seth Rosenthal, and Dr. Jennifer Marlon of Yale University and Drs. Edward Maibach and Connie Roser-Renouf of George Mason University.
For questions about the survey or to speak with the principal investigators:
Anthony Leiserowitz, 203-432-4865, anthony.leiserowitz@yale.edu
Edward Maibach, 703-993-1587, emaibach@gmu.edu
Lynsy Smithson Stanley, 646-559-8284, lsmithsonstanley@climatenexus.org
For more information, please go to:
http://environment.yale.edu/climate-communication/article/Climate-Beliefs-November-2013
ā
Comunication is a two-way process. Perhaps he ought to ask himself why he thinks that others are going in the “wrong direction”?
Why is he so judgemental?
And does that skew his survey interpretation?
As was the case with LBJ and the Vietnam War, the president will be the last person in America to recognize it.
The survey numbers would be “improved” according to the researchers if Americans were sent off to re-education camps.
M Courtney, check out Maibach’s university webpage at GMU-
“His research currently focuses exclusively on how to mobilize populations to adopt behaviors and support public policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help communities adapt to the unavoidable consequences of climate change.”
At least nobody can accuse him of stealth advocacy!
āOur findings show that the publicās understanding of global warmingās reality, causes, and risks has not improved and has, in at least one important respect, gone in the wrong direction over the past year,ā
As long as a subjective view is taken.
“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they’ve been fooled.”
Mark Twain
āOur findings show that the publicās understanding of global warmingās reality, causes, and risks has not improved and has, in at least one important respect, gone in the wrong direction over the past year,ā said researcher Ed Maibach, PhD, of George Mason University.”
Actually Doc, the findings show that the public’s understanding has improved.
Perhaps you should have said in the “opposite direction” rather than “wrong direction”. Looks like your prejudice is showing.
GW – the biggest hoax in the history of mankind.
I’m very worried about global warming. I’m worried that the fiction of AGW will be used as an excuse to shut down power plants and cause power costs to “necessarily skyrocket”, to quote Dear Leader, while avoiding taking pragmatic action to prepare for the normal extremes of climate and weather.
The Climate Change bogeyman is used by politicians to avoid spending money on upgrades to infrastructure, or issuing new zoning laws that prohibit building within storm surge zones and flood plains. A perfect excuse for them to throw up their hands, run in circles, and blame it on something they can’t fix.
Resourceguy says: @ January 16, 2014 at 8:03 am
As was the case with LBJ and the Vietnam War, the president will be the last person in America to recognize it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
A rassmusen poll: 37% Say Zombies Would Do Better Job Than Federal Gov’t and a new Gallup poll just released Government Itself is Top U.S. Problem
Another Rassmusen poll lists Global Warming is Primarily Caused By: Human activity vs Planetary Trends vs Other Reason and shows the changes in opinion over time HERE.
As of August 2013 Human activity was 43%, Planetary Trends 41% and Other Reason 6%.
With CAGW it is not whether someone is āWORRIED ABOUTā warming it is what they think causes it that matters and that is where they have never won the battle. The highest “Human activity” was 47% in Apr of 2008 followed by 46% in Jun of 2013.
More important 49% Are Not Willing To Pay More to Fight Global Warming ( January 2013)
While 58% Favor Building the Keystone XL Oil Pipeline (March 2013) down from 60% Favor Building Keystone XL Pipeline – June 29, 2012.and 57% Favor Use of āFrackingā To Find More U.S. Oil and Gas ( March 2012)
Also of interest is in June 2013, Rassmusen polls showed 51% Think All EPA Regulations Need Congressional Approval and 39% View EPA Favorably
So half the population is still braindead and goosesteps to the cult of cagw….no surprise really when you look at American politics and the ever-expanding state which funds the cults of darwin, cagw, cultural marxism, islam is peace etc. etc.
My math is rusty, but I still get 53 when I add 38 and 15. (and I checked – the numbers are in the Yale link).
You won’t get any useful information from a poll conducted by people who claim
the public response “is going the wrong way.” These folks are unqualified to
conduct a public poll, which requires absolute impartiality. It also requires
the ability to ask the right questions. As far as I can tell from the poll’s description,
it is impossible for someone like me, who believes global warming has occurrred
in the past and may continue in the future, but shows no sign of being worrisome,
to be tabulated in their poll. A much more interesting poll would be to question these
pollers and have them explain their beliefs as to why they obviously believe that
global warming is occurring at the present time.
āBetter public communication about global warming is needed now more than ever.ā
———————–
Hear hear! WUWT for all!
āGlobal warming stirs a number of emotions among Americans,ā said lead researcher Anthony Leiserowitz, PhD, of Yale University. āBut these emotions differ greatly across āGlobal Warmingās Six Americasā.
The “Six Americas”? Why don’t they just divide us up (and try and pit us against each other) based on race or religion, and condemn us the old fashioned, “Margaret Sanger” progressive way? Six Americas. Please.
The Yale Project is simply a scheme to better propagandize their religious belief in CAGW.
Apparently ” there has been an increase in the proportion of Americans who believe global warming is not happening (23%, up 7 percentage points since April 2013).”
Since the world has been cooling since 2003 or thereabouts this means that the understanding of Americans re climate trends has improved and has gone in the right direction over the past year – in spite of Yale’s campaign of misinformation.
It is disappointing that a university of Yale’s stature is willing to support this gang of spin doctors.
Paul Matthews says:
January 16, 2014 at 8:09 am
“āHis research currently focuses exclusively on how to mobilize populations to adopt behaviors and support public policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help communities adapt to the unavoidable consequences of climate change.ā”
Thanks. My extrapolation indicates the following two unavoidable consequences:
a) temperatures will stay the same. I think I can handle that.
b) We will pay these parasites from here to kingdom come. I’m preparing for that (inevitable monetary collapse somewhere down the line as parasitic workforce continues to grow in leaps and bounds)
What isn’t mentioned, is that these public figures were obtained after decades of intense propaganda media efforts – targeting schools, films, stunts, feminists, environmentalists, conservatism, families, politicians. That the public was able to resist… is the real miracle.
What climate science NEEDS is for a major player of the “team” to come clean and confess past transgressions, rat out the team, acknowledge the scientific method, and take his/her proper place in science. Sort of another acknowledged climategate and a good sweeping. Which of them is smart enough to realize it first? GK
M Courtney says:
January 16, 2014 at 8:02 am
Comunication is a two-way process.
###
Not to Marxist propagandists.
Guess Iām a pessimist. That half the country more or less buys this swill is pretty discouraging. Love the questions though. Do you feel sad about global warming? Yes I do, but not for the reasons you idiots think.
To paraphrase Kevin Trenberth, āYou canāt keep piling up BS .At some point, the BS will get so high that it just sloshes back.ā
To make their victims have faith that they are individually responsible for creating catastrophe and that only by changing their sinful ways can they prevent future catastrophe, the promoters of global behavioral change have quite cleverly and very successfully used words and images to stir emotions and incite alarm and guilt.
The intent never was to create public understanding of “global warming’s reality, causes and risks”. Au contraire, public understanding would have defeated the campaign at the start. It would have ended with a jolt.
Meanwhile during the same time span the credibility of the scientific theory has taken a nosedive. It is becoming clearer by the day that the threat has been over-exaggerated and that the models on which supported the scare are wrong.
All this survey measures is the lag between public perception of the debate and scientific reality behind the scaremongering tactics of the advocates.
At some point good scientists will see it as being in their interests to publicly distance themselves from “climate science”. They will lose their fear of the consequences of being vocal critics of the IPCC and CAGW machine.
Public opinion will lag, but it will always follow the opinion of mainstream science.
Of the fraction who say ‘they feel āhelplessā (43%), ādisgustedā (42%), or āsadā (40%) when thinking about global warming’, did they ask them if that was because they felt they had been deceived or lied to?
I seem to recall that when asked to rank their concerns, respondants tended to rank AGW just below worrying whether or not their garbage was going to be picked up. So, I am guessing that this “poll/survey” will end up like the 97% lie.
M. Nichopolis says: @ January 16, 2014 at 8:44 am
āGlobal warming stirs a number of emotions among Americans,ā said lead researcher Anthony Leiserowitz, PhD, of Yale University. āBut these emotions differ greatly across āGlobal Warmingās Six Americasā.
The āSix Americasā? ….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
And here I always thought there were only two. The east and west coasts and “Fly over Country”
Poll is wrong: Americans in flyover states are Ork-like creatures with low foreheads and torsos pumped full of custard (A journalist’s opinion and no doubt the opinion of those in D.C.)
BTW, Yale is a hollow image of its former self and informed parents are discovering that ahead of time for college choice.
As throughout history, the bosses fear the masses and they use fear to divert them. A climate apocalypse makes for a potent hobgoblin.
As with most political polls, this poll is used to gauge whether the public is getting the political message. It appears that the propaganda is still working as only 25% know the truth that there is currently no global warming.
OK I just took their Six Americas Quiz (Geez, John Edwards only divided us into Two Americas). I rated as Dismissive with a little downward pointing arrow graphic to emphasize how poorly I did. I noticed several problems with the quiz, starting with their definition of Global Warming as any rise in global temperature over the last 150 years. Only if you disagree that GW is happening are several extra questions asked. Another question on concern over GW went from “Very High” to “Low”, not “Very Low” as you might expect an unbiased poll would ask. You are asked what the Government ought to do, but none of the options was rescinding previous actions or backing away from Governmental activism. There is a definite bias in the poll that assumes GW is real, a threat, and that only Government intervention will prevent a catastrophe. I think at WUWT folks should take the quiz to unbend the bias.
Sorry, my last sentence should read “I think that all WUWT folks should take the quiz to unbend the bias.”
Who ya gonna believe? Al Gore or your own lyin eyes? Anyone with eyes and two neurons to rub together and a memory longer than a few nanoseconds can look around, consult their own memories and tell that NOTHING has happened and that climate/weather is NOT more extreme. Why there are still those that are determined that we’re all going to roast in a therageddon is one of the great mysteries of the Universe. Total maroons!
All we need are a few more winters from hell, like this current one – the winter of 2013-14 – and the poll numbers will continue to go in the “wrong direction.” What was it that Judge Judy said? “Don’t pee on my shoes and tell me it’s raining.”
Of course GW is ‘out with Americans’, most of us are trying to keep our bills paid, nearly on time, and food on the table. Whether a few tenths of a degree go up or down this year, next year, or the next few, matters little if you can’t feed your family, drive to work, or keep the lights on.
“the publicās understanding of global warmingās reality, causes, and risks has not improved ”
Dr. Maibach needs to be reminded that one of the most common forms of bias in statistical studies involves the existence of preconceived ideas about what the answer ‘should be’. This can often cause the survey questions posed to be posed as ‘loaded’ statements.
“..publicās understanding of global warmingās reality, causes, and risks has not improved and has, in at least one important respect, gone in the wrong direction over the past year,ā
What is this kind of language doing in a survey? The proper, independent interpretation is just the opposite: the tide is turning away from CAGW. Maybe offer a reason: we are in the 17th year without warming and even the most stalwart among the theorists is at a loss for an explanation other than natural variability is trumping it. Why do sociologists and psychologists feel the need to take such a strong partisan position? I suppose it is because their “sciences” are totally broken and corrupted.
These poll results confirm that 3 out of four Americans think paleoclimate is yeseterday’s high temperature.
“Global warming refers to the idea that the worldās average temperature has been increasing over the past 150 years, may be increasing more in the future, and that the worldās climate may change as a result.”
This is a deliberate conflation of fact with fantasy on their part. Pretty much SOP with them, from the look of it. Hardly anyone denies that there has been a warmup since the LIA. Their dishonesty beggars belief.
Let me fix that for ya.
That’s better. Global warming has grinded to a halt.
That’s me!
The authors should have asked if people think that global warming is STILL happening. Then the “no”s might be substantially higher still.
They need to add a question.
Which do you think is longer:
a) the list of things the models have gotten wrong? Or
b) the list of reasons being used to explain why the models or wrong?
Took the quiz, and it seems I’m in the “doubtful” group. I suppose I should give them credit for not using the term āClimate Changeā and allowing for a belief in Global Warming to be properly qualified as being caused by natural occurrences (though if you chose differently with the initial question, I donāt know if you had that option later). However, it would have been nice if the question concerning attempts at controlling Global Warming had an option something like ā āwe might be able to do something about it, but shouldnātā (cost benefit ratio, etc.).
Kevin Schurig says: @ January 16, 2014 at 9:37 am
I seem to recall that when asked to rank their concerns, respondants tended to rank AGW just below worrying whether or not their garbage was going to be picked up….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In this poll Climate was not even mentioned. Poll: Americans have little faith in government “The survey was conducted by GfK using KnowledgePanel, a probability-based Internet panel designed to be representative of the U.S. population”
So that makes three different polling companies all coming up with the same answer. Americans think D.C. stinks.
As far as CAGW is concerned Global warming no longer Americansā top environmental concern, poll finds (July 2012)
Looks like CAGW is now a dead horse, so watch for water to be the next ‘Crisis” Remember the Greens have been working hard to kill dam projects and to dismantle older dams. Of more interest is Maude Barlow, a director of Organic Consumers Assoc and Food & Water Watch who worked in favor of the UN/World Trade Organization’s Food ‘Safety’ bill that passed in 2009. She was rewarded for her work with an appointment as New Senior Advisor to the UN president on October 21, 2008. Barlow made sure that both organizations were not used to oppose the bill and wiped out any real grass roots opposition by confusing those concerned by the bill.
I found out most people are followers not thinkers and would get Yes, But Organic Consumers says the bill is O.K.
See: Trojan Horse Law: The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 for a lawyers analysis of the bill.
Note Privatization of Water Services in the USA Authors, Committee on Privatization of Water Services in the United States, National Research Council
Took the quiz, garnering a “dismissive” label. Better than the other “D” word I suppose, though I’d prefer “disdainful”.
Mumble McGuirk says:
January 16, 2014 at 10:19 am
OK I just took their Six Americas Quiz (Geez, John Edwards only divided us into Two Americas). I rated as Dismissive with a little downward pointing arrow graphic to emphasize how poorly I did.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I did too. Boy did they have the Demographics wrong! I am not a religious white male republican. Four out of four wrong, way to go!
As you said the poll was ‘Shaped’ to get the answers they wanted. I hope I thoroughly screwed them up!
But of course, and more funding. Just read the tripe he has published, a relentless barage of garbage and propaganda. What does Ed really want to understand about ‘climate change’ and its causes?
The last time I checked scientists were supposed to refrain from value judgments. Have I missed a major paradigm shift in epistemology?
Nothing surprises me about the agnotology and ignorance of humans, any more. In spite of the mountain of evidence and a string of new findings of new links to homo sapiens, the number of Republicans who think humans look exactly as they do, today, from the beginning of the earth only 6000 years ago JUMPED from 39% to 48% since only 2009! Humans will believe anything they are told about any subject by the “experts” in any field. I’m surprised more of them aren’t terrified to have telephone and AC power wired into their homes, Amish style.
http://www.mediaite.com/online/republicans-growing-more-dismissive-of-evolution-pew-poll-finds/
Oops…here’s a link to the Pew poll graphs….
And you know they all drive cars, use electricity, heat/cool their homes, etc….
“Records of past climate show some long-lasting global heatwaves and cold snaps, and climate models suggest that either of these can occur as the world warms under the influence of greenhouse gases.” — Jeff Tollefson, Nature
—
Notice how they are now claiming that even a “long-lasting” global cold snap can occur as the world warms? We could enter a new ice age and these climate alarmists would claim it is the fault of greenhouse gases. They are determined to ensure that absolutely nothing can falsify their new religion, I mean theory.
If all Americans were forced to read this beautifully succinct demolition of AGW hysteria by Maurice Newman in The Australian – http://www.thegwpf.org/maurice-newman-mother-nature-suggests-partys-ipcc/ – would the percentage of those fearful of global warming drop below 50%? Or has years of indoctrination rendered the majority of US citizens (or citizens of other countries for that matter) brain dead?
@Larry, what’s your point? On the one hand, the “experts” are saying global warming is a huge problem, and is caused by us, and they are clearly wrong. On the other hand, the science behind evolution is fairly solid. The two ideas are not even remotely interconnected. Also, I see you threw in the bit about the earth beginning 6,000 years ago yourself. Axe to grind, or what?
I might point out that scepticism is also highest among those that can manage a bit of calculus, and who know what a geometric progression is. That is… Scepticism is highest among those who are able to check things for themselves, doesn’t bode well for the consensus.
Turns out the “control knobs” were the climate scientists.
Resourceguy says:
January 16, 2014 at 9:48 am
BTW, Yale is a hollow image of its former self and informed parents are discovering that ahead of time for college choice.
###
Yale is very good at doing what it believes to be its mission and that is brainwashing our children to see the world with a Marxist world-view. One of my good friends when to Yale for two years to work on his Phd. He returned a babbling automaton of lefty lunacy. It was heart breaking to see. He used to be brilliant.
To me these type of surveys are stacked toward global warming before they start. When you have most of the major news outlets whether tv or press openly biased[ most knowingly admit to this ] to only reporting news that is favourable toward global warming and refusing to report any news to the contrary, if you then take a survey about what the public thinks or knows about global warming , the answer will be obvious . If however you regularly give the public all climate news including both sides of the debate in an unbiased way and then take a your survey, I think you will get a much different answer. Thank goodness we have the internet and social media to level the playing field.. I tend to ignore all climate science reporting coming from the major tv networks and the major press knowing that it will only be half the story at the best.
BerƩnyi PƩter says: @ January 16, 2014 at 12:04 pm
….. Have I missed a major paradigm shift in epistemology?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Yes,
LysenkoismPost Normal Science is now what is taught.bobl says: @ January 16, 2014 at 1:24 pm
…..That isā¦ Scepticism is highest among those who are able to check things for themselves, doesnāt bode well for the consensus.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
That is why John Dewey, Father of the Modern Education System destroyed American literacy.
I really want to take that poll, but I am shivering too much to do so as I sit under an umbrella heater on a porch in Sarasota. Disgusted, may I add!
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ltFasxh4ors/TVqz6YFqmSI/AAAAAAAAAIw/CJRzwQhgZ4o/s1600/freeze+your+butt+off.jpg
Who gave this Maibach individual the right to decide what is, or what is not, “the wrong direction”?
All the Green/Left traits on view: arrogance, cultism, groupthink and immaturity.
I wonder who the people were who were part of the survey? Personally I liked Stevens comment, “‘Tis easier to fool people than convince them they are being fooled’ Mark Twain. In Oz we are in the middle of summer and people are explaining the high temps are part of the CO2 build up in our atmosphere. Now we oldies, who have lived in different hemispheres will tell you a temp of 31 C in UK is very hotter than normal, but in Oz, it is not unusual during summer. Other than in the outback and inland, other than in our Southern States, SA, WA and Vic. Queensland, is much hotter than most generally but parts of this State and the NT are subject to monsoonal regions. But they worry about a increase in CO2, natural or human made, now Methane. Now they are blaming the politicians for not doing something about the hot weather. If it wasn’t so serious it would be laughable. Having lived in the middle east (Cyprus) and visited Lebanon and Egypt in their winter, hot is hot in their summers. But they get snow too! I just wonder if any Canadians can tell us how the wind turbines are coping with their colder than cold winter? I would be interested to know.
PS. In NSW if the temps reach over 39C, dog shows are stopped. I remember in the late 70s when this rule didn’t exist, stewarding at a large show near Penrith (near the foot of the blue mountain). It reached 43 C. Dogs died from heat, two whippets, and others suffered heat exhaustion. People were throwing the dogs and themselves in the nearby river. I stewarded, and my judge nearly fainted from the heat, so after lunch I went out to prepare her ring for her (no shade then) and to refresh my makeup I took my lipstick out of my bag, and it melted onto my chest. That’s hot. On our way back to Cronulla on the coast, the cars were lined up on this road from overheating, but when we got home, the temps were much cooler and liveable. Hot happens. In Melbourne they stopped the Australian open in some courts because of the heat too.
He’s become a member of what someone called “our regiments of well-drilled PhDs.”
People have been recognising the difference between science and propaganda, and it seems that the US President is big on propaganda when it comes to catastrophic man-made global warming (climate change), and it is turning off people.
bushbunny says: @ January 16, 2014 at 5:22 pm
…… In Oz we are in the middle of summer and people are explaining the high temps are part of the CO2 build up in our atmosphere. Now we oldies, who have lived in different hemispheres will tell you a temp of 31 C….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Good grief 31C is not quite 88F. We were seeing over 90F, .2 days @ 91F and 4 days @ 93F, in the month of April, our spring, in 2004. I have also seen days at 100F (38C) or over both here in North Carolina, New York AND in Boston. MA it was so hot the motherboard of my computer at work melted.
These people are wimps.
bushbunny says:
January 16, 2014 at 5:22 pm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have to take issue. WA is only partially a southern state, down here (southern half) was 49.7 the other day. š
Good Day everyone!
Well! a quite remarkable news item has just appeared from the BBC ‘Newsnight’ team, which is headed up ‘Has the Sun gone to sleep’
In this video clip, it is now stating that scientists have now confirmed that the sun has started to enter into a new phase of inactvity whic has not been experienced for many thousands of years!
The conclusions seem to be that the Northen Hemisphere is due to experience a long period of really cold and freezing winters and a severe drop in temperatures worldwide!
Has there been a dramatic conversion of the warming zealots at the BBC?
How to conduct a survey to get the answers you want
I just used their “I am Dismissive” graphic as my Profile Picture on Facebook. š
We lived in Papua New Guinea for a year. It is a large island nation between Australia and the equator, so while it is hot in Oz it is really hot in PNG. Yet, while those of us of European ancestry were sweating in our T-short and shorts, the local population were wearing heavy coats, gloves and balaclava’s to ward off the cold.
Sure the white folks in OZ find it hot, because there are descended from people that are genetically selected to survive in a cold, wet, miserable climate when you don’t see the sun for days on end. Stick them out in the tropical sun without protection and in a couple of hours they look like boiled lobster. While at the same time the aboriginal population will be complaining about the cold.
That’s new to me about PNG. I thought the locals wore few clothes all the time. Especially in the interior. I lived in Bermuda, and when there in 1969, I experienced the lowest temp since leaving UK. 39F. That was in their winter. We burned red cedar in our fireplaces during winter. But sweltered in summer, the humidity? Leather would go mouldy and bread went the same way kept in the fridge. Anyway must go and look after my plants some are wilting with the heat, 26 C in the house though. Very pleasant.
We also lived in Oz for a year. Try wearing shorts and T-shirts into restaurants and bars. Can’t be done. Smart casual only. Men can wear shorts only if they are wearing knee socks. Otherwise you must year long pants. Everywhere you go, businessmen are wearing wool suit just like they are back in jolly old England. And then they complain about the hot. Give you head a shake.
james says:
January 17, 2014 at 4:33 am
āHas the Sun gone to sleepā
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25771510
Any yet, only 80 some years ago the English were fearless…
In tropical climes
There are certain times
Of day
When all the citizens retire
To take their clothes off and perspire.
It’s one of those rules
That the greatest fools
Obey,
Because the sun is far too sultry
And one must avoid its ultry
Violet ray.
The natives grieve
When the white men leave
Their huts.
Because they’re obviously,
Definitely
Nuts.
Mad Dogs & Englishmen
Go out in the midday sun.
etc.
http://lyrics.wikia.com/No%C3%ABl_Coward:Mad_Dogs_And_Englishmen
And not with sandals. Here’s a hilarious cartoon:
http://gawker.com/5752251/the-devastation-that-can-be-caused-by-wearing-socks-with-sandals
Ferdperble a hilarious comment from ‘Yes Minister’ We should construct our own. When the question arises ‘Do you believe in Climate change’ obviously most will say ‘Yes’ it happens all the time. But if they ask ‘Do you believe in global warming created by human kind’ well a different answer.
Sorry about the Western Australia gaff, I was referring to Perth & environs. Look, about PNG
I haven’t lived there but my grandfather visited Port Morsby in 1892-94. Raised the union jack in 13 areas to proclaim it was a British protectorate. The Germans had the other half.
As far as acclimatisation. Armidale on the Northern Tablelands is an example. I came here from Tamworth in 1987. I am English and have lived in Cyprus, Bermuda and North and South of England. Because it was cooler and night temps drop. But it is cold in parts in winter, minus 15 C sometimes. But I refuse to oil heat the house, (it is oil ducted) we are trying to conserve electricity. We have one two bar electric fire for visitors who come down from Qld.
After 4 years I had acclimatised and moving just a few kms up the Southern hill to Soudan Hts, the winter temps are often 5 C warmer, cold and frost runs down hill. If it is cold we done a jumper.But accordingly in UK with central heating. People run around in T.Shirts in homes in winter. They are becoming hot house flowers, in my opinion.
Not allowed in shorts to restuarants. or cafes. Where did you go too. Certainly some of the upper class restuarants don’t like super casual wear at night. At the prices they charge, one would dress nicely. The same anywhere I suspect. Clubs won’t allow work clothes after 6 pm, and really they are all air conditioned anyway, winter and summer.
The white Raj in India, yes lots of deaths from white people. It wasn’t the heat so much, but all the nasty viruses and germs around. You can imagine women in those Victorian dresses, no wonder they died of heat stroke. That’s why they sent their children back to UK to be educated.
So many microclimates around the world particularly in Armidale, depends where you live.
But I agree 31 C is not hot for parts of SE Australia. But in UK it is hot than normal.