[ RadSafe ] Japanese Nuclear, Weather, Etc.

[JPreisig at aol.com]

Dear Radsafe:
 
     From:    _jpreisig at aol.com_ (mailto:jpreisig at aol.com)        .
 
     Hey All,
 
          Hope you all are  having a good day.
 
          I keep hearing that  Japan will be ending its Nuclear Power 
program, with the current  generation
of reactors.  Japan is earthquake (and tsunami) country.  Guess  they don't 
want to threaten any
more of their limited farmland.  I guess the Germans shutoff Nuclear,  so 
they could keep growing
hops and barley all over the place.
 
          Once this global  warming crisis is well-understood, we will have 
in hand many tools to
make weather prediction better and better.  Clearly, much of our  weather 
information comes from
satellite imagery.  We also have solar irradiance information.   Right now, 
we also have information
from Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) about Earth Spin, Precession, 
 Nutation and 
Wobble(s).  I believe all the preceding will allow us to predict times  of 
drought, supposed
global warming, wet times, warm climate and so on rather well.  We  have 
atmospheric information
from Doppler Radar and weather balloons.  VLBI also, believe it or  not, 
can solve for atmospheric
information also.
 
          So, let's not throw  away our Farmer's Almanacs, but be advised 
that such additional
weather information is available.  I expect the current USA drought  will 
continue on for at least 
ten more years.  Once I am able to spend some time on this drought  
problem, I could probably
give you all a better estimate.  The next polar motion peak is in 2042  --- 
more global warming???.
Drought and some heavy snowfalls around 2020.  The polar ice caps  should 
begin to re-solidify
somewhat in the next 5 years --- generally, global water will be less  
available for rain and 
sea-level rise as the re-solidification occurs.
 
           With the  rather long (9 month???) growing seasons available in 
the USA and  elsewhere,
farmers might be able to squeeze in 2 growing seasons during the 9 month  
period????
Don't know what warm weather in the USA will mean for wine/grape  growers.
 
           There's a news  item today on Google about scientists making 
embryos from stem cells????
Read it, if you are so inclined.
 
           Wish I had  more to say about actual radiation-related topics.  
Maybe someone familiar  with
the Mars Rover can briefly explain to the radsafe group about how the  
Rover's energy/power is made 
from Plutonium decay.  Yes. I know the answer is probably on  Wikipedia.
 
           Take  Care.      Regards,    Joseph R. (Joe)  Preisig