Monday 25 August 2008

Butterflies Fall Prey to Global Chilling

And so, despite the odd mocking glimpse of sun, another cool, grey, wet, windy 'summer' grinds on. This is bad news not only for our mental and physical wellbeing, but for the very survival of many of the butterflies that struggle to live in these grey isles. As one cold dismal summer follows another, I have to ask the obvious question: Weren't we supposed to be warming up? Weren't hordes of exotic insects supposed to be wafting in on the balmy southern breezes? If that were happening, you can be sure the warmists would leap on it as proof positive that their case was beyond argument, it was one minute to midnight, etc. As it is, they seem to have very little to say about the weather in Britain, or indeed in much of the northern hemisphere (unless they can get a picture of hunks of ice falling off an ice sheet). Ah well - to quote Bryan's favourite Marriott Edgar, I think it'll brighten up yet.

6 comments:

  1. I'm sorry you all are having such a wet summer in Jolly Olde. Come to Philly, Nige: I'm watching another sunny day come up right now: pink streaks on blue sky (I'm up too early -- damn panting old dog who HAD to go out).

    But, you know, you'll get one glorious day there and all the gray and damp will be forgotten. It will be like Bryan's peach. Some days, it's good to know our species is so shallow.

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  2. Yep we're a shallow lot Susan - and no bad thing. I confidently expect to enter a state of weather-related euphoria come September. Enjoy your sunny day over there...

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  3. Ah, old Marriott, I can smell the baking Pizza in Bury as I type, drive in from the M62 (elberrys tarmac Ganges) and you pass the Duke of Devonshire's old coachworks, now used to mould road cones.
    Odd year for butterflies in the Eildons, hardly any, then in the last few days, the Buddlia are awash with them. Bugger Team GeeBee, Europe beckons, at least the Koln Brauhaus Do. Enjoy your Indian summer Susan, the ex commies are coming.

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  4. I believe the debate is over mean annual global temperature, the average of thousands of temperature measurements taken at thousands of locations daily, over the course of a year. Poor old Britain this cool August day is, sad to say, nothing more than a couple of data points.

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  5. Why would butterflies want to desert their magnificent Tropical forests and gardens, where there are nectar-filled, moist blooms everywhere in an infinite variety of colors (sorry about that "u"), scent and taste? They may be smart enough to realize that even with global warming it would take generations for such a botanical paradise to establish itself in your neck of the woods, so they'll give it a miss till then.

    And by the way, that sun in Philly comes with steamy humidity, sweat and mosquitoes. Better to revel in those rare sunny days that brought out the poet in your Lake Poets.

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  6. This summer it is NOT coming with the humidity. That is why it's amazing weather. Everyone who lives here is talking about the glorious summer of 2008.

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