Yes, it was very windy over the late fall and winter season here, and we grew tired of it and complained about it. However, according to Jeff Masters' WunderBlog, "Stronger-than-average trade winds were observed through most of the period November 2008 - May 2009, which helped cool the tropical Atlantic substantially. Strong winds mix up colder water from the depths and cause greater evaporative cooling."
Sea surface temperatures are just one variable in supporting hurricane formation, but if the strong winds keep us safe from hurricanes, I'll gladly put up with the wind (like I have a choice anyway).
If you like scenic photos, I suggest you drop over to Jeff Masters' site and check out photos like this one, taken on the island of Corfu in Greece.
The island of Corfu has been a place I've wanted to visit since I got hooked on books written by Gerald Durrell. Gerald wrote books about his carefree childhood days collecting 'specimens' to satisfy his curiousity about animals and nature. For an animal lover such as I, Gerald's writing captured my imagination and I became a collector of his books.
Here is a site describing Gerald's sentiments about how humans have ravaged the earth and its inhabitants: "I feel despair twenty-four hours a day at the way we are treating the world and what we are piling up for ourselves. But you have to keep fighting, or what are we on earth for? I believe so much in what I am doing that I cannot let up."
- Gerald Durrell (1985 Aged 60)
To do his part in conservation, Gerald founded the Jersey Zoo, focusing on creatures under threat of extinction. Although Gerald is no longer alive, his passion lives on through his zoo. And his childhood lives on through his books.
Islands have always held a fascination for me - I think I like the feeling of being separated from the mainstream, surrounded by the sea, which has always pulled at me. I'm sure Gerald's island is no longer as he described it when he lived there as a child, just as Isla Mujeres is no longer the same island as it was 9 short years ago when I first came here.
Here is a sobering video that continues Gerald's theme of the havoc we humans are inflicting on the world (and our islands). Maybe hurricanes are one way nature has of getting back at us.
4 comments:
What a great and sobering video. I didn't expect to take 10 minutes on your blog today but it was a good 10 minutes. I Love animals too and it is a pitty what we do to our planet. My carbon footprint is huge just because of my job.
Good video and great post Sue.
I really enjoyed this post Sue. I watched the video and clicked on all the links. Gerald Durrell was quite a fellow. I will look for his books.
Bennie - I didn't expect to put together a post like this at all - I was really only going to write about the weather...lol. Somehow one thing led to another...oh yeah, it was Corfu being on the weather site, and that led to Durrell, and there you go. Glad you enjoyed the post.
Jeanie - thanks, glad you enjoyed it and nice to know someone clicks on the links (links are the most work). You will not find most of his books in stores any more, but they do have them at the public library, and you can order them online through Amazon or Alibris.
Excellent video, and how true. He was a very wise man.
Linda
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