January 5, 2014

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Meanwhile in Australia

Remember these guys from a couple days ago? This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bullshit has got to stop. Our planet is freezing, record low temps,and our GW scientists are stuck in ice Donald J.

By David Wogan

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This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

Remember these guys from a couple days ago?

With an "extreme" and "historic" cold snap bearing down on the US, it's easy to forget that it's summer in the Southern Hemisphere. And our friends in Australia are experiencing some rather, umm, warm temperatures.

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The Guardian reports:

Temperatures in parts of Australia are set to reach almost 50C in the coming days, with total fire bans in place in northern regions of South Australia and a week-long heatwave enveloping Queensland. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast the temperature to hit 49C in the South Australian town of Moomba on Thursday, while Oodnadatta, which reached 47.7C on Wednesday, will warm to 48C. South Australia’s Country Fire Service has rated fire conditions for the north-west and north-east regions of the state as “catastrophic”, with winds from former tropical cyclone Christine exacerbating conditions.

50C is a little over 120F. Global climate change works both ways. There are extreme cold and hot weather events (along with a host of other indicators and effects).

Weather map: Bureau of Meteorology

David Wogan is an engineer and policy researcher who writes about energy, technology, and policy.

David's academic and professional background includes a unique blend of technology and policy in the field of energy systems. Most recently, David worked at Austin Energy, a Texas municipal utility, implementing a Department of Energy stimulus grant related to energy efficiency. Previously, David was a member of the Energy & Climate Change team at the White House Council on Environmental Quality for the Obama Administration.

David holds two Master's degrees from The University of Texas at Austin in Mechanical Engineering and Public Affairs. While at UT, David was a researcher in the Webber Energy Group, where his research focused on advanced biofuel production to offset petroleum use in the transportation sector. David holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, where he researched nuclear non-proliferation measurement technology.

David is a 2013 Aspen Institute Journalism Scholar, joining a select group of journalists from Slate, ABC News, and The New York Times.

David lives in Austin, Texas. Follow along on Twitter or email him at david.wogan@me.com.

More by David Wogan

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