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-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
China battles 'coldest winter in 100 years'
2008-02-05
Millions remained stranded in China on Monday ahead of the biggest holiday of the year as parts of the country suffered their coldest winter in a century.
Clearly global warming
Freezing weather has killed scores of people and left travellers stranded before the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival - the only opportunity many people have to take a holiday all year. It has also brought China unwanted negative publicity six months before the Summer Olympics in Beijing. President Hu Jintao chaired an emergency Politburo meeting on Sunday for the second time in a week to discuss rescue efforts. “We have to be clear-minded that the inclement weather and severe disaster will continue to plague certain regions in the south,” said a statement issued after Sunday’s meeting. “Relief work will continue to face challenges, posing a tough task.” The China Meteorological Administration said the weather was the coldest in 100 years in central Hubei and Hunan provinces, going by the total number of consecutive days of average temperature less than 1 degree Celsius (33.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
Posted by:Fred

#13  Thanks, Crosspatch.
That is an interesting graph.
Posted by: wxjames   2008-02-05 15:21  

#12  True, as Katrina continues to pop up every once in a while here. About what my father was talking about I think it was the Yangtze (sp?) destroyed crops and cut the south off from the north and there was a revolt - circa way back in the day of crossbows and catapults.

btw weather here is 40 degrees colder than it was yesterday. If they are going to ban climate change I hope it is on a day where it is about 70 degrees, partly cloudy with occasional light showers throughout the day.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2008-02-05 14:17  

#11  SwksvolFF,
Several Chinese dynasties changed hand after prolonged droughts or floods. However, there was a religeous reason for this. The emperors were supposed to keep harmony with the Heavens, and when they failed, their claim to legitimacy vanished.

From the pictures I've seem on TV (of SE China) it does remind me of Wash. DC after a snowfall. It looks like they had 3 inches of snow in an area that doesn't get much snowfall. Another problem seems to be 1 - 2 inches of ice (like the ice storms we get in New England).

One thing the MSM is ignoring is the large scale unrest already common in China. Last year there were dozens of demonstrations against corruption every day all over China. So this is agitating and already angry population.

Al
Posted by: Frozen Al   2008-02-05 13:08  

#10  Blame Ross Perot for 1992 with 19% of the vote.
Posted by: ed   2008-02-05 13:03  

#9  HEY lay off Atlanta, we are not used too the white stuff around here, but we also dohn't bed down and starve too death either when it snows, that once in a blue moon that it does.Although if you ever here of it going too snow in GA buy stock in a dairy farm or bread bakery
Posted by: sinse   2008-02-05 12:59  

#8  swksvolFF

Weather is associated with the 1978 defeat of Mike Blandic by Jane Byrne (a snowstorm in Jan 78 was not dealt with well by the Chi PWorks and Streets dept).

Probably the victory by Bobby Jindal over Kathyleen Blanco in LA was due to the ineffective performance of the LA govt in the Katrina disaster.

Also, it may be that Clinton's victory over GHWBush in 92 was due to the situation following Hurricane Andrew. Of course, in that case, the weak federal response was mainly due to the fact that the Gov of FL (Lawton Chiles) at the time wouldn't sign a statement that would allow relief (and then FL Att Gen Janet Reno managed to do some damage also and blame it on someone else). Of course the leftist press made GHWBush the bad guy.
Posted by: mhw   2008-02-05 12:32  

#7   Interesting graph.
Posted by: crosspatch   2008-02-05 12:30  

#6  The problem is not global warming. The problem is climate change. We must prevent the climate from changing in any way. It must remain the same.
/sarcasm
Posted by: Rambler   2008-02-05 11:33  

#5  My father a student on Chinese History, and I only have a couple of classes under my belt, once said that flooding has toppled Chinese governments multiple times in the past. Anyone out there know of times where weather had a direct, if not delayed, weakening of the chinese government?

What I'm getting at is how many people are huddled in a train station wondering gee, if they would just send one of their new submarines up here all would be ok. What, the train was diverted for coal? The infastructure is collapsed? Well, where is all that foreign money going to?

Or, as it was mentioned, is this more like trying to get through Atlanta or Dallas when there are flurries? What would Tony Romo say?
Posted by: swksvolFF   2008-02-05 11:00  

#4  Note the bizarre standard for 'coldest' used by the China Meteorology Agency.

This government (like others before it) blames any mismanagement on bad weather.

At one time, the old USSR, had blamed poor harvests for 20 consecutive years on unusually wet, or dry, or cold or hot, weather.
Posted by: mhw   2008-02-05 10:34  

#3  Send Al Gore.
Posted by: treo   2008-02-05 10:15  

#2  Calling all nations! Calling all nations! This is China! Send us all the patio heaters, SUV's, private jets, and farting livestock that you can! And hurry!
Calling all nations! Calling...
Posted by: tu3031   2008-02-05 09:28  

#1  The victims of global worming.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2008-02-05 01:46  

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