Published 4-22-2019 April 22 has been established as the date when Earth Day is celebrated around the world. The initial Earth Day occurred in 1970. I personally recall that one…
Headlines regularly highlight climate change and related issues, arguing for the need to improve human treatment of the environment. Yet others argue climate change is “fake” or that the issue…
Published 4-17-2019 Our unusual post title needs some explanation. The endless pronouncements of politicians of both parties are fraught with (what else?) political opinion. Many modern US and world residents…
Published 4-10-2019 Buzz phrases come and go in our language. The Green New Deal is a notable example. The youngest member of the US Congress burst upon the national scene…
Published 3-30-2019 Music Directors often schedule program selections based on underlying themes to heighten audience interest. So it was with our most recent Dubuque Symphony Orchestra program. Many composers gain…
Published 3-22-2019 Many areas of the United States have been deluged with cold weather, snow, and ice during the winter of 2018-19. Many Midwest regions are experiencing serious flooding resulting…
Published 3-12-2019 One of the well-known questions in meteorology is “What is the cause of seasons?” Many related secondary questions occur. Are any facts about the motions of Planet Earth,…
Published 3-6-2019 “Happy Spring!” Our household thermometer recorded an overnight low temperature of -5ºF on March 3. The median temperature on that day was thirty degrees below normal. “Take heart,”…
Published 2-25-2019 After the late January North American intrusion of the stratospheric polar vortex, we continue to hear many references to the polar vortex each time a significant winter event…
Published 2-16-2019 As the frenzy concerning the January stratospheric polar vortex abates, we could not resist treating the subject in at least one more post. The polar vortex has become…