Global Cooling. The sky is falling.

[Robert Roaldi]

You don't understand, Alan. If global warming (currently known as "climate change" since no warming has taken place for more than a decade) is good, then left-wing government types have no control over you. You're free to heat your house with coal or natural gas instead of solar panels or windmills. You're free to drive a big honker of a minivan. You're free to vote any way you want to vote. Government control of individuals' private lives might become even more difficult than it already is.

We may all need this in the future.

[Jeremy Roussak]

From now on only links to articles will be posted and I'm not going to engage in any further discussion.  Feel free to report me to the moderator; he pretty much dislikes me anyway.

Relax, Alan. I can pretty much guarantee that I shan't ban anyone for silence.

Jeremy

[Rob C]

A mental dilemma: is it better to keep wearing one's knickers in a twist or to take them off and, in so doing, reveal the naked emperor once within?

Choices, choices.

[LesPalenik]

"Before The Flood" movie about the global climate change for all skeptics is on Netflix now.

https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/80141928

[RSL]

Kind of like Hanoi Jane's "The China Syndrome," Les?

See the movie, then read "Climate Change Has Run Its Course" in this morning's Wall Street Journal. Here's a short quote from the article:

"...climate change is no longer a pre-eminent policy issue. All that remains is boilerplate rhetoric from the political class, frivolous nuisance lawsuits, and bureaucratic mandates on behalf of special-interest renewable-energy rent seekers."

The author then goes on to document the bases for this statement.

[LesPalenik]

Kind of like Hanoi Jane's "The China Syndrome," Les?

Not quite, apparently their budget was much smaller.
But a lot of real evidence and also some stunning photography. Calving icebergs, Alberta oil sands, and quite a few floods.

[RSL]

Well, that's the problem with a smaller budget for a propaganda movie. All you can afford to come up with is calving icebergs, Alberta oil sands, and quite a few floods.

[LesPalenik]

If that evidence is not enough, here is another one, potentially more deadly. In Ontario, number of ticks carring the Lyme disease is on alarming increase. The outbreak curve over the last few years is like that hockey stick.
Over the weekend, I was talking to friends who belong to hiking and canoeing clubs. This year, many hikers came home with ticks on their bodies after a hike through the local forests and the canoing club issued the following advice for groups of paddlers:
- make at least three stops per day and check each other for embedded ticks
- take at least 3 swims per day. Apparently, as long as the ticks are not fully embedded in the skin, the exposure to the water will cause them to fall off.
I'm all for the 3 swims a day, but not so fond of the close body inspections. I'm going to recommend these precautions also to my camera club trip leaders.

Over the past 40 years, I took quite a few hikes and canoeing trips and never had the pleasure encountering ticks. Only bears, bees, snakes, and mosquitos.
I knew that the ticks can fall on hikers from the trees, but never worried about them when paddling.  Not sure if the winds carry ticks over the narrow rivers or along the lake shore, or if they can attach to the humans only when they are on the shore or doing the portage. The good thing is that when you portage the canoe on your shoulders, the canoe makes a good shield against any falling projectiles. However, since you use both hands to steady the canoe, you can't swat the mosquitos which will invariably find their way to your face, neck and hands.

[Alan Klein]

I stopped going in the woods because of more ticks here in NY and NJ.  But their Lyme disease-carrying danger to humans is only one side of the picture.  Warmer winters have allowed expansion of white tail deer and white footer mice populations, the tick's natural hosts who are unaffected by Lyme disease.  Warmer weather has allowed expansion of the forest.  So while they're an apparent negative from Lyme disease, the positives seem to out-weigh the negatives.  This is the point I've been making about this whole topic.  The Nature shows have an agenda and they only tell half the story.

Checking for ticks can been fun.  Since they like to attach in hidden, dark places that's hard to see, you have to ask your spouse or girlfriend to check you out and you have to do the same with her.  It makes for more fun when you have to share a shower at the end of the day.  Quit complaining.

Speaking of Lyme and ticks, ticks don't fall on you.  They grab on to you as you brush against them while they wait in the brush.  Check out permethrin impregnated clothing. I use that clothing and when I did, never got a tick on me.  It goes under the trade name Insect Shield and have many clothing and equipment manufactures who are licensed to use it for shirts, hats, tents, pants, etc.  https://www.insectshield.com/

[Alan Goldhammer]

If you are in an area where Lyme ticks are prevalent ask your MD for a prescription of doxycycline, a broad spectrum antibiotic that can be used right after a tick bite.  A single 200mg dose within 72 hours of the tick bite will prevent Lyme disease.  there are also rapid DNA tests for Lyme disease if you have a lab in your area.  You just need to give them the picked off tick within 24 hours they can tell you if it carried Lyme.  I had this happen to me several years ago; the tick was positive for Lyme and I took the antibiotic and a follow up blood test six months later showed no Lyme in my system.

Best precaution is always long pants tucked into socks and long sleeve shirts that are tightly cinched on the wrist and neck.  This will reduce the area one has to check for ticks.

[Alan Klein]

DEET also suppose to work but I don't have any experience with it. 

Here's a good web page for how to deal with ticks. For photographers who go into the woods, it's an extremely important issue.  Even for the rest of us who have back yards, ticks can become a danger.  My dog almost died from an infection and children are vulnerable as well by just playing in back yards.  https://www.ticksafety.com/

[LesPalenik]

Checking for ticks can been fun.  Since they like to attach in hidden, dark places that's hard to see, you have to ask your spouse or girlfriend to check you out and you have to do the same with her.  It makes for more fun when you have to share a shower at the end of the day.  Quit complaining.

Speaking of Lyme and ticks, ticks don't fall on you.  They grab on to you as you brush against them while they wait in the brush.  Check out permethrin impregnated clothing. I use that clothing and when I did, never got a tick on me.  It goes under the trade name Insect Shield and have many clothing and equipment manufactures who are licensed to use it for shirts, hats, tents, pants, etc.  https://www.insectshield.com/

40 years ago, when I was hiking and paddling with girls in their twenties or early thirties, it would have been indeed fun and I wouldn't have complained. It's different now.

Since you mentioned a dark hidden place that's hard to see, one of my friends found a tick embedded extremely close to that spot. He didn't say whether the tick fell on him and travelled down or if it climbed up from his shoes. Either way, it found the warmest and darkest spot on his body. His wife couldn't extract the culprit, so she drove him to the clinic where they had to use a knife to remove the tick. As you can imagine that created another painful experience. Not romantic at all (well, funny in some way).
 
Thanks for the tip about Insect Shield clothing.

[Alan Klein]

If you are in an area where Lyme ticks are prevalent ask your MD for a prescription of doxycycline, a broad spectrum antibiotic that can be used right after a tick bite.  A single 200mg dose within 72 hours of the tick bite will prevent Lyme disease.  there are also rapid DNA tests for Lyme disease if you have a lab in your area.  You just need to give them the picked off tick within 24 hours they can tell you if it carried Lyme.  I had this happen to me several years ago; the tick was positive for Lyme and I took the antibiotic and a follow up blood test six months later showed no Lyme in my system.

Best precaution is always long pants tucked into socks and long sleeve shirts that are tightly cinched on the wrist and neck.  This will reduce the area one has to check for ticks.

Good point.  The infection rate of ticks having Lyme disease here in NJ runs 50-70%.  They say it takes at least 24 hours for the tick to transfer the Lyme after it attaches to you.  So if you find and remove the tick right away, you have less of a chance of getting Lyme.  I've taken doxycycline after I found an engorged tick on me.  So I knew it was on at least 24 hours.  I did send the tick out for testing and it came back positive with Lyme.  But the test took a week.  I'm glad I didn't wait to take the doxycycline. The whole process of checking, using Permethrin, checking the dog also when you get home etc, had just made going into the woods so much of a chore, I just stopped.  Also, my wife didn't like to check me out any more.  The fun wore off.    That's one side of climate change I don't like.  The tick situation has really gotten so bad especially where I live in NJ.

[Alan Klein]

40 years ago, when I was hiking and paddling with girls in their twenties or early thirties, it would have been indeed fun and I wouldn't have complained. It's different now.

Since you mentioned a dark hidden place that's hard to see, one of my friends found a tick embedded extremely close to that spot. He didn't say whether the tick fell on him and travelled down or if it climbed up from his shoes. Either way, it found the warmest and darkest spot on his body. His wife couldn't extract the culprit, so she drove him to the clinic where they had to use a knife to remove the tick. As you can imagine that created another painful experience. Not romantic at all (well, funny in some way).
 
Thanks for the tip about Insect Shield clothing.

Sorry to hear about your friends problem.  Interesting story to tell around the camp fireplace.

Insect Shield clothing is impregnated with Permethrin.  Good for 70 washings.  You don't use a cleaners but have to wash it.   You could buy  a can of spray-on Permethrin. (Do not spray on your skin). You spray it on your clothing, boots, tents, etc,  and let it dry overnight.  It's good for two weeks or two washings.  I think Deet maker Sawyer makes it as well.

[LesPalenik]

Good point.  The infection rate of ticks having Lyme disease here in NJ runs 50-70%.  They say it takes at least 24 hours for the tick to transfer the Lyme after it attaches to you.  So if you find and remove the tick right away, you have less of a chance of getting Lyme.  I've taken doxycycline after I found an engorged tick on me.  So I knew it was on at least 24 hours.  I did send the tick out for testing and it came back positive with Lyme.  But the test took a week.  I'm glad I didn't wait to take the doxycycline. The whole process of checking, using Permethrin, checking the dog also when you get home etc, had just made going into the woods so much of a chore, I just stopped.  Also, my wife didn't like to check me out any more.  The fun wore off.    That's one side of climate change I don't like.  The tick situation has really gotten so bad especially where I live in NJ.

Just two weeks ago, at a hiking club meeting, one speaker mentioned that in Canada, if you bring a tick to a clinic for inspection whether it carries Lyme disease, they will send it to a special office (I think, to Vancouver, BC) which will take up to 6 weeks to send back the results. By then, of course, it is too late to take the antibiotics. However, if you take the tick to any vet, they can give you the results the same day and you'll know if you should take the antibiotics.
   
Hopefully, with the increase of the ticks and the Lyme disease cases, they will change the inspection methods for humans.

[Alan Klein]

Just two weeks ago, at a hiking club meeting, one speaker mentioned that in Canada, if you bring a tick to a clinic for inspection whether it carries Lyme disease, they will send it to a special office (I think, to Vancouver, BC) which will take up to 6 weeks to send back the results. By then, of course, it is too late to take the antibiotics. However, if you take the tick to any vet, they can give you the results the same day and you'll know if you should take the antibiotics.
   
Hopefully, with the increase of the ticks and the Lyme disease cases, they will change the inspection methods for humans.

Yeah, if you go to the vet, he also gives you a dog bone treat when you're done.

[LesPalenik]

They also said that in order to see a vet you have to have a dog. Which I don't have at this time. Fortunately, several of my friends have pets that could help out.

[Alan Klein]

They also said that in order to see a vet you have to have a dog. Which I don't have at this time. Fortunately, several of my friends have pets that could help out.

I can see the scene:

"Hi Doc.  Here's my master.  He's got a tick. Could you check him out? Woof."

[Robert Roaldi]

Kind of like Hanoi Jane's "The China Syndrome," Les?

See the movie, then read "Climate Change Has Run Its Course" in this morning's Wall Street Journal. Here's a short quote from the article:

"...climate change is no longer a pre-eminent policy issue. All that remains is boilerplate rhetoric from the political class, frivolous nuisance lawsuits, and bureaucratic mandates on behalf of special-interest renewable-energy rent seekers."

The author then goes on to document the bases for this statement.

It's generally best to ignore Hollywood even in (semi-)serious discussions.

As for your WSJ reference, it's interesting how respectable the main stream media becomes when it tells you what you want to hear. As fas I know, the WSJ is not the final arbiter on whether or not "climate change has run its course", which is a bizarre headline at best.

[RSL]

Not half as bizarre as the crap that comes from the true believers of the MSM.