Snippets monitored this morning from the Russian TV news network Russia Today (RT.com) indicates a continuing emergency as wildfires caused by an extreme heatwave continue in 17 Russian districts. Experts are saying this is the worst Russian heatwave for at least 1000 years based on physical records.

This has become a catalysing ‘wake-up’ call for Russians whose government has steadfastly denied the human cause for climate change. As mentioned in an earlier article Russian President Medvedev has admitted that humans are causing climate change and he urged all countries to take urgent action to cut the emissions of greenhouse gases.  This sudden turnaround is a dirct result of the apolcalyptic heatwave conditions that Russia is experiencing this summer.  For the past 30 days Moscow has consistantly matched or exceeded the high temperatures of Cairo and most other capitol cities around the world.

Here are some of the comments from today’s Russian news media:

# Experts are saying this is the worst Russian heatwave for at least 1000 years based on physical records.

# The death rate in Moscow is twice normal for this time of year.

# Over 100,000 people have left Moscow by air this past Sunday in an effort to escape the heat and toxic fumes from wildfires and peat bog fires. Many are going to tropical areas to escape the heat!

# Russia is covered by thick smoke and haze with visibility down to less than 50 metres in some areas.

# The levels of poisonous carbon monoxide are 4-5 times the normal levels in Moscow’s air creating concern for public health throughout the region.  CO2 levels are also elevated.

# Peat bog fires continue and will be difficult to control as they burn underground.  They are the main source of the poisonous carbon monoxide gas emissions due to incomplete combustion.

# The number of fires went from 650 to over 850 over the weekend according to NASA satellite monitoring of the situation.  Some fires are now under control but continue to burn.

# Property loss is estimated to be at least $15 billion.

For most of us, the evidence is clear and the warning is stark.  We must do everything possible to reduce our CO2 emissions as a matter of urgency.  Because the question in most people’s mind is “will we be next?”  It’s time for action not more words about solving the climate crisis.  Scientists have warned for decades that increasing CO2 in the atmosphere will create extremes in weather patterns as the climate changes from the relatively stable conditions that we have all grown up with into a more horiffic state of extremes.  The same area might experience devastating killer heatwaves in summer and record flooding in winter which washes away precious agricultural topsoil.

Russia has lost an estimated 30% of its grain crop as a result of the heatwave and wildfires.  President Medvedev announced a ban on grain exports and Vladimir Putin said today that the ban may last indefinitely as Russia will seek to stockpile grain for its own use in case the heatwave is repeated next summer.  This will cause grains prices around the world to skyrocket and bring higher food prices to the UK.

Of course, we have our own dis-believers who against all evidence to the contrary believe there is nothing to worry about and we should continue business as usual. One such ’scientist’ was interviewed today on TV.  Piers Corbyn from Weather Action Foundation stated that the current heatwave in Russia is caused by the phases of the moon, and the sun-earth-moon magnetic state!

For those of us still living in the real world, you can help the people affected by flooding in Pakistan by donating to the Disasters Emergency Committee, www.dec.org.uk   For those living on planet Corbyn, perhaps a little moon dust srinkled around the house three times a day might help.

NASA is reporting a massive coronal ejection from the Sun which is likely to reach Earth today.  This is likely to cause the first display display of Northern Lights (Aurora) seen in this part of the UK for many years.  The colourful display is likely to last for severl nights starting tonight.

You will need to wait and hope the cloud cover will disappear.  A dark location is desirable as the Northern Lights are normally quite dim.  Look northwards for bands of light in the sky.  These can take various shapes and patterns and often change colour quite rapidly varying from green to blue to red.

Auroras occur when charged particles ejected by the Sun interact with the earth’s magnetic field.  That field protects the earth from any harm.  And it produces one of nature’s greatest light shows.

Warnings have been issued by NASA saying that power outages and communications difficulties may result from the Sun’s outburst.  The Sun goes through cycles of light and heavy activity.  For many years the Sun has remained relatively quiet.  Earlier this year scientists predicted a sudden increase in activity which appears to have begun with vigor this past weekend.  Interestingly, the added solar activity is likely to increase our global warming/climate change worries.  The current extreme weather patterns in Russia, Pakistan and China this summer and the continuing droughts in Australia and the western United States have not YET been affected by increased solar activity. 

[editor's note:  If you capture any photos please send them to the HI Courier for publication.  They can be sent via email to mail@hicourier.co.uk ]

According to Russian President Dmitri Medvedev: “practically everything is burning. The weather is anomalously hot.” “What’s happening with the planet’s climate right now needs to be a wake-up call to all of us, meaning all heads of state, all heads of social organizations, in order to take a more energetic approach to countering the global changes to the climate.”  (Time magazine  August 2010)

This is an amazing change of attitude for a major head of state and signals a shift in policy for Russia that may lead to a new era of cooperation to reduce CO2 gas emissions from fossil fuel burning. Russia, as one of the world’s largest exporters of oil and gas, has steadfastly denied that man-made global warming and human caused climate change exists.

Histon and Impington residents who tune into Freeview’s Russia Today TV channel have seen the devastation for themselves.  Moscow remains choked with smoke from burning wildfires throughout the region.  Temperatures rose to record highs last week at 38C and are expected to rise to over 40C today and throughout the month of August.  In many areas the ground itself is on fire as peat bogs which have been dried by the heat self-ignite. The live TV scenes look like a Hollywood-style horror film.

Scientists have been warning of such events for years.  Weather extremes, both hot and cold, are predicted to become more numerous and more severe as climate change grips the planet. Extreme drought and wildfires as well as torrential rains and flooding are to be expected in nearly every region of the earth. The latter can be seen in daily TV reports of the devastation in Pakistan where rainfall in a single day exceeded the previous monthly record set in 1956. Agriculture will become less and less reliable as the weather becomes more freakish and the resultant food shortages will drive prices to unprecedented levels bringing mass starvation to many populations. That, in turn, will cause extreme conflict as a massive wave of desperate human climate refugees seek new homes. 

Climate change is largely caused by human activity that has dramatically increased the amount of green house gases like CO2 and methane in the earth’s atmosphere, This traps natural sunlight and gradually increases the planet’s temperature. Ironically, the Copenhagen Climate conference in December 2009 failed to agree on an international plan of action to reduce green house gas emissions, in part, due to the opposition of Russia. The theft of private e-mails from the University of East Anglia and the subsequent turmoil of ‘climate gate’ allegations was also linked to Russian agents. 

For years scientists have pointed out that as the world’s temperature increases ‘tipping points’ will be reached.  These include intense wild fires and the destruction of peat bogs - both of which release massive amounts of additional CO2 into the atmosphere.  That extra CO2 increases the pace of global temperature rise which leads to more fires, and so on.  This quickly surpasses the ability of humans to control climate and leads us into a future that is very bleak. 

This summer we are seeing what the future may be like, and it is not pleasant.  This is our wake-up call, too. The ‘precautionary principle’ says we must act now, not tomorrow or next year, to cut CO2 emissions.  The technology to do this has existed for at least the past 25 years, if not longer.  Insulate your home. Consider installing solar panels to generate electricity and hot water.  Drive and fly less.  Support efforts to build a low carbon economy. Don’t sit back and think that someone else will do this for you. 

A vision of our ‘hellish’ future has unfolded before our eyes. We must act now to prevent it from happening. We have the means but do we have the will?  Failure is not an option.

We will be opening Impington Windmill on August Bank Holiday (30^th) from 2:00 - 7:30 as part of the TEAMS (The East Anglia Mills Society) Open Day.  Other local TEAMS mills open will be Willingham and Wicken. 

This is you last chance to visit the mill this year, and there has been lots going on, both maintenance and further restoration.  In particular, I’ve at last started to work on the inside, beginning to strip the old (and damaging) emulsion paint with the intention of replacing it with proper whitewash.  This is the first step in refurbishing the inside ready to remake the “stones furniture” and to restore the stones and machinery.

Meanwhile, the Forth Bridge job on the outside goes on, with concentration on the balcony,  fantail and the tower.

I’ve had several new volunteers working most weekends - but there’s always room for more!  Visit the website www.impingtonmill.org and fill in the form on the volunteers page if you fancy having a go.  Working days are very sociable, with lunch snacks and a beer at the end of the day!  If you want to try working at height, I’ll train you in the use of a harness and abseiling.

On the Bank Holiday, we will be running tours and offering teas and (later) a glass of wine.  Entry is free, but donations and proceeds will go, as usual, to the National Gardens Scheme (the Yellow Book) who support Macmillan Nurses and the Marie Curie Foundation.

Meanwhile, we are around much of the time during August, and if you’d like to bring your family to visit the mill, please get in touch and make a date on 07967 461933 or e-mail visits@impingtonmill.org

For several months the team have been receiving complaints regarding cars and vans parking on the grass verge on New Road, Impington (the section of road running from Station Rd).

Some of these complaints have been from the owner of the verge relating to the damage being caused by the vehicles.

The team have been speaking to a number of drivers and asking them to stop parking on the verge. This has not been wholly successful and cars continue to park on the verge.

Following further complaints it has been decided, in consultation with the Force Central Ticket Office, that vehicles found parking on the verge, from Sunday 1st August 2010, may be issued Fixed Penalty Notices without further notice.

Kind Regards,

Your local neighbourhood policing team