The flooding in the South, and maybe a possible benefit for us all

[Odana]

[quote Just watched the helicopter video, and remembered our trip up the Thames a couple of years back. Some lovely houses are going to be ruined.

 

The poor residents certainly need all the help they can get.

 

Some lovely houses - where rich and influential voters live - are going to be ruined. Not just pesky rural or northern nobodies.

 

I hope that leads to action and money for all areas. And maybe a bit more joined up policy about river basin management, not just flood defence.

[Bee]

So far as rivers are concerned the only effective way to increase their capacity is to straighten them from source to sea, dredging won`t make any difference. That will increase the gradient and speed up the flow. The other effective method is a second, straight river alongside the natural one, a flood relief channel that comes into operation when it floods.The best thing that could cone out of this is a realisation that climate change is real and we need to wake up. Cameron needs to rethink what he said about `getting rid of all this green crap` re. subsidies for renewables.

[Guest]

Some lovely houses - where rich and influential voters live - are going to be ruined. Not just pesky rural or northern nobodies.

 

I hope that leads to action and money for all areas. And maybe a bit more joined up policy about river basin management, not just flood defence.

 

Agreed.

 

It is hard not to be cynical about what seems like a bit a bit of a 'panic' reaction now that the Thames is over tipping into wealthy Tory constituencies when previously it certainly appeared as if those in rural Somerset seemed to be being left pretty much to it.

[Guest]

.The best thing that could cone out of this is a realisation that climate change is real and we need to wake up. Cameron needs to rethink what he said about `getting rid of all this green crap` re. subsidies for renewables.

 

Indeed the Climate change mob must be clapping their hands with glee - 'see we told you so' they are saying but it remains at best debatable that a single extreme weather event like this can be attributed to climate change alone.

 

It may do if this type of event became more common but as a 'stand alone' event (of which there have been some in the past) does not mean it should be time to write a blank cheque and hand it over to those developing renewable energy sources which are looking as pretty inefficient as far as I can see.

 

Not popular I'm afraid but unless we get serious about nuclear power generation again 'renewable' energy is unlikely to fill any sort of gap left by traditional methods of power generation ie coal/gas.

 

The Met Office statement - A global perspective

 

As yet, there is no definitive answer on the possible contribution of climate change to the recent storminess, rainfall amounts and the consequent flooding. This is in part due to the highly variable nature of UK weather and climate.

 

 

ed. to add linky.

Edited February 12, 2014 by The Dog House

[saltysplash]

Some lovely houses - where rich and influential voters live - are going to be ruined. Not just pesky rural or northern nobodies.

 

 

The council house residents affected in Datchet, Staines and Wraysbury also have their homes ruined, not just rich and influential voters.

My mate on his barge moored just up from Kris Cruisers at Datchet is in fear of losing the barge. His lines are now at the top of his mooring poles, his insurance states if they leave the barge they wont be covered, he has no gearbox at present so unable to fire up the engine if the worse happens and his wife is due to give birth in 6 weeks. He isnt rich either.

[Guest]

The council house residents affected in Datchet, Staines and Wraysbury also have their homes ruined, not just rich and influential voters.

My mate on his barge moored just up from Kris Cruisers at Datchet is in fear of losing the barge. His lines are now at the top of his mooring poles, his insurance states if they leave the barge they wont be covered, he has no gearbox at present so unable to fire up the engine if the worse happens and his wife is due to give birth in 6 weeks. He isnt rich either.

 

I think if you re-read Odana's post that is precisely the point being made 'help should be for every body'

 

Or at least that is how I read it.

 

(Hope you mate and his wife come through OK)

[Odana]

Indeed. If it was only 'mere' council house tenants and boat dwellers at risk there wouldn't be nearly so much fuss in Parliament! So as the thread title implies anything that spurs sensible long term planning (not just knee jerk reaction) is the silver lining on a big dark cloud. Hopefully.

 

Hope your mates boat is ok. It looks scary on the rivers.

[jeannette smith harrison]

Collected my Daughter her husband & children who where evacuated in Staines @ 3am this morning

they have two boys 14 weeks & 3 years old. they are struggling with a mortgage & young family &

now will have to start to rebuild their home again .Son in laws mother was also evacuated from Egham

near to the M25 bridge, the local police & fire brigade worked so hard but no sign of help from the Army here.

I am 2 miles away from Staines High Street & as yet its not reached me so all family crowded in with me for now .

[Naughty Cal]

They have dredged the Trent in parts over the last year.

 

No doubt the current flood conditions are just undoing that hard work mind

[stickleback]

Collected my Daughter her husband & children who where evacuated in Staines @ 3am this morning

they have two boys 14 weeks & 3 years old. they are struggling with a mortgage & young family &

now will have to start to rebuild their home again .Son in laws mother was also evacuated from Egham

near to the M25 bridge, the local police & fire brigade worked so hard but no sign of help from the Army here.

I am 2 miles away from Staines High Street & as yet its not reached me so all family crowded in with me for now .

Hope it all improves for you and your family.

[Dekazer]

Collected my Daughter her husband & children who where evacuated in Staines @ 3am this morning

they have two boys 14 weeks & 3 years old. they are struggling with a mortgage & young family &

now will have to start to rebuild their home again .Son in laws mother was also evacuated from Egham

near to the M25 bridge, the local police & fire brigade worked so hard but no sign of help from the Army here.

I am 2 miles away from Staines High Street & as yet its not reached me so all family crowded in with me for now .

 

Jeanette, if there's anything we can do to help do let us know - we're only just up the road as you know xxx

The council house residents affected in Datchet, Staines and Wraysbury also have their homes ruined, not just rich and influential voters.

My mate on his barge moored just up from Kris Cruisers at Datchet is in fear of losing the barge. His lines are now at the top of his mooring poles, his insurance states if they leave the barge they wont be covered, he has no gearbox at present so unable to fire up the engine if the worse happens and his wife is due to give birth in 6 weeks. He isnt rich either.

 

Our very best wishes to them. If there's anything we can do to help please let us know.

[Tonka]

I am sure that people are knocking on the doors in India and Africa asking for donations for the flooded english

[MtB]

Call in the experts...the Dutch!

 

Interestingly, they have done, but there seems to have been a misunderstanding. On Radio 4 this morning they interviewed a couple of 'flood experts', one of whom was over here from Holland. Interviewer asked him what he thinks we should be doing. His answer non-plussed the interviewer most amusingly...

 

He said (paraphrased) "I have no idea, Holland is 6 metres below sea level so our flood risk is completely different from yours, yours is caused by rainfall. I'm here to learn, by watching what you do about it."

 

End of interview. LOL, DOH, etc!

 

MtB

[Jambo]

The Met Office statement - A global perspective

 

As yet, there is no definitive answer on the possible contribution of climate change to the recent storminess, rainfall amounts and the consequent flooding. This is in part due to the highly variable nature of UK weather and climate.

 

You left out the next paragraph:

 

Nevertheless, recent studies have suggested an increase in the intensity of Atlantic storms that take a more southerly track, typical of this winter's extreme weather. There is also an increasing body of evidence that shows that extreme daily rainfall rates are becoming more intense, and that the rate of increase is consistent with what is expected from the fundamental physics of a warming world.

 

 

So yes you can't definitively attribute a single event to climate change (in much the same way as you can't definitively attribute a single packet of cigarettes to a case of lung cancer) but the trends that are emerging across the world are extremely worrying and should be giving pause to the advocates of maintaining the status quo. If we wait another 10 or 20 years without taking serious action and these trends continue as expected then we are in line for a whole world of problems.

[Athy]

I am sure that people are knocking on the doors in India asking for donations for the flooded english

 

 

If corner shops have been closed down by the floods, quite possibly.

Edited February 12, 2014 by Athy

[MtB]

 

So yes you can't definitively attribute a single event to climate change (in much the same way as you can't definitively attribute a single packet of cigarettes to a case of lung cancer) but the trends that are emerging across the world are extremely worrying and should be giving pause to the advocates of maintaining the status quo. If we wait another 10 or 20 years without taking serious action and these trends continue as expected then we are in line for a whole world of problems.

 

Quite so. But given the record of the human race we WILL take no serious action, so best to take personal responsibility and prepare for the result. Sell your houses and farms in low lying areas rather than moan and complain when they get flooded, etc etc. Get used to the new environment. there's no way we are going to stop the industrialisation of China etc or prevent a major increase in the burning of fossil fuels to support the consumption of the emerging middle classes there.

 

Blimey is that the time?

 

MtB

[Guest]

So yes you can't definitively attribute a single event to climate change (in much the same way as you can't definitively attribute a single packet of cigarettes to a case of lung cancer) but the trends that are emerging across the world are extremely worrying and should be giving pause to the advocates of maintaining the status quo. If we wait another 10 or 20 years without taking serious action and these trends continue as expected then we are in line for a whole world of problems.

 

Sorry but you are wrong, they clearly say there is no definitive evidence in the sentence that I linked to in what I thought was quite a measured and considered statement from the Met office which we don't see from some elements of the Climate Change Mafia....

 

They are saying it is 'what could be expected' but there is no direct evidence it is connected yet.

[saltysplash]

 

Jeanette, if there's anything we can do to help do let us know - we're only just up the road as you know xxx

 

Our very best wishes to them. If there's anything we can do to help please let us know.

Many thanks, Its one of those situations of do you jump ship and trust to luck or stay put and try and keep the boat secure.

We're looking after their refugee chickens for the 2nd time since christmas.

[DaveC]

Global warming has been happening since the last ice age. Nowt to do with coal fire or smokey exhausts.

 

 

Dave

[Jambo]

 

Sorry but you are wrong, they clearly say there is no definitive evidence in the sentence that I linked to in what I thought was quite a measured and considered statement from the Met office which we don't see from some elements of the Climate Change Mafia....

 

They are saying it is 'what could be expected' but there is no direct evidence it is connected yet.

 

I'm sorry but you're misreading the Met Office's statement. It reads:

 

As yet, there is no definitive answer on the possible contribution of climate change to the recent storminess...

 

Which means that they don't know definitively to what extent climate change is contributing to the weather but that's not the same as saying there is no evidence that climate change is affecting the weather. See comments from the Met Office's Chief Scientist at the launch of that report:

 

Climate change is likely to be a factor in the extreme weather that has hit much of the UK in recent months, the Met Office's chief scientist has said.

 

Dame Julia Slingo said the variable UK climate meant there was "no definitive answer" to what caused the storms.

"But all the evidence suggests there is a link to climate change," she added.

"There is no evidence to counter the basic premise that a warmer world will lead to more intense daily and hourly rain events."

 

[Guest]

 

I'm sorry but you're misreading the Met Office's statement. It reads:

 

 

No I am not.

 

I am afraid you are not reading what I am saying.

[Jambo]

I can read just fine.

 

The Dog House: "they clearly say there is no definitive evidence"

 

Met Office Chief Scientist: "all the evidence suggests there is a link to climate change"

[Mike Todd]

 

I believe the self scouring argument is what the EA used as justification for not dredging them, now that they seem to be re-thinking that strategy perhaps provides the answer (though I too don't know for certain)

reading their booklet on the website it seems that the answer is both . . . depends on conditions and location. No single answer

[Guest]

I can read just fine.

 

The Dog House: "they clearly say there is no definitive evidence"

 

Met Office Chief Scientist: "all the evidence suggests there is a link to climate change"

 

and they also say -

 

"As yet, there is no definitive answer on the possible contribution of climate change to the recent storminess..."

 

Which means climate change possibly has contributed to the recent storms (which is what I was discussing) but they cannot give a definitive answer that it definitely has.

[cotswoldsman]

I am sure that people are knocking on the doors in India and Africa asking for donations for the flooded english

Where do you suggest in the slums and village where they earn less than £2 a week. Typical post from someone who does not have a clue of living conditions in these countries best u keep reading your Daily Mail