Think back to the hottest summer you can remember. Now imagine a summer like that every year. For those of us who are still around by the end of the 21st century, this is what we can expect, according to a new index that maps the different ways that climate change will hit different parts of the world. The map reveals how much more frequent extreme climate events, such as heatwaves and floods, will be by 2100 compared with the late 20th century. It is the first to show how global warming will combine with natural variations in the climate to affect our planet. For the entire article: Click Here

Come to Australia where we are in the 50th day of continuous bushfires in our state. The resultant loss of wildlife is dreadful. Huge areas have burned, we have a horrific drought, we shower dodging buckets which we use to water our dying plants as we have severe water restrictions, and the crop harvest this year has failed. We had an electricity blackout that blacked out a third of the state last week, due to the fires cutting the supply line and the air quality everywhere is appalling due to smoke in the air. Due to the truly heroic efforts of our volunteer firemen, whilst there have been stock and property losses there have been no deaths due to these fires.

As a result of all this our Prime Minister (who refuses to sign the Kyoto Agreement) is beginning to think the perhaps there is something to this Global Warming thing. Certainly there are few disbelievers in the State of Victoria this year! We are living it.

My business partner's daughter is currently in the PhD program at Central Queensland University at Rockhampton. For vacation she toured the country and while I expect she will never return to the US she wasn't exactly gushing with stories of the lush greenery either.

I'll be there in November: Likely Brisbane and Perth. Please try to put them out by then. Thanks.

It RAINED!! First for us since November!

So mostly the fires are out or under control. The temperature has gone from 40c to 20c. Wonderful. And it looks as though the grape harvest will be lower than usual but OK. So the wine production is safe---let's get priorities right here!

Rockhampton is green and tropical- but this year cooler than usual and much more rain. Still that's weird weather for them!

Well I plan to be in Melbourne and Perth in November so good weather would be appreciated.

And while I do enjoy scuba diving ... I'm not planning on feeding your sharks. Lively lot I hear. <g>