Proof Winter is Coming Later Each Year
Winter has finally arrived in the south of England. We were topping out at an easy 12-14oC last week, but things have changed this week. Lots of frost and fog has set in over the past few days, so I can now officially declare winter has started (Yup, I have the final say ;-) ), and just in the nick of time too - Crimbo is less than a week away.
With this in mind, you're probably thinking (or have thought at some point) "Winter is coming later and later each year". Well, I can confirm I've said this and now I have proof it's true. By my own calculations, I've worked out winter has come just over a month later this year than last.
How did I do my calculations?
Simple really... by comparing the date when I declared winter last year, to today's date. Taadaa!!! Just over a month. :-D
Now, just before you start blaming carbon emissions for global warming and late winters without snow, stop and think about these theories for a moment.
Many many years ago, most of the earth was covered in ice. Today it's not. Why not?
Despite what Fred Flintstone will have you believe, cavemen and dinosaurs weren't tearing around the world in gas guzzlers, or keeping their tinnies cold in CFC releasing fridges (I'll correct this entry when the first cave-car fossil is discovered). So why did the earth get warmer then?
Of all the theories mentioned, no one's considered that maybe the earth is on a slightly different orbit than we believe and it just happens to be that time when we're a teeny weeny bit closer to the sun.
Or maybe that story about all the people in China jumping at the same time would shift the earth out of it's current orbit has a little bit of truth in it after all. Maybe all the pounding feet of the millions of people in China each day is pushing us closer to the sun.
Oh I do write such twaddle. Anyway, if ever you need an excuse to go out and buy energy saving light bulbs, turn the thermostat down 1oC or become carbon neutral (I'm still waiting for Gordon Brown to define this one so I can start paying less tax - last time I checked I wasn't expelling much carbon - methane yes, carbon no) then now is the time. My maths proves it's getting warmer.