Lower Hurricane Frequency

The global warming extremists seem to be loosing steam. After hurricane Katrina we were warned of more and stronger hurricanes due to human activity. Seems, according to this latest study, it is our production which has moderated the threat of hurricanes.

When will people learn there is no sense to attempt to control something we don't fully understand, like weather?

Man-made particles lowered hurricane frequency: study

AFP - Higher levels of air pollution reduced the frequency of North Atlantic hurricanes and other tropical storms for most of the 20th century, a study said Sunday.

Adding to evidence for mankind's impact on the weather system, the probe found a link between these powerful storms and aerosols, the scientific term for specks of matter suspended in a gas.

Aerosols can occur in natural form -- as dusty volcanic plumes, clouds or fog -- but are also man-made, such as sooty particles from burning coal or oil.

The study focused on particles from North America and Europe that were generated mainly from burning fossil fuels.

Researchers from the UK Met Office created weather simulations covering the period 1860 to 2050.

They found that tropical storms were much less frequent during periods when emissions

of man-made aerosols increased over the North Atlantic.

"Increases  in anthropogenic emissions (particularly of aerosols) through most of the last century is found to have reduced hurricane activity," co-author Ben Booth told AFP.

"The cooling impact of man-emitted aerosols may have had a more important regional impact on climate than we previous appreciated."

Aerosols reflect solar rays and change the brightness of clouds, which affects how much of the Sun's heat is projected onto the surface of the sea, the authors suggest.

FULL STORY

Mansion Shortage

Some things just makes me wonder.

Never been one to be jealous of those who benefit by hard work,  accomplish material benefits I will never realize.

Then again, maybe I am lying to myself, in that I feel some joy in this.

Mansion Shortage Could Slow Sales in Rich Towns

Wealthy home buyers are quickly running out of mansions to buy.

While housing inventory is falling throughout the country, it's falling especially fast in some of the country's richest ZIP codes. A study from Altos Research, the Mountain View, Ca., real-estate research firm, found that inventory in the nation's 90 wealthiest ZIP codes fell 15 percent over the past year, slightly faster than the broader market.

But in the richest ZIP codes, inventory is down more than 50 percent. In a ZIP code in Carmel, Calif., inventory fell 76 percent over the past year. There were only four homes left on the market priced at $1 million or more as of the end of May, according to Altos.

In Palm Beach, Fla., the number of $1 million-plus homes has plunged by 70 percent, falling from 89 to 26. And in the Old Greenwich, Conn. ZIP code, there are only 10 homes left priced at $1 million or more, down 58 percent, according to Altos.

Mansion Shortage

Religious Liberty for Military

When a person enlists in any of the armed forces of the United States, during their service they will sacrifice a number of freedoms. Considering the nature of military service it is understandable. Religious freedom should never be casually restricted. Can't think of a faster way to pollute the morale of those who serve is to separate them from their faith.

I applaud:

House Panel Moves to Protect Religious Liberty for Military

(CNSNews.com) – The House Armed Services Committee approved a measure on

Thursday to protect religious liberty in the military amid growing disputes over expression of faith.

The measure, approved as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), comes less than a week after a painting with reference to a Bible verse was removed from a dining hall at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho in apparent response to demands from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a church-state separation group. The NDAA now goes to the full House of Representatives for a vote.

“The men and women who put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms should not have their own religious freedom jeopardized during their military service,” said Rep. John Fleming (R-La.), who offered the amendment.

So, who or what could possibly wrong with that?

Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) President Mikey Weinstein has met with Pentagon officials to express concerns about proselytizing in the military.

Weinstein said his group is not anti-Christian or anti-religious. He nevertheless puts religious proselytizing on a par with terrorist groups and sexual assault.

“This is a national security threat internally to this country every bit as much as we’re facing

externally by Taliban, al Qaeda and the jihadists,” Weinstein told CNSNews.com. “Let me make it very clear. What we’re talking about is a fanatical religiosity.

CNS NEWS

This guy, Weinstein and his group can't be serious.  I'll have to face it though, he and his Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) are indeed, serious.