]]>Apparently we are cooler now than we were 10 years ago (when El Nino caused a temperature spike). But the trend is that the global average temperatures are increasing at +0.13 degrees Celsius per decade. The northern hemisphere is warming at +0.19 degrees per decade and the southern hemisphere is warming at +0.06 degrees per decade.
Satellites show that the north polar region is warming at +0.40 degrees per decade and the south polar region is cooling at -0.06 degrees per decade. Does that mean the world is throwing a wobbly?
http://reason.com/blog/2009/11/17/global-temperature-trend-updat
]]>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/scientists-bomb-the-moon-to-search-for-water-1800093.html
I am left somewhat puzzled. Why didn't they notice the water the last time NASA went there? And why is it thought so dangerous now that they have to send unmanned missions when it was fine for Astronauts previously? I never used to give much credence to the conspiracy theorists, but this is all seeming a bit rocky.
]]>Nog Enoch Chewomney?
NGog.
Do I think we should be panicking if the Northwest Passage opens up more regularly while the Eastern Antarctic Ice Shelf expands? No.
]]>The Luna Glob mission will be off in 2012 to choose a landing site for future missions.
“It will fly around the Moon, select a landing space for the rover and other engineering and research vehicles, and study the lunar nucleus with the use of special penetrators,” Vladimir Yefanov has announced. He is the deputy head of the Lavochkin Research and Production Centre.
The next stage of the project, with some support from the European Space Agency is planned to be a Russo-Indian expedition, which will deliver a lunar reconnaissance vehicle to the site chosen by the Luna Glob. Russia will produce the reconnaissance vehicle, while India will possibly develop the orbiter, he said.
The vehicle will collect more samples of lunar soil, which will be stage three of the project. Stage four implies a manned expedition to the Moon and maintaining a research station there .
At the same time the Russian Federal Space Agency is holding talks with the ESA and NASA on Russia’s participation in the ExoMars European Martian mission.
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]]>Pebbledash is basically render with small stones (pea shingle or stone chippings) added to give a gritty vertical shingle beach effect to external walls. Does this amount to blasphemy or is it simply sad and naff? Having lived for some time in a house with pebbledashed walls, should I go to confession? Can I be redeemed? Will I ever feel the warm sands of freedom between my carefree toes? Will I forever after feel the sea breeze passing through my carefree locks and forget the petty jealousies us suburbanites are supposed to harbour towards our stone-clad fellow men?
Or am I ever condemned to be one of the "little people" - those who, according to Steve Morgan, quoted in the New Statesman in 2001, "while not poor, live on modest incomes in modest pebble-dash houses, hold modest ambitions for themselves and their children, run modest cars and hold modest views to the effect that the country is being overrun by foreigners scrounging on social security and that gay men flaunt themselves rather too much these days. These people, or so the theory goes, resent the swish, promiscuous lifestyles of the metropolitan glitterati; equally, they resent the feckless, idle poor who benefit from state handouts."
]]>I went to Homebase yesterday to check out the pebbles. They had a bag of red Scottish Gravel for £7.50, which I was considering purchasing. The rival to the Scotch gravel was some Celtic Plum Slate. This was cheaper, weighing in at £6.50.
I elected to put two bags of Celtic Plum in my trolley and off through the shop I swooped. As I rolled through Homebase I debated whether I was doing the right thing. £13 on Plum Slate? This can’t be right.
So, I took out the bags of slate and placed them on the floor by the gardening gloves. I then left the store.
At the weekend I went to a shop that sold wooden ducks, I was tempted to buy but in the end did not.
Thank you.
]]>pebbles, nature
fireside escape slide.
nature, pebbles
envelope kisses mouse.
pebbles, nature
rotate backwards poultry.
Cold,
whispering in the soft moon,
secrets like backgammon.
Bold,
leaf bud, pebbles and nature
create new musical oxygen.
Have fun during your day and, if you love either pebbles or nature or perhaps both pebbles and nature, then stop by and leave some messages (even leave leaves, because leaves are part of nature too).
Kind refraine.
Hektor Hamulec
Group Moderator
Pebbles and Nature Group