Arnold Links Wildfires to Global Warming

“Through global warming, we have now a fire season all year round,” Schwarzenegger said. “We used to have fire seasons only in the fall. But now the fire seasons start in February already.” With these words California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ventured into uncharted territory on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos”; officially proclaiming a link between California’s unrelenting wildfires and the changing climate. The Governor has good reason to draw this conclusion because of mounting evidence that prolonged drought conditions, a hastening of the annual snow melt and other factors are clear markers of climate change in the West.

Extreme drought is not all that California has to deal with as a consequence of climate change; the oceans may pose the greatest threat to the State. According to a new report, "California Climate Risk and Response," written by UC Berkeley researchers Fredrich Kahrl and David Roland-Holst, 2.5 trillion dollars of California’s prized real estate is at risk due to rising sea levels and wildfires.

The Nation’s longest running sea level gauge is operated from Fort Point underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Over the 20th Century this gauge showed a rise in sea level of seven inches. In the coming Century the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is predicting that global sea levels will rise by an additional seven to 23 inches. This could be devastating to the infrastructure, businesses, residents and wildlife habitats that make up California’s lengthy coastline.

On November 14, 2008 Governor Schwarzenegger signed Executive Order S-13-08 which directs a multi-agency response to study the potential impacts of climate change in California. In particular the State will ask the National Academy of Science to study the impacts of sea level rises on the California Coast.

“We have to adapt the way we work and plan in order to manage the impacts and challenges that California and our entire planet face from climate change,” said Schwarzenegger. “Given the serious threat of sea level rise to California’s water supply, population and our economy, it’s critically important that we make sure the state is prepared when heavy rains cause flooding and the potential for sea level rise increases in future years.”

By Warren Hohmann

Failing Grades for the Arctic

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued its annual Arctic report card and the results are startling. 2007 was the warmest year on record for the Arctic, a continuation of the Arctic-wide warming trend that began in the mid-1960’s. In fact the annual mean surface air temperature anomaly has nearly doubled from the Dust Bowl years of the 1930’s. Check out the NOAA graph I’ve included above. What jumps out at me is that, since the sixties, temperature anomalies crescendo upward; leaving behind any sort of semblance of normalcy visible in the first half of the century.

One item of particular note is the feedback loop that is now clearly showing in the data as this autumn’s Arctic temperatures are running 5 degrees C over normal. With record losses of summertime sea ice the last few years, solar heating of the open ocean is contributing to Arctic wide warming. Further the freeze-up of the ice now occurs later in the season which prevents it from thickening to historic levels and thus results in a faster melting in the spring – And there’s the loop. What we are witnessing clearly demonstrates the effects of global warming.

DOW PURGES 1.2 TRILLION DOLLARS TODAY

Today is the scariest day I have personally witnessed on Wall Street. I was fresh out of high school when the market plunged in 1987. Even though the percentage amount of the loss in 87' was higher than today, the fundamentals of the economy are much worse now. We are facing life changing times here in America. It's time to wake up to the reality that we are going to be affected by the continuing collapse of our economy and by the ineptitude of our leaders who have failed to take action in this darkest of hours.
By Warren Hohman

Summer Arctic Ice Second Lowest on Record

Arctic sea ice has apparently reached its 2008 summer minimum. On September 12th the National Snow and Ice Data Center recorded the ice at .52 million square kilometers (1.74 million square miles). This is the second lowest minimum, 150,000 square miles more than last years record setting low. Over the last few days the ice has started to refreeze in response to autumn's arrival.

The top three lowest sea ice events have occurred in the last five years. This underscores the dramatic changes that are taking place at the top of the world due to climate change. The record was set this summer despite the overall cooler conditions in the Arctic.

The NSIDC attains its measurements from imagery and microwave data from satellites maintained by NASA and the government of the United States. Since the satellite era began in 1979, this record is based on roughly 30 years of data.

By Warren Hohmann

Arctic Ocean - Yet?

With only five days left before the annual Arctic Sea ice minimum, I thought it would be appropriate to gaze into the future. On some not too distant mid September day this is the view we'll see as we traverse the Arctic Ocean. It may be 20 years from now or it may be in as little as 10 years, but the reality is now clear that one day there will be an open ocean at the top of the world.

August saw another record loss of Arctic ice. In a few days the National Snow and Ice Data Center will release its annual report as to the extent of this summer's sea ice minimum in the Arctic. As it stands 2008 will be the second lowest sea ice extent following the all time record holder 2007. There is still a chance that this year's ice will be the lowest yet. More to come...
By Warren Hohmann

SPOT FREE

(Source: Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO))

If this were an orange it would be pretty near perfect. Actually this image of our sun is a bit of a conundrum because of its smooth appearance. Scientists from the UCLA Solar Observatory, high atop Mount Wilson in Southern California, recently reported that for the first time in over one hundred years the sun has gone an entire month without a single sunspot. In fact, as of today (9/1/08), it has been 44 days since the last sunspot.

The last half century the sun has undergone many vigorous solar cycles. A solar cycle averages about 11 years and it peaks with a period of increased sunspots, followed by a decline into a phase of few sunspots. We are in a new solar cycle now, however there has been very little sunspot activity. Recent studies of the sun (Hathaway, 2004 & Svalgard, 2005) point to changes in the sunspots temperature and magnetic strength. Both studies suggest that sunspot activity will diminish in the coming years or even vanish altogether for a period.

This would be a historic event that has not happened since the famous Maunder Minimum which occurred from 1645 to 1715. And such an event could have significance in all of our lives because the Maunder Minimum coincided with the ‘Little Ice Age’. Very little is understood about how solar cycles affect and our planet’s climate, but the correlation is there that when the sunspots vanished in 1645 our planet got dramatically cooler. In terms of global warming the suns impact on our planets climate variation is one of the lingering debates among climatologists. However, like global warming, global cooling also presents a serious set of problems highlighted by massive crop failures that could lead to mass starvation. So as if we don’t have enough to think about in these trying times the sun throws us a curve ball.

By Warren Hohmann

Secret Video's Shocking Diagnosis

In this hidden camera video, delivered to KTLA's Sam Rubin, medical records reveal Mark Kriski suffers from a shocking dual diagnosis - Deviated Himbo Syndrome and Nueroma Idiotitis. This 'Nurse Bob' guy has finally gotten to the bottom of one of LA TV's greatest mysteries - What the heck is wrong with Mark Kriski? Warren Hohmann

Your Are Here

CLICK TO ENLARGE

In our day to day earthbound lives it's easy to forget that we are on a spinning globe, orbiting around a fiery yellow star. Summers are great fun for all of us as long days invite outdoor activities and socializing. We owe those endless days to the tilt of our planet as it journeys round the sun. Since I go to bed at the early hour of 8:00 PM I am keenly sensitive to the tilt and how it impacts my sleep!

Yesterday evening I realized that it was dark at bed time and in an instant I jetted through the space in my head to a place high above the solar system to see Earth as she accelerated to her date with the autumnal equinox next month. Since the summer solstice nearly one hour of daylight has been trimmed. This trend will continue right up until the winter solstice, or the shortest day of the year, in December.

I found a great WEB site that illustrates the tilt and place of the Earth on any given day of the year. It's fascinating to watch, as we zoom around the Sun, how the tilt of the planet influences the length of the day: http://www.cs.sbcc.cc.ca.us/~physics/flash/LengthofDay.swf

Press the FAST FORWARD arrow and go through an entire year. If you detect a slight speeding up and then a reduction of speed you would be correct. As the Earth's elliptical orbit takes us closer to the Sun, the forward velocity speeds up. So we literally race towards winter, as we are closest to the Sun in January. Then the planet's velocity gradually slows as we reach the farthest point away from the sun in early July. Presently we are gaining speed again, in a hurry for our big date with the Sun in January.

Warren Hohmann

Honey Please!

"Honey please" is a sarcastic remark used to combat rampant exaggeration or prevarication in a social setting. For example when a friend tells you they are going to pay the money they owe you as soon as they get part of their 50 million dollar Swiss bank account, your response should be, "Honey please." As if to say I wasn't born yesterday. Or give me a break.

Abbey bartender David Kassouf labeled the honey container with this retort to combat the endless stupidity he encounters at the bar. I find it's quite useful in any number of social and professional situations. When your boss tells you that your're not being a team player and you're only getting a 1% raise this year. You should without any hesitation respond, "Honey please!"

In Nature Man's Purpose is Realized

I set out on the summer solstice at 5:30 AM for a walk of self-renewal. My journey takes me along some of the most landscaped and beautiful streets in America. It’s a walk I take alone, craving that rarest of sounds in Los Angeles – The sound of silence. It is funny that to commune with nature I trek through Beverly Hills at daybreak. Actually the experience is quite remarkable and soulful... MORE TO COME...

There's Water On Mars!

NASA's Phoenix Mars lander has confirmed the presence of water on the Red Planet. The announcement was made on July 31, 2008 after researchers revealed the results of the lander's on board laboratory tests. The Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer, or TEGA, heated samples of Martian soil delivered by the lander's robotic arm. An analysis of the vapors released by heating confirmed that there was water in the sample.

This previous week NASA also released a complete 360 degree panorama of the Martian surface near the north pole (Pictured Above). The photo is comprised of 400 separate images taken during the first weeks after Phoenix landed. If you click on the image and blow it up to full size you'll be in for a visual treat. You can see the polygon like patterns in the ground which resembles the same forms we see in areas with permafrost here on Earth. Also, to the right of the lander, you can see one of the trenches dug by the lander's robotic arm. The areas of white in the trench are ice and scientist we're able to see portions of it evaporate over time. They just weren't sure it was water ice until the TEGA testing.If you and I were standing on the Martian arctic plain this is what we would see all around us. It's a forbidding environment to be sure. Today's high temperature at the lander was -22 degrees Fahrenheit. If we decided to set up camp and spend the night next to the Phoenix lander, the overnight low would dip to a nippy -112 degrees. Luckily there's no chance of precipitation.

Seals At Work

When I discovered that Antarctic seals had been outfitted with special helmets, that transmit temperature data and the like to researchers, my imagination ran wild. I picture willing seals swimming around with mini satellite dishes. Happy soldiers in the climate crisis! I have emailed Dr. Vaughan with the British Antarctic Survey to find out more information on these seals at work. More to follow...

What I Really Did During the Earthquake...

I thought it would be more dramatic to say I was at home when the vicious Chino Hills Quake struck two days ago. Actually, as this clip below from Sam's Entertainment segment shows, I was caught by the KTLA flash camera on a break from my tough morning schedule (Wink, wink).

Mystery Answered

The first time I saw this picture I just froze in amazement. It resembles a work of modern art to me, a mixed media piece dabbled in shades blue and pale rose surrounding crumbled marble or granite. The lighting and the intricacy of this image misleads the eye into perceiving something different.

The truth is this is a high resolution photo taken from Taiwan's Formosat-2 satellite in March of this year. In an odd way this is man made art, although it is the indirect result of man's hand. The actual image is of the collapsing Wilkins Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula.

The mystery photo is a zoomed in sub scene from the larger ice shelf. What I view as an artist's skillful hands is actually a 1 mile by 2 mile close-up view of icebergs and water. Rather than broken marble, these are building size icebergs breaking away from the Ice Shelf. It's an amazing site and truly one of nature's most spectacular shows. Click on the image below and enjoy the larger version. Have a great rest of the day. Warren Hohmann

5.4 Quake Rattles Los Angeles

At 11:42 AM the Los Angeles Basin heaved and rolled as a strong temblor struck the Chino Hills area 29 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles. I was talking on the phone when there was a sharp jolt followed by a prolonged rolling. My apartment has a long narrow living room and I could see the window frames bending as seismic waves swelled under the building. I'm on the second floor so the swaying is amplified a little. Being 40 miles away from the epicenter nothing fell off my book shelves or out of my kitchen cabinets. Although some pictures got knocked over. It lasted for about 30 seconds.

The Year Without a Summer

I was a little surprised this morning to see a trough of such depth pushing down into Northern California. It’s no wonder the onshore flow has been in full force , with temperatures running below normal. My best guess is that we’re going to come away from this summer being below normal. I’ve already seen some indications that other parts of the Northern Hemisphere are experiencing cooler than normal weather including Anchorage, Alaska. Is this another year without a summer like in 1816 – Not hardly.

The year without a summer was actually caused by the major eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815. The resulting volcanic ash cloud encircled the globe, plunging the planet into a prolonged cold period. The summer of 1816 saw widespread crop failures, freezing temperatures in July and abnormally rainy weather. The weather forced Mary Shelley and her friends to stay indoors, so they decided to have a contest to write the scariest story. Frankenstein was born out of Shelley’s imagination that dark, rainy and cold summer.

We’re along way from 1816 and in fact the weather’s been downright lovely. I hope you have a great day.

Mystery Photo

What is this photo?

Antarctic Mystery

It’s the dead of winter in the Southern Hemisphere and yet the Wilkins Ice Shelf is continuing to disintegrate. This is puzzling researchers who expected the winter to bring a respite from the collapsing ice shelf. Instead recent satellite images from the European Space Agency shows that the rapid break up has not slowed down, even with the extreme winter cold.

The Wilkins Ice Shelf is a huge frozen expanse that connects the Antarctic Peninsula with adjacent islands. The shelf had been stable for most of the twentieth century, but in the 90’s everything radically changed as the shelf began to crack and fracture due to global warming. Back then scientists estimated that the shelf would be around for another 30 years. The shelf will likely not make it another year before it completely disintegrates.

What of the mystery as to why this is happening in the dead of the Antarctic winter? Some fetching looking seals, wearing specially outfitted temperature caps, may have the answer. They are making a record of temperatures at varying degrees in the Antarctic Ocean. The results show that warm water is mixing into this area from deep ocean currents. This warm water, combined with record warm air temperatures is contributing to the break up - Mystery solved.

Is the Arctic Running a Fever?

This summer tension mounts as researchers wait for September and the annual minimum of Arctic sea ice. This year is particularly important because last September the ice reached its lowest extent in modern times. The movie below, from The National Snow and Ice Data Center, represents nearly 30 years of Arctic sea ice history.

What the movie shows is that sea ice was relatively stable until the last decade when changes became more pronounced. In the last five years the retreat has become even more dramatic with 2007 (Pictured on right side of movie.) being the most extensive since satellite pictures began recording the North Pole. Never in human history has the famed Northwest Passage been opened to shipping.

This event brought tears to the eyes of the Earth's oil barons because of potentially new undiscovered reserves of natural gas and oil. In fact the USGS reported in mid July 2008 that there are 90 billion barrels of oil across the arctic and 30% of the worlds undiscovered natural gas reserves.

As if to say, "not yet you greedy bastards." The arctic is showing signs of having slightly more ice this year. As many of you know it was a cool winter across the Northern Hemisphere and that may be contributing to the rebound. Also for the last year or so the Pacific Ocean has been in a La Nina phase, or cold period. The enormity of this ocean has brought minor cooling to many areas around the globe. In just about two months researchers will examine the Arctic sea ice again and we'll know if the Arctic fever continues.

The Red Building

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Last Friday May 30th, as New Yorker’s dealt with yet another construction crane collapse, West Hollywood got its own sky crane! It went up in a single day at the Pacific Design Center. It was actually amazing to watch it being built. After 3 deadly crane collapses this year alone, the question that I have is are we supposed to trust these things as they tower over our homes and businesses?

Today the completed crane looms over the Pacific Design Center, taken from Huntley Ave. east of the site.

Trust or not the crane is heralding the arrival of the Red Building at the Pacific Design Center. Architect Cesar Pelli started working on the Blue Building in 1975. The Green Building was added in 1988 and now finally the complex will be complete with the addition of the Red Building. “When I started this I was a kid,” joked Pelli, now 80. “This is the longest project I’ve ever done, by far.” Pelli is perhaps best known for designing the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. These were the tallest buildings in the world, surpassing the Sears Tower by 33 feet, until 2003 when Taipei 101 was completed.

What are the challenges of making a RED building; well those of you who have owned a red car know the answer - Ultraviolet light attacks red, causing it to fade quickly. To ensure the building stays red for years, Pelli called for the glass to be colored with a chemical process similar to that which the ancient Assyrians used to make red glazed bricks. “After thousands of years, they’re still vibrant.” If only the Assyrians could see how their process is being used in the 21st century! They would have Buckwheat eyes for sure.

Petronas Towers

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Los Angeles July 2, 2008

One of the most bizarre aspects of my life in West Hollywood is the odd way that it intersects with Hollywood. In recent months Elizabeth Taylor has become a regular and a fan of the Abbey. Of course I can say that she has good taste since I have been a regular there for nearly a decade. I’m not sure how this relationship started or even why it came about, but there she is again rolling in for another round of martinis. We have entertained many luminaries at the Abbey including actors, musicians and a few politicians, last fall it was Hillary Clinton, but Elizabeth generates the most WOW factor of them all.


Liz’s Infamous Maybach June 2008 1

Even Ms. Taylor’s arrival has a minor WOW factor as she drives up with her entourage in an exotic Maybach. Her handlers call ahead so they can receive the support of management for entry and egress (She is in a wheel chair.). Abbey Ambassador Jesse is her host and he makes sure that she has a wonderful spot from which to hold court. She has become quite fond of Jesse and we theorize that his resemblance to the late Montgomery Clift may be part of the reason for this affection. Jesse is actually one of the nicest people and is most remarkable because he is so comfortable in his skin. Maybe that’s why she likes him so much.

Abbey Ambassador Jesse - Pride 2008 1

There is a striking resemblance between Montgomery and Jesse – Judge for yourself. Here are a couple of pictures from the 1951 Paramount film A Place in the Sun.

Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor 1

That brings me to the gift that keeps on giving. You see Ms. Taylor has become such a patron of the Abbey that she recently phoned Jesse and told him that she wanted to give the establishment a gift. So she sent over a painting of herself to be displayed prominently in the main bar. Now I am continually learning about art and would some day like an extensive collection of works, but this painting is something else. It’s kind of a Sixties acid trip meets Cleopatra with a dash of Disney glitter mixed in. Here is an exclusive first look at this stunning painting of the indomitable Elizabeth Taylor.

Elizabeth Taylor's Abbey Painting 1

My apologies for the glare on the painting but I think you get the idea. My prediction is that this work will become a tourist attraction of sorts as people desire to see the place were Liz gets her martinis. By the way she can polish off 3 or 4, seven and a half ounce martinis in one sitting - Finally the secret to longevity is revealed!

I have gotten used to sharing the Abbey with all sorts of Hollywood types from Britney Spears to Jodi Foster, but the one constant that always stays the same is that this is the place where I go to be with my friends. We’ve all had many great laughs over the zaniness that occurs when Hollywood calls. But in the end it’s just my little corner of the world.

Warren Hohmann