interview with Dr. Ajit Tyagi, Director of the Indian Meteorological Department

admin — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:35:12 +0000

The same day we met with Ravi Agarwal, we were able to get an appointment with Dr. Ajit Tyagi, Director of the Indian Meteorological Department.

Listen to Dr. Tyagi talk about the history and future of weather observation in India:

interview with Delhi artist/activist Ravi Agarwal

admin — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:28:15 +0000

We recently installed a permanent station at the Khoj International Art Center in Khiri Village, New Delhi India. While there, I had the good fortune to speak with Ravi Agarwal, a prominent artist and founder of the NGO Toxics Link.

Listen to Mr. Agarwal discuss some of the challenges and opportunities for art and the environment in India (interview in 2 parts):

responses from las vegas workshop

admin — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:57:12 +0000

On August 2nd, we held a workshop at the Spring Preserve in Las Vegas Nevada. We asked participants to write and talk about their weather experiences and hopes and fears for the future. Here are some of the responses:

50 years ago when we came to Las Vegas we had a definite weather change from the coast of Oregon. Here very little rain. Warm winters and the children wore shorts all winter for two years until their body became used to LV weather.
There was a population of approximately 12,000 people in the valley - very little pollution until progress with atomic experimentation at Mercury, and then very little as the wind sent the pollution to the east.
Now our weather has changed as it usually does every 7-8 years. We have dust pollution when the wind blows, when it rains it washes the pollution off roofs and trees
Unusual weather, perhaps to newcomers, but old timers realize our bodies also promote pollution from the extreme heat and occasionally extreme cold.

1] What has been your most frightening weather experience?

Driving in an Arizona rainstorm…like I was underwater
8 hour drive in a snowstorm when my mom was mad at my dad
Tornados in west texas

Hiking in a huge lightening storm down Mt. Washburn in Yellowstone National park
Brush fire behind my parent’s house in Burbank in 1971

While camping in Mt. Charleston it started to rain one summer. It started out with some clouds in the afternoon but we had no clue what was going to happen. More clouds started to build. Rain started first. Then lightning. Then more lightning. Lightning was a few miles away then close to within a mile. All of a sudden it was right here.

When we were camping on Mt. Charles it started to rain. It was scary. The clouds were really dark. It was raining hard. Lots of lightning struck.

Funnel cloud at an arts festival
Heavy rains and thunder and low lightning. Stuck in a car with my family. 10 years old.
Strong heavy winds and rains (monsoon) in Tucson. Downpour - stuck at work - happened very fast

Boiling sky
Cloud color - black/green

Hurricane Camille 1969
Category 5 dumped on central VA turning small creeks into raging torrents that almost drowned me

2 floods
1965 S. Platte River in Denver
1999 July 8 Las Vegas NV 3″ in 90 minutes
~1980s hiking on Mt Yale in Colorado when a lightning storm came up and the hairs on my body stood up

2] What has been your most pleasant weather experience?

Lived in Southern Cal near the beach, always nice
Beautiful skies in west Texas
Rain in sunlight

Dancing in a thunderstorm in Arizona
Santa Ana winds in LA in October

The morning after a snow is the best time. Especially a cold morning with light winds. Causes snow crystals to glitter from trees to the ground. It gives you a good feeling of calm and peace.

One day I woke up there was a little bit of snow. It was sunny.

Monsoon rain Tucson - sitting safe on my porch and watching the rain
Snow in Vegas

Clean air in valley

Irvine CA spring day like a dream

Hanging out at a cabin in Buena Vista, CO - light breeze rustling throuh the aspens - sunshine, blue sky, cottonwood creek streaming over the rocks
Blizzard of ‘82 24″ in 24 hours

3] What do you most fear for the future climate?

Family in tornado prone areas
Mistakes as to global warming cures…wrong moves could impoverish us all
Hijacking of conservation by socialistic groups
Abandonment of free enterprise

My son’s generation will not experience a good environment
It’s getting too close for comfort

Extreme weather changing the environment
Too much rain ruining crops

Water pollution from toxic rain

Perfect storm scenario where a combination of climate change, pollution, drought, famine, disease - global catastrophe

Too much water - flood
no water - desert drought

4] What is your greatest hope for the future of climate?

Green living that doesn’t destroy standard of living

We simplify our lives and the Earth corrects itself with or without us

People becoming more concerned about the environment and helping to make positive changes (consumers putting pressure on industry)

Reforestation to produce rain and diminish drought and deforestation

We all get off the grid and manage our resources realistically

We’ll beat pollution and global warming
‘Mostly sunny!’

interview with Dr. David Dubois of DRI

admin — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 20:41:45 +0000

dr. david dubois of dri

While installing a temporary station near Death Valley this summer, we met with Dr. David Dubois, air quality expert at the Desert Research Institute in Las Vegas.

Listen to Dr. Dubois discuss some of the important air issues in the great basin:

extremes

admin — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:52:41 +0000

What has been your most extreme weather experience?

Describe it here.

tell your climate change story

admin — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:52:07 +0000

We asked people from all over the world to tell their climate change story at the Luminous Green workshop. Listen and tell your climate change story here.

Singaporean Yeow Ching Shiang explains why ‘Christmas every day’ is not as good as it sounds

Dr. Lanfranco Aceti discusses desertification in Italy and the influence of the US on Italian culture

Jura Kaario speaks of his experiences in Finland growing up near a frozen lake

Singaporean designer Jeremy Sun Ting Kung talks about growing up in Taiwan and how design can change behavior

Isrizal, a Singaporean activist, talks about the loss of his boyhood home and learning how to ask permission to impact the environment

Hello, Weather!