Eighty per cent of the people in Prince George are blue-collar workers, most have been around equipment or operated different pieces, and many of our pioneers. Therefore, when one explains the performance of snow removal equipment, there is no kidding these people. On Jan. 22, I took a pick, made a whole, to measure the compact snow-ice on my street, it was seven inches thick, yes I closed the whole. I imagine many streets are the same. If this compact stays till a thaw, car wheels cut through, again the small cars might go no-where.
I recall winters with more snow. Thinking of global-warming, some people are blaming snow this year because of it. I doubt that's right. January is normally our coldest month of the year, is/was extremely mild this year. About 20 years ago, 40 below stayed one year for the whole month, and every year always hit 40 below at least once in the winter, you could count on it. Now I don't recall 40 below in the last decade, not even one day during the winter in the last ten years. Is there something to global-warming? I think so, but what does it mean? Maybe our winters are going to be a lot milder and shorter, maybe less snow. If you are driving east through the Columbia Ice Fields, pull in their parking lot by the glacier, for a look. There are stakes with signs indicating where the glacier was 70 years ago, marking intervals regularly to present. It is alarming to realize how fast the glacier is receding. I have thoughts on how to restore some of that ice.
Snow-cap mountains also melt more quickly, that could be the cause of last years flooding. When that snow is gone, no more snow-cap because of a warming trend, will water trickle down the mountain, creating a creek then a river. The North and South-Pole ice is shrinking, melting. Canada should gain a new ocean shipping channel, but man-kind might not survive on a warmer planet. I am imagining, the warming trend seems more rapid, than even ten years ago.
I think we have to get more serious when we blame global-warming, and the thoughts need to reach higher levels of government.
Harry Ulch
Prince George
