Tornado In Turin, Germany @ 39C, 40 Dead So Far In EU Heat Wave - AFP

[hatrack]

EDIT

In Germany, temperatures were forecast to reach 39 degrees Celsius on Thursday in the southwest of the country and around the capital Berlin, possibly surpassing record levels reached in 2003, forecasters said. In a move that would bring further misery for farmers, the German animal protection federation has called for animal transports to be stopped because of the heat, saying police had to rescue pigs who nearly died of thirst in a truck stuck in a traffic jam. Farmers in Poland, France and the Netherlands have already warned that the heat is set to reduce their harvests this year.

Also in Germany, navigation on the river Elbe in the north of the country had to be reduced because of low water levels, and the temperature of the water led nuclear power generators along the banks of the river to cut output. High water temperatures have also disrupted electricity production at nuclear power stations in France and Spain. Water is used as a cooling agent at the plants but the temperature of their discharged water must be within environmental norms. "We are adjusting our output on a constant basis according to the temperature of the water," a spokesman for the Vattenfall electricity company in Germany said.

In Italy, a tornado ripped through the city of Turin in the northwest of the country, damaging about 50 cars and several houses. Violent storms after days of stifling heat have been experienced across the continent. In Germany, a tornado struck in the southern region of Bavaria injuring seven people on Sunday.

In Britain, the heatwave that has already lasted 10 days in many parts of the country will produce higher temperatures mid-week before finally ending at the weekend, forecasters said.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/2006/060725115446.gntavikw.html

[whistle]

1. Has the world had enough of global warming yet?

[JuniperLea]

3. Oh stop with your junk science

:sarcasm:

[Dead_Parrot]

4. Let's hope not...

...'cos there's a shitload more on it's way.

[zanne]

2. No Global Warming here.

Only the "ecoterrorists" believe that! We've had a couple of small tornadoes in NH this summer. That almost never happens. Combined with all the unusual flooding we've had this year, many people are coming to realize that global warming is a reality. Too bad it's already too late.

[Javaman]

5. I have this odd image of the last days of our civilization...

Like when the titanic went down and the band played on, the designer/engineer of the titanic checked his watch for the last time when the icy waters rushed into the main ball room or the old wealthy barons who sat playing cards while the ship listed and water pooled around their ankles.

I see a modern version of that happening in the coastal cities of the world. In New Delhi, the wealthy will be sipping gin and tonics as the tide rolls in, the social set of Japans finest will be sipping martini's while looking down at the waves crash against the lower floors, rich cattle and oil barons will while away the last hours casually peering out the window as waters short out the last of the electricity setting off huge explosions.

While these "giants" of industry pass their last hours happily oblivious to their surroundings, the masses, like on the titanic, will be scrambling for a life boat. Only to find that there isn't enough or none left.

Like most of humanity,the situation ahead of us, will be broken down into several categories of people.
They are:
-those who prepared.
-those who didn't prepare.
-those that don't care.
-those that didn't care but then cared to late.

The last group is the one I'm most frightened about. They are the ones that will rampage through society looking for handouts while offering nothing of worth (skills, talents, hard work)in return.

I see those as being the zombies of society, banging on the doors of those who did prepare, screaming madly for help. Sadly, I see those types of people making up a large portion of the society ahead of us.