On Oct 6, 5:50*pm, Tim Taylor wrote:
On Oct 6, 5:03*pm, Martin Gregorie
wrote:

On Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:40:46 -0700, bildan wrote:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0801095810.htm

So, let me see. If I understand this right, they're saying that the two
year long extended solar minimum is responsible for the last two poor,
cloudy soaring seasons in the UK? Gee, and here I was thinking that they
were due to that nasty old jet stream not moving north for summer.

However, I note that I haven't seen any explanation of why the jet
streams have stayed so far south these last two seasons.

--
martin@ * | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org * * * |

http://www.tgdaily.com/index2.php?op...pdf=1&id=42006

Yes, without the normal highs to push the jet north it has stayed
lower for the last two years. *You need heat to generate the high to
push it north. *I like sun spots! *The soaring was fantastic in Utah
in the early 2000's when we had the solar maximum. *Looking forward to
more sun spots soon.

Nothing better than the drought years here in Colorado. Last two
years have been a bust, especially this year.

The Maunder Minimum lasted from 1645-1715, middle of the Little Ice
Age.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maunder_Minimum

On the other hand, 120.8GW of wind energy were being produced globally
at the end of 2008, an increase of 28.8% in 2008 alone. That alone
will yield 280TWh annually. 20% of US electric will be wind generated
by 2030.

Gets me thinking about Edward Lorenz. In a few years, we should have
some empirical data that shows what the down stream effects of
extracting massive amounts of energy from the wind and perhaps solar.
Small with regard to the total energy in the system, but I'm thinking
of butterflies, tipping points, and change. Be interesting to see
what next few decades bring, especially if the solar minimum goes on
and on.

Frank Whiteley