Tag Archives: Punxsutawney Phil

manic March Monday … madness


just another rant …

Phil's Burrow
Phil’s Burrow (Photo credit: Heather Culligan)

On a cold February day, people on the east coast put on top hats and tuxedos while Woodchuck weatherman Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring, but as the days passed record warmth as well as tornadoes rain and winter storms interrupted the living caused the deaths of many.

No one really had to tell us but as meteors flew by en masse, several trained meteorologists set out to dash our hopes for an early spring in strange and wonderful ways. I have to say it seemed as if most laughed it off at first but as we slid into the first day of spring those weather people confirmed that we will indeed have two more weeks of cold weather. In fact, just days from rain a snowstorm made itself known on the first day of spring. It was is sunny and or hot in parts of the country, mostly on the left coast while others are getting up to 30 inches of snow reminding us not only of that natural disaster Katrina but that climate change is no joke . The winter cold snap is still plaguing the Mid-West and East Coast while spring like weather tries to break out on the West Coast as cold morning’s move into afternoon warmth that dips into lower temperatures when the evening rolls back around. I will say it again, talk about some useless prairie dogs ok, they are from the woodchuck, whistle pig,  land and beaver family … whatever, Punxsutawney Phil was wrong !

Climate change pushes Groundhog Day to January


The Union of Concerned Scientists and the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania announced today that Groundhog Day will be pushed forward eight days to January 25 in 2012 in recognition of the impact climate change has had in the region.

Spring Comes Eight Days Earlier

Groundhog Day will be pushed forward eight days in recognition of the impact climate change has had on the region.

The change is based on analysis by UCS scientists who found that, since 1997, spring has come an average of eight days earlier to western Pennsylvaniahttp://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=Oc_Z2zW4KEenBjrF0nMi9g..

“We hope that the change in date will bring needed attention to the consequences of climate change in Pennsylvania and the importance of investing in a clean energy economy,” said Dr. Phil DeGraeve, a climate scientist at Pennsylvania State University.

Read more about the analysis behind the Groundhog Day change and learn how various elected officials are reacting to the news.

http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=Oc_Z2zW4KEenBjrF0nMi9g..

Sincerely,

Michael Halpern

National Field Organizer