JANUARY 2009: GLOBAL COOLING ROUND-UP

COOLING, NOT WARMENING, IS KILLING PEOPLE IN WALES:

FUNERAL directors in Swansea have revealed they are holding more services than usual following a rise in deaths.

They say there has been an increase in the death rate and Assembly-based health experts confirmed the freezing temperatures could be responsible.

... Latest provisional figures for winter 2007/08 reveal there were around 1,500 excess deaths in Wales — a seven per cent rise on the previous winter.

Dr Jane Wilkinson, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Wales, said the wintry weather had definitely had an impact.

She said: "While we do not currently have information on the number of excess deaths so far this winter, historically, despite our efforts, the cold weather does increase the death rate.

"Figures on the number of excess deaths are published annually.

"The latest figures for winter 2007/08 show, provisionally, there were approximately 1,500 excess deaths in Wales — more than the previous winter when there were 1,400 excess winter deaths.

"However, the 2007/08 figure was lower than the three winters prior to 2006/07."

She said: "The figures for 2007/08 showed 87 per cent of excess winter deaths involved people aged 75 or over."

AND THERE'S A THREAT OF MORE DANGEROUS ICE AND COLD IN THE REGION THIS WEEK.

GOLLY: IT'S EVEN SEVERELY COLD IN NORTHERN INDIA! MORE ON INDIA'S COLD SNAP HERE:

At least 31 people have died in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh as severe cold weather continues in the region.

Schools remain closed and the state government has ordered district officers to light bonfires to help protect people from the chilly winds.

Northern India is in the grip of severe cold weather as westerly winds blow in from the Himalayas.

Some states are experiencing snowfall.

AND IT'S FREEZING COLD IN IN SRI LANKA:

A severe cold wave is hitting the Nuwara Eliya district, thus affecting tea and other plantations in the low lying areas.

Thick frost is falling throughout the nights and in the early hours hot sun is causing destruction to tea and other vegetation.

AND IT'S EVEN ESPECIALLY COLD UP IN ALASKA:

Friday marked day six of the worst cold snap to hit Fairbanks in several years and there is no relief in sight for residents who live in Alaska’s second-largest city — or the business owners they call to bail them out when their cars, pipes and septic tanks freeze.

WHEN YOU NEED SOME GLOBAL WARMING TRY AND FIND IT!

SERIOUSLY: IF MAN-MADE GASES ARE CONSTANTLY EXPANDING, THEN WHY ISN'T THE EARTH GETTING ANY WARMER ANYMORE ANYWHERE!?

EVEN GLOBAL SEA ICE LEVELS ARE THE HIGHEST THEY'VE BEEN SINCE 1979:

Rapid growth spurt leaves amount of ice at levels seen 29 years ago.

Thanks to a rapid rebound in recent months, global sea ice levels now equal those seen 29 years ago, when the year 1979 also drew to a close.

Ice levels had been tracking lower throughout much of 2008, but rapidly recovered in the last quarter. In fact, the rate of increase from September onward is the fastest rate of change on record, either upwards or downwards.

The data is being reported by the University of Illinois's Arctic Climate Research Center, and is derived from satellite observations of the Northern and Southern hemisphere polar regions.

THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE: AGW = BS.