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Rocky Mountains Keep Europe Warm

Posted by michael on from the idiot-cheese dept.

fldvm writes "The Earth Institute at Columbia University says that the rocky mountains are more responsible than the gulf stream for mild winters in Europe. See the press release, or google cache. The long held assumption had been that the warm water of the Gulf stream makes Western Europe warmer than Canada and and other parts at the same latitude. The researchers said that with computer models they removed the Gulf Stream and Europe stayed warm but when they flattened the mountains over North America the Eastern US was warmer and Europe was colder. "

4 of 32 comments (clear)

  1. Butterflies by oni · · Score: 3, Funny

    Are they sure? I always thought it was the butterflies in central park that determined the weather in Europe. Oh wait, no, I'm thinking of hurricanes

  2. Re:Good to know, now... by MarkGriz · · Score: 2, Funny

    "...now let's flatten those bastards because I froze my ass off this winter!"

    The Rockies? Or the Europeans?

    --
    Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.
  3. lets bulldoze the mountans!!! by Unknown+Poltroon · · Score: 4, Funny

    We can make them into "freedom plains" to freeze france!!!

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    All Troll + "offtopic" mods are meta moderated as "Unfair", because you abused the system.
  4. Re:So by Zaak · · Score: 2, Funny

    Global warming is fairly strongly established at this point, but its actual effects -- even at macroscopic levels -- still remain terrifyingly unknown.

    You knew that global warming was the only thing staving off the next ice age right? (see Fallen Angels by Larry Niven)

    TTFN