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Snow Falls On the Most Arid Desert On Earth
crackspackle writes "The Atacama desert region, a vast expanse of land stretching 600 miles along the Pacific coast of South America from Peru to Chile, is known as the driest region on earth, receiving only .04 inches (1mm) of rain per year. Many weather stations located in the region have no recorded precipitation during their existence. Sterile from the lack of rainfall, sparsely inhabited, and virtually free from electromagnetic interference, the desert hosts several major astronomical observatories. This other-worldly location is also popular among sci-fi film makers, and is a prominent test site for NASA's planned Mars mission. This week, the Atacama received 32 inches of snow, stranding motorists along the Pan-American highway and other roads, prompting numerous rescues. Footage of the snow is available on the BBC."
yeah rudy, you crazy old man, climate scientists are all about the bling. this is the most preposterous, disingenuous argument that has ever been made by the deniers. You do realize, that fossil fuels, specifically oil, is the largest most profitable enterprise on the face of the earth? And that in terms of financial stake/impact/bias it is probably on the order of a million to ten million times stronger than the grant-seeking motive of academics? And that academics, more than any other field have an inherent self interest to publish contrary results and show their peers wrong? Seriously, the world is going to be an amazingly beautiful place when your generation ceases to exist. We should cut medicare and social security in order to facilitate this end.