Johno.
We (in South Carolina) usually have a magnificent fall season from mid Oct. to mid Dec and sometimes stretching into early January. We are freezing! It was 38°f almost zero Celsius. It's been cold, and raining, most days. I've pulled out all my winter clothes already and this morning I wore long underwear, two pair of winter socks, Long sleeve undershirt, Royal Navy sweater, balaclava, scarf, heavy down filled parka, under gloves and mittens. I looked like Nanook of the North on a bicycle. I did my ten miles, my fingers were frozen and so were my toes. I should be wearing a long sleeve under shirt, and lightweight zipped-up jacket and ordinary gloves.
We in South Carolina are not used to arctic conditions, but neither is the arctic used to getting warmer. Global warming doesn't matter about changing weather patterns and the interference to old bikies in S.C. or how hot it is in Cairns. It's the poles what count. Continue to lose the ice there and there's nothing to radiate the suns heat out to space and the world, not South Carolina, will heat up and the problems grow, as the mass of water in the form of LAND ice adds to the worlds oceans and raises.
I'll still be bloody cold tomorrow though.:cool:
I ain't preaching Johno (well much anyway), I do enjoy you posts, you do toss me some red-meat, thanks.:)