New Zealand: Winter storms create $300m insurance bill

Raging winter storms that plagued the country, causing more than 200 slips in Auckland, cost insurance companies $300 million in claims this year - $50 million more than 2007.

Snowmobile enthusiasts delight in northern Michigan's wintry playground

HOUGHTON LAKE - The heavy snowfalls disrupting holiday travel across the Midwest have, in northern Lower Michigan, sculpted a travelers' paradise.

If you own a snowmobile.

Sled-heads from West Branch north to Mackinaw City vow that no December in memory has dumped more snow this early upon the state's thousands of groomed trail miles.

"We normally get 150 inches of snow for the year, and we're looking at 100 inches just for December," said Mike Ray, an avid snowmobiler and resort owner near Gaylord.

"It's the snowiest I've ever seen it up here. It's a godsend in this economy."

Global Warming from dummies « Urban Green Girl

I am almost ashamed to mention it but I finally just got around to watching An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore. I partly didn’t rent it in the past because I was skeptical of this politician who suddenly became an environmentalist, looking for a new way to get elected. Boy was I wrong!

This film inspired me so much that I jumped out of my warm bed, turned on my computer and started writing this post to encourage everyone to see this film. It is what I call Global Warming for dummies. He made it terribly easy to understand the science behind carbon dioxide, greenhouse gas emissions, why we should care about glaciers melting and and the effects it is having on us with the increase in floods, droughts and tornadoes.

We all have heard about global warming but it is still an issue highly debated amongst scientists, politicians and media. Although this film was criticised and it’s “facts” were questioned, no one can deny the effects our existence is having on climate change.