Evelyn Browning Garriss's Contributions

The changes in precipitation patterns created by the negative Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) have made some agricultural areas more productive and others more drought-prone. This article has maps that show which areas of the globe will be facing major changes.

Insurance companies and individuals are facing more climate-related disasters. At the same time, the reliability of several climate disasterwarning systems have changed, due to changing large- cale ocean oscillations. Drought warning have improved, but tropical storm and El Niño warnings have become less reliable.

Approximately 40% of US land is arable while only 11% of China can be farmed with relatively small weather changes affecting a greater proportion of Chinese crop productivity. Also, China’s farmland is in its densely settled eastern provinces while the majority of US farmland is in the relatively under-populated central regions.

On March 23, 2012, the US broke all tornado records with 319 reported tornadoes. The high temperatures, combined with the fact that winter left most of the nation’s ground unfrozen, has created ideal conditions for the type of low-lying thunder storms that are ideal for twister development. Mexico is facing the worst drought in its nation’s history. The water shortage wiped out millions of acres of farmland this winter, caused 15 billion pesos ($1.18 billion) in lost harvests, killed 60,000 head of cattle and weakened 2 million more livestock.

It has to be one of the strangest weather phenomena of the decade. A Bournemouth, England resident was rained on by marble-sized balls of blue jelly. When he gingerly collected the slime, the Bournemouth University reported that they appeared to be fish eggs. Unfortunately, it was slimy blue mystery eggs, not caviar.

The new La Niña that is developing in the Pacific will have the impact of a strong event. Consider the early, record-breaking snowfall this year a warning. This will be a winter of Nor’easters. It will be a winter of blizzards.

A pioneering study funded by the US National Center for Atmospheric Research examines which portions of the economy and which states are the most vulnerable to normal weather changes. The results are surprising – did you know that mining is frequently more vulnerable to weather than agriculture? There’s more...

The climate is determined by how much solar radiation the Earth receives (the Sun). The patterns of where the solar radiation falls or is reflected (Clouds/ Volcanoes). Where the heat from the solar radiation is stored (Oceans/Urban Heat Islands).

The current La Niña and several long-term natural climate factors will worsen potential drought for the ten US cities that are running out of water. For investors, this can present tremendous opportunities or potential unexpected losses.

For the past 35 years, The Browning Newsletter has maintained a belief that a person is significantly influenced by the climate in which they exist. Therefore, in understanding the past and present conditions of the climate in which they live, they can use the momentum of change to their advantage in forecasting trends related to behavior and commodities.