December 7th, 2012

Career Changes and Climate Change

by Alex Hallatt

Before I became a cartoonist full-time, I worked in clinical research (drug development). I have a degree in Biochemistry and cartooning was a bit of a a career change for me (and a welcome one).

One of my Biochemistry professors also made a bit of a change and became a writer, focussing on making science more accessible to the public. I was delighted to see his work in Marshwood Vale, a local magazine. It’s a good review of what is happening with climate change and I highly recommend the read.

The opening paragraph highlights what the weather has been like in the region I’m living in now (The West Country, where I grew up).

Summer this year was the wettest for a century and Dorset experienced some particularly heavy downpours early in the season.  Rainfall at Portland and at Hurn in the first ten days of July was nearly three times the normal monthly average.   Several rivers burst their banks and towns were flooded including Bridport and Burton Bradstock.  Devon was also badly affected and Modbury, Ottery St Mary and Yealmpton were inundated.  The torrential rain in Dorset caused a landslip at the Beaminster Tunnel where two people died.  The rain also undermined the cliffs on the Jurassic Coast leading to a 400 ton rock fall that killed one person near Hive Beach.

Read the rest here.
http://philipstrange.wordpress.com/2012/12/06/bloody-british-weather-or-a-wake-up-call/