HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2008-01-09, Page 14Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Times -Advocate
13
Campbell 'a man
for all seasons'
Campbell visits — Meteorologist Jay Campbell ofA
Channel, right, and his wife Nancy talk to Ken Agnew,
president of the Probus Club of Exeter. Campbell was a
recent guest speaker at the Probus Club. (photo/submitted)
By Yvonne Reynolds
SPECIAL TO THE
TIMES -ADVOCATE
EXETER — A Channel
meteorologist Jay
Campbell was in familiar
surroundings when he
revisited Exeter as speaker
at the local Probus Club:
his parents' jewelry store
was a fixture on Main
Street for many years.
Campbell is a man of
many facets. As a certified
gemologist, and a profes-
sional meteorologist, he
can appraise your dia-
mond ring or apprise you
of tomorrow's weather.
At the December Probus
meeting, Campbell's sub-
ject was the weather. He
spoke extemporaneously
for an hour on the dramat-
ic changes he has
observed since obtaining
his Master's degree in
meteorology in 1966. He
joked that at one time if he
observed a herd of cattle
lying down while he was
driving to London, he
would predict a 30 per
cent chance of showers.
When data was provided
through telegraph offices,
Campbell said the words
"No rain" would be paint-
ed on the sides of box cars
for the benefit of prairie
farmers. However, the
word "rain" was in paint,
and the word "no" was in
chalk
During his career
Campbell had the honour
of meeting Brussels
(Huron County) native Al
Crocker, one of Canada's
foremost pioneering mete-
orologists, who devised the
three -front model of fore-
casting.
The Second World War
was the impetus for more
sophisticated methods.
Now, Campbell has nine
computers working all the
time bringing in informa-
tion from around the
world.
The system is now
almost completely auto-
mated, and so fine-tuned
that a meteorologist needs
only your postal code to
forecast the weather at
your residence.
Campbell noted that the
sun and the earth's mois-
ture are the primary
determiners of our weath-
er. Other factors affecting
the climate are sun cycles,
comets travelling through
our atmosphere, the El
Nino and La Nina ecosys-
tems, and volcanic activity.
He cited the eruption of
Mount Tambora in
Indonesia in 1815 which
resulted in snow every
month in Southwestern
Ontario for the next year.
Our climate is changing
rapidly due to human
impact on our environ-
ment. Campbell listed the
thinning of the ozone
layer, acid rain, burning of
fossil fuels and greenhouse
gases as contributors to
exponential climate
change. Canada's
Mackenzie Valley is one of
the most rapidly warming
areas in the world.
Cambell reminded his
audience that astronauts
have expressed their awe
at the beauty of this planet
we inhabit.
Campbell emphasized
that we need to make
changes, suggesting the
acronym ASK — Attitude,
Skill and Knowledge. He
admitted the hardest to
change is attitude. He con-
cluded by saying he still
loves the first snowfall, the
smell of spring in the air
and summers at the cot-
tage.
Campbell is a man for all
seasons — and all weath-
ers.
Tim Cumming, commu-
nications specialist with
the Ausable Bayfield
Conservation Authority,
will be the speaker at the
Jan. 16 Probus meeting,
talldng about water quality
initiatives. Newcomers are
welcome.
POLICE BRIEF
Drug
seizure
SOUTH HURON —
During a vehicle stop on
Main Street in Exeter Dec.
28, a 16 -year-old South
Huron male was charged
with possession of a con-
trolled substance —
Marijuana. Several youth
were in the vehicle at the
time of the stop. Liquor
License Act violations
were apparent at the time
of the stop and during a
search of the vehicle, a
quantity of Cannabis
Marijuana was also found.
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