Snow in Jordan and Global Warming

How many of you are aware that there is a strong winter in the Middle East. Some of the countries go through very low temperatures.

My good friend, Swandip Sinha who is in Amman, Jordan at the moment has sent me this picture taken this week. Another friend in Tehran reported it was below zero at night.

The gulf sea currents make the countries in the north livable temperature-wise. However, with global warming more ice from the northern pole will melt and come down and in effect reducing the temperature of the Gulf Stream. This will in turn reduce the temperature of the Middle Eastern countries further down. So we can expect bitter winters in time to come, even in the Middle East.

How Small We Are

I have flown over the Himalayas many times in my life, specially during the last twelve months. This is Mt Everest I captured on Thursday, January 30, 2008. It was shrouded in clouds and suddenly clouds moved away giving this opportunity.

The view is beautiful and very scary. No camera can capture its majestic presence and you have to see it with your own eyes to feel the chilling effect. I remember my first sight of Mt Everest 10 years back even today. It never goes away.

These great mountains also remind me something else - that is how small we humans are compared the nature’s creations. We look so ordinary compared to these mountains. Of course the man has conquered many of these mountain peaks, may be a few brave explorers. But you have to see these to realize, how small we are.