It’s hard to dispute the urgency of protecting American road users; traffic deaths are rising at the fastest rate on record, particularly in urban areas. On a per capita basis, walking, biking, or driving is significantly more dangerous in the United States than in other developed countries. But how helpful are the many, many education campaigns found across the United States? How many lives are they saving?
Thoughtfully designed and implemented, education programs can and do induce safer travel behaviors, especially if they target a specific audience with new and actionable information. But all too often, education campaigns reiterate messages people already know, like the dangers of speeding or texting while driving, or emphasize humor or fear, which generally fails to shift behavior. Worse, they put the ultimate onus for safety on the individual, sapping resources that could go toward more systemic solutions.
o you ever wonder how birds stay cool on hot summer days? We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service want to share some insights! Like people, birds can withstand changes in the weather and maintain their body temperature whether it’s hot or cold outside, but there are limits. When summer temperatures are on the rise, birds depend on adaptations to keep from overheating.
Many adaptations are different variations of thermoregulation, the mechanism that warm-blooded animals use to balance their body temperature with their surroundings. Thermoregulation is a process where warmer blood cools and then circulates throughout the body, lowering the animal’s overall body temperature. It can take many forms and is a window into understanding how our physical world works. To understand how birds have adapted these cooling techniques, we need a quick overview of how thermal energy - or heat - moves from one thing to another. Simply put, heat moves in one direction, from hot toward cold. The movement of heat happens on a molecular level in all matter, whether it’s solid, liquid or gas. It’s within this principle that birds are able to transfer their body temperature to cooler air and water around them.
That seems like what the pattern we are in for the coming week. Should be good for getting out of town.
Today. Feels like … June 23rd.
Mostly sunny.
Light northwest wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
and
81 degrees
,56 max dew point,
8:36 sunset.
Tonight. Feels like … June 18th.
Mostly clear.
Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening.
and
58 degrees
,
5:15 sunrise.
Wednesday. Feels like … June 27th.
Sunny.
Light and variable wind.
and
82 degrees
,59 max dew point,
8:36 sunset.
Wednesday Night. Feels like … July 2nd.
Isolated showers after 2am. Partly cloudy.
South wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
and
61 degrees
,59 max dew point,
5:15 sunrise.
Thursday. Feels like … June 27th.
A chance of showers.
South wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
and
82 degrees
,63 max dew point,
8:36 sunset.
Thursday Night. Muggy !
Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy.
Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
and
65 degrees
,65 max dew point,
5:15 sunrise.
Friday. Feels like … July 15th.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8am, then a chance of showers between 8am and 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny.
Chance of precipitation is 50%.
and
84 degrees
,66 max dew point,
8:37 sunset.
Friday Night. Feels like … June 18th.
A chance of thunderstorms before 8pm. Mostly clear.
