[Bluefly]

Originally Posted by thinkin about it

I would love to see any data that implies cold weather is not a lifestyle liability for the vast majority of people.

I was specifically referring to people who live in winter climates.

Plus, if you look at the places that consistently rank in the highest quality of life in the world, they are overwhelmingly in cold, winter climates.

Americans just got a little lazy.

[Bluefly]

Originally Posted by michsnowlvr

I very much agree that the complaining about the weather is tiresome, but your comment "Detroit has 4 solid seasons, but climate change seems to be altering things" threw me for a loop. What were you referring to? Winters this decade have been snowier than average, and the past several summers have been cooler than average. But Ive done a lot of studying on the subject of climate over time in the area, and certainly there is no distinct difference between now and a hundred years ago (save for the usual variances from year to year). Some summers are hot, some are not, some winters are cold, some are not...but there is no definite trend. Certainly the CLOSEST thing to climate change we are seeing is snowier winters, but that could be just a decadal thing, as it was in the 1970s. The only thing this proves is that the old adage that grandma used to always say "winters were snowier when I was a kid" could not be further from the truth.

Yeah, the last couple seasons have been more wintery, but overall there has actually been a shift in the season. I'm not sure what climate data you've been studying, but I've worked in flora management and entire species ranges that were established for centuries are shifting due to changing climate situations. Whether it's temporary or not is for another discussion, but the winters of seasons of southern Michigan are definitely not what they used to be. Just look at how snow used to stick from December into March. Now it's very spotty with snow/melt/snow/melt (the last couple, though, have been exceptions. Maybe it'll shift back).

[Sparrow_temp]

Places that rank higest quality of life do so because most are homogeneous populations with a relatively rich population -- they didn't buy into the whole diversity thing like this country. It's not the climate that's giving them the high quality of life -- and a lot of these countries even though they are in the upper latitude's don't have the same cold weather as MI due to the ocean currents.

Originally Posted by Bluefly

I was specifically referring to people who live in winter climates.

Plus, if you look at the places that consistently rank in the highest quality of life in the world, they are overwhelmingly in cold, winter climates.

Americans just got a little lazy.

[Bluefly]

Originally Posted by Sparrow_temp

Places that rank higest quality of life do so because most are homogeneous populations with a relatively rich population -- they didn't buy into the whole diversity thing like this country. It's not the climate that's giving them the high quality of life -- and a lot of these countries even though they are in the upper latitude's don't have the same cold weather as MI due to the ocean currents.

There are a lot of homogenous populations that don't rank high in quality of life - Japan, China, India, Korea, much of Africa, South America... heck, pretty much most of the world.

So, that's not it.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by RomanGeneral

It`s too simple,but it is not convenient for the big boys.I am not a big boy ;(

What is too simple?

[mackinac81]

Originally posted by actinic
#6 in fact in the % of people born here that stick here ...

Maps: Migration Flows in the United States, Sticky States - Pew Social & Demographic Trends (http://pewsocialtrends.org/maps/migration/stickystate.php - broken link)

Why would this be? In a state which consistently has some of the highest unemployment you would think lots of residents have moved elsewhere to find jobs.

Contrast this to the other statistic - it ranks low (#47) in the % of people who've migrated here from somewhere else. This makes perfect sense - no jobs, no in migration. Same thing happening for many mid western states.

So back to Michigan. Does the state welfare system encourage people to stay? Are so many upside down on their mortgage they can't afford to leave? Are the state's residents less educated, thus less marketable? Is it more a matter or unwillingness or inability? Or can we also say that those who live here & work here are more content to stay?

Well I would have stayed, but two years without a job offer in my degree field sent me packing. My new mission in life is to get back home.

I've met TONS of Michiganders here in North Carolina and NOT ONE of them say that they don't miss it. Many hope to move back--if not to Michigan, then somewhere else in the Upper Midwest.

North Carolina's fantastic, but I do miss home, even if it is cloudy, the economy sucks and you get a foot of snow on the ground. It's still home. Besides, I never minded winter anyway.

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by mackinac81

.....
I've met TONS of Michiganders here in North Carolina and NOT ONE of them say that they don't miss it. Many hope to move back--if not to Michigan, then somewhere else in the Upper Midwest.

.......

[northstar22]

Mackinac81, I know how you feel. I'm no longer a resident of Michigan. I now call Duluth, GA my home. I really want to get back to Michigan, or find a job in Alaska. I really don't like the south.

[Luzette]

flyingwriter,

What is it about the south that you don't like?

[northstar22]

Originally Posted by Luzette

flyingwriter,

What is it about the south that you don't like?

I could make a long list of things I hate about the south, but for the sake of brevity I'll say because it's not Michigan. It is the antithesis of Michigan. Geographically, culturally, politically, and climactically it is vastly different, and not something that suits me at all.