Humor Story - August 12, 2006

Charlie Yirka Proposes Government Surfboard Study

Charlie Yirka, environmental engineer with the Division of Air Quality, announced today that he will begin pushing for management to station him on the coast to conduct studies on climate change while riding his surfboard. Charlie is well known in the DAQ for his younger years as a surfer and all-around beach bum.

"Riding a surfboard is the best way to study changing ocean temperatures," said Charlie as he discussed his new plan for researching climate change while on the beach.

When informed of Charlie's proposal, agency managers seemed skeptical. "After hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans last year Charlie wanted us to station him at Wrightsville Beach to study the impact of Katrina on North Carolina beaches," one of them explained.

"The president has said that we need more research on climate change," Charlie said in his own defense.

He explained that state government might even want to pay his wife to be stationed on the beach with him. "She is not a surfer, but she sure does love to sunbathe," Charlie pointed out. "She might be able to detect important temperature trends while resting on the beach," he said.

"The government desperately needs new data on both water and sand," Charlie explained.

Charlie Yirka, environmental engineer with the Division of Air Quality, shown working at his office in Raleigh.