Climate Change / Global Warming Discussion

[mspohr]

New Zealand farmers stage huge protest over environmental rules

A 2019 government report painted a bleak environmental picture. Four thousand native species are under significant risk of decline or extinction, two-thirds of the country’s rare ecosystems are threatened with collapse, and irrigation from farming along with water use by industry and households has shrunk wetlands to 10% of their original area. Last year, a Land Air Water Aotearoa report found that 60% of the country’s rivers were unswimmable due to runoff from intensive farming, and wastewater services.

New Zealand is also lagging behind on its climate action, with the 2021 Climate Change Performance Index rankings putting it in 28th place, well behind countries such as the UK, Mexico and India.A

It also wants the Clean Car Package – also known as the “ute tax”– scrapped, saying it places further financial burdens on farmers who rely on heavy vehicles for their work. The policy will make lower-carbon-emitting cars more affordable and place a fee on higher-emission vehicles, including utes, from January 2022.

 

[mspohr]

Climate scientists shocked by scale of floods in Germany

The seven hottest years in recorded history have occurred since 2014, largely as a result of global heating, which is caused by engine exhaust fumes, forest burning and other human activities. Computer models predict this will cause more extreme weather, which means records will be broken with more frequency in more places.

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California in Los Angeles, said so many records were being set in the US this summer that they no longer made the news: “The extremes that would have been newsworthy a couple of years ago aren’t, because they pale in comparison to the astonishing rises a few weeks ago.” This was happening in other countries too, he said, though with less media attention. “The US is often in the spotlight, but we have also seen extraordinary heat events in northern Europe and Siberia. This is not a localised freak event, it is definitely part of a coherent global pattern.”

 

[Texas Electric]

Except when it's cold.

It will take a bit more than just cold temperatures to shut down our wind energy. It takes a widespread ice storm to do that. As you know, we don’t get those every day in Texas!

 

[Texas Electric]

Too big to fail... oh wait, it did.

We recovered. Took a week. But we got back on our feet. Kind of like a major Hurricane landfall, but across the entire state of Texas. Every single county in Texas was under a winter storm watch. That has never happened before. Hopefully, we’ll figure this out before the next big winter storm.

 

[jimm01]

We recovered. Took a week. But we got back on our feet. Kind of like a major Hurricane landfall, but across the entire state of Texas. Every single county in Texas was under a winter storm watch. That has never happened before. Hopefully, we’ll figure this out before the next big winter storm.

I'd like to understand Texas wind energy winterization dilemma. What exactly is winterization? What and how is a component winterized? What is the cost in terms of energy?

 

[Texas Electric]

I was curious about this because saying the United States outproduces Texas might include the Texas generation statistics since Texas is part of the US. But the rest of the states combined do indeed have more installed capacity than Texas. Still, Texas has over 3x the installed capacity of the second state (Oklahoma).

As a more apt comparison, Texas has installed 33k GW of a potential of about 1.3M GW, so the installed amount is equivalent to approximately 2.5% of potential. Oklahoma has installed 9048GW of a potential 359k GW, also 2.5%. California has installed 5922GW of a potential 303k GW, just under 2% of potential.

Numbers are from energy.gov and there's a link as to how they ascertain the "potential" numbers. They're a bit loose (grades > 3% are excluded, for instance). Interesting stuff overall.

We got a “black eye” in Texas last February, but we’re healing. I know a lot of people despise Texas because of our fossil fuel use and production. But we get very little credit for our expansion of wind and solar. So, I like to point out to our detractors that we are very much into the renewable energy program. And that it is growing.

 

[ohmman]

We got a “black eye” in Texas last February, but we’re healing. I know a lot of people despise Texas because of our fossil fuel use and production. But we get very little credit for our expansion of wind and solar. So, I like to point out to our detractors that we are very much into the renewable energy program. And that it is growing.

I lived in Austin for 20 years. I don't think it's valuable or accurate to classify entire states under a certain umbrella of politics or ideology. People tend to do the same about my current home state, California.

 

[eevee-fan]

We recovered. Took a week. But we got back on our feet. Kind of like a major Hurricane landfall, but across the entire state of Texas. Every single county in Texas was under a winter storm watch. That has never happened before. Hopefully, we’ll figure this out before the next big winter storm.

Except this was easily preventable and a bunch of people died for no reason. Well, probably didn't affect you so who cares, right?

 

[eevee-fan]

We got a “black eye” in Texas last February, but we’re healing. I know a lot of people despise Texas because of our fossil fuel use and production. But we get very little credit for our expansion of wind and solar. So, I like to point out to our detractors that we are very much into the renewable energy program. And that it is growing.

That's not what your Dear Leader says.

 

[Texas Electric]

Except this was easily preventable and a bunch of people died for no reason. Well, probably didn't affect you so who cares, right?

My power went out twice. I was affected. What do you expect me to do about it - sit in my comfortable arm chair and complain about how “you should have done this and you should have done that? What happened happened. I am sure this will be examined up, down, and sideways - not even mentioning all of the lawsuits that have been filed. I assure you there will be plenty of finger pointing going on. ERCOT assured Gov Abbott that we were ready 5 days in advance. This storm was pretty well advertised. ERCOT let us down, and they will certainly be the prime target of plaintiffs’ lawyers. ERCOT will obviously have a self interest to be ready for the next widespread ice storm. If it happens again, that will be the end of ERCOT.

 

[Texas Electric]

That's not what your Dear Leader says.

What makes you think I give a hoot about what some so and so says? And that goes for everybody in and outside Texas. We had a bad incident, and the most important thing to do is to find solutions - not score political points.

 

[mspohr]

What makes you think I give a hoot about what some so and so says? And that goes for everybody in and outside Texas. We had a bad incident, and the most important thing to do is to find solutions - not score political points.

Problem is that nobody seems to be looking for solutions... just political statements. The solutions that have been proposed have been political solutions, not engineered solutions.

 

[Texas Electric]

Problem is that nobody seems to be looking for solutions... just political statements. The solutions that have been proposed have been political solutions, not engineered solutions.

Highly subjective. I seriously doubt the power engineers are thinking about political solutions.

 

[mspohr]

Highly subjective. I seriously doubt the power engineers are thinking about political solutions.

ERCOT is a bunch of political hacks. No engineers.

 

[eevee-fan]

Highly subjective. I seriously doubt the power engineers are thinking about political solutions.

Your Dear Leader directed them to come up with a solution that allows him to claim political points instead of fixing the problem using the most logical solution.

BTW, another building failure in FL. TX and FL with economies that rival many third world countries are great in creating failed states.

 

[eevee-fan]

Tesla launches its own virtual power plant with Powerwalls to help California's grid

Tesla is launching its own virtual power plant with the Powerwall in California in order to help the grid, which...

electrek.co

Speaking of the Failed State of TX...

 

[Texas Electric]

ERCOT is a bunch of political hacks. No engineers.

Silly argument. You are trying to make a case that Texas has no power engineers.

 

[Texas Electric]

Your Dear Leader directed them to come up with a solution that allows him to claim political points instead of fixing the problem using the most logical solution.

BTW, another building failure in FL. TX and FL with economies that rival many third world countries are great in creating failed states.

That’s right. Failed states that are so bad that they gained congressional seats. Your narrative about Texas is decaying.

 

[eevee-fan]

FOX 4 Dallas: Dallas resident has Monkeypox; believed to be first-ever case in Texas.

Dallas resident has Monkeypox; believed to be first-ever case in Texas

Dallas County Health and Human Services reports the person who tested positive is now isolated at the hospital to prevent the spread of the virus and is in stable condition.

www.fox4news.com

 

[ohmman]

Throwing my moderator hat on here, since the gentle nudge was ignored.

Comments here are strongly approaching personal attacks. “Your dear leader” specifically, but others more generally. Please try to talk about the subject matter and not the person discussing it. Thanks.