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Antarctica / Re: Sea Ice Extent around Antarctica
« on: October 02, 2020, 02:00:47 AM »
....very cold freshwater forming a lower density surface layer on top of warmer salty ocean water...
[/quote]
That's part of it, but I recall a study which concluded that the main reason was that stronger katabatic winds were pushing existing near-coast ice further out, allowing more ice to form on the coast.
[/quote]
That's part of it, but I recall a study which concluded that the main reason was that stronger katabatic winds were pushing existing near-coast ice further out, allowing more ice to form on the coast.
3
Policy and solutions / Re: Electric cars
« on: September 12, 2020, 03:38:54 AM »^^^Please take your opinions about Donald Trump to the correct forum.
....
He may not yet appreciate that his habitual lying and fraud suddenly have significant adverse consequences.
....
4
Consequences / Re: Heatwaves
« on: September 07, 2020, 01:00:19 AM »
For those of us in the rest of world...
In Woodland Hills, the mercury climbed to 47C degrees by 3 p.m. Saturday, making it the hottest day ever recorded there in September, breaking the record of 46C set in 1979. .....
The mercury soared even higher to the east, with Palm Springs hitting 50C ....
....
5
The rest / Re: SpaceX
« on: June 13, 2020, 02:14:26 AM »......Quote< Are the landing legs the same as on standard Starship? Or do they specifically accommodate for lunar surface?https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1270062575833640960
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 6/8/20, 2:38 PM
We’re working on new legs. Wider stance & able to auto-level. Important for leaning into wind or landing on rocky & pitted surfaces.
Leaning into the wind? on the moon? So why Michael Jackson walked like that, he was being blown backwards by the wind on the moon.
6
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: May 30, 2020, 01:59:22 AM »Trump or not, I would terminate the contract with WHO. What is that organization for, I've been asking myself since February. What did they achieve or enable, apart from recommendations servile to powers and not really based on science. I must only wonder what they do in empoverished and politically corrupted countries in the name of health...
There are other health issues in the world apart from COVID-19.
7
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: April 26, 2020, 05:36:15 AM »Climate Science Deniers at Forefront of Downplaying Coronavirus Pandemic
......
......
-------------------------
I was way way ahead of all this...
https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,2996.msg255158.html#msg255158
8
Consequences / Re: The Holocene Extinction
« on: April 12, 2020, 03:31:13 AM »Stephen i merged your thread into this because where all the past events are.
Doesn't really matter, people are ignoring everything except the pandemic, in both main stream media and on this site.
9
Consequences / Coral reef bleaching
« on: April 11, 2020, 01:21:58 AM »
Australia's Great Barrier Reef seems to be suffering another severe bleaching event.
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/great-barrier-reef-suffers-most-widespread-bleaching-yet/12127716
https://www.coralcoe.org.au/for-managers/coral-bleaching-and-the-great-barrier-reef
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/great-barrier-reef-suffers-most-widespread-bleaching-yet/12127716
https://www.coralcoe.org.au/for-managers/coral-bleaching-and-the-great-barrier-reef
10
Policy and solutions / Re: Electric cars
« on: April 08, 2020, 01:02:14 PM »Where would we possibly get all this biofuel from? Where is all that land for the crops? Where are all the refineries for biofuel? How would this possibly scale?
On the other hand, it's easy to build a wind turbine and the electrical infrastructure is already here to charge electric cars.
You are presuming that only corn or sugar cane could be the source. There's a lot of research into diesel oil from algae. The advantages being that it does not require good farmland or even fresh water (outback Australia or the Sahara would be fine).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algae_fuel
https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/Collections/ANACC/Algae-bioproducts/algae-biofuels
My question for you is How do we transition to this wonderful electric future? What ahppens to the billions, or even trillions invested in ICE vehicles? I doubt if there will ever be enough energy density in a battery to run an aircraft the size of a 747.
We cannot just flick a switch and go from ICE to batteries. There must be a transition phase.
11
Policy and solutions / Re: Electric cars
« on: April 08, 2020, 05:01:23 AM »Struggling auto giants try to support each other through the transition to EVs:
.....
....
But some still cannot see a way forward:
VW, Porsche, and Mazda cling to internal combustion, citing benefits of biofuels
https://electrek.co/2020/04/07/vw-porsche-and-mazda-cling-to-internal-combustion-citing-benefits-of-biofuels/
In terms of climate change and reducing CO2 levels, I am technology agnostic. I don't care how they do it. If (and it's a big if) they can do it by producing synthetic fuels that remove CO2 from the atmosphere as they are grown or created, then that's fine by me. I understand that this is an electric car thread and that synthetic fuels are not a way forward for electric cars. But to suggest that they are not a way forward for reducing greenhouse gas emissions is churlish.
12
Arctic sea ice / Re: Global sea ice area and extent data
« on: April 06, 2020, 02:29:03 AM »
3) It just occurred to me that the name Antarctic is northern hegemonistic bias! Why is an entire continent and the biggest reservoir of fresh water and ice on the planet named only in relation to, and as the opposite of, another region? It should have its own name. Antarctic liberation!
Arktos is the ancient Greek name for bear. So the Arctic region was named after the polar bear.
There are no bears on the southernmost continent. Penguins, being small cute and harmless, are pretty much the exact opposite of polar bears, so Antarctic seems reasonable to me.
13
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: April 03, 2020, 02:01:28 AM »Does anyone know how and when the current day's data is updated on https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ ?
I know that they move today's data to yesterday at midnight GMT but during the current day is the data updated at any set intervals or just when they pick up reports or....?
I suggest just ignoring ignorant or off-topic posters. Give them no oxygen.
AFAIK, worldometers is owned by a Shanghai based company Datafax. So it may be influenced by elements of the Chinese government.
I keep trying Johns-Hopkins because I trust them more but I find the interface clunky and hard to read. I like the straightforward league table of worldometers but I am getting really tired of the ads for online dating. There may well be lots of hot young singles in my area wanting to meet me but now is not a good time. I just wish that worldometers would control their ads a bit more.
14
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: April 01, 2020, 12:46:47 AM »
I feel that I have to address the idea by Harpy that there is some kind of conspiracy in naming of the virus and its associated disease. Doctors tend to name diseases after people or places, scientists tend to name diseases with codes. But it's not that simple. Sometimes an acronym sticks because simply because it rolls of the tongue so easily. We say "AIDS" as a single word, we do not pronounce every single letter A-I-D-S. On the other hand we do pronounce every single letter of H-I-V because it doesn't sound right as a word. But we don't call either of them "the African virus" or the African Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Is there some kind of conspiracy there Harpy?
Also, coded names are easier to use across different languages. Coded names are easier for indexing and database queries. I can perform a SQL query for "SARS*" and get all the related results, but "wuhan" just gives me wuhan. We used coded, formula like names for chemistry rather than common names because they translate across languages and are much more precise. They give you much more information.
For a personal anecdote, I used to live in the suburb of Hendra in Brisbane, Australia. Brisbane is a warm sub-tropical city with a very relaxed, outdoor lifestyle. The suburb of Hendra is close to the mouth of the river, the next stop downstream are the ports and airport and two big racecourses. Otherwise there are mangroves and wetlands which provide habitat for flying foxes and other species of bats. Because of the horse racing tracks there are lots of horse stables. And it's quite common to find big fruiting trees like figs, mango and mulberry. Excuse the long story but I am getting to the point. Now, the bats love to nest in the fruit trees, they piss and poop on the grass below. The horses graze on the grass. Of course they are fed very well with grains and hay, but horses love to instinctively graze. So there are vectors of transmission form bats to horses to people.
In 1994 in the suburb of Hendra, 13 horses died from a virus that became known as Hendra virus. A number of trainers also died, the first being a man named Vic Rail. Hendra virus is now the common name even though it has been given, or assigned to the class, of henipavirus.
As a former resident of Hendra I am neither ashamed or embarrassed of that name. It adds to the colorful history of Brisbane. I don't recall any campaign or conspiracy to change the name. Nobody cared enough.
There is now a vaccine for Hendra virus, but in the early days the CFR was very high, above 50%. It is an RNA virus, I just hope that it never teams up with SARS-COV-2 inside some bat somewhere.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henipavirus
Also, coded names are easier to use across different languages. Coded names are easier for indexing and database queries. I can perform a SQL query for "SARS*" and get all the related results, but "wuhan" just gives me wuhan. We used coded, formula like names for chemistry rather than common names because they translate across languages and are much more precise. They give you much more information.
For a personal anecdote, I used to live in the suburb of Hendra in Brisbane, Australia. Brisbane is a warm sub-tropical city with a very relaxed, outdoor lifestyle. The suburb of Hendra is close to the mouth of the river, the next stop downstream are the ports and airport and two big racecourses. Otherwise there are mangroves and wetlands which provide habitat for flying foxes and other species of bats. Because of the horse racing tracks there are lots of horse stables. And it's quite common to find big fruiting trees like figs, mango and mulberry. Excuse the long story but I am getting to the point. Now, the bats love to nest in the fruit trees, they piss and poop on the grass below. The horses graze on the grass. Of course they are fed very well with grains and hay, but horses love to instinctively graze. So there are vectors of transmission form bats to horses to people.
In 1994 in the suburb of Hendra, 13 horses died from a virus that became known as Hendra virus. A number of trainers also died, the first being a man named Vic Rail. Hendra virus is now the common name even though it has been given, or assigned to the class, of henipavirus.
As a former resident of Hendra I am neither ashamed or embarrassed of that name. It adds to the colorful history of Brisbane. I don't recall any campaign or conspiracy to change the name. Nobody cared enough.
There is now a vaccine for Hendra virus, but in the early days the CFR was very high, above 50%. It is an RNA virus, I just hope that it never teams up with SARS-COV-2 inside some bat somewhere.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henipavirus
15
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: March 30, 2020, 12:43:53 AM »
Was there ever a more perfect petri dish for human disease development than a cruise ship? Well maybe a refugee camp but a cruise ship runs a close second.
Speaking of regugee camps, I am terribly worried about what might be happening inside those camps in Syria, Jordan, turkey and Europe, but there is no news anywhere.
Speaking of regugee camps, I am terribly worried about what might be happening inside those camps in Syria, Jordan, turkey and Europe, but there is no news anywhere.
16
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: March 30, 2020, 12:40:44 AM »
For those of you who like neat dynamic graphics;
https://nextstrain.org/ncov
If you scroll down you'll see an entropy button on the left. I tried turning it off but my room stayed messy and the universe kept expanding so I don't think that it works.
https://nextstrain.org/ncov
If you scroll down you'll see an entropy button on the left. I tried turning it off but my room stayed messy and the universe kept expanding so I don't think that it works.
17
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: March 28, 2020, 08:20:54 AM »I expected so much more from California.
......
The "Macho" mindset so prevalent in California is going to be the cause of much suffering. It's the meek that will win this round.
Terry
Australia is pretty much the same as California. People whose places of employment have closed are rushing the hardware stores and crowding the aisles and counters. I live on a hill above a main road and the traffic hasn't changed much, if at all. Everyone is still going about their business as if nothing has happened. This is despite impassioned pleas by both the state premier and the Prime Minister to stay at home.
But we are the lucky country. Our geographic isolation and excellent public health system has so far saved us from the worst. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few posters on forums around the world who are accusing Australia of under reporting because we only have 3,000 cases and 13 deaths.
I am of the opinion that there are only 3 possible outcomes:
- everyone gets it and the herd immunity takes over
- a vaccine is developed
- a suitable anti-viral treatment is devised.
I do not believe that eradicating is a possibility. So the hidden message to "keep the curve under the line" is that we will all get it and the only purpose of social isolation and lock down strategies is to minimise deaths and let the health system cope.
18
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: March 25, 2020, 12:58:04 AM »
This is for Australia only. We seem to be doing relatively OK. Only 2000 cases and 8 deaths nationwide but I'm well aware that we have a natural geographical advantage when it comes to isolating. If it wasn't for the lax standards applied to and by the F#$CK%NG cruise ship industry we'd be doing much better.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/nobel-prize-winner-says-virus-curve-will-flatten-in-couple-of-weeks-20200324-p54dib.html
https://www.theage.com.au/national/nobel-prize-winner-says-virus-curve-will-flatten-in-couple-of-weeks-20200324-p54dib.html
19
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: March 24, 2020, 12:03:43 PM »Seeing as the CDC has published this study, I can hardly imagine they would forget such a trivial detail.^^
It puts a lie to the theory that all is well after 9 days, and that 14 day quarantines are maximally effective.
Terry
They're forgetting that the crew would have stayed on board, continually infecting surfaces.
Probably not but who knows? I can't imagine a cruise ship staying empty for 17 days. But anyway, regarding Terry's comment about 14 day quarantine, that's for people. Things, inanimate objects, and stuff should be cleaned not quarantined. There is anecdotal evidence that the Ruby Princess, whose passengers were inexplicably allowed to disembark in Sydney on March 17, was not cleaned or disinfected properly and that passengers became infected by traces left on surfaces by the previous cruise.
Australia now has over 100 extra cases and one death just from that one cruise.
I have been on one cruise in my entire life. I hated it. There was nothing to do except drink and gamble. It was more like a floating prison. Part of me hopes that that entire industry gets shutdown forever.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/24/anatomy-of-a-coronavirus-disaster-how-2700-people-were-let-off-the-ruby-princess-cruise-ship-by-mistake
20
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: March 24, 2020, 02:33:27 AM »^^
It puts a lie to the theory that all is well after 9 days, and that 14 day quarantines are maximally effective.
Terry
They're forgetting that the crew would have stayed on board, continually infecting surfaces.
21
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: March 23, 2020, 08:02:41 AM »
1. Large parts of Africa and the ME have hot or even tropical climates.
This virus doesn't survive long in heat.
But presumably MERS could survive the heat? Although of course they have snow & cold winters in Lebanon, Syria and Turkey.
22
Policy and solutions / Re: Coal
« on: March 23, 2020, 03:53:59 AM »Fossil fuels enjoy large built-in inertia in the energy system. That's why it's not sufficient to generate a little bit cheaper electricity by wind or solar compared to coal or oil or gas. It has to be significantly cheaper to have an effect on emissions.
If we started from scratch today, ...
If, if, if......actually many African countries with poor infrastructure will have that chance, but the rest of us have to deal with the world as it is.
Quote
That's why we have absurd discussions about not having enough EV chargers which would enable to handle fuel logistics by copper wire instead of transportation by pipeline, tanker vessel, refinery, truck and the service station.
OTOH, if we turn that solar/wind power to Hydrogen at the source then we can still use pipelines and tankers. Bockris proposed this about 50 years ago. I attended one of his public lectures in 1976. Although I he went a bit off course in his later years (crazy even) with his claims of Cold Fusion and transmutation. But some of his ideas about Hydrogen as fuel remain valid.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bockris
Also Hydrogen does not necessarily have to be transported as H2 gas. Ammonia is NH4, so 4 Hydrogen atoms just sitting there waiting to be plucked out. CSIRO scientists have come up with one possible method.
https://www.csiro.au/en/News/News-releases/2017/Membrane-for-hydrogen-fuel-cells
23
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: March 21, 2020, 11:50:44 PM »
Such a fast moving thread that it's hard to keep up. I wanted to reply to a post a few pages back about how fast this thing might mutate. I found this article by the 1996 Nobel prize winner in medicine relevant...
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-22/doubt-over-contracting-coronavirus-covid-19-twice/12075878
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-22/doubt-over-contracting-coronavirus-covid-19-twice/12075878
24
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: March 21, 2020, 04:01:38 AM »
Police have now moved in and closed Bondi Beach.
25
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: March 20, 2020, 01:31:19 PM »
Actually I'm not doing anything about the fruit and vegies, I've done my own research via facebook and I am now a virus pandemic denier;
Let's look at the facts:
I'm off to wattsupwiththat.com to promote my theory.
Let's look at the facts:
- There were worse pandemics in the Middle Ages and this one isn't as bad as the Black Death that killed half of Europe in the 14th century. That proves that pandemics are a natural event so we can't do anything to stop it.
- It's all caused by Milankovitch cycles
- Viruses are a natural part of the environment so let's not do anything.
- Meaningful action will cost too much so let's not do anything.
- They're not doing anything in (insert 3rd world or Asian country of choice) so it's pointless for us to do anything.
I'm off to wattsupwiththat.com to promote my theory.
26
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: March 20, 2020, 02:29:50 AM »
Anyone have any figures about how long this thing survives on fresh fruit and veggies. I stupidly picked up and bought a bag of loose grapes yesterday. I washed them when I got home but obviously not with soapy water. Maybe I should have? They havve now been sitting in the fridge for 24 hours next to the zucchini and tomatoes. I am definitely going to die.
The fruit and veg section of the supermarket is mostly loose items. People pick up and examine 2 or 3 avocados before choosing one. The put their bare hands into the potato bin and grab what they need. Same with most of the cheaper items that you buy in bulk.
The fruit and veg section of the supermarket is mostly loose items. People pick up and examine 2 or 3 avocados before choosing one. The put their bare hands into the potato bin and grab what they need. Same with most of the cheaper items that you buy in bulk.
27
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: March 20, 2020, 02:22:24 AM »
Can anyone report on how infection rates are going in Florida? I am assuming that the elderly are more likely to support Trump so his support will decrease as the death toll rises. State by state death rates in the USA will be interesting.
Here in Australia the PM actually had a press conference advising social distancing but some people just don't get it. Either that or their instinctive behaviour kicks in before they think. Yesterday I was working in my carport near the front fo my property when my electrician wanders in. I had previously advised him that I'll need some more work done but not for a few months. Anyway, he is a very friendly, pat-you-on-the-back, stand-close-and-chat kind of guy. So while I am kneeling down riveting some metal sheets he walks up and puts his hand on my shoulder and asks how everything is going?
I jokingly step back a few paces and call out "social distancing". So he laughs and then we talk for a while as we wander around and look at the work that needs doing. By then he's forgotten everything and he's standing quite close again. Then he says "you're doing a great job" and pats me on the shoulder again. Then he says "I won't shake your hand" and puts his elbow out for a bump.
My point in this long story is that we are a social species and we can no more resist touching other human beings than a dog can resist sniffing the bum of another dog. I suppose that I'm very lucky to live in a country where we have had only 7 deaths and only about 1 in 40,000 have tested positive so the possibility of contracting anything from my electrician friend is very, very remote.
Here in Australia the PM actually had a press conference advising social distancing but some people just don't get it. Either that or their instinctive behaviour kicks in before they think. Yesterday I was working in my carport near the front fo my property when my electrician wanders in. I had previously advised him that I'll need some more work done but not for a few months. Anyway, he is a very friendly, pat-you-on-the-back, stand-close-and-chat kind of guy. So while I am kneeling down riveting some metal sheets he walks up and puts his hand on my shoulder and asks how everything is going?
I jokingly step back a few paces and call out "social distancing". So he laughs and then we talk for a while as we wander around and look at the work that needs doing. By then he's forgotten everything and he's standing quite close again. Then he says "you're doing a great job" and pats me on the shoulder again. Then he says "I won't shake your hand" and puts his elbow out for a bump.
My point in this long story is that we are a social species and we can no more resist touching other human beings than a dog can resist sniffing the bum of another dog. I suppose that I'm very lucky to live in a country where we have had only 7 deaths and only about 1 in 40,000 have tested positive so the possibility of contracting anything from my electrician friend is very, very remote.
28
Policy and solutions / Re: Coal
« on: March 17, 2020, 12:47:24 PM »
The running costs of a coal plant are higher than building renewables and operations costs in many markets. That is what they are saying. It is already the case in every market that building renewables and operations are cheaper than building coal and operations.
I wonder if those estimates of renewables costs also include the cost of new transmission infrastructure? Here is Australia we have the huge problem, probably shared by many countries, that the transmission lines radiate out from the old coal fired power station locations. In the state of Victoria that location is the Latrobe Valley in the south east where all the brown coal is. They transmit power directly west to the state capital where most of it is used then smaller lines take it north and west.
But the big solar plants are being built in the 500 klm away in the north west (where the sun shines most) and most of the wind farms are in the south west near the coast (where the wind never stops). There is at least one solar plant in the north west that can only deliver one third of its power because the transmission lines capable of taking the load just aren't there. The state of NSW has similar problems. Meanwhile the state of South Australia, which has the most advanced renewable generation are busy building inter-connectors with Victoria and NSW to get their power to the eastern states. Tasmania already have one undersea cable that can deliver Hydro power to the national grid under Bass Strait. But poor old Western Australia is going to have to go it alone. The Nullabor Plain is just too wide to cross.
So who pays for new distribution infrastructure?
29
Policy and solutions / Re: Coal
« on: March 17, 2020, 04:11:41 AM »Quote
By 2030, it will be cheaper to build new renewables than to run existing coal — everywhere.
This is the real mind-blower: even in laggard markets, Carbon Tracker projects that coal power will cross the second threshold by 2030 at the latest.
In other words, within ten years, virtually every coal plant in the world will be uneconomic, producing power more expensive than what could be generated by new renewables
I would question the logic here. While renewables may become cheaper to build that does not mean that coal will be more expensive to buy. For many old coal fired power stations the build cost has been paid for and written off therefore the owners only need to consider the running costs. And if it's too expensive to decommission a coal fired power station then the owners might just decide that it is easier to keep it running.
Of course if CO2 producers had to pay the price of their emissions via a carbon tax then that changes everything.
30
Policy and solutions / Re: Tesla glory/failure
« on: March 17, 2020, 04:05:34 AM »
Elon's cavalier attitude about the pandemic that is killing millions
Millions? Really? Just over 7000 worldwide as of march 17th.
31
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: March 16, 2020, 11:28:27 PM »
Does it surprise folk that the Chinese value their people more than the west ? .
The Chinese have done what they have done partly because they can do it. China is a one-party state dictatorship with much more control of their population. So when the Chinese police or army turn up in riot gear, weld the doors shut and lock down a building then people stay locked up. Can you imagine British, Australian or American police doing that?
32
Consequences / Re: COVID-19
« on: March 07, 2020, 01:43:32 AM »Quote
,
Yes. Facebook has a profile for you even if you don't have an account with Facebook. They track you throughout the whole internet once such a tracker is set.
Try this
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/facebook-container/
33
Policy and solutions / Re: Electric cars
« on: March 07, 2020, 01:19:50 AM »Terry, remember when the iPhone came out and people were outraged that there was no real keyboard anymore. So many people were convinced touchscreens couldn't possibly gain acceptance. Blackberry lost it's market not too much after.
I don't think it's different this time around. Is there a slightly better ergonomics with real buttons? Yes, of course! But will this one feature outweigh all the other advantages?
The big difference is that you must look at an iPhone to use it. You should not have to look at your car controls to use them. Apple put a lot of work into making those little bounces and swipes so that they're fun to use. That's all totally irrelevant to a car user. I would rather be able to identify the different knobs, buttons and stalk by feel rather than site.
34
Policy and solutions / Re: Tesla glory/failure
« on: January 27, 2020, 04:50:54 AM »Buying an OEM would make Tesla responsible for service, warranties, (dealer contracts!) etc. on that company’s existing ICE fleet. No way!
Edit: Still, this idea is an interesting switch from a few months ago when some Tesla bears on this board generously suggested that an OEM might buy Tesla, just to keep it as a niche offering.
I always thought that, if Tesla were ever in a position to require a bailout, then Apple would be the best match. They are still 10 times the size of Tesla and they have literally billions of spare cash just sitting around that they do not know what to do with. Personally I think that they should use it pay their taxes, but that will never happen.
35
Consequences / Re: Wildfires
« on: January 02, 2020, 06:17:39 AM »
I've traveled that area extensively and I can tell you that there are only 2 or 3 main roads in and out. The Pacific highway runs along that coast and there's 1 or 2 roads inland. But here's the catch, south of that border lies Mallacoota and you've all probably seen the pictures of the fires down there. So that leaves the northern route which it self has been closed a few times.
Of course we still hear the usual denier rhetoric, along the lines of "Australia has always had drought and bushfires", but thankfully those voices haven't received as much attention and more articles are being published about the influence of climate change.
Deniers arguments along the lines of "but we had a long drought in the 1800s" always ignore the fact that droughts are now more severe for the same time-span. A 3 year drought in the 2010s is now much worse than a 3 year drought was in the 1910s because evaporation rates are so much higher because overnight average temperatures are higher, among other factors.
The last big La Nina (which brings warmer water and heavy rain to Australia's east coast) was only 10 years ago.
If you think I am off-topic by talking about drought then remember that these fires are fueled by very dry eucalypt trees. Long droughts dry them out such that they are much more susceptible to fire. Forest floor litter dries to a perfect kindling because it takes a bit of rain to encourage the fungi and microbes to break down the dead leaves and twigs.
Of course we still hear the usual denier rhetoric, along the lines of "Australia has always had drought and bushfires", but thankfully those voices haven't received as much attention and more articles are being published about the influence of climate change.
Deniers arguments along the lines of "but we had a long drought in the 1800s" always ignore the fact that droughts are now more severe for the same time-span. A 3 year drought in the 2010s is now much worse than a 3 year drought was in the 1910s because evaporation rates are so much higher because overnight average temperatures are higher, among other factors.
The last big La Nina (which brings warmer water and heavy rain to Australia's east coast) was only 10 years ago.
If you think I am off-topic by talking about drought then remember that these fires are fueled by very dry eucalypt trees. Long droughts dry them out such that they are much more susceptible to fire. Forest floor litter dries to a perfect kindling because it takes a bit of rain to encourage the fungi and microbes to break down the dead leaves and twigs.
36
Glaciers / Re: Global Mean Sea Level
« on: December 09, 2019, 01:05:55 PM »He's certainly way out there.
James Hansen was quoting similar possible sea-level rises about 10 years ago. It presumes doubling of the rate of rise every 10 years. He wasn't predicting it as a certainty, but putting it forward as a possibility for discussion This is exactly what scientists should be able to do as a matter of course and they should not be criticized for it.
37
Policy and solutions / Re: Tesla glory/failure
« on: November 19, 2019, 12:18:14 PM »^^
Just wait until that cheap Bolivian Lithium gets to the market. How did our lithium get into their jungles anyway?
Terry
I know that you're joking but I think that the Lithium comes out of the great salt lakes on the altiplano. Not a lot of jungle up there.
38
Consequences / Re: Population: Public Enemy No. 1
« on: November 18, 2019, 11:22:07 PM »As has been said in this thread a few times before, population growth can be reduced quite ethically by increasing women's access to education, employment and contraception, all of which reduces the fertility rate and population growth; women have fewer children later when they have education and jobs to focus on.
Yes, I know, but that's a very long term solution. It doesn't help us in the next 10 or 20 years. Also, it probably won't happen at all because the big religions are all opposed to women's rights and access to contraception and education. If religion wins the war of culture and ideology then it will be because they can outgrow all of us sophisticated, ethical, secular types.
39
Consequences / Re: Population: Public Enemy No. 1
« on: November 18, 2019, 10:01:59 PM »
The biggest problem with population is that there is absolutely nothing we can do about it, short of genocide. I mean, what exactly would you suggest, forced contraception?
Saying that population is a problem is like sitting on a beach and saying that an approaching tsunami is a problem. Yes. It is. But there is nothing you can do to stop it. The only thing we can do is try to figure out how to deal with the consequences.
Saying that population is a problem is like sitting on a beach and saying that an approaching tsunami is a problem. Yes. It is. But there is nothing you can do to stop it. The only thing we can do is try to figure out how to deal with the consequences.
40
Walking the walk / Re: Ask me about commuting by bicycle (and multi-modal travel)
« on: October 05, 2019, 02:31:53 AM »
Great idea for a thread VideoGameVet (I think I'll just call you VGV for short).
My question: Does your employer provide end-of-trip facilities? I'm talking about things like lockable undercover bike-parking with lockers and showers.
I spent close to 20 years commuting by bicycle in Melbourne Australia. I only stopped because I am now umemployed and have no need to commute anywhere. My commute varied (depending on the worksite) between 11 and 17 kilometres. Melbourne is blessed with a network of dedicated bike paths that generally follow the rivers and creeks. I used the Gardiner's Creek path. The path ran by the end of my street. Once on that path I could be in the city centre in 50 minutes without having to go on the road at all. Doing the same trip by car and train would often take 1 hour.
http://www.bikepaths.com.au/map/show/1
Because I had access to a locker and showers I usually wore cycling knicks , jerseys and Shimano MTB shoes with cleats. It wasn't just a commute for me. It was my daily exercise. I kept very fit. I did need to get to work in a reasonable time so I used a Strava and a Garmin GPS tracker to keep a log of myrides. So I turned my commute into a competition with myself to better my own times. I found that this helped to keep me motivated.
It's funny how the puncture question keeps coming up. The secret (as you have discovered with your Schawble Marathons) is to use good tyres. I had a series of punctures in 2003 because of the crap tyres i was using at the time so I switched to either Continental Gators or Vittoria or Maxxis. Between 2003 and 2017 I had one single puncture in approximately 5,000 rides for a total of about 20,000 klms. People just do not understand how good the top-brand bicycle tyres are these days. Forget about whatever you used when riding your bike to school 30 years ago. Today's bike tyres are magnificent. And of course, I carry my own pressure gauge and pump and keep inflated at the right pressure. Too high a pressure is just as bad as too little.
My question: Does your employer provide end-of-trip facilities? I'm talking about things like lockable undercover bike-parking with lockers and showers.
I spent close to 20 years commuting by bicycle in Melbourne Australia. I only stopped because I am now umemployed and have no need to commute anywhere. My commute varied (depending on the worksite) between 11 and 17 kilometres. Melbourne is blessed with a network of dedicated bike paths that generally follow the rivers and creeks. I used the Gardiner's Creek path. The path ran by the end of my street. Once on that path I could be in the city centre in 50 minutes without having to go on the road at all. Doing the same trip by car and train would often take 1 hour.
http://www.bikepaths.com.au/map/show/1
Because I had access to a locker and showers I usually wore cycling knicks , jerseys and Shimano MTB shoes with cleats. It wasn't just a commute for me. It was my daily exercise. I kept very fit. I did need to get to work in a reasonable time so I used a Strava and a Garmin GPS tracker to keep a log of myrides. So I turned my commute into a competition with myself to better my own times. I found that this helped to keep me motivated.
It's funny how the puncture question keeps coming up. The secret (as you have discovered with your Schawble Marathons) is to use good tyres. I had a series of punctures in 2003 because of the crap tyres i was using at the time so I switched to either Continental Gators or Vittoria or Maxxis. Between 2003 and 2017 I had one single puncture in approximately 5,000 rides for a total of about 20,000 klms. People just do not understand how good the top-brand bicycle tyres are these days. Forget about whatever you used when riding your bike to school 30 years ago. Today's bike tyres are magnificent. And of course, I carry my own pressure gauge and pump and keep inflated at the right pressure. Too high a pressure is just as bad as too little.
41
Walking the walk / Re: Meat Consumption and Global Warming
« on: September 19, 2019, 12:41:59 AM »Meat is murder. But you know that already
.....
I knew that it was your opinion. A very judgemental and condescending opinion at that. I did not know, and I do not agree, that it is an established fact. When one human being deliberately kills another then that is murder. Humans killing other species for food is just that - killing.
If I keep chickens in my backyard and I kill one to eat it's meat, then that is just one animal killing another in order to survive.
So what exactly are you trying to achieve by opening your post with a declaration like "meat is murder"? The effect of that opening statement is to immediately turn off anybody who eats meat. From there on you will only be preaching to the converted. If you want to change people then it's not a good tactic to insult them.
Is that all we are doing here? Preaching to the converted? I'd like to think that we are trying to effect change.
42
Policy and solutions / Re: Alignment/Conflict between Geopolitics, Energy Security and Climate Mitigation
« on: September 05, 2019, 01:24:56 AM ».....
Richard III tried to be an absolute ruler through terror, but sucked at internal politics, and was quickly dealt with through the usual head chopping process.
....
I hate to be pedantic but Richard III died in the Battle of Bosworth Field, he was not beheaded.
Actually that's a lie, I really, really love being pedantic.
He was the last English king to die in battle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_III_of_England
43
Policy and solutions / Re: Low GHG Meat
« on: August 15, 2019, 12:46:04 AM »
It's seems to me that, rather than farming and eating insects as food, we should feed the insects to poultry and eat the chickens, ducks and turkeys.
44
Policy and solutions / Re: Low GHG Meat
« on: August 14, 2019, 04:21:38 PM »
Chickens. You don't necessarily have to feed them grain. They can scratch around and get a lot of their nutrition from grubs and insects.
Obviously I'm not talking about factory farming here, but it wasn't that long ago, my own childhood in fact, when every family I knew had chickens in a pen in their backyard.
The saying, "running around like a chook with its head cut off" has real meaning for me because, after my father had beheaded the poor chook chosen for Sunday dinner, it was my job to catch the bloody thing.
Obviously I'm not talking about factory farming here, but it wasn't that long ago, my own childhood in fact, when every family I knew had chickens in a pen in their backyard.
The saying, "running around like a chook with its head cut off" has real meaning for me because, after my father had beheaded the poor chook chosen for Sunday dinner, it was my job to catch the bloody thing.
45
Policy and solutions / Re: Electric cars
« on: August 14, 2019, 04:14:12 PM »
Damage to roads is directly correlated to the weight of the vehicle, probably exponentially. So a bicycle will not cause any perceptible damage, a 2 tonne car may cause some, but a 20 tonne truck will cause much, much more than 10 times the damage of the 2 tonne car.
So, ignoring the capital cost of initial construction, road maintenance is best paid for by a per kilogram charge of the GVM.
So, ignoring the capital cost of initial construction, road maintenance is best paid for by a per kilogram charge of the GVM.
46
Policy and solutions / Re: Electric cars
« on: August 14, 2019, 09:30:02 AM ».......
When the fragile bumper of a Tesla has filled with kilos of frozen slush outside of Sudbury, and there are hundreds of miles to go before we sleep, we know this isn't the conditions this car was designed for. No one as yet has seen how the latest, greatest, self driving system reacts to snow on the road - or snow in the air.....
.....
Terry
....
Why do you need to conflate the issues of self-driving cars with EVs? They are totally separate. You can have your fully manual EV if you wish and the big mfrs like BMW, Merc, Mazda all offer some kind of AI/self-driving tech in their ICE models.
47
Antarctica / Re: Ice Apocalypse - MULTIPLE METERS SEA LEVEL RISE (narrated video)
« on: August 14, 2019, 05:15:18 AM »Indecisive, inactive, unintelligent.... the governments of today
No, they are decisive enough to shift the funding to fossil fuels when they can. They are active enough to approve new coal mines every chance they get. They are intelligent enough to know that millions will come their way from the fossil fuel barons (not naming names but cough, cough, Koch, Koch).
They just don't care about the future beyond their own very limited 3 or 4 year election cycle.
And the voting public get the politicians they deserve. A majority may want more action on renewable power and fewer coal-fired power stations, but that same majority gives a much higher priority to a tax break on their real estate investments. That's what we can learn from the recent Australian federal election anyway.
48
Antarctica / Re: What's new in Antarctica ?
« on: August 14, 2019, 05:07:02 AM »
Towing Icebergs? it's been done...
https://struckbyenlightning.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/sydney-iceberg-89-hoax/
But seriously, the thing that all of these schemes underestimate is the cost of the energy used to construct or implement the idea. There was a kid in my high school science classes who was forever coming up with perpetual motion machines. He never considered or understood entropy or friction. I put damming the Bering Straits and towing icebergs in the same category as perpetual motion machines.
Just use solar & wind to generate the power to desalinate sea-water. Quicker, cheaper, more permanent solution using currently available technologies.
https://struckbyenlightning.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/sydney-iceberg-89-hoax/
But seriously, the thing that all of these schemes underestimate is the cost of the energy used to construct or implement the idea. There was a kid in my high school science classes who was forever coming up with perpetual motion machines. He never considered or understood entropy or friction. I put damming the Bering Straits and towing icebergs in the same category as perpetual motion machines.
Just use solar & wind to generate the power to desalinate sea-water. Quicker, cheaper, more permanent solution using currently available technologies.
49
Arctic sea ice / Re: The 2019 melting season
« on: August 13, 2019, 01:35:05 AM »Hello, I am lurking for several years now. Besides this year exceptional melt, what strikes me most is something that didn't happened. You can see on ptem 5 days trailing minimum that the CAA fast ice is no more; it's all fractured and moving. Despite that fact, the well-known Garlic Press did not start even a little; all the CAA sea ice stays pretty much in place. So, the huge pressure that formerly forced that ice through the CAA is no more. What is this force? As you may know, the level of the Pacific waters are higher than those of the Arctic-Atlantic; there is a 0.5 - 1 meter difference. IMO, the pressure of the Garlic Press was the hot water coming from the Pacific that could not escape the Arctic because of the solid sea ice cap of the CAB. It had to escape through the CAA as the easiest route. This year is different; the solid CAB piece of ice is so fractured that the hot inflow manages to find a route through the CAB ice flows. As a consequence, it melts a lot and the Garlic Press has no reason to press the CAA ice. It also means that next years will be as bad as this one. I never saw a solid pack of ice fractured and then become solid again year(s) later.
I cannot see how a floating ice pack could "dam" any of the ocean underneath. I suppose as a current meets the ice pack it may divert sideways a little but surely it would simply flow underneath?
Quote
There is only one solution to this if we want, as a species, to have time the positive feedback. Dear Russian and Americans forum members, please try to convince your respective Presidents to build a dam across the Berring strait. It could generate enormous quantities of clean electricity and it would help to save the world. Call it the Esperanza dam.
Way Off Topic Happy bee, I have responded to your idea in the Stupid questions thread. Please don't be offended. But that is the right place for ideas like that.
https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,143.msg221510.html
50
Arctic sea ice / Re: "Smart" and "Stupid" Questions - Feel Free To Ask
« on: August 13, 2019, 01:32:25 AM »
My response to Happy Bee's idea in the 2019 melt thread.
Happy bee, the amount of energy required to build such a dam could be much more efficiently used building 100,000 solar power plants across the deserts and sunny regions of the world. The power would then be more easily distributed to the end-users. Tidal dams rank up there with Fusion power as a promising source of energy that never quite materializes. I've lost count of the number of reports I have read of failed tidal power plants. It just never delivers on a significant scale.
Also, the Bering Straits are way too far from the site of end-user consumption. We would need a world wide power grid. It just doesn't stack up. Solar, Wind and GBB (Great Big Batteries) have already proven themselves as an affordable solution.
Quote from: Happy bee
Hello, I am lurking for several years now. .....
....
....
There is only one solution to this if we want, as a species, to have time the positive feedback. Dear Russian and Americans forum members, please try to convince your respective Presidents to build a dam across the Berring strait. It could generate enormous quantities of clean electricity and it would help to save the world. Call it the Esperanza dam.
Happy bee, the amount of energy required to build such a dam could be much more efficiently used building 100,000 solar power plants across the deserts and sunny regions of the world. The power would then be more easily distributed to the end-users. Tidal dams rank up there with Fusion power as a promising source of energy that never quite materializes. I've lost count of the number of reports I have read of failed tidal power plants. It just never delivers on a significant scale.
Also, the Bering Straits are way too far from the site of end-user consumption. We would need a world wide power grid. It just doesn't stack up. Solar, Wind and GBB (Great Big Batteries) have already proven themselves as an affordable solution.