iowaclimatescienceeducation--2020-04-17--Bornean Treeshrews Can Take the Heat

Bornean Treeshrews Can Take the Heat

Some small mammals could be more resilient to higher temperatures than first thought , with greater variability between species .
As human activity shapes Earth ’ s climate , animals must increasingly adapt to new environmental conditions .
The thermoneutral zone — the ambient temperature range in which mammals can maintain their body temperature without expending extra energy — is a key factor in estimating a species ’ ability to survive in a warming world .
Reptiles and other ectotherms that rely on the environment to regulate their body temperature are believed to be more vulnerable to global warming in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , less is known about small tropical mammals , especially those active during the day .
To better understand if small tropical mammals also have increased vulnerability as their environments heat up , Danielle Levesque , University of Maine assistant professor of mammology and mammal health , and collaborators from the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak studied Bornean treeshrews .
They measured the oxygen consumption of the wild-caught lesser treeshrews ( Tupaia minor ) over a range of temperatures , calculating the animals ’ resting metabolic rate and thermoneutral zone .
The team found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the animals exhibited more flexibility in body temperature regulation than other small mammals .
This contradicts current assumptions that the upper limit of the thermoneutral zone between mammal species has little variation .
The findings highlight the importance of further research on the energetics of mammals in the equatorial tropics .
The team ’ s findings were published in the paper “ Small tropical mammals can take the heat- high upper limits of the thermoneutrality in a Bornean treeshrew ” in May in the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology .
The study ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funded by two National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates and a Research Coordination Network grants awarded to the University of Arkansas .
The research was supported by a grant from the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education and a fellowship from the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak .
Anna Thonis , Ruben Michael Ceballos , Andrew Alek Tuen , Barry G. Lovegrove , Danielle L. Levesque .
Small Tropical Mammals Can Take the Heat : High Upper Limits of Thermoneutrality in a Bornean Treeshrew .
Physiological and Biochemical Zoology , 2020 ; 93 ( 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post Bornean Treeshrews Can Take the Heat appeared first on The Global Warming Policy Forum ( GWPF ) .

Some small mammals could be more resilient to higher temperatures than first thought, with greater variability between species.
Image credit: Anna Thonis
As human activity shapes Earth’s climate, animals must increasingly adapt to new environmental conditions. The thermoneutral zone — the ambient temperature range in which mammals can maintain their body temperature without expending extra energy — is a key factor in estimating a species’ ability to survive in a warming world.
Reptiles and other ectotherms that rely on the environment to regulate their body temperature are believed to be more vulnerable to global warming in the tropics than in temperate climates. However, less is known about small tropical mammals, especially those active during the day.
To better understand if small tropical mammals also have increased vulnerability as their environments heat up, Danielle Levesque, University of Maine assistant professor of mammology and mammal health, and collaborators from the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak studied Bornean treeshrews. They measured the oxygen consumption of the wild-caught lesser treeshrews (Tupaia minor) over a range of temperatures, calculating the animals’ resting metabolic rate and thermoneutral zone.
The team found that, like other treeshrew species, the animals exhibited more flexibility in body temperature regulation than other small mammals. This contradicts current assumptions that the upper limit of the thermoneutral zone between mammal species has little variation. The findings highlight the importance of further research on the energetics of mammals in the equatorial tropics.
The team’s findings were published in the paper “Small tropical mammals can take the heat- high upper limits of the thermoneutrality in a Bornean treeshrew” in May in the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology.
The study’s team included undergraduate students who were funded by two National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates and a Research Coordination Network grants awarded to the University of Arkansas. The research was supported by a grant from the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education and a fellowship from the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.
Story Source
Materials provided by University of Chicago Press Journals.
Journal Reference
Anna Thonis, Ruben Michael Ceballos, Andrew Alek Tuen, Barry G. Lovegrove, Danielle L. Levesque. Small Tropical Mammals Can Take the Heat: High Upper Limits of Thermoneutrality in a Bornean Treeshrew. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 2020; 93 (3): 199 DOI: 10.1086/708467
The post Bornean Treeshrews Can Take the Heat appeared first on The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF).
via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF)
https://ift.tt/2RO2N0Z
April 17, 2020 at 01:00PM


iowaclimatescienceeducation--2020-04-17--Almost half of UK’s carbon footprint down to ‘invisible’ emissions abroad

UK efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are being seriously undermined by the failure to account for rising carbon output in the countries where our goods are manufactured , a new report has warned .
Almost half of the UK ’ s carbon footprint – the total amount of greenhouse gas released in the production and consumption of all the goods and services – now comes from emissions released overseas for imported products including clothing , processed foods and electronics .
But the manufacture of these products is not used to calculate national emissions , and are instead counted as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even though they would not have been produced were it not for UK demand .
These “ invisible ” overseas emissions are also not currently included in the UK ’ s 2050 net zero target , while international aviation and shipping emissions are also excluded .
The new report , by WWF , found between 1990 and 2016 total emissions within the UK ’ s borders reduced by 41 per cent , but the consumption-based footprint only dropped 15 per cent , mainly due to goods and services coming from abroad .
Overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s carbon footprint in 2016 came from emissions released overseas to satisfy the nation ’ s consumption – a significant rise from 14 per cent in 1990 .
These emissions are not covered by UK domestic climate policy .
Dr Stephen Cornelius , chief climate change adviser at WWF , said : “ Climate change is a global problem that needs a global solution .
The UK has committed to net zero emissions and a credible plan to achieve this is one that tackles emissions based on what we consume , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We need to be honest about our emissions – that means tackling those in the goods and services we buy in , not just the ones we make here .
As an influential nation which has shown it can act as a global leader on climate change before , we have the ability to take responsibility for emissions that are down to UK demand alone.
” As Philip points out , the imported solar panels and wind turbines we buy have a carbon footprint , so presumably these will have to be banned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t suppose China will be too happy if the West stops buying all of their products , as it would destroy their economy , something the WWF does not seem to care about .
But at least exercises like these expose the lie that we can get to Net Zero by installing lots of lovely renewable energy , drive electric cars and plant a few trees .
The harsh reality is that we as a country will have to cut back and do without most of the things we take for granted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

By Paul Homewood
h/t Philip Bratby
UK efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are being seriously undermined by the failure to account for rising carbon output in the countries where our goods are manufactured, a new report has warned.
Almost half of the UK’s carbon footprint – the total amount of greenhouse gas released in the production and consumption of all the goods and services – now comes from emissions released overseas for imported products including clothing, processed foods and electronics.
But the manufacture of these products is not used to calculate national emissions, and are instead counted as the manufacturing country’s emissions – even though they would not have been produced were it not for UK demand.
These “invisible” overseas emissions are also not currently included in the UK’s 2050 net zero target, while international aviation and shipping emissions are also excluded.
The new report, by WWF, found between 1990 and 2016 total emissions within the UK’s borders reduced by 41 per cent, but the consumption-based footprint only dropped 15 per cent, mainly due to goods and services coming from abroad.
Overall, 46 per cent of the UK’s carbon footprint in 2016 came from emissions released overseas to satisfy the nation’s consumption – a significant rise from 14 per cent in 1990. These emissions are not covered by UK domestic climate policy.
Dr Stephen Cornelius, chief climate change adviser at WWF, said: “Climate change is a global problem that needs a global solution. The UK has committed to net zero emissions and a credible plan to achieve this is one that tackles emissions based on what we consume, as well as what we produce.
“We need to be honest about our emissions – that means tackling those in the goods and services we buy in, not just the ones we make here. As an influential nation which has shown it can act as a global leader on climate change before, we have the ability to take responsibility for emissions that are down to UK demand alone.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-crisis-greenhouse-gas-emissions-uk-figures-imports-wwf-study-a9468911.html
As Philip points out, the imported solar panels and wind turbines we buy have a carbon footprint, so presumably these will have to be banned as well.
And I don’t suppose China will be too happy if the West stops buying all of their products, as it would destroy their economy, something the WWF does not seem to care about.
But at least exercises like these expose the lie that we can get to Net Zero by installing lots of lovely renewable energy, drive electric cars and plant a few trees.
The harsh reality is that we as a country will have to cut back and do without most of the things we take for granted in our lives now.
via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
https://ift.tt/2zaa4Sq
April 17, 2020 at 12:33PM


iowaclimatescienceeducation--2020-04-17--Covid-19 Farce: Democrats Hint at New Impeachment Proceedings Over President Trump’s WHO Funding Sto

Covid-19 Farce: Democrats Hint at New Impeachment Proceedings Over President Trump’s WHO Funding Stop

US Democrats are incensed that President Trump is blocking US funds for the incompetent UN World Health Organisation .
Trump ’ s WHO funding threat echoes action that got him impeached , Democrats say President Donald Trump ’ s first step toward pulling World Health Organization funding during the coronavirus pandemic has set the stage for another legal tug of war with House Democrats wary of him treading on their power .
“ This decision is dangerous , illegal and will be swiftly challenged , ” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Wednesday .
The party also raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s decision to withhold congressionally-approved military aid to Ukraine last year as Trump urged the country to investigate his political rival , apparent Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
The action led to the House impeaching Trump .
The Senate acquitted him in February .
“ In a desperate attempt to deflect blame , President Trump is violating the same spending laws that brought about his impeachment , ” House Appropriations Committee spokesman Evan Hollander said in a statement .
“ The President does not have the unilateral authority to withhold the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Organization.
” Reading the Impoundment entry on Wikipedia , it seems likely President Trump can only delay funding for the WHO for 45 days – a longer delay requires approval by both houses .
Presidents used to have the power to unilaterally cancel wasteful expenditure .
The power was first used by President Thomas Jefferson to veto the expenditure of $ 50,000 on gunboats .
The Presidential power to permanently veto funding was removed under President Nixon in 1974 ; the Democrat Congress was incensed that Nixon kept using the impoundment power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and used the Watergate scandal to pressure Nixon into approving the restriction of Presidential authority to withhold funds .
A few years later US National Debt started ballooning ( see image at the top of the page ) .
President Clinton attempted to introduce a similar power , a line item veto , but quickly lost that power when the line item veto act was challenged and overturned in the courts .

US National Debt as a Percentage of GDP. Source FRED. The grey shaded areas are economic recessions. US National Debt hit a low point in the 1970s after repayment of public debts incurred in WW2
Guest essay by Eric Worrall
US Democrats are incensed that President Trump is blocking US funds for the incompetent UN World Health Organisation.
Trump’s WHO funding threat echoes action that got him impeached, Democrats say PUBLISHED WED, APR 15 20203:50 PM EDTUPDATED WED, APR 15 20204:00 PM EDT … President Donald Trump’s first step toward pulling World Health Organization funding during the coronavirus pandemic has set the stage for another legal tug of war with House Democrats wary of him treading on their power. … “This decision is dangerous, illegal and will be swiftly challenged,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Wednesday. The party also raised the specter of the White House’s decision to withhold congressionally-approved military aid to Ukraine last year as Trump urged the country to investigate his political rival, apparent Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. The action led to the House impeaching Trump. The Senate acquitted him in February. “In a desperate attempt to deflect blame, President Trump is violating the same spending laws that brought about his impeachment,” House Appropriations Committee spokesman Evan Hollander said in a statement. “The President does not have the unilateral authority to withhold the United States’ assessed contribution to the World Health Organization.” … Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/15/coronavirus-democrats-warn-trump-on-world-health-organization-funding.html
Reading the Impoundment entry on Wikipedia, it seems likely President Trump can only delay funding for the WHO for 45 days – a longer delay requires approval by both houses.
Presidents used to have the power to unilaterally cancel wasteful expenditure. The power was first used by President Thomas Jefferson to veto the expenditure of $50,000 on gunboats.
The Presidential power to permanently veto funding was removed under President Nixon in 1974; the Democrat Congress was incensed that Nixon kept using the impoundment power to withdraw funding from their bills, and used the Watergate scandal to pressure Nixon into approving the restriction of Presidential authority to withhold funds.
A few years later US National Debt started ballooning (see image at the top of the page).
President Clinton attempted to introduce a similar power, a line item veto, but quickly lost that power when the line item veto act was challenged and overturned in the courts.


iowaclimatescienceeducation--2020-04-18--The Tide Is High

The Tide Is High

One of the things I have never claimed to be is a statistician , ( having bunked off most lessons @ @ @ @ @ on a Friday afternoon ! )
However I have been sent this article , which @ @ @ @ @ at recent flooding in the UK .
It employs some useful statistics , as well @ @ @ @ @ played by the Environment Agency .
The article appears in ORA-CLE , the trade journal @ @ @ @ @ , and was written by its Director , Chris Williamson .
The full article can @ @ @ @ @ pages 8 to 19 ) : via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

By Paul Homewood
ORACLE_8th Edition[393]
One of the things I have never claimed to be is a statistician, (having bunked off most lessons at college as they were on a Friday afternoon!)
However I have been sent this article, which takes a long hard look at recent flooding in the UK. It employs some useful statistics, as well as critically examining the role played by the Environment Agency.
The article appears in ORA-CLE, the trade journal for the Original Recycling Association, and was written by its Director, Chris Williamson.
The full article can be read here, (pages 8 to 19):
via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
https://ift.tt/3ezF5iH
April 18, 2020 at 05:33AM


iowaclimatescienceeducation--2020-04-18--Fury of British farmers as public sector caterers vow to cut meat served in schools, hospitals, univ

Fury of British farmers as public sector caterers vow to cut meat served in schools, hospitals, universities and care homes by 20 per cent to help environment

British farmers have reacted with fury at public sector caterers ’ move to cut meat servings in schools , universities , care homes , and hospitals by 20 per cent .
Public sector caterers have vowed to hit the target as part of a pledge which also aims to boost public health by lowering consumption of animal products .
The meals being reduced in canteens and kitchens across the UK are eaten by a quarter of the population .
Together with animal charity Humane Society International/UK , it claims a 20 per cent cut could save over 200,000 metric tonnes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the UK ’ s official climate change advisers , as well as warnings from the World Health Organisation of the risks of cancer from high red meat consumption .
However , British farmers have slammed the proposals as many fear the move is likely to hurt demand for red meat and their profits .
Richard Findlay , Livestock Board Chairman of the National Farmers Union , called the # 20percentless initiative ‘ wholly inaccurate ’ and ‘ frankly ridiculous ’ because the UK industry has a smaller carbon footprint than those of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would simply import more produce from other countries , while meat consumption is vital for a ‘ healthy , balanced diet ’ .
Speaking to MailOnline , Mr Findlay said : ‘ We have got to look at the bigger picture here .
The UK red meat industry is one of the most sustainable in the world .
‘ Our carbon footprint from red meat is two and a half times lower than that of other countries .
We have a temperate climate ideal for growing grass… That ’ s how our carbon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower than elsewhere .
‘ If public sector caterers wanted to do their bit for the environment , instead of cutting the amount of red meat served , they should be supporting British farms .
‘ What people don ’ t understand is that switching to non-red meat products – like avocados for instance – is likely to have a greater environmental impact .
‘ They will be importing products from countries which have a greater carbon footprint .
Think of South America , where they cut down rainforests for food… I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future problems .
‘ If public sector caterers vow to reduce the amount of red meat served , that will affect demand for red meat and ultimately our profitability .
‘ We have a robust plan which has been scrutinised by academics to go carbon neutral by 2040 .
Misguided projects like these to cut red meat aren ’ t going to solve these problems .
A lot of the thinking around this is wholly inaccurate.
’ Mr Findlay added : ‘ Most people who are up to speed with this know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a healthy , balanced diet .
They don ’ t over-eat .
‘ But there are many people who do not eat red meat who do over-eat .
To assume that cutting red meat provisions will solve that problem is frankly ridiculous.
’ Public Sector Catering claims the move would cut the estimated 45million kg of meat served within the sector every year by nearly 10million kg .
This is equivalent to around 45,000 cows or 16million chickens , and could have the same effect as removing 400,000 cars from the road each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was launched in trade magazine Public Sector Catering , and has already obtained the backing of several organisations .
Andy Jones , chairman of the PSC100 group of caterers and suppliers , said : ‘ The carbon emissions savings and the potential benefit to people ’ s health can play a part in tackling climate change and shortening NHS queues.
’ Stephen Forster , chairman of the Local Authority Caterers Association , said : ‘ The school food industry is leading the way on meat reduction .
Schools across the country have meat-free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ The Committee on Climate Change called for rapid and major shifts to farming practices , agro-forestry , and consumer behaviour to decarbonise the UK ’ s land sector in January this year ( left , CCC chairman Lord Deben , right CCC chief executive Chris Stark ) David Foad , editor-in-chief of the publication , said : ‘ It represents a bold move because it is not being mandated .
It would have been much easier to sit back and wait until they were either prompted or forced into action like this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the National Association of Care Catering , Sue Cawthray , said older people tend to be reluctant to change .
‘ I would say our biggest challenge to meeting the 20 per cent target is the mindset of many of those currently in care homes , ’ she said .
‘ The majority would have been brought up on a staple diet of meat and veg and will be resistant to change.
’ Matt White , chairman of the University Caterers Organisation , said : ‘ We have a very short window @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way we all eat or we will have done irreparable damage to our planet.
’ Philip Mansbridge , director of the campaign group ProVeg UK , said : ‘ Never has the public sector made a commitment of this magnitude.
’ The Committee on Climate Change , the UK Government ’ s official climate adviser , called for rapid and major shifts to farming practices , agro-forestry , and consumer behaviour to decarbonise the UK ’ s land sector in January this year .
Under the CCC ’ s recommendations , a fifth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to suck carbon from the atmosphere by planting trees , restoring peatlands and soils , and growing bioenergy crops with carbon capture and storage .
They also urged a cut in consumption of carbon-intensive food like red meat and dairy by 20 per cent per person , and a 20 per cent cut in waste by 2050 .
‘ Delivering emissions reduction should not be at the expense of increasing food imports that risk `` carbon leakage '' ’ , the report said .
CCC chairman Lord Deben called the CCC ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important ’ produced by the committee , adding : ‘ These are major changes and can not be delivered in the normal course of business ’ .
According to Climate Home News , Chris Stark , chief executive of the CCC , said : ‘ It is time to end these adversarial discussions between climate and farmers ’ .
Implementation measures could cost Britain an extra £1.4billion per year but could yield profits of £80billion , according to the CCC .
The arguments for and against reducing meat intake have been well rehearsed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal choice .
If customers of these canteens want meat , why should it be denied to them ?
The worrying thing about this latest news is the shadowy role of the PSC100 group of caterers and suppliers , who have been organising this move behind the scenes , under the banner of the Public Sector Catering magazine .
This is what their website says : Launched in 2011 , the PSC100 group comprises caterers , dietitians , politicians , healthy eating campaigners and suppliers who operate in the public sector and use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government legislation and action towards helping people adopt healthier lifestyles through catering and education initiatives .
It is chaired by Andy Jones , former chair of the Hospital Caterers Association ( HCA ) , and as well as commissioning research into health and nutrition , it holds seminars offering updates on healthy eating , obesity and malnutrition and supports all initiatives with similar aims .
The group focus is currently on how caterers in the workplace , universities , schools , hospitals , care homes and prisons can help cut the amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an evolution of Public Sector Catering magazine ’ s annual celebration of the work and achievements of the best operators in the business – the Public Sector Catering Most Influential Top 20 .
They are chosen by an independent panel each year and invited to discuss the key issues facing the industry .
Frustrated that such useful debates and networking were available only once a year , the decision was made to work collaboratively on a more regular basis .
Key supporters include LACA ( the school food people ) , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catering , The University Caterers Organisation , SugarSmart , the British Dietetic Association , the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on both School Food and Hunger plus a number of key commercial catering suppliers and manufacturers .
I find it alarming that a small group of self appointed conspirators can set public policy in this way , regardless of what the public may or may not want .
As for those inconvenient older people in care homes , who may be reluctant to change , let them eat mung beans .
They might not like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help save the planet !
via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

By Paul Homewood
h/t Patsy Lacey
British farmers have reacted with fury at public sector caterers’ move to cut meat servings in schools, universities, care homes, and hospitals by 20 per cent.
Public sector caterers have vowed to hit the target as part of a pledge which also aims to boost public health by lowering consumption of animal products.
The meals being reduced in canteens and kitchens across the UK are eaten by a quarter of the population.
Together with animal charity Humane Society International/UK, it claims a 20 per cent cut could save over 200,000 metric tonnes of carbon emissions.
It follows recommendations by the UK’s official climate change advisers, as well as warnings from the World Health Organisation of the risks of cancer from high red meat consumption.
However, British farmers have slammed the proposals as many fear the move is likely to hurt demand for red meat and their profits.
Richard Findlay, Livestock Board Chairman of the National Farmers Union, called the #20percentless initiative ‘wholly inaccurate’ and ‘frankly ridiculous’ because the UK industry has a smaller carbon footprint than those of other countries.
He claimed that people would simply import more produce from other countries, while meat consumption is vital for a ‘healthy, balanced diet’.
Speaking to MailOnline, Mr Findlay said: ‘We have got to look at the bigger picture here. The UK red meat industry is one of the most sustainable in the world.
‘Our carbon footprint from red meat is two and a half times lower than that of other countries. We have a temperate climate ideal for growing grass… That’s how our carbon footprint is up to 60 per cent lower than elsewhere.
‘If public sector caterers wanted to do their bit for the environment, instead of cutting the amount of red meat served, they should be supporting British farms.
‘What people don’t understand is that switching to non-red meat products – like avocados for instance – is likely to have a greater environmental impact.
‘They will be importing products from countries which have a greater carbon footprint. Think of South America, where they cut down rainforests for food… I think that has the potential to cause huge future problems.
‘If public sector caterers vow to reduce the amount of red meat served, that will affect demand for red meat and ultimately our profitability.
‘We have a robust plan which has been scrutinised by academics to go carbon neutral by 2040. Misguided projects like these to cut red meat aren’t going to solve these problems. A lot of the thinking around this is wholly inaccurate.’
Mr Findlay added: ‘Most people who are up to speed with this know that some red meat is good for maintaining a healthy, balanced diet. They don’t over-eat.
‘But there are many people who do not eat red meat who do over-eat. To assume that cutting red meat provisions will solve that problem is frankly ridiculous.’
Public Sector Catering claims the move would cut the estimated 45million kg of meat served within the sector every year by nearly 10million kg.
This is equivalent to around 45,000 cows or 16million chickens, and could have the same effect as removing 400,000 cars from the road each year.
The #20percentless meat vow was launched in trade magazine Public Sector Catering, and has already obtained the backing of several organisations.
Andy Jones, chairman of the PSC100 group of caterers and suppliers, said: ‘The carbon emissions savings and the potential benefit to people’s health can play a part in tackling climate change and shortening NHS queues.’
Stephen Forster, chairman of the Local Authority Caterers Association, said: ‘The school food industry is leading the way on meat reduction. Schools across the country have meat-free days and are increasingly introducing plant-based options.’
The Committee on Climate Change called for rapid and major shifts to farming practices, agro-forestry, and consumer behaviour to decarbonise the UK’s land sector in January this year (left, CCC chairman Lord Deben, right CCC chief executive Chris Stark)
David Foad, editor-in-chief of the publication, said: ‘It represents a bold move because it is not being mandated. It would have been much easier to sit back and wait until they were either prompted or forced into action like this by Government.’
However, the head of the National Association of Care Catering, Sue Cawthray, said older people tend to be reluctant to change.
‘I would say our biggest challenge to meeting the 20 per cent target is the mindset of many of those currently in care homes,’ she said. ‘The majority would have been brought up on a staple diet of meat and veg and will be resistant to change.’
Matt White, chairman of the University Caterers Organisation, said: ‘We have a very short window of opportunity to make changes in the way we all eat or we will have done irreparable damage to our planet.’
Philip Mansbridge, director of the campaign group ProVeg UK, said: ‘Never has the public sector made a commitment of this magnitude.’
MailOnline has approached Defra for comment.
The Committee on Climate Change, the UK Government’s official climate adviser, called for rapid and major shifts to farming practices, agro-forestry, and consumer behaviour to decarbonise the UK’s land sector in January this year.
Under the CCC’s recommendations, a fifth of all agricultural land needs to be used to suck carbon from the atmosphere by planting trees, restoring peatlands and soils, and growing bioenergy crops with carbon capture and storage.
They also urged a cut in consumption of carbon-intensive food like red meat and dairy by 20 per cent per person, and a 20 per cent cut in waste by 2050.
‘Delivering emissions reduction should not be at the expense of increasing food imports that risk "carbon leakage"’, the report said.
CCC chairman Lord Deben called the CCC’s report one of ‘the most important’ produced by the committee, adding: ‘These are major changes and cannot be delivered in the normal course of business’.
According to Climate Home News, Chris Stark, chief executive of the CCC, said: ‘It is time to end these adversarial discussions between climate and farmers’.
Implementation measures could cost Britain an extra £1.4billion per year but could yield profits of £80billion, according to the CCC.
The committee suggested creating a climate levy on fossil-fuel emitting industries.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8229369/Fury-UK-farmers-public-sector-caterers-vow-cut-meat-served-20-cent-climate-bid.html
The arguments for and against reducing meat intake have been well rehearsed. But the real issue here is personal choice. If customers of these canteens want meat, why should it be denied to them?
The worrying thing about this latest news is the shadowy role of the PSC100 group of caterers and suppliers, who have been organising this move behind the scenes, under the banner of the Public Sector Catering magazine.
This is what their website says:
Launched in 2011, the PSC100 group comprises caterers, dietitians, politicians, healthy eating campaigners and suppliers who operate in the public sector and use their collective ‘clout’ to drive government legislation and action towards helping people adopt healthier lifestyles through catering and education initiatives.
It is chaired by Andy Jones, former chair of the Hospital Caterers Association (HCA), and as well as commissioning research into health and nutrition, it holds seminars offering updates on healthy eating, obesity and malnutrition and supports all initiatives with similar aims.
The group focus is currently on how caterers in the workplace, universities, schools, hospitals, care homes and prisons can help cut the amount of sugar in our diets.
The group is an evolution of Public Sector Catering magazine’s annual celebration of the work and achievements of the best operators in the business – the Public Sector Catering Most Influential Top 20. They are chosen by an independent panel each year and invited to discuss the key issues facing the industry. Frustrated that such useful debates and networking were available only once a year, the decision was made to work collaboratively on a more regular basis.
Key supporters include LACA (the school food people), the HCA, the National Association of Care Catering, The University Caterers Organisation, SugarSmart, the British Dietetic Association, the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on both School Food and Hunger plus a number of key commercial catering suppliers and manufacturers.
https://www.publicsectorcatering.co.uk/psc100
I find it alarming that a small group of self appointed conspirators can set public policy in this way, regardless of what the public may or may not want.
As for those inconvenient older people in care homes, who may be reluctant to change, let them eat mung beans. They might not like them. but at least it will help save the planet!
via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
https://ift.tt/3bpBDpa
April 18, 2020 at 04:57AM


iowaclimatescienceeducation--2020-04-18--COVID-19 Could Help Solve Climate Riddles

Pollution declines from pandemic shutdowns may aid in answering long-standing questions about how aerosols influence climate As the world scrambles to contain the spread of COVID-19 , many economic activities have ground to a halt , leading to marked reductions in air pollution .
And with the skies clearing , researchers are getting an unprecedented chance to help answer one of climate science ’ s thorniest open questions : the impact of atmospheric aerosols .
What they learn could improve predictions of the earth ’ s climatic future .
“ We hope that this situation—as tragic as it is—can have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” says aerosol researcher Nicolas Bellouin of the University of Reading in England .
Aerosols are tiny particles and droplets that are emitted into the air by myriad sources—from fossil-fuel burning to fertilizer spraying and even natural phenomena such as sea spray .
They alter cloud properties and intercept sunlight , with some scattering solar radiation and others absorbing it .
All of these factors influence global temperature—sometimes in competing ways .
Overall aerosols have a cooling effect on the climate , offsetting some of the warming caused by greenhouse gases—but just how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or will do so in the future , remains unclear .
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has estimated that a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations could increase temperatures by anywhere between 1.5 and 4.5 degrees Celsius , with the wide range linked , in part , to scientist ’ s incomplete understanding of the influence of aerosols .
“ The fact that the aerosol effect on climate , so far , is so uncertain has held us back , ” says atmospheric scientist Trude Storelvmo of the University of Oslo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the role of aerosols has been that their sources could not simply be turned off to compare what happens with and without them .
But now the response to the pandemic has effectively done so .
Scientists are now jumping at the opportunity to spot the differences in everything from specific cloud properties to changes in local temperatures before and after aerosol emissions dropped .
“ If this goes on , one pretty damn sure prediction that I can make is that we will see a lot of scientific papers on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says atmospheric scientist Bjørn Samset of the Center for International Climate Research in Norway .
One question that Samset , Bellouin and others are hoping to answer is what fraction of aerosols in the atmosphere arise from human activities rather than natural sources .
Aerosol emissions vary greatly from place to place , and it is normally difficult to assess their origin based on remote satellite measurements or sparse ground instruments .
The current drop , however , could offer information about the background levels of natural aerosols .
Earth scientist Drew Shindell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relative contributions of different human activities .
In China—where some sectors , such as transportation , have shut down more extensively than others , including electricity generation—the mix of aerosols in the air appears to be shifting and could help indicate which activities produce which aerosols .
“ That ’ s one thing I find really interesting about the shutdown , ” Shindell says .
Aerosols also influence cloud formation , which happens when water droplets condense onto particles .
Where more aerosols are present , they can create longer-lasting , more reflective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temperature but that have been notoriously hard to include in computer models .
Storelvmo and other researchers now aim to study cloud patterns in the relative absence of aerosols in order to infer their influence .
Comparing these data to simulations of the atmosphere before and after shutdowns “ would be a very good test for our models to see if they can reproduce what was observed , ” she says .
Samset also plans to investigate clouds and hopes to look into the challenging question of how aerosols impact where and how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says , finding an answer would be “ the holy grail.
” The post COVID-19 Could Help Solve Climate Riddles appeared first on The Global Warming Policy Forum ( GWPF ) .

Pollution declines from pandemic shutdowns may aid in answering long-standing questions about how aerosols influence climate
Nitrogen dioxide levels over parts of the Northeast were about 30 percent lower in March 2020 (top) than average for 2015–2019 (bottom) because of the pandemic shutdowns. Nitrogen dioxide reacts with other chemicals in the air to form particulate pollution. Credit: NASA
As the world scrambles to contain the spread of COVID-19, many economic activities have ground to a halt, leading to marked reductions in air pollution. And with the skies clearing, researchers are getting an unprecedented chance to help answer one of climate science’s thorniest open questions: the impact of atmospheric aerosols. What they learn could improve predictions of the earth’s climatic future. “We hope that this situation—as tragic as it is—can have a positive side for our field,” says aerosol researcher Nicolas Bellouin of the University of Reading in England.
Aerosols are tiny particles and droplets that are emitted into the air by myriad sources—from fossil-fuel burning to fertilizer spraying and even natural phenomena such as sea spray. They alter cloud properties and intercept sunlight, with some scattering solar radiation and others absorbing it. All of these factors influence global temperature—sometimes in competing ways. Overall aerosols have a cooling effect on the climate, offsetting some of the warming caused by greenhouse gases—but just how much they have done so to date, or will do so in the future, remains unclear. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has estimated that a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations could increase temperatures by anywhere between 1.5 and 4.5 degrees Celsius, with the wide range linked, in part, to scientist’s incomplete understanding of the influence of aerosols. “The fact that the aerosol effect on climate, so far, is so uncertain has held us back,” says atmospheric scientist Trude Storelvmo of the University of Oslo.
Part of the problem in parsing out the role of aerosols has been that their sources could not simply be turned off to compare what happens with and without them. But now the response to the pandemic has effectively done so. Scientists are now jumping at the opportunity to spot the differences in everything from specific cloud properties to changes in local temperatures before and after aerosol emissions dropped. “If this goes on, one pretty damn sure prediction that I can make is that we will see a lot of scientific papers on this in a couple of years,” says atmospheric scientist Bjørn Samset of the Center for International Climate Research in Norway.
One question that Samset, Bellouin and others are hoping to answer is what fraction of aerosols in the atmosphere arise from human activities rather than natural sources. Aerosol emissions vary greatly from place to place, and it is normally difficult to assess their origin based on remote satellite measurements or sparse ground instruments. The current drop, however, could offer information about the background levels of natural aerosols. Earth scientist Drew Shindell of Duke University aims to investigate the relative contributions of different human activities. In China—where some sectors, such as transportation, have shut down more extensively than others, including electricity generation—the mix of aerosols in the air appears to be shifting and could help indicate which activities produce which aerosols. “That’s one thing I find really interesting about the shutdown,” Shindell says.
Aerosols also influence cloud formation, which happens when water droplets condense onto particles. Where more aerosols are present, they can create longer-lasting, more reflective clouds—processes that affect the earth’s temperature but that have been notoriously hard to include in computer models. Storelvmo and other researchers now aim to study cloud patterns in the relative absence of aerosols in order to infer their influence. Comparing these data to simulations of the atmosphere before and after shutdowns “would be a very good test for our models to see if they can reproduce what was observed,” she says. Samset also plans to investigate clouds and hopes to look into the challenging question of how aerosols impact where and how much it rains. For him, he says, finding an answer would be “the holy grail.”
The post COVID-19 Could Help Solve Climate Riddles appeared first on The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF).
via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF)
https://ift.tt/2xEnoxY
April 18, 2020 at 04:22AM


iowaclimatescienceeducation--2020-04-18--Dishonesty Making Science And Journalism Worst In History

Experts report the western US is having the “ worst megadrought in the modern age.
” Megadrought in Western U.S @ @ @ @ @ 1,200 Years | Time Actual data shows that the western US has gotten slightly wetter @ @ @ @ @ with the last five years above average precipitation .
Severe Ancient Droughts : A Warning @ @ @ @ @ York Times The California permanent drought was announced four years ago .
California Braces for @ @ @ @ @ York Times Thanks El Niño , But California ’ s Drought Is Probably Forever | @ @ @ @ @ the drought was so deep , residents had to dig their way out of it @ @ @ @ @ snow is so deep residents must tunnel out .
There ’ s a history to @ @ @ @ @ Two of the last three years had record snow in California , so the San @ @ @ @ @ announced the end of California skiing .
How ski resorts in California are preparing for @ @ @ @ @ Chronicle But they had to wait until after the Fourth of July … .

Experts report the western US is having the “worst megadrought in the modern age.”
Megadrought in Western U.S. Worst in Region in 1,200 Years | Time
Actual data shows that the western US has gotten slightly wetter over the past century, with the last five years above average precipitation.
Climate at a Glance | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)
https://ift.tt/3ctPmve
https://ift.tt/3ctPmve
https://ift.tt/3ctPmve
https://ift.tt/3ctPmve
https://ift.tt/3ctPmve
https://ift.tt/3ctPmve
https://ift.tt/3ctPmve
https://ift.tt/3ctPmve
https://ift.tt/3ctPmve
Severe Ancient Droughts: A Warning to California – The New York Times
The California permanent drought was announced four years ago.
California Braces for Unending Drought – The New York Times
Thanks El Niño, But California’s Drought Is Probably Forever | WIRED
And last year, the drought was so deep, residents had to dig their way out of it.
In Mammoth, the snow is so deep residents must tunnel out. There’s a history to that – Los Angeles Times
Two of the last three years had record snow in California, so the San Francisco Chronicle has quite predictably announced the end of California skiing.
How ski resorts in California are preparing for warmer winters – San Francisco Chronicle
But they had to wait until after the Fourth of July ….
California’s summer skiing: Squaw Valley open until July 7


iowaclimatescienceeducation--2020-04-18--Fossil Fuelled Salvation: Costly & Unreliable Wind & Solar No Answer To COVID-19 Shut Down

Barely weeks ago , they were gluing themselves to roads , crying ‘ doom ’ if we didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ Oh , the irony .
Now , with human beings facing a real and present @ @ @ @ @ a novel coronavirus , it ’ s fossil fuels that offer mankind its only serious @ @ @ @ @ s the medicines , medical equipment , PPE [ … ]

Barely weeks ago, they were gluing themselves to roads, crying ‘doom’ if we didn’t ditch fossil fuels altogether. Oh, the irony. Now, with human beings facing a real and present threat in the form of a novel coronavirus, it’s fossil fuels that offer mankind its only serious hope. Whether it’s the medicines, medical equipment, PPE […]
Read more
via STOP THESE THINGS
https://ift.tt/3akGXbI
April 18, 2020 at 02:31AM


iowaclimatescienceeducation--2020-04-18--Data we ought to know and don’t know about the Chinese virus #coronavirus

The ineptitude of Western governments when keeping crucial statistics about the Chinese virus is becoming culpable .
For a start , they are not even counting deaths either consistently or competently .
In Britain , for instance , total reported deaths to April 17 , 2020 , were 14,576 .
However , a report issued April 16 by the Office for National Statistics points out that deaths are registered up to five days after they occur , and that the numbers given in HM Government ’ s daily briefings carefully exclude all deaths that do not occur in hospitals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the true number of deaths is about 50 % greater than the Government ’ s cited figures , implying that in the UK the deaths from this dangerous pathogen are already approaching 22,000 .
The regime in China has finally bowed a little before the gale of international criticism of its failure to provide the correct daily case-counts and death-counts required by its obligations at international law in terms of the World Health Organization treaty .
After having reported only a tiny handful of deaths each day over recent weeks , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hitherto-undisclosed deaths in Wuhan .
Even now , it is very doubtful whether this admission represents anything more than a tiny fraction of the true count .
In China ’ s north-easternmost province , there have been very long lines outside the district hospital .
Unconfirmed reports suggest an outbreak no less severe than that in Wuhan .
Not only are deaths not being recorded or reported correctly or timeously : recovered cases are also not being properly kept .
The United Kingdom , whose civil service has become so used to everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tyranny-by-clerk , has proven wholly unable to keep a tally of those who , having shown symptoms of the infection , have recovered from it .
HM Government has altogether abandoned its daily reporting of recovered cases .
During the early stages of any pandemic , it is essential to keep a careful tally both of deaths and of recoveries , since the ratio of deaths to closed cases ( i.e.
, to deaths plus those who have recovered ) is a not unreliable indicator of the true case-fatality rate .
As the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is about where we are now – it is still more important to know how many have recovered , since the crucial number which tells governments whether they need to tighten or loosen control measures is the mean daily compound growth rate in currently-active cases , for those who have either recovered or died are no longer capable of transmitting the infection .
But it is impossible to calculate the number of currently-active cases , because governments are not correctly counting those who have recovered .
Nor , for that matter , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view of what fraction of the population have contracted the infection but are either asymptomatic or are showing such mild symptoms that they do not – for now , at any rate – require hospitalization .
Frankly , the record-keeping has been abysmal .
Yet another lesson to be learned from South Korea is that proper , careful , up-to-date , case-by-case records absolutely must be maintained .
Without them , governments are simply guessing what they should do .
Fig .
1 .
Mean compound daily growth rates in cumulative confirmed cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( red ) and for several individual nations averaged over the successive seven-day periods ending on all dates from March 28 to April 16 , 2020 .
Fig .
2 .
Mean compound daily growth rates in cumulative COVID-19 deaths for the world excluding China ( red ) and for several individual nations averaged over the successive seven-day periods ending on all dates from April 4 to April 16 , 2020 .
In the meantime , the case-growth and death-growth graphs , based on such woefully inadequate data as are published , show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to maintain that this pandemic is no worse than the seasonal flu are flat wrong .
In Ireland , growth in cumulative cases remains dangerously high at 13 % compound every day .
In the United States , though , that growth is now about 5.5 % compound every day .
In Canada , growth in cumulative deaths is 13 % compound every day ; in the United States , 11 % .
Mr Cuomo , at his press conference in New York , says that the growth rate in new cases is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just the new cases but the active cases – those that are currently infections – that will determine the rate of growth in future .
It is good that the number of new cases is declining , but one can not say the worst is over until one knows that the number of active cases is declining .
And one can not know that if one does not count not only deaths but also recovered cases properly .
High-resolution images of the two graphs are here .

By Christopher Monckton of Brenchley
The ineptitude of Western governments when keeping crucial statistics about the Chinese virus is becoming culpable. For a start, they are not even counting deaths either consistently or competently. In Britain, for instance, total reported deaths to April 17, 2020, were 14,576. However, a report issued April 16 by the Office for National Statistics points out that deaths are registered up to five days after they occur, and that the numbers given in HM Government’s daily briefings carefully exclude all deaths that do not occur in hospitals.
Correcting for these two serious errors indicates that the true number of deaths is about 50% greater than the Government’s cited figures, implying that in the UK the deaths from this dangerous pathogen are already approaching 22,000.
The regime in China has finally bowed a little before the gale of international criticism of its failure to provide the correct daily case-counts and death-counts required by its obligations at international law in terms of the World Health Organization treaty. After having reported only a tiny handful of deaths each day over recent weeks, it has suddenly admitted to more than 1000 hitherto-undisclosed deaths in Wuhan. Even now, it is very doubtful whether this admission represents anything more than a tiny fraction of the true count.
In China’s north-easternmost province, there have been very long lines outside the district hospital. Unconfirmed reports suggest an outbreak no less severe than that in Wuhan.
Not only are deaths not being recorded or reported correctly or timeously: recovered cases are also not being properly kept. The United Kingdom, whose civil service has become so used to everything being done for it by the European tyranny-by-clerk, has proven wholly unable to keep a tally of those who, having shown symptoms of the infection, have recovered from it. HM Government has altogether abandoned its daily reporting of recovered cases.
During the early stages of any pandemic, it is essential to keep a careful tally both of deaths and of recoveries, since the ratio of deaths to closed cases (i.e., to deaths plus those who have recovered) is a not unreliable indicator of the true case-fatality rate.
As the pandemic enters its middle stages – which is about where we are now – it is still more important to know how many have recovered, since the crucial number which tells governments whether they need to tighten or loosen control measures is the mean daily compound growth rate in currently-active cases, for those who have either recovered or died are no longer capable of transmitting the infection.
But it is impossible to calculate the number of currently-active cases, because governments are not correctly counting those who have recovered. Nor, for that matter, are they yet able to form a mature view of what fraction of the population have contracted the infection but are either asymptomatic or are showing such mild symptoms that they do not – for now, at any rate – require hospitalization.
Frankly, the record-keeping has been abysmal. Yet another lesson to be learned from South Korea is that proper, careful, up-to-date, case-by-case records absolutely must be maintained. Without them, governments are simply guessing what they should do.
Fig. 1. Mean compound daily growth rates in cumulative confirmed cases of COVID-19 for the world excluding China (red) and for several individual nations averaged over the successive seven-day periods ending on all dates from March 28 to April 16, 2020.
Fig. 2. Mean compound daily growth rates in cumulative COVID-19 deaths for the world excluding China (red) and for several individual nations averaged over the successive seven-day periods ending on all dates from April 4 to April 16, 2020.
In the meantime, the case-growth and death-growth graphs, based on such woefully inadequate data as are published, show very clearly that those who have tried to maintain that this pandemic is no worse than the seasonal flu are flat wrong.
In Ireland, growth in cumulative cases remains dangerously high at 13% compound every day. In the United States, though, that growth is now about 5.5% compound every day.
In Canada, growth in cumulative deaths is 13% compound every day; in the United States, 11%. Mr Cuomo, at his press conference in New York, says that the growth rate in new cases is now negative. However, it is not just the new cases but the active cases – those that are currently infections – that will determine the rate of growth in future. It is good that the number of new cases is declining, but one cannot say the worst is over until one knows that the number of active cases is declining. And one cannot know that if one does not count not only deaths but also recovered cases properly.
High-resolution images of the two graphs are here.


iowaclimatescienceeducation--2020-04-18--Futurist: Oil Industry Doomed by ChiCom-19 Because Climate Change…

Guest “ I couldn ’ t make this sort of schist up if I was trying ” by David Middleton Apr 5 , 2020,07:06pm EDT After COVID-19 , The Oil Industry Will Not Return To “ Normal ” The coronavirus pandemic has shuttered the world ’ s economies , overwhelmed healthcare systems and taken loved ones from us .
Politicians have promised their citizens a “ return to normal ” following the pandemic .
However understandable , this longing for “ normal ” will lead us to a mirage .
Worse , our recovery from COVID-19 could be a short-lived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ normal ” economy again .
Normal created a climate change timebomb that may make the economic consequences of coronavirus look mild by comparison .
Normal would give two brutal dictators the power to topple North America ’ s fossil fuel industry whenever they feel like it .
Normal also caused the mass destruction of ecosystems , human desperation for animal protein and increased human-wildlife contact .
Combined , these factors led to Ebola , Hanta , bird flu , SARS , MERS and now COVID-19 to find a new , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending around the world has already eclipsed the 2009 recovery measures and “ New Deal ” programs of the 1930s .
And more spending is inevitable .
Will your taxpayer money be wasted on a return to normal ?
Or , could it be used to… Let ’ s not misuse taxpayer money to rebuild an economy that survives COVID-19 and then succumbs to climate change .
Instead , let ’ s create a future economy with good jobs , a habitable earth and reprieve from the whims of erratic dictators .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And we can do much , much better than normal if we refuse to waste this crisis .
I called this dude a “ futurist ” because I couldn ’ t figure out what he was… For more than 30 years , I have devoted my career to sourcing , investing in and helping to commercialise breakthrough innovations for energy intensive industries .
During this time , I have gained unique industry insights and deep operational experience as a venture capitalist , corporate executive , international consultant and university professor .
For the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been President & CEO at Chrysalix Venture Capital , an award-winning VC firm focused on innovation , sustainability and cleantech , where I have helped raise more than $ 250M and participated in more than $ 1B in venture capital funding .
Our investments include breakthrough technologies like 3D printing of steel , fast charging electric vehicle infrastructure , emissions-free solar steam , smart mining and nuclear fusion .
Before officially joining the corporate world , I spent several years as an Associate Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam , where I obtained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the World Bank and European Union .
This has to be the single dumbest sentence ever written by a human being : It ’ s as if the Bozo is saying , “ Don ’ t save the economy from ChiCom-19 , because we have to save it from the weather.
” The title of the article was : “ Normal ” is boom & bust .
Low prices eventually cause high prices and high prices eventually cause low prices .
This is as close as he got to actually discussing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up my Jeep the other day for the first time in three weeks , and paid $ 1.19/gal ( with my $ 0.20/gal Albertsons/Safeway/Randalls/ Tom Thumb discount ) .
I normally fill it up twice a week .
When the ChiCom-19 hostage crisis ends , demand will not continue to decrease ; nor will “ low-cost renewables ” push any sort of transition , much less an energy transition… If for no other reason than the fact that there has never been an energy transition – We convert more biomass into energy now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using fossil fuels .
The ChiCom-19 hostage crisis has caused demand for crude oil to drop by 20-30 % .
This has caused about a 50 % drop in the price of crude oil .
At $ 20/bbl a lot of producing oil fields become uneconomic .
Guess what happens when a producing oil well can no longer cover its own lifting costs ?
Legacy oil & gas production has dropped rather sharply in every tight/ ” shale ” play in the Lower 48 .
The drop has been particularly steep in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was still up , but will soon begin to decline .
The legacy production drop in the Permian Basin was so steep that overall production dropped for the first time in a long time .
How long will demand be suppressed ?
It depends on how long the Fire Marshal Gumps of the world keep us under house arrest .
This is the EIA ’ s latest forecast ( which has to be better than a futurist waving his arms ) … Global production will probably dip more the the EIA forecast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guess as to how quickly the over-supply will be worked off .
If oil prices track the current futures market and STEO forecast , the industry will still be in “ bust ” mode through at least next year .
“ Shale ” players , particularly the smaller ones will be filing for bankruptcy at a record pace .
If oil prices track a little above that , $ 50-60/bbl , the industry will be back to “ normal ” ( somewhere between boom & bust ) .
If prices move toward the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the industry will be in “ boom ” mode ( as opitmisic as I am , I don ’ t see how this can happen in the 2020-2021 time period ) .
If prices , track the lower bound of the confidence interval , we will be in a deep “ bust ” mode… Many , if not most oil companies , particularly independents , “ hedge ” a significant percentage of their production .
They effectively sell the oil in advance at a fixed price .
Some companies even have a portion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for most companies to lower their spending to the point that they can be cash flow-positive at $ 30/bbl .
If oil prices evolve along the lines of current futures contracts , the oil industry will , indeed , return to “ normal.
” Apparently “ futurists ” are clueless about what ’ s “ normal ” for the oil industry , Day Whatever of America Held Hostage by ChiCom-19 I ’ ve lost track of what day of the week it is , so , keeping up with what day of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Fire Marshal Gump was at it again yesterday .
Gump needs to look at his own fracking data : Thankfully , it appears that the Dallas County Commissioners Court has slapped Gump down again… Just a couple of weeks ago , Gump ( Jenkins ) made a YUGE production of shutting down Hobby Lobby and other craft stores .

Guest “I couldn’t make this sort of schist up if I was trying” by David Middleton
Apr 5, 2020,07:06pm EDT
After COVID-19, The Oil Industry Will Not Return To “Normal” Wal van Lierop Contributor
Energy The coronavirus pandemic has shuttered the world’s economies, overwhelmed healthcare systems and taken loved ones from us. Politicians have promised their citizens a “return to normal” following the pandemic. However understandable, this longing for “normal” will lead us to a mirage. Worse, our recovery from COVID-19 could be a short-lived victory if we aspire only to have a “normal” economy again. Normal created a climate change timebomb that may make the economic consequences of coronavirus look mild by comparison. Normal would give two brutal dictators the power to topple North America’s fossil fuel industry whenever they feel like it. Normal also caused the mass destruction of ecosystems, human desperation for animal protein and increased human-wildlife contact. Combined, these factors led to Ebola, Hanta, bird flu, SARS, MERS and now COVID-19 to find a new, more plentiful host in human beings. Stimulus spending around the world has already eclipsed the 2009 recovery measures and “New Deal” programs of the 1930s. And more spending is inevitable. Will your taxpayer money be wasted on a return to normal? Or, could it be used to… […] Let’s not misuse taxpayer money to rebuild an economy that survives COVID-19 and then succumbs to climate change. Instead, let’s create a future economy with good jobs, a habitable earth and reprieve from the whims of erratic dictators. There is no path back to normal. And we can do much, much better than normal if we refuse to waste this crisis. Forbes
I called this dude a “futurist” because I couldn’t figure out what he was…
For more than 30 years, I have devoted my career to sourcing, investing in and helping to commercialise breakthrough innovations for energy intensive industries. During this time, I have gained unique industry insights and deep operational experience as a venture capitalist, corporate executive, international consultant and university professor. For the past nearly 20 years, I have been President & CEO at Chrysalix Venture Capital, an award-winning VC firm focused on innovation, sustainability and cleantech, where I have helped raise more than $250M and participated in more than $1B in venture capital funding. Our investments include breakthrough technologies like 3D printing of steel, fast charging electric vehicle infrastructure, emissions-free solar steam, smart mining and nuclear fusion. Before officially joining the corporate world, I spent several years as an Associate Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where I obtained a PhD in Economics, and consulting to the World Bank and European Union. Forbes
This has to be the single dumbest sentence ever written by a human being:
Let’s not misuse taxpayer money to rebuild an economy that survives COVID-19 and then succumbs to climate change.
It’s as if the Bozo is saying, “Don’t save the economy from ChiCom-19, because we have to save it from the weather.”
The title of the article was:
After COVID-19, The Oil Industry Will Not Return To “Normal”
“Normal” is boom & bust. Low prices eventually cause high prices and high prices eventually cause low prices.
This is as close as he got to actually discussing the “oil industry”…
There is no return to normal for the shale and oil sands producers. From now on, the fate of the oil industry is tied to the whims of two egomaniacal autocrats. Demand will continue to decrease as low-cost renewables keep pushing the energy transition.
I filled up my Jeep the other day for the first time in three weeks, and paid $1.19/gal (with my $0.20/gal Albertsons/Safeway/Randalls/ Tom Thumb discount). I normally fill it up twice a week. When the ChiCom-19 hostage crisis ends, demand will not continue to decrease; nor will “low-cost renewables” push any sort of transition, much less an energy transition… If for no other reason than the fact that there has never been an energy transition – We convert more biomass into energy now, than we did before we started using fossil fuels.
The ChiCom-19 hostage crisis has caused demand for crude oil to drop by 20-30%. This has caused about a 50% drop in the price of crude oil. At $20/bbl a lot of producing oil fields become uneconomic. Guess what happens when a producing oil well can no longer cover its own lifting costs?
Figure 1. Permian Basin legacy oil & gas production (April Drilling Productivity Report, EIA)
Legacy oil & gas production has dropped rather sharply in every tight/”shale” play in the Lower 48. The drop has been particularly steep in the Permian Basin. Production from new wells was still up, but will soon begin to decline. The legacy production drop in the Permian Basin was so steep that overall production dropped for the first time in a long time.
Figure 2. Permian Basin oil & gas production (April Drilling Productivity Report, EIA)
How long will demand be suppressed? It depends on how long the Fire Marshal Gumps of the world keep us under house arrest. This is the EIA’s latest forecast (which has to be better than a futurist waving his arms)…
Global production will probably dip more the the EIA forecast, but it’s anyone’s guess as to how quickly the over-supply will be worked off.
Figure 4. WTI oil prices, futures and STEO. EIA
If oil prices track the current futures market and STEO forecast, the industry will still be in “bust” mode through at least next year. “Shale” players, particularly the smaller ones will be filing for bankruptcy at a record pace. If oil prices track a little above that, $50-60/bbl, the industry will be back to “normal” (somewhere between boom & bust). If prices move toward the upper bound of the confidence interval, the industry will be in “boom” mode (as opitmisic as I am, I don’t see how this can happen in the 2020-2021 time period). If prices, track the lower bound of the confidence interval, we will be in a deep “bust” mode…
Figure 5. The price of oil required to “keep the lights on”. EIA
Many, if not most oil companies, particularly independents, “hedge” a significant percentage of their production. They effectively sell the oil in advance at a fixed price.
McConn and his team at Enverus and RS Energy Group Intelligence estimated there is 2.5 million barrels per day of aggregate 2020 oil-hedge volumes among public traded North American exploration and production companies at an effective hedge price above $50 West Texas intermediate. Their analysis estimates most oil-weighted E&P companies have hedged between 25 and 90 percent of their anticipated production for the year. They estimate the value of these financial-derivative assets exceeds 10 percent of respective enterprise values for the majority of E&P companies. Midland Reporter-Telegram
Some companies even have a portion of 2021 production hedged. This buys time for most companies to lower their spending to the point that they can be cash flow-positive at $30/bbl. If oil prices evolve along the lines of current futures contracts, the oil industry will, indeed, return to “normal.” Apparently “futurists” are clueless about what’s “normal” for the oil industry,
Day Whatever of America Held Hostage by ChiCom-19
I’ve lost track of what day of the week it is, so, keeping up with what day of the hostage crisis it is seems pointless.
Fire Marshal Gump was at it again yesterday.
“Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins displays an improvised cloth face mask made with a bandana and hair ties as he addresses members of the media regarding the new coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at the Dallas County Emergency Operations Center in Dallas.(Ryan Michalesko / Staff Photographer)”
Dallas County to require people to wear masks at essential businesses, on public transportation
An upset Price says Jenkins didn’t consult fellow commissioners on the plan. Meanwhile, the county also reports seven more coronavirus-related deaths. People in Dallas County will soon be required to wear face coverings when they work or shop at essential businesses and use public transit. The mandate goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. Friday, County Judge Clay Jenkins announced Thursday. […] Dallas Morning News
Gump needs to look at his own fracking data:
4/17/2020 Dallas County CHICOM-19 Population Cases Deaths 2,637,772 2,190 55 2.5% % of population with 0.08% 0.00% % with, rounded 0.1% 0.0% % without 99.92% 100.0% % without, rounded 99.9% 100% Menodoza Line (.200) 5/31/2035 0.200
Thankfully, it appears that the Dallas County Commissioners Court has slapped Gump down again…
Dallas County commissioners vote to scale back countywide mask order, reopen craft stores
The 3-2 vote was made to give county residents access to mask-making materials. Dallas County commissioners voted Friday to reopen craft stores and partially scale back an order requiring residents to wear masks in public. County Judge Clay Jenkins issued the order Thursday that requires county residents to wear face coverings when working, riding public transit and running essential errands, effective at 11:59 p.m. Friday. […] Dallas Morning News
Just a couple of weeks ago, Gump (Jenkins) made a YUGE production of shutting down Hobby Lobby and other craft stores.


iowaclimatescienceeducation--2020-04-18--More things we don’t know about the Chinese virus #coronavirus

Though the daily rate of growth in cumulative Chinese-virus cases continues to fall , the daily rate of growth in cumulative deaths seems to have reached a plateau .
Unfortunately , in the world as a whole deaths are still increasing at 6 % per day , compound .
If that rate were to persist , deaths from the virus would double in just 12 days .
In the United States , the growth rate in deaths is 10.3 % compound per day : in Canada , 12.9 % .
If those rates were to persist , deaths in these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .
In Britain , where the daily death-growth rate is 7.2 % , make that ten days .
That is why attempts to compare the present cumulative deaths with a typical flu season are misconceived .
Deaths from the Chinese virus are still rising far too fast for comfort .
Which is why Mr Trump ’ s tweets telling Democrat governors of states maintaining lockdowns may yet prove inappropriate .
The President is in a difficult corner : he wants to restart the economy , because the cost of lockdowns is prodigious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London , he is vulnerable to the charge that he did too little too late .
Because the spread of a new infection is always near-perfectly exponential , there is a premium on acting very early , as South Korea and Taiwan did , and as Messrs. Trump and Johnson did not .
Unfortunately , there are still too many unknown unknowns to assist governments in taking sound decisions , which is why most of them have , in the end , opted for caution , though it comes at a heavy economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compound daily growth rates in cumulative confirmed cases of COVID-19 for the world excluding China ( red ) and for several individual nations averaged over the successive seven-day periods ending on all dates from March 28 to April 17 , 2020 .
Fig .
2 .
Mean compound daily growth rates in cumulative COVID-19 deaths for the world excluding China ( red ) and for several individual nations averaged over the successive seven-day periods ending on all dates from April 4 to April 17 , 2020 .
Sweden , for instance , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At first , this was a strategy that seemed to be working well .
Indeed , as our graphs here show , Sweden – the bright blue line – has case-growth and death-growth rates only a little above the global mean , and it has achieved those rates without lockdown .
However , Sweden ’ s 1400 cumulative deaths are more than twice the combined totals in Finland , Norway and Denmark ( which is by far the most populous country in Scandinavia ) , and the infection has spread to several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had not ensured that staff had , and wore , masks , gloves and gowns to protect patients .
We do not yet know , therefore , whether no-lockdown strategies work even in countries which , like Sweden , have high social cohesion and low population density .
To try to find out whether Sweden ’ s strategy of not locking down the country is likely to work , Dr Björn Olsen , Professor of infectious medicine at Uppsala University , recently asked the Swedish Public Health Agency for access to the data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against lockdown .
He has had no reply .
Some 22 experts recently put their names to a very critical op-ed in the Dagens Nyheter , calling for a reappraisal of the policy .
Perhaps the most important question to which we do not yet have an answer is whether those who have recovered the infection are or will remain immune .
The World Health Organization ( admittedly the least reliable source of information on this infection ) now says that immunity among those who have recovered can not be taken for granted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antibody testing will be a lot less useful than it might have been .
Nor do we know when a vaccine may be found .
But let us end with some good news .
Researchers at Oxford University are so confident that they have found a workable vaccine that they are producing a million shots even before it has been subjected to clinical trial or approved .
They are taking the risk , because they think they have the answer .
Let us pray that their confidence is justified .

By Christopher Monckton of Brenchley
Though the daily rate of growth in cumulative Chinese-virus cases continues to fall, the daily rate of growth in cumulative deaths seems to have reached a plateau. Unfortunately, in the world as a whole deaths are still increasing at 6% per day, compound. If that rate were to persist, deaths from the virus would double in just 12 days.
In the United States, the growth rate in deaths is 10.3% compound per day: in Canada, 12.9%. If those rates were to persist, deaths in these countries would double in six or seven days. In Britain, where the daily death-growth rate is 7.2%, make that ten days. That is why attempts to compare the present cumulative deaths with a typical flu season are misconceived. Deaths from the Chinese virus are still rising far too fast for comfort.
Which is why Mr Trump’s tweets telling Democrat governors of states maintaining lockdowns may yet prove inappropriate. The President is in a difficult corner: he wants to restart the economy, because the cost of lockdowns is prodigious, but, like Mr Johnson in London, he is vulnerable to the charge that he did too little too late. Because the spread of a new infection is always near-perfectly exponential, there is a premium on acting very early, as South Korea and Taiwan did, and as Messrs. Trump and Johnson did not.
Unfortunately, there are still too many unknown unknowns to assist governments in taking sound decisions, which is why most of them have, in the end, opted for caution, though it comes at a heavy economic cost.
Fig. 1. Mean compound daily growth rates in cumulative confirmed cases of COVID-19 for the world excluding China (red) and for several individual nations averaged over the successive seven-day periods ending on all dates from March 28 to April 17, 2020.
Fig. 2. Mean compound daily growth rates in cumulative COVID-19 deaths for the world excluding China (red) and for several individual nations averaged over the successive seven-day periods ending on all dates from April 4 to April 17, 2020.
Sweden, for instance, has been the poster-child for doing without lockdowns. At first, this was a strategy that seemed to be working well. Indeed, as our graphs here show, Sweden – the bright blue line – has case-growth and death-growth rates only a little above the global mean, and it has achieved those rates without lockdown.
However, Sweden’s 1400 cumulative deaths are more than twice the combined totals in Finland, Norway and Denmark (which is by far the most populous country in Scandinavia), and the infection has spread to several retirement homes because the Public Health Agency had not ensured that staff had, and wore, masks, gloves and gowns to protect patients. We do not yet know, therefore, whether no-lockdown strategies work even in countries which, like Sweden, have high social cohesion and low population density.
To try to find out whether Sweden’s strategy of not locking down the country is likely to work, Dr Björn Olsen, Professor of infectious medicine at Uppsala University, recently asked the Swedish Public Health Agency for access to the data on the basis of which it opted against lockdown. He has had no reply. Some 22 experts recently put their names to a very critical op-ed in the Dagens Nyheter, calling for a reappraisal of the policy.
Perhaps the most important question to which we do not yet have an answer is whether those who have recovered the infection are or will remain immune. The World Health Organization (admittedly the least reliable source of information on this infection) now says that immunity among those who have recovered cannot be taken for granted. If that is true, then antibody testing will be a lot less useful than it might have been.
Nor do we know when a vaccine may be found. But let us end with some good news. Researchers at Oxford University are so confident that they have found a workable vaccine that they are producing a million shots even before it has been subjected to clinical trial or approved. They are taking the risk, because they think they have the answer. Let us pray that their confidence is justified.
Link to full resolution images


Thunderbirds

These guys just flew over , right outside my window .
First planes I have seen in about a week @

Watch Live: Thunderbirds salute essential workers with Colorado flyover | WAVY.com
These guys just flew over, right outside my window. First planes I have seen in about a week.


iowaclimatescienceeducation--2020-04-18--Putting America Back To Work

Putting America Back To Work

Four weeks ago , America ’ s economy was possibly the strongest ever .
Now it is in very bad @ @ @ @ @ to get Americans back to work , but America is being held back by fear @ @ @ @ @ if they open up , they will be viciously attacked and blamed by the press @ @ @ @ @ • Democratic strategists are fearful if the President is successful , he will get re-elected @ @ @ @ @ his every move .
• Fear that opening up will cause more deaths .
• @ @ @ @ @ other people now , and won ’ t be willing to go back to work @ @ @ @ @ until the virus is “ eliminated ” – which isn ’ t going to happen @ @ @ @ @ self-quarantine , whether they realize it or not .
The key to getting people back @ @ @ @ @ be managing fear .
I am going to be doing a series of blog posts @ @ @ @ @ help our president bring America back from mass panic .

Four weeks ago, America’s economy was possibly the strongest ever. Now it is in very bad shape. President Trump wants to get Americans back to work, but America is being held back by fear.
Governors know that if they open up, they will be viciously attacked and blamed by the press over each new death. Democratic strategists are fearful if the President is successful, he will get re-elected. So they are undermining his every move. Fear that opening up will cause more deaths. Many Americans are afraid of other people now, and won’t be willing to go back to work or eat at a restaurant until the virus is “eliminated” – which isn’t going to happen. They are on semi-permanent self-quarantine, whether they realize it or not.
The key to getting people back to work is going to be managing fear. I am going to be doing a series of blog posts and videos discussing how to help our president bring America back from mass panic.


iowaclimatescienceeducation--2020-04-18--Denver breaks low temperature record set 119 years ago

Record low for the second day in a row .
Denver International Airport set a record low temp yesterday of @ @ @ @ @ National Weather Service .
The previous low temp for April 17 of 13F was set @ @ @ @ @ set a record low on Thursday when reaching 19 degrees , breaking the old record @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , Northern Colorado was on a Winter Storm Warning with 14 inches of snowfall @ @ @ @ @ inches in Denver .
Thursday pushed Boulder into the record snowfall mark after they received @ @ @ @ @ according to Denver Post and Patch .
Thanks to Clay Olson for this link The @ @ @ @ @ record set 119 years ago appeared first on Ice Age Now .

Record low for the second day in a row.
Denver International Airport set a record low temp yesterday of 12F, according to the National Weather Service. The previous low temp for April 17 of 13F was set in 1901.
DIA also set a record low on Thursday when reaching 19 degrees, breaking the old record of 22 degrees.
On Thursday, Northern Colorado was on a Winter Storm Warning with 14 inches of snowfall in Fort Collins and 12 inches in Denver.
Thursday pushed Boulder into the record snowfall mark after they received 12.1 inches of snow, according to Denver Post and Patch.
Read More:
Denver International Airport Sets Record Low Temps Friday Morning
Thanks to Clay Olson for this link
The post Denver breaks low temperature record set 119 years ago appeared first on Ice Age Now.
via Ice Age Now
https://ift.tt/2KisC5f
April 18, 2020 at 02:50PM


iowaclimatescienceeducation--2020-04-18--Overall lethality of Covid-19 up to twenty times LOWER than initially assumed by the WHO

So says “ Swiss doctor on Covid-19.
” There are a bunch of surprising facts on the Swiss doctor ’ s website .
I ’ ll post just four of them here : • • According to data from the best-studied countries such as South Korea , Iceland , Germany and Denmark , the overall lethality of Covid19 is up to twenty times lower than initially assumed by the WHO .
• A study in Nature Medicine comes to a similar conclusion even for the Chinese city of Wuhan .
The initially significantly higher values for Wuhan were obtained because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms were not recorded .
• 50 % to 80 % of test-positive individuals remain symptom-free .
Even among the 70 to 79 year old persons about 60 % remain symptom-free , many more show only mild symptoms .
• The median age of the deceased in most countries ( including Italy ) is over 80 years and only about 1 % of the deceased had no serious previous illnesses .
The age and risk profile of deaths thus essentially corresponds to normal mortality .
See more of the Swiss doctor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Penelope for this link The post Overall lethality of Covid-19 up to twenty times LOWER than initially assumed by the WHO appeared first on Ice Age Now .

So says “Swiss doctor on Covid-19.”
There are a bunch of surprising facts on the Swiss doctor’s website. I’ll post just four of them here:
According to data from the best-studied countries such as South Korea, Iceland, Germany and Denmark, the overall lethality of Covid19 is up to twenty times lower than initially assumed by the WHO. A study in Nature Medicine comes to a similar conclusion even for the Chinese city of Wuhan. The initially significantly higher values for Wuhan were obtained because a many people with mild or no symptoms were not recorded. 50% to 80% of test-positive individuals remain symptom-free. Even among the 70 to 79 year old persons about 60% remain symptom-free, many more show only mild symptoms. The median age of the deceased in most countries (including Italy) is over 80 years and only about 1% of the deceased had no serious previous illnesses. The age and risk profile of deaths thus essentially corresponds to normal mortality.
See more of the Swiss doctor’s website here:
Facts about Covid-19
Thanks to Penelope for this link
The post Overall lethality of Covid-19 up to twenty times LOWER than initially assumed by the WHO appeared first on Ice Age Now.
via Ice Age Now
https://ift.tt/2ROVIgH
April 18, 2020 at 02:43PM


iowaclimatescienceeducation--2020-04-18--New York Nukes Itself

New York Nukes Itself

This post is not about WuHanFlu , but about New York ’ s insane decision to close nuclear power plants in favor of wind farms .
Robert Bryce writes at Forbes New York Has 1,300 Reasons Not To Close Indian Point .
Excerpts in italics with my bolds .
At the end of this month , the Unit 2 reactor at the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan , New York will be permanently shut down .
Next April , the final reactor at the site , Unit 3 , will also be shuttered .
But the premature closure of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land-use policy .
Here ’ s why : replacing the 16 terawatt-hours of carbon-free electricity that is now being produced by the twin-reactor plant with wind turbines will require 1,300 times as much territory as what is now covered by Indian Point .
Here are the facts : Indian Point covers 239 acres , or about 1 square kilometer .
To put Indian Point ’ s footprint into context , think of it this way : you could fit three Indian Points inside Central Park in Manhattan .
Based on projected output from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity factors than onshore wind projects ) , producing that same amount of electricity as is now generated by Indian Point – about 16 terawatt-hours per year – would require installing about 4,000 megawatts of wind turbines .
That estimate is based on the proposed South Fork offshore wind project , a 90-megawatt facility that is expected to produce 370 gigawatt-hours per year .
( Note that these output figures are substantially higher than what can be expected from onshore wind capacity . )
Using the numbers from South Fork , a bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of wind capacity will produce about 4.1 gigawatt-hours per year .
Thus , matching the energy output of Indian Point will require about 4,000 megawatts of wind capacity .
That ’ s a lot of wind turbines .
According to the American Wind Energy Association , existing wind-energy capacity in New York state now totals about 1,987 megawatts .
That capacity will require enormous amounts of land .
Numerous studies , including ones by the Department of Energy have found that the footprint , or capacity density , of wind energy projects is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thus , 4,000 megawatts ( four billion watts ) divided by 3 watts per square meter = 1.33 billion square meters or 1,333 square kilometers .
( Or roughly 515 square miles . )
Those numbers are almost too big to imagine .
Therefore , let ’ s look again at Central Park .
Recall that three Indian Points could fit inside the confines of the famed park .
Thus , replacing the energy production from Indian Point would require paving a land area equal to 400 Central Parks with forests of wind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,300 square kilometers of wind turbines needed to replace the electricity output of Indian Point is nearly equal to the size of Albany County .
Would New York legislators who convene in the capitol in Albany consent to having the entire county covered in wind turbines ?
I can ’ t be sure , but I am guessing that they might oppose such plan .
( See yellow area in Google Earth image at top ) .
These basic calculations prove some undeniable facts .
Among them : Indian Point represents the apogee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy being produced by the two reactors on such a small footprint provides a perfect illustration of what may be nuclear energy ’ s single greatest virtue : its unsurpassed power density .
( Power density is a measure of energy flow from a given area , volume , or mass . )
High power density sources , like nuclear , allow us to spare land for nature .
Density is green .
Alas , the environmental groups that are influencing policymakers in New York and in other states are strident in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that renewables are good .
But that theology ignores the greenness of density and the essential role that nuclear energy must play if we are to have any hope of making significant reductions in carbon-dioxide emissions .
In short , the premature closure of Indian Point – and the raging land-use battles over renewable energy siting in New York – should lead environmental groups to rethink their definition of what qualifies as “ green.
” Just because wind and solar are renewable doesn ’ t mean they are green .
In fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exact opposite .

This post is not about WuHanFlu, but about New York’s insane decision to close nuclear power plants in favor of wind farms. Robert Bryce writes at Forbes New York Has 1,300 Reasons Not To Close Indian Point. Excerpts in italics with my bolds.
At the end of this month, the Unit 2 reactor at the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan, New York will be permanently shut down. Next April, the final reactor at the site, Unit 3, will also be shuttered.
But the premature closure of the 2,069-megawatt nuclear plant is even worse land-use policy. Here’s why: replacing the 16 terawatt-hours of carbon-free electricity that is now being produced by the twin-reactor plant with wind turbines will require 1,300 times as much territory as what is now covered by Indian Point.
Here are the facts: Indian Point covers 239 acres, or about 1 square kilometer. To put Indian Point’s footprint into context, think of it this way: you could fit three Indian Points inside Central Park in Manhattan.
Based on projected output from offshore wind projects (which have higher capacity factors than onshore wind projects), producing that same amount of electricity as is now generated by Indian Point – about 16 terawatt-hours per year – would require installing about 4,000 megawatts of wind turbines. That estimate is based on the proposed South Fork offshore wind project, a 90-megawatt facility that is expected to produce 370 gigawatt-hours per year. (Note that these output figures are substantially higher than what can be expected from onshore wind capacity.) Using the numbers from South Fork, a bit of simple division shows that each megawatt of wind capacity will produce about 4.1 gigawatt-hours per year. Thus, matching the energy output of Indian Point will require about 4,000 megawatts of wind capacity.
That’s a lot of wind turbines. According to the American Wind Energy Association, existing wind-energy capacity in New York state now totals about 1,987 megawatts. That capacity will require enormous amounts of land. Numerous studies, including ones by the Department of Energy have found that the footprint, or capacity density, of wind energy projects is about 3 watts per square meter. Thus, 4,000 megawatts (four billion watts) divided by 3 watts per square meter = 1.33 billion square meters or 1,333 square kilometers. (Or roughly 515 square miles.)
Those numbers are almost too big to imagine. Therefore, let’s look again at Central Park. Recall that three Indian Points could fit inside the confines of the famed park. Thus, replacing the energy production from Indian Point would require paving a land area equal to 400 Central Parks with forests of wind turbines.
Put another way, the 1,300 square kilometers of wind turbines needed to replace the electricity output of Indian Point is nearly equal to the size of Albany County. Would New York legislators who convene in the capitol in Albany consent to having the entire county covered in wind turbines? I can’t be sure, but I am guessing that they might oppose such plan. (See yellow area in Google Earth image at top).
These basic calculations prove some undeniable facts. Among them: Indian Point represents the apogee of densification. The massive amount of energy being produced by the two reactors on such a small footprint provides a perfect illustration of what may be nuclear energy’s single greatest virtue: its unsurpassed power density. (Power density is a measure of energy flow from a given area, volume, or mass.) High power density sources, like nuclear, allow us to spare land for nature. Density is green.
Alas, the environmental groups that are influencing policymakers in New York and in other states are strident in their belief that nuclear energy is bad and that renewables are good. But that theology ignores the greenness of density and the essential role that nuclear energy must play if we are to have any hope of making significant reductions in carbon-dioxide emissions.
In short, the premature closure of Indian Point – and the raging land-use battles over renewable energy siting in New York – should lead environmental groups to rethink their definition of what qualifies as “green.” Just because wind and solar are renewable doesn’t mean they are green. In fact, the land-use problems with renewables show the exact opposite.
via Science Matters
https://ift.tt/3cupWNT
April 18, 2020 at 01:09PM