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The polar vortex is hitting the brakes

climate.gov

191–200 of 349 posts

Re: The polar vortex is hitting the brakes

#191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think you understand how money works. Federal debt doesn't matter beyond its relationship to taxes and inflation. The US needs to raise taxes and address inequality through greater investment in public services and infrastructure, as well as stronger regulations on consumer goods pricing, not less.

> Federal debt doesn't matter beyond its relationship to taxes and inflation Much like household debt doesn't matter beyond it's relationship to household income?

National debt and household debt are very different things, because most households aren’t able to print money

Re: The polar vortex is hitting the brakes

#192
post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Climate change is a decades-order problem. Worst case is end of human civilization. Waste storage is a problem for once climate change is solved. Worst case is local degradation of environment. A grid powered almost-fully by nuclear and water is proven feasible by France. A grid almost-fully powered by renewables for a full year in an industrialized country is yet to be seen. Renewables do work well when combined to…

* Renewable energy sources collectively produced 81% of Denmark's electricity generation in 2022, and are expected to provide 100% of national electric power production from 2030. * Renewable energy sources collectively produced 75% of South Australia's electricity generation in 2023, and are expected to provide 100% of state electric power production from 2027. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_Den…

These are very likely misleading stats

> Renewable energy sources collectively produced 81% of Denmark's electricity generation in 2022, and are expected to provide 100% of national electric power production from 2030.

This doesn't say anything about how much of Denmark's consumption this covers, only their production

It turns out they import a bunch of their electricity from neighbors

This is a sneaky way to pretend you don't consume fossil fuels

Re: The polar vortex is hitting the brakes

#193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

* Renewable energy sources collectively produced 81% of Denmark's electricity generation in 2022, and are expected to provide 100% of national electric power production from 2030. * Renewable energy sources collectively produced 75% of South Australia's electricity generation in 2023, and are expected to provide 100% of state electric power production from 2027. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_Den…

These are very likely misleading stats > Renewable energy sources collectively produced 81% of Denmark's electricity generation in 2022, and are expected to provide 100% of national electric power production from 2030. This doesn't say anything about how much of Denmark's consumption this covers, only their production It turns out they import a bunch of their electricity from neighbors This is a sneaky way to pretend…

These are locations heading for 100% renewable supply in the very near future.

The capital of South Australia is some distance from the border, even further from the Victorian capital (Melbourne) and is weakly linked compared to EU countries.

  In South Australia, the current connection to Victoria allows for just 25 per cent of its maximum demand to imported or exported.

  “So what that means for South Australia is we have to be a lot more self reliant. And ultimately, South Australia is the test lab for the whole NEM (National Electricity Market,”
Or exported .. SA actually exports a great deal of peak renewable energy, it over produces in the daylight and uses that to charge a battery farm or to feed to the neighbouring state.

The stats are no more misleading than the GP claim this is in response to, namely "A grid powered almost-fully by nuclear and water is proven feasible by France."

  France derives about 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy, due to a long-standing policy based on energy security.
~ https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profil...

Re: The polar vortex is hitting the brakes

#194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's worth noting that this "financial crisis" (which I disagree with) has been brought on by Republican governments. Bill Clinton left a budget surplus which is the easiest way to pay down the debt. Secondly, if I had to cut something, the obvious target is the military. (Oh boy, ring on the downvotes there...) But hear me out. Firstly, the adventures in Afghanistan and Iraq cost more than the current debt. With pre…

Thanks to you and GP for a reasoned response. Appropriately taxing the wealthy is 100% something we also need to do and yes, I am skeptical that the current administration will move in that direction. Ditto cuts to the monstrous military industrial complex. I think I’ll refrain from responding to the more inflammatory replies but what really sounded the financial alarm for me personally was this talk [1] given to the…

Alas I can't watch the YT link right now, so I can't comment on that.

However I will point out that the goal of the current "effeciency drive" has nothing to do with the deficit. I confidently predict that the deficit will be larger, not smaller, at the end of this administration. Primarily driven by tax cuts on the aristocracy.

While personally I don't think the deficit number is terribly concerning (it behaves very differently to personal debt) its interesting to note that Republicans, not Democrats are responsible for most of it.

Re: The polar vortex is hitting the brakes

#195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I grew up during the F to C transition in the UK and F is not intuitive. 0 = ice 100 = steam That is pretty intuitive if you ask me. And for gravy comfortable room temp is about 25

Fahrenheit is sort of intuitive if you think of it as somehow, impossibly, a percentage scale. 0C/32F is still decently comfortable anyway. 0F is, like, not at all comfortable. 100C is dead. 100F is the most unbearably hot temperature that isn’t immediately deadly.

100°C is somewhat uncomfortable, and it usually indicates that someone is trying to show off. 80 to 90 is much better. (In a sauna.)

Re: The polar vortex is hitting the brakes

#196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, it's the sound. If you live close enough, it will drive you insane.

How close were you? I’ve been on a campus with a wind turbine, don’t recall any sound. But I didn’t get directly under the thing.

I used to live down the hill from 1, and 99% of the time could hear nothing. But on a lucky day when the wind was in the right direction and right strength, you could just hear a faint woosh woosh woosh.

Personally I liked the sound. But we only had 1, so maybe different with many more. Though never heard the wind farms I've stopped by.

Re: The polar vortex is hitting the brakes

#197
post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There were a bunch of headlines last week about DOGE firing half of NOAA then rehiring them. I don’t think you should consider anywhere sacrosanct.

To be fair there have been a bunch of headlines about a great many things, like office closures without mentioning the minor detail that the offices haven’t been used in years, the workforce is remote, and there is no impact on service delivery or staffing. Doesn’t stop journalists from dancing around the implication if it makes the orange man and mars man look bad though.

how do you know that the offices haven't been used in years and there is no impact unless a journalist told you? Is there any reason to trust rando twitter accounts besides the fact that it makes you feel better about "your side".

Re: The polar vortex is hitting the brakes

#198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I grew up during the F to C transition in the UK and F is not intuitive. 0 = ice 100 = steam That is pretty intuitive if you ask me. And for gravy comfortable room temp is about 25

Fahrenheit is sort of intuitive if you think of it as somehow, impossibly, a percentage scale. 0C/32F is still decently comfortable anyway. 0F is, like, not at all comfortable. 100C is dead. 100F is the most unbearably hot temperature that isn’t immediately deadly.

Our maximum day time tempreture in January 2025 was 113 F ( 45 C ), 12 days or so were over 100 F ( 37.7 C )

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/202501/html/IDCJDW6136.202...

This is in the cooler south west corner of a large state ( 3x size of Texas )

Re: The polar vortex is hitting the brakes

#199
post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe that’s why it was qualified with “almost”

I'm originally from MN but have been using C almost exclusively for the last 10-15 years. Can confirm, -33 is "fuckin' cold" territory either way. Below like -25C it's all the same to me - bundle up as much as humanly possible and limit time outside, and if there's any wind at all, just nope. That's like "you cry because it's so cold and then your tears freeze on your eyelashes and it physically hurts". I don't like…

I never got used to your eyes sticking closed for a brief moment every time you blink

Re: The polar vortex is hitting the brakes

#200
post #6

Interesting article. We are past the usual -20 or lower six weeks where I am so feels like a typical year. If I choose a random northern place like Rankin Inlet NU it is still cold up there with a low of -33 tonight. It is a sign of the times when I think huh, climate.gov… is that a reputable source?

Disclaimer

Climate.gov’s Polar Vortex Blog is written, edited, and moderated by Amy Butler (NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory) and Laura Ciasto (NOAA Climate Prediction Center), with editorial and graphics support from the Climate.gov team (NOAA Climate Program Office). These are blog posts by subject matter experts, not official agency communications; if you quote from these posts or from the comments section, you should attribute the quoted material to the individual blogger or commenter, not to NOAA or or Climate.gov.

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