Storm in America

[PatJParticipant @patj87806]

It finally warmed up to above freezing today.

We have had 12 F for several days, which has caused several problems.

Some of the water pipes are not quite far enough down in the earth in this city to prevent them from freezing.

So the pipes begin to break, the water pressure drops off to a very low value, and the water is contaminated, so all water has to be boiled for consumption.

The heavy snow caused some tree limbs to fall, shorting out some of the primary lines in the neighborhood.

Luckily the primary line shorting has been limited. It is the freezing rain that causes lots of tree limbs to fall on the power lines, and luckily we did not get the freezing rain, but just heavy snow.

We have had deaths in the past during ice storms, where entire large trees fall on moving autos, killing the occupants.  We have lovely trees in this city, but they can be deadly.

TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) is experiencing their heaviest load ever, and they had a few power plants on the grid go down two days ago, so we went into rolling power blackouts, which last 30 minutes at a time.

The house can get a bit chilly in 30 minutes when it is 12F outside.

All things considered, it has just be very cold.  Most folks in the Mid-South are not set up for extended sub-freezing temperatures. Often pipes in outside walls freeze when it gets this cold.

We have natural gas heat, and so I can power my air handling/heating unit from my gasoline generator if necessary. I have not had to use the generator yet.

I don't think I would make it living up north.

This sort of weather is very common up north, and they get a lot of snow too.

We get a minimal amount of snow luckily.

This is today's US weather update.

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Edit:  In my younger days, I have camped out in 18F, and it can be done, but you need a 0 F sleeping bag, and some very good cold weather gear.  Heavy snow can make hiking very difficult without snowshoes.

I generally stick around the house during cold weather, and do the hiking/camping during warm weather.

Of course we have tornadoes, and so that always makes things interesting during the summer months.

 

Edited By PatJ on 28/12/2022 09:20:36

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Interesting comment, Pat

Thank you … and do keep warm !!

MichaelG.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by blowlamp on 27/12/2022 17:11:29:

Posted by larry phelan 1 on 27/12/2022 12:35:51:

The "Experts" know as much about Global Warming as my dog knows about the Internet.

These things have been happening since time began, not just since last year.

 

They need something to be 'concerned' about because their funding depends on it.

Due to lack of evidence quite small children reject the idea that Christmas presents are delivered by a jolly bearded man with a reindeer sleigh. However, another popular story is widely believed by otherwise sensible adults. It's that experts know nothing, and that ordinary folk are at least as well qualified as experts to tackle difficult problems.

There's a grain of truth in suspicion of 'experts'. Some are self-appointed, and many of these can be found burbling nonsense on the internet. But deep down, I guess we all know it's unwise for an amateur to mortgage his house so he can win big in a professional high-stakes poker game. The amateur might win but as Michael Caine says in 'Get Carter', "you're a big man but you're in bad shape. I do this for a living, so behave yourself."

Real experts aren't always right, but they do far better than the average Joe. From atomic reactions to zenophobia, common sense is no substitute for deep understanding.

Why are so many people unconvinced by global warming? It's because faced with difficult challenges, humans go through 5 overlapping emotional stages:

1. Denial. It's not happening.
2. Anger. Don't bother me with this nonsense, and, someone else is to blame
3. Bargaining. Got away with it so far, let's carry on and it'll go away. My high mileage gas guzzler is OK because I recycle cardboard.
4. Depression. If the world changes, everything I value will be lost.
5. Acceptance. Difficult job ahead, but it will be OK if we stop deluding ourselves, get off our bottoms, and make the necessary changes.

Notice that only Acceptance has a positive outcome. All the others are time-wasters.

Evidence confirming that global warming is a serious man-made threat has been building for 40 years. In the same period no counter evidence has emerged. Objections to global warming aren't evidential, for example the suggestion that global warming is a con invented by scientists to obtain funding is an unproven conspiracy theory.

The world is gradually coming to accept the reality of global warming, but many are still stuck in stages 1 to 4, As these stages are emotional, no amount of evidence alters opinion, even when those views are obviously wrong. How long it takes to work through the 5 stages varies enormously. Some never make it.

Advising people to jump straight to acceptance by thinking logically rarely succeeds because emotion is so powerful. When emotion rules our brains prefer stories: religion, political dogma, outdated experience, dodging responsibility, keeping ourselves in a good light and unlikely alternatives to unpleasant consequences. But faced with a problekm we should be aware of the possibility that our reaction is emotional and do our best to return to logic. It's helpful to insist on facts supported by evidence rather than opinion and beliefs, especially so if the evidence issues a red-alert!

Recognise that no matter how attractive, unsupported opinion and beliefs are highly likely to be wrong, and holding to them is wide open to abuse. It's easy to scam people into making poor choices when they're in an emotional state; politics is full of examples!

Dave

 

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 28/12/2022 10:32:03

[bobchaParticipant @bobcha]

Climate change will not necessarily destroy the planet but it will destroy mankind. We are surrounded by dead planets and stars so perhaps this is a natural phenomenon, in fact I don’t think anyone has discovered another planet with anything living on it.

There is an old saying that “Planet earth will breathe a hugh sigh of relief when the last human disappears from it’s surface.

A happy new year to you all.

[egaParticipant @ega]

SOD:

Not sure how significant this is but Carter came to a sticky end despite his expert status!

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

I assume experts persuaded the government that diesel cars were good. Much financial incentive was offered to buy one, less than 10 years on millions of us have cars that are banned or penalised to drive in towns. Did experts really not know about the undesirable by products of diesel? Experts would do well to wait until they really have all the data and facts before they make recommendations. I doubt I will live long enough to see if they are correct with their climate change predictions but I won’t be surprised if they change their position as time goes on. It is not a bad thing to change as more data and research clarify what is happening but we seem to be racing headlong into taking quite drastic action that is undermining our energy security while much of the world are slow to act or too poor to take the required action. Our politicians also display a staggering lack of wisdom and understanding about just about everything.

Mike

[PatJParticipant @patj87806]

If we get much more "globally warmed" around here, we shall all surely freeze to death, LOL.

An interesting note is that one of the major originators of the global warming hoax was Al Gore, who just happens to have a mansion across the state from me.

Al Gore has a carbon footprint the size of Godzilla.

If global warming does indeed existing, it has been caused by Al Gore single handedly.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/al-gores-energy-use/

 

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Edited By PatJ on 28/12/2022 12:58:40

[Ron ColvinParticipant @roncolvin83430]

The diesel fiasco, the result of concentrating upon one aspect of a problem (CO₂ ) and ignoring another element within the wider picture (NO_x ).

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

What the diesel experts(anyone who has ever seen a diesel working) said: replacing lots of petrol engines with diesels will help to reduce CO2 emissions, but will dramatically increase the particulates so is a very short term, limited solution. Which means we need some proper joined-up thinking that will lead to some hard to swallow conclusions.

What the politicians heard: replacing petrol engines with diesels fixes the current annoying problem. We're doing it NOW!!!! Who the f*&% has time for joined-up thinking when there's an election in 23months?

You can replace politicians with managers, bosses, accountants and the general public.

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

The particulates and NOx problems with diesel engines have been largely eliminated with modern exhaust systems trapping most of the soot, and by urea solution (the fluid sold as "Ad-Blue" )  cracking the nitrous-oxides to their component gases. These on top of engine design advances generally.

This of course assumes proper maintenance, but you can say that of any vehicle.

I would think that power for power outputs, the modern diesel is less polluting than its petrol counterpart simply by significantly better fuel efficiency; but suffers from a massive, sustained campaign against it, orchestrated by non-engineers.

Edited By Nigel Graham 2 on 28/12/2022 14:32:58

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Joined up thinking + politician = oxymoron

Long term thinking + politician = oxymoron

Or to put it more concisely,

Politician = moron.

Until we get some technically competent politicians and civil servants we will not progress. Academic qualifications in Latin and ancient Greek are of less use than the famous chocolate tea pot. At least you could eat the teapot

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Writing as a former (until sold off cheap) civil-servant, albeit of very modest level in the Scientific Civil Service…..

So many of them as know little or nowt about the Civil Service do so like to display that attribute.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Apologies to Nigel, I worked for the Queen as well for nearly 30

years. We had some very bright cookies, but were a wholly owned plc, not core civil service. I was referring to typical Whitehall generalists who seem to think they can manage anything without prior experience or knowledge.

[derek hall 1Participant @derekhall1]

Most politicians should not even be in charge of a wheelbarrow

[JAParticipant @ja]

Posted by Nigel Graham 2 on 28/12/2022 14:31:21:

The particulates and NOx problems with diesel engines have been largely eliminated with modern exhaust systems trapping most of the soot, and by urea solution (the fluid sold as "Ad-Blue" ) cracking the nitrous-oxides to their component gases. These on top of engine design advances generally.

NOx is a covering formula for Nitric Oxide (NO), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and a few other short term oxides. These are produced by the combustion of nitrogen at high temperatures and in oxygen rich environments. Such conditions occur in gas turbines and diesel engines but not petrol engines. These gases oxidise to NO2 (the famous brown fumes) which kills you, usually by septic pneumonia from Nitric Acid in the lungs.

Nitrous Oxide (N2O) is completely different. It comes from the breakdown of some Nitrates and is almost harmless.

Pseudo experts have confused these two groups for over 50 years with various authorities that people turn to for information (Wikipedia amongst many) getting it wrong.

This has nothing directly to do with the Storm in America.

JA

Edited By JA on 28/12/2022 16:51:37

Edited By JA on 28/12/2022 16:54:21

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

Posted by derek hall 1 on 28/12/2022 16:31:49:

Most politicians should not even be in charge of a wheelbarrow

Some people would have you believe they are 'experts'.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Before this thread gets too ‘Political’ … I would just mention that the edge of the storm has already reached the U.K.

MichaelG.

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https://meteoradar.co.uk/satellite-rainradar

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 29/12/2022 09:41:00

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Covid highlighted how useless they really are

two years on full furlough pay and pension and no-one missed them, except for the passport and DVLA guys

The bin men stopped working for 7 days and it was total chaos

The civil service is like the clergy, 90% have no real useful purpose that makes a difference

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

People used to think Yes, MInister was a comedy, unaware it was in fact a documentary.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Post WW2 Britain has always had subsidised jobs to help spread wealth

The NHS is the best system, useful people getting real skills and doing useful stuff

The biggest transition was when they switched the money away from the working classes in the 1980s

people who dug coal and made steel were dumped and the cash went into subsidising middle class educated people who do nothing

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 29/12/2022 09:25:04:

Before this thread gets too ‘Political’ … I would just mention that the edge of the storm has already reached the U.K.

MichaelG.

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**LINK**

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 29/12/2022 09:41:00

Yes it seems to have passed over the US. Montana is now reporting temperatures around 38F above. So about a 70-degree temperature swing from the 30-35 below of a few days ago. Not just severe weather but severe weather swings as well. Such high temps were unheard of in winter when I lived there 30 years ago. Something must be going on causing all this extreme weather…

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Ady –

Before you launch scurrilous attacks on anyone for their chosen profession, it is a good idea to understand what they really do, over what range of work at what range of skill and pay grades, in what range of departments, etc, and how widely around the country….

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

I don't blame people, I blame the system, a system which rewards people for zero useful outputs

[Anonymous]

Posted by Hopper on 27/12/2022 12:53:54:

Posted by larry phelan 1 on 27/12/2022 12:35:51:

The "Experts" know as much about Global Warming as my dog knows about the Internet.

Yes expertise is vastly over-rated.

Trouble is, there's no real definition of "Expert". It's usually an appellation used by the media for anyone from a local lab or college who will talk to them.

I remember the epidemiology expert in Toronto who told us at the start of CV19 that we had learned a lot from SARS and this new one wouldn't be too serious a problem. Didn't hear much from her after that.

[Author]

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