Midweek Unthreaded

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9.5 out of 10 based on 15 ratings

131 comments to Midweek Unthreaded

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      OriginalSteve

      Hmmm….the joys of being the good guy, huh…..

      Mind you, if science is backed by provable fact, and all you do us prove that fact….hiw can that be wrong?

      Unless of course you live in this funny alternate universe where wrong is right and up is down…

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    • #
      Matthew Bruha

      Yuk…Didn’t realise that was a Grauniad link until after I clicked…..now I have to re-sanitise my brain

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        el gordo

        There is some troof in it …

        The peer review system has collapsed and there is “a conspiracy of the world’s scientists all working together to stop the outside getting their results published, or accepted”.

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        • #
          Bill in Oz

          When you are ‘saving’ the world
          Any tactic is good
          Even besmirching the reputation of the honest & good.
          Just the usual ‘Propaganda 101’ !

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        • #
          StephenP

          Might it not be an idea to have a publication along the line of the Salon de Refusees (that showed the Impressionist paintings refused by the mainstream galleries) to include papers that have been rejected by the mainstream scientific journals?
          It would need proper peer review with the peer reports included.

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      TdeF

      They are right. One side is lying. I would trust the former head of the Physics department of James Cook University who was fired illegally for just telling the truth publicly.
      That’s because even they could not fire him for lying. They still want to punish him with an appeal. Incredible intimidation and vindictiveness by massively overpaid public servants, at our expense.
      In every case you can believe the person who does not make their living from Climate Change, including the journalists on the Guardian.

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    • #
      Maptram

      At the same time there is news of a mass of volcanic rubble spotted drifting through the Pacific Ocean heading our way.

      QUT geologist, Associate Professor Scott Bryan, told the ABC the volcanic rock would help boost our ecosystem through the spread of organisms.

      As the raft drifts towards our coast over the next seven to 12 months, marine life will “hitch a ride” to our shores, he said.

      “When it gets here, [the pumice raft will be] covered in a whole range of organisms of algae and barnacles and corals and crabs and snails and worms,” he said.

      “This is a way for healthy, young corals to be rapidly introduced to the Great Barrier Reef.”

      https://au.news.yahoo.com/underwater-volcano-sends-pumice-tonga-to-australia-great-barrier-reef-ecosystem-110349864.html

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    • #
      Karabar

      Did this man Chubb ever study science? The man makes AOC look like sheer GENRIOUS! Here is a quote from a few years ago:

      Professor Chubb was dismissive of arguments that the changes can be attributed to natural events.

      “For example, you don’t get the Arctic ice melt just by natural events. You can’t reproduce it through modelling if you just factor in natural events. But if you factor in human activity, then you get what’s happening and you get the reduction,” he said.

      Professor Chubb rejected accusations that he was partisan because he believed that ”the science is in on climate change”.

      ”Well, I don’t think that’s partisan. I think that I can read English – as Ross Garnaut once said – and understand it. And I think that the evidence is overwhelming,” he said at the National Press Club. (source)

      “After the work of very many scientists over more than 50 years, the views on climate change have converged to the point where the evidence has moved from possible to beyond reasonable doubt. But do we do nothing because of the mockers or because some scientists disagree, or because some others sit on the side and shout but don’t put their ideas into the scientific literature?

      The quintessence of the debate about climate science should be based on the scientific evidence at hand. Science is contestable; scientists are natural skeptics and highly trained critics. They constantly evaluate and revise. But sooner or later, prevailing views will converge after scrutiny and challenge. Some call that a consensus; not a contrived view but a majority view. After the work of scientists from multiple disciplinary backgrounds the lines of evidence on climate change have converged to support a high degree of confidence that climate is changing and that human activity is a primary cause.”

      This is what Peter Ridd wrote to Chubb in June 2011:
      Dear Prof Chubb,

      I wish to support A/Prof Franks comments in his email to you on 30th June.

      In addition I would like to add that it is evident that the scientific systems needs considerable modification if we can have faith in some of the conclusions about the big environmental issues of our time such as Greenhouse, the supposed demise of the Great Barrier Reef and such like. I have no faith that both sides of the arguments on these issues are being funded. This comes partly out of personal experience. It is not enough to rely upon peer review and hope for impartiality of scientists. We need to spend money to try to prove that the case against CO2 is flawed. That may seem strange but, if this debate was a court case against the criminal CO2, the conviction by the court (mostly the IPCC etc) would be thrown out on appeal because no resources have been expended mounting a defence of CO2. Can you imagine a court case without a counsel for the defence – a person whose sole aim is to destroy the prosecution case. We need an organisation to do this for CO2. If after spending considerable resources on such a defence it still looks like CO2 is guilty, then I at least would be satisfied about the conventional wisdom on this issue. Presently I have as much faith in science as I did in the Police system in Queensland in the 1980’s before sweeping reforms cleaned it up.

      You may feel that the present systems in science make it reliable, but the fact that scientist like me, with a better than average record, in addition to a growing number of the educated and uneducated public have lost faith in science and scientists means that something has to be done to regain confidence. And bashing people like Stewart Franks will do nothing to that end even though he can be pretty brutal at times.

      If you have time, I have written more on what I think needs to be done about the systems of science at http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=11455

      I would be very grateful if you could at least contemplate this issue further.

      Peter

      Prof. Peter Ridd
      HOD Physics
      James Cook University
      Townsville

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  • #
    yarpos

    For those who missed it on the weekend thread, Basslink down till mid October, fault is on land in VIC. Updates appear on the media page of the Basslink site.

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  • #
    David Wojick

    Some preliminary data from my study of liberal bias in Google News.

    Liberal sources frequency analysis for Google News

    First ten searches, liberal sources cited more than once, listed by frequency.
    Seven sources account for almost one third of all citations (29%)
    The twelve liberal sources account for 40% of all citations.
    The sole conservative source accounts for just 5% of these more-than-once citations.
    Thus there is a distinct lack of variety and almost a complete lack of conservative sources.

    1. CNN cited 8 times out of 91 citations
    2. New York Times 6
    3. Politico 5
    4. Washington Post 4
    5. VOX 4
    6. The Hill 3
    7. Business Insider 3

    (Total = 26 or 29%, almost one third of all citations)

    8. The Guardian 2
    9. ABC News 2
    10. Forbes 2
    11. Daily Beast 2
    12. Fortune 2

    Total = 36 or 40% of the citations.

    Also conservative Fox News 2. So of the 38 more-than-once cited sources, the lone conservative source accounts for just 5% of the citations.

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    • #
      OriginalSteve

      I use duckduckgo.com now

      I never bother with gurgle, as it appears to be just a left wing apologist outfit…..

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      • #
        David Wojick

        Good idea but it would be better to make Google be fair. The Senate Judiciary Committee has a task force looking at this and I just made contact with them. Last month the President held a summit on this bias issue.

        My study will be a smoking gun for bias.

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        • #
          Bill in Oz

          If we use it, we fund it !
          Don’t use it, it dies !
          Better it face the threat of imminent death
          Then it will change itself !

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        Greebo

        as it appears to be just a left wing apologist outfit…..

        Oh no it’s not. It is a very active driver of left wing agendas. Its algorithms now direct any search of anything of a political or social bent to “authoritative sources” such as CNN, NBC, Washington Post or the NYT. Any dissenting voice is way down the list, if it is not actively blacklisted. Over on YT, any channel which doesn’t toe the line gets demonetised or wiped altogether. However, ANTIFA, for one example, has no such restrictions placed on it. Same with FB btw.

        Still, it may turn out better than expected, with sites like BitChute and Gab rising as the DuckDuckGo of video channels. Long way to go though.

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          Hanrahan

          I started taking interest in US politics when Trump came down the escalator, out of curiosity I guess, and have followed the conservative cause on YT since.

          There must be 50, and possibly 100, commentators that I have listened to over that time that never show now. If I want to listen to Levin or Rush while watering the yard [long podcasts] I must search for them, they never show in “recommended”. Crowder, Dice and JP Watson are being ripped off for millions.

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  • #
    el gordo

    ‘If you want a vision of the future … ‘ George Orwell

    Are we looking at socialism with Australian characteristics?

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-27/foodbank-supporting-clients-struggling-to-pay-mortgage/11453556

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  • #
    RicDre

    Australian: New Report: Electric Cars Have ‘Higher CO2 Emissions’

    https://www.thegwpf.com/new-report-electric-cars-have-higher-co2-emissions/

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    • #
      pat

      RicDre – amazing how FakeNewsMSM never mention this bit from The Australian article when they praise Norway’s EV take-up!

      “As a result of Norway’s pro-EV policies, the ABMARC report shows the cost of a Hyundai i30 in the Scandinavian country is $54,204 compared with $18,498 in Australia.”

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      • #
        RicDre

        Pat: Thanks for this information. The full Australian article appears to be behind a paywall, but using your information I was able to find a link to a more complete copy of the article than in my original link:

        https://hotcopper.com.au/threads/electric-cars-not-the-best-option.4706725/page-903?post_id=40184668

        The article clearly illustrates how badly Norway’s tax structure distorts the prices of EV vs ICE powered vehicles.

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        • #
          pat

          RicDre –

          thanx for the new link. GWPF had the single example I posted, but it’s incredible to see another example –

          Hyundai i30N (Petrol) – $92,244 in Norway, $44,899 in Australia

          what our MSM omits to report is more disgusting than the CAGW-friendly propaganda they do report. these comparisons should have been made clear to the Australian voters when Shorten & co were pushing their EV policy during the election campaign.

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  • #
    RickWill

    I came across an Origin energy kiosk in a shopping centre. They said if I signed up straight away I would get a great deal. I took away their tariff tables to compare with Lumo, which is my present retailer.

    On checking both sets of prices I concluded that neither were offering better than the Victorian Default offer. This link has the default tariffs for all the regions in Victoria:
    https://www.esc.vic.gov.au/making-most-victorian-default-offer#toc-what-are-the-prices-

    It is noteworthy that the default offer does not provide feed in tariffs – I have emailed the Essential Services Commission in Victoria asking what is the default FIT. The lack of FIT suggests they really don’t care about rooftop solar.

    Has anyone opted for the default offer in their state/region?

    The link below has the AER determination. It has a heap of tables on how much households will save but there is not a single tariff provided in the document:
    https://www.aer.gov.au/system/files/AER%20Final%20Determination%20-%20Default%20Market%20Offer%20Prices%20-%20April%202019.pdf
    From an electricity customer perspective it is 120 pages of rubbish.

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    • #
      Robber

      Has anyone tried the Vic Govt energy compare website since the default offers came in? I found it useful last year.

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    • #
      Chad

      So that is the “simplified” electricity default offer ?
      They obviously have a different understanding of “simplified” to me !
      And this is before considering any of the other retail offers. ?
      God forbid anyone with much less than a dual degree in logical reasoning /maths , should want to know what their best options are !
      The independent energy comparason sites are more useful.

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  • #
    el gordo

    Empirical evidence that CO2 is not a temperature control knob.

    https://elonionbloggle.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-co2-global-average-temperature.html

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    • #
      Chad

      Any explanation why the baseline of that first chart is set at -40F ?

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      • #
        el gordo

        No, but I do like the second graph which clearly illustrates the failure of CO2 to lift temperatures.

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        • #
          Peter Fitzroy

          How so? I don’t know if there is any science to even suggest that it has to be (a) instantaneous or (b) linear. There is a lag involved.

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            AndyG55

            You know there is NO science to prove CO2 has anything to do with climate.

            Just keep up you anti-science fantasy, PF.

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          • #
            el gordo

            ‘How so?’

            The invisible blanket is a myth, according to the models the process is linear without lags.

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            • #
              Peter Fitzroy

              show me

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            • #
              Gee aye

              The rebuttal to your comment requires you to read every paper referenced in this link

              https://agwobserver.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/papers-on-laboratory-measurements-of-co2-absorption-properties/

              or more simply put – the blanket is an illustration so can’t be a myth.

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              • #
                el gordo

                It works in a laboratory but not in the broader atmosphere, otherwise temperatures would have continued to rise over the past two decades.

                How do you explain the hiatus?

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                Peter Fitzroy

                Why do you think that climate uses a 30 year baseline? Why do you believe that the atmosphere is not a chaotic system, with, as you have pointed out, many influences, and many cycles. There is no linearity, and that definitely the lag between cause and effect. In your previously link, you could see many such ‘hiatus’ periods, and yet every plateau is higher than the one before.

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              • #
                Gee aye

                It works in a laboratory but not in the broader atmosphere.

                As demonstrated by what? Is the hiatus your evidence? If there is a mechanistic explanation reveal the empirical data.

                Probably best if you move onto the basslink post so you can suggest how China can solve the problem.

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              • #
                el gordo

                ‘Why do you think that climate uses a 30 year baseline?’

                Is it a half PDO cycle?

                ‘ … and yet every plateau is higher than the one before.’

                True, but if you look more closely its plain to see its down to solar variability and not CO2.

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              • #
                el gordo

                ‘As demonstrated by what?’

                The pause in temperature for two decades is significant.

                ‘If there is a mechanistic explanation reveal the empirical data.’

                The oscillations are the mechanisms which determine weather and climate. Do you see any positive feedbacks?

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              • #
                Gee aye

                a complete nothing of an answer el G.

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                AndyG55

                “the blanket is an illustration so can’t be a myth.”

                Grimm Bros used illustrations too.

                There is NO BLANKET. it is a mindless fabrication.

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              • #
                AndyG55

                “definitely the lag between cause and effect”

                Yes, temperature rise causes atmospheric CO2 to rise.

                There is NO evidence or scientific mechanism that an increase in CO2 causes temperatures to rise.

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              • #
                AndyG55

                “and yet every plateau is higher than the one before.”

                Seems PF remains ignorant of the series of strong solar cycles through all of the last half of last century.

                Yes there is a lag. It takes quite a while for that solar energy to be released by the oceans.

                There is zero evidence that atmospheric CO2 has any affect whatsoever.

                You keep proving that fact.

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              • #
                AndyG55

                “a complete nothing of an answer el G.”

                and GA titles his own post. ! EMPTY.

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          • #
            Peter Fitzroy

            There has been no,pause, only one exceptional year, which the cherry pickers use it as a anchor point, but it is only 1/30th of the whole period. Dropping that year would be more illuminating of the trend, which is something that the cherrypickers would never do.

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            • #
              el gordo

              What was the exceptional year?

              I had another look at Cook’s escalator but saw nothing unusual.

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            • #
              AndyG55

              There has actually been 33 years of “pause” out of the last 40 years.

              The ONLY warming has come from El Nino events.

              There is NO WARMING between those events

              There is absolutely ZERO EVIDENCE for warming by increased atmospheric CO2.

              You keep proving that point with you abject ineptitude at producing any.

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            • #
              AndyG55

              “There has been no pause”

              A blatant LIE. !!!

              No warming from 1980-1997

              No warming from 2001-2015

              33 years of “pause” out of 40 years, with only solar forced El Ninos between.

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            • #
              AndyG55

              “Dropping that year would be more illuminating of the trend”

              Yes, dropping the effect of the 1998 El Nino really does illuminate the trend.

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            • #
              AndyG55

              You have to use that El Nino to get a warming trend.

              Without it.. (and the 2015,16 El Nino).. There is ZERO trend.

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              • #
                el gordo

                Fitz sees the world differently.

                https://static.skepticalscience.com/pics/SkepticsvRealistsv3.gif

                ‘Why do you believe that the atmosphere is not a chaotic system, with, as you have pointed out, many influences, and many cycles.’

                Nothing is beyond the ingenuity of humanity, we have to look back and observe the cycles within cycles. In this way we can glimpse the future untainted by CO2 hysteria and bring order out of chaos.

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    • #
      David Wojick

      It is much better if you use the satellite temperature record of atmospheric temperatures, where the CO2 warming is supposed to occur. There is only about 0.3 degrees of warming 1978 to now and that all occurs coincident with the giant El Niño that began in 1998. There is literally no CO2 warming to be seen.

      If the warming that HadCRU et al show actually happened it cannot be due to the CO2 increase, because the atmosphere did not warm as the CO2 increased, not at all.

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  • #
    Another Ian

    Just as well the boats got shut down

    “Mexican Military Police Battle Illegal African Migrants Attempting to Reach U.S….”

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2019/08/27/mexican-military-police-battle-illegal-african-migrants-attempting-to-reach-u-s/

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  • #
    Lank fires up

    Fire in Brazil are NORMAL for this time of year and have been in general decline over the last decade.
    However, there are many, many more fires currently burning in Central Africa as is normal for August. Data from NASA’s FIRMS show at least 6,902 fires in Angola, and 3,395 burning in the DR Congo. Brazil’s fires number substantially less at 2,127.

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    • #
      Chad

      MSM TV News report last night quoted “over 6000 fires”. In the Amazon area.
      ….but the brief ariel footage showed mostly they were small individual “plot size” fires as you might expect from controlled burn offs ??

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      • #
        Hanrahan

        These “plot size” fires sound like the locals burning off some forrest so they can have a couple of years crops, enriched by the ash. The soils under forests are not nutrient rich so after a few years they must move on to another freshly burned plot.

        The cheapest way to save the forest may be to make fertiliser available so farmers can stay in one place.

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  • #
    TdeF

    It is so obvious in the US that Climate Change is a Democrat party platform. They allege a recession is coming and that Climate Change is ‘an existential’ threat to humanity, more serious than WWII. Then again they also allege that Donald Trump has killed more people than Stalin and Mao combined, so there is not much credibility. The incredible coverup for the Clintons selling arms overseas, selling the US uranium stockpile to the Russians and their many flights to Epstein’s island continues. I suppose they will soon be canonized by the Vatican.
    As for the incredible Green New Deal, it is insane. It’s hard to see anyone beating Donald Trump with policies like more tax, no flying and no meat and no borders and free health care and education for illegal aliens but none for Americans.

    The other thing which is missing completely is any sign of Global Warming. A few records here and there and a lot of publicity, but no dramatic announcements of imminent disaster. Just the fourth 11 years 6 months to live stuff in 31 years. And of course Donald Trump. The most evil President in US history. And his evil conservative friends who are all Fascists. Apparently.

    Two odd things when people accuse conservative would be Italian President Silvani of being the most right wing Italian politician since Mussolini is that firstly Mussolini was an extreme left wing fascist and the role model for Hitler and secondly that most Italians still think Mussolini was a great guy and that Hitler was the bad guy into mass extermination and devastation. Hitler though as a very Green vegan worshiped trees and forests but preferred those belonging to other people. Nothing has changed. Vegans are still dictators.

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  • #
    pat

    sure to improve their dismal ratings? don’t think so.

    27 Aug: Townhall: CNN Lost Their Mind (Again): Guess How Long Their Climate Change Town Hall Is
    by Beth Baumann
    Just when we thought CNN couldn’t get any more pathetic, they prove us wrong…again. The network on Tuesday announced their climate change town hall. The debate, scheduled for Sept. 4th will be seven hours long. Yes, seven hours. The reason? The network wants to give each of the 10 candidates ample time to respond to questions during this “unprecedented prime-time event.”

    Each of the 10 candidates will be given 40 minutes to discuss their plans to address climate change. Hosts Wolf Blitzer, Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper, Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon will act as moderators.
    Here’s the schedule of events…
    https://townhall.com/tipsheet/bethbaumann/2019/08/27/cnn-lost-their-mind-again-guess-how-long-their-climate-change-town-hall-is-n2552283

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    • #
      OriginalSteve

      “97%”…

      Saying that that only takes a seconds……how are they going to fill in 7 hours?

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    • #

      That’s just one group, these ten candidates.

      There are still 21 Democrats running for president, so they have two groups of ten for these ‘debates’.

      Is CNN offering the same 40 minutes per candidate for the second group?

      Tony.

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      • #

        Say,

        if the US has introduced laws to keep gender identity off birth certificates, maybe they could pass a law to keep the actual date of birth off the certificate, then AOC could claim that she already feels like she’s older than 35, then they wouldn’t need so many candidates. She’d be a dead set cert to win.

        Tony.

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        • #
          Greebo

          Don’t even joke about it, Tony. Victoria has passed that very legislation today….

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          • #
            OriginalSteve

            Victoriastan is a failed socialist state…it is expected….

            Interestingly, communists want to remove truth and reality, and replace it with foolishness….

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            • #
              Greebo

              I prefer Victorizuela… Sadly, it isn’t a failed State ( yet ). The infrastructure projects alone are a massive indication of a place that is going somewhere….. Apparently a majority of Victorizuelans are happy with the direction it’s going in. I stress apparently as I doubt that a large number of “electors” here have any idea where Red Dan is taking us. Like many others, I have little intention of sticking around to find out. This saddens me, as the former Victoria was a great place. I yearn for the Kennett years. Hell, I even yearn for John Cain and the infamous tram strike. But staying won’t change anything, Red Dan has plenty of folk he can import. I reckon ScoMo should take a leaf from The Don’s book and wall the place off. Just let me get out first.

              I have no idea what sort of fiduciary prestidigitation Andrews is using for all that is happening here, but I’m mindful of Baroness Thatcher’s maxim about socialists and money. It’ll end in tears.

              It’s ok, I’ll be better tomorrow, but the news that we now will allow people to choose whatever gender they like for their birth cert unravelled me a little. I see Roz Ward’s hand in this, and she is someone I believe should be certified.. Oh wait, we don’t do that anymore, do can we?

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            • #
              Greebo

              Sorry, but I also object to “foolishness”, unless you refer to the “electors”. Andrews is anything but foolish. He knows exactly where he is “leading” us. He is as “foolish” as Mao. I don’t suggest he is as murderous, but he wants POWER, and I don’t mean electricity. Far more than any Premier before him, he is leaving a scar on Melbourne, once the “jewell in the Empire” ( sorry ) that will never heal. His vindictiveness knows no bounds. The rail infrastructure goes underground in Labor seats, but is elevated to look down on Conservative back gardens.

              I was born in Victoria. I was proud of that. I knew that Cain and Kirner weren’t bad people. I disliked Kennett, but understood Victoria needed him. I believed Bracks was an ineffectual coward. I was at school with Brumby, and was surprised at his politics later ( I blame his choice of teaching ). But I had never seen anything malicious in any Premier in my lifetime, with the exception of Bolte’s implacability in the case of Ronald Ryan, which I found, and still find, despicable. Until now. There is a calculated malice in our current Premier, and it staggers me that people don’t see it. At the level he moves in, he is evil misery personified.

              OK, I guess I have given the mods some things to work with here, and today hasn’t been a great day, so I’ll shut up.

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      • #
        RicDre

        “That’s just one group, these ten candidates. There are still 21 Democrats running for president, so they have two groups of ten for these ‘debates’.”

        The Democrat National Committee has set up qualification standards for who can appear in the next debate. Last I heard, only 10 candidates have qualified for the debate and only those 10 will appear in the next debate. The other 11 may still be running, but if they don’t appear in the debate, they are likely toast.

        Rules to qualify for September debate:

        https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2019/05/29/2020-democratic-presidential-debates-rules-qualify-jtougher/1269047001/?utm_source=bnm&utm_medium=sem&utm_campaign=DSAnews&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyunk58ek5AIVEozICh2-MAZaEAAYAyAAEgL_f_D_BwE

        Who’s qualified:

        https://www.breitbart.com/2020-election/2019/08/26/ttom-steyers-star-may-be-rising-ahead-of-september-democrat-debate/

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  • #
    OriginalSteve

    Uh oh…more dreaded climate change on the way ( of course…what else could it be? /sarc)….need to build more bird shredders, which we can run in reverse, and blow those naughty CO2-driven rain clouds out to sea….

    Seriously… a bit of rain = “Smash“?

    https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/heavy-rain-and-strong-winds-set-to-smash-large-parts-of-country/ar-AAGpSxj?li=AAgfYrC&ocid=mailsignout

    “Heavy rain is set to smash large parts of the country as several cold fronts make landfall.

    “One cold front will cross Adelaide and Melbourne today, bringing heavy showers around midday.

    “Melbourne can expect a top of 14C, with showers continuing well into the evening.

    “A strong wind warning is in place for the West Coast, Central Coast, Central Gippsland Coast and East Gippsland Coast.

    “A minor flood warning has also been issued for the Latrobe River.
    Adelaide will reach a top of 14 and is expected to hit with showers late this morning, with wet conditions tipped to stick around for the remainder of the day.

    “The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a road weather alert for Adelaide as showers will create dangerous driving conditions around the hills late this morning and in the afternoon.
    Tasmania can expect a top of 11 today, with possible hail in the afternoon and evening.

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    • #
      Bruce J

      At 2.00pm, 11.5 in Melbourne and 1.2mm of rain since 9.00am.

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      • #
        Greg in NZ

        11.5˚Celsius? Scorching!

        But what I really want to know is – did you get smashed?

        Millimetres are becoming more dangerous – smashier! – because of a) global warming b) climate change c) Bigfoot/Yowie d) mad media?

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  • #
    Zane

    Driving from Bendigo to Geelong last week along the Ballan road I noticed a whole lot of new wind turbines. Some googling indicates they are likely part of the Moorabool Wind Farm, a $370 million boondoggle run by a company called Goldwind Australia. More googling shows this true blue sounding mob are a fully owned subsidiary of Xinjiang Goldwing Science & Technology, which is listed on the Shenzhen stock exchange. Chinese, in other words.

    This clears up two mysteries for me. On previous trips along the same stretch of road I had noticed dozens of tradie looking pickups parked in a gravel lot next to the Ballan Road and idly wondered what was going on. Secondly, I have long thought there are powerful foreign vested interests cunningly pushing all this green and renewable nonsense we are deluged with daily. Follow the money.

    Ni Hao!

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    • #
      Zane

      Correction: Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co., Ltd. Since 2010 also listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Market capitalisation $58 billion HKD, about US$7 billion. 2018 revenues of 28 billion yuan, about A$7 billion. Aside from Goldwind Australia, it has operating units in America, South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. I downloaded their 2018 Annual Report in English, which modestly mentions they are second in the world in wind power.

      It says China consumed 6.84 trillion kWh of electricity in 2018. Rather a large number. Wind power generation is supposedly 5% of total generation capacity, but no doubt actual production is far less. Coal and hydro power China. These guys are in the turbine export business. And the West is silly enough to subsidize it.

      40

      • #

        China’s electrical power generation data is interesting.

        At the end of 2018 the numbers stack up like this. (Source – China Electricity Council)

        Total Generated Power – 6994TWH (Australia power generation Multiplied by 28) (China’s population is Australia multiplied by 57)

        Thermal – 70.39% (and here, 98% Plus of that figure is coal fired power, as they have very little natural gas fired power at all)
        Hydro – 17.63%
        Nuclear – 4.21%
        Wind – 5.23%
        Solar – 2.54%

        Of that total, the power for the Residential Sector comes in at 14.14%. Here in Australia, anything up to 38% of power goes to the residential sector.

        Tony.

        80

    • #
      Kinky Keith

      Same thing in Vietnam.

      A satisfactory power system based on coal suddenly needs the boost provided by wind turbines and solar panels everywhere.

      Bloody useless power generation in exchange for? Forex transfer from Chyna/Deutschland to a location of your choice.

      Anywhere outside VN will fine.

      KK

      60

      • #
        Zane

        There is a power plant complex near Vung Tau that supplies 40% of Vietnam’s electricity. It runs on natural gas coming by pipeline from offshore fields discovered by Exxon. It works out cheaper than imported coal at that location.

        50

        • #
          Kinky Keith

          Haven’t been down that way for a long time.
          Gas is there, use it and it’s certainly way ahead of renewables.
          🙂

          10

  • #
    PeterS

    Many issues covered here. I now question even more if Australia can avoid a crash and burn scenario within the next 10 years or so. Degradation and/or increasing costs of water, power, food, petrol, etc.. All boring stuff for politicians yet super critical for any nation. So far all Morrison has shown is a strong interest in reducing our emissions at a somewhat lesser amount than the ALP+Greens. Big deal. So we avoided Shorten the nation destroyer and instead have someone who is in effect letting things go the same way. Not a real benefit in my way of thinking. Instead of building dams, coal fired power as well as nuclear power stations so our nation can get on with the job of turning things around and avoid going off the cliff, the government is still acting as though nothing is wrong and in some cases is saying it’s actually fine. As I suspected for some time now it will have to take major crisis or two to wake enough people up. Of course it will be far too late by then but at least we can start over again.

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    • #
      Graeme No.3

      There is a lot of concern about the coming summer. 2 stations in Victoria are out of action and are hoped to be back in service before January, but that will only restore the status of last summer when there were rolling blackouts.

      30

  • #
    Bill in Oz

    Here isa thought to think about here
    The boosters & propagandists of Global Warming nonsense
    Should be denigrated for what they are.
    But I suggest that this NOT be done to the faithful sheep.
    Who are merely following their leaders
    To ‘Save’ the planet
    The sheep are just ‘Mislead’.
    It’s not worth abusing them for following their own natural instincts.
    A better way is to show that they are indeed being mislead.
    That’s what Ken’s practical analysis of BOM’s weather stations does.
    Site by site across Australia !
    Up to 57 now on Kenskingdom.

    40

  • #
    dinn, rob

    China news–World Bank, Uighur, Chinese researchers in US: https://balance10.blogspot.com/2019/08/world-bank-officials-have-issued-loan.html

    20

  • #
    pat

    Sky’s summary is deceptive; it states Angus Taylor says –

    “Andrews Government needs to explain to Victorians why it is failing to integrate renewables into the state”

    which suggests they should have even more RE.
    but it is the Sky presenter who makes the statement and she actually says “why it is failing to ADEQUATELY integrate”, meaning the Vic Govt has failed to integrate RE into the grid.
    Federal Shadow Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, then comes on to say it’s self-evident, we need more RE in the economy, that’s how we create jobs and get prices down. it’s an important thing…

    VIDEO: 26 Aug: Sky News Australia: Taylor warns Vic’s renewable target could cost households $8,200
    The federal and Victorian governments have clashed over the “significant” cost and local impact of meeting the state’s renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2030.
    Energy Minister Angus Taylor claims it would cost Victorians between $15.4 and $18.7 billion to meet the target, based on analysis of figures from the CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), meaning households could be hit for $8,200 each.
    He said the Andrews Government needs to explain to Victorians why it is failing to (ADEQUATELY) integrate renewables into the state and how it will keep electricity flowing across summer.
    Mr Taylor also warned the costs could flow onto other states and raise electricity prices…
    https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6077199440001

    Victorians could be hit with $18.7bn renewables bill
    Herald Sun – 25 Aug 2019
    Victorian households could be forced to dig deep over the next decade to fund the Victorian government’s ambitious renewable energy target…The Victorian Renewable Energy Target will cost up to $8200 per household, according to federal government analysis…
    Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor said Victorians should be demanding answer…

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  • #
    Zane

    State governments are still riding high on property taxes and transfer fees, GST sharing from Canberra, and pokie and gambling revenues. That and ultra low interest rates allows subsidies to continue and multi-hundred million dollar renewable projects to be financed. And a huge increase in public service staff and big infrastructure projects in Metro areas. The endless real estate boom and the trillions printed by the world’s central bankers are unwittingly keeping the renewables scam on the rails.

    50

  • #
    pat

    25 Aug: SBS: AAP: Wind turbines killing endangered birds
    BirdLife Tasmania says wind farms are killing endangered birds, including the Wedge-tailed Eagle, in the move towards renewable energy.
    Critically-endangered species are among those being killed, BirdLife Tasmania spokesman Eric Woehler said on Tuesday.
    “The blade is sometimes approaching 300 kilometres per hour, so the birds don’t recognise that as a threat and don’t change their behaviour around them,” Dr Woehler told AAP…

    “We’re building all of these things, and we need to have renewable energy – but it has to be done in such a way to not make things worse for critically endangered species.”
    Dr Woehler was unable to quantify the bird deaths but said that anecdotally, as more wind farms were emerging, greater numbers of birds were being found dead with blade-strike injuries…
    Last year alone, 29 wedge-tailed Eagles died after flying into overhead ***powerlines associated with Tasmanian wind farms***, he added…

    The island state already had three wind farms, but another 10 were in the works and the “most worrying” is the looming largest in the southern hemisphere on Robbins Island, in far northwest Tasmania.
    “Its turbines will threaten migratory Arctic shorebirds, some already listed as critically endangered, that make the Robbins Passage-Boullanger Bay wetland complex their southern summer home,” Dr Woehler said…
    https://www.sbs.com.au/news/wind-turbines-killing-endangered-birds

    ***when ABC reported the 29 deaths caused by “powerlines”, it was not made clear the powerlines were associated with Tasmanian wind farms:

    4 Jul: ABC: Wildlife expert Nick Mooney says eagle windfarm deaths higher than reported
    ABC Radio Hobart By Georgie Burgess
    A wildlife expert has called for independent monitoring and studies into eagle deaths caused by windfarms, warning the problem is only going to get worse as the industry expands in Tasmania.
    Under Commonwealth legislation, windfarm companies agree to “offsets” when an endangered bird is killed.
    Offsets include the companies paying compensation, funding research or the protection of nest sites.
    “A lot of people call it blood money — it’s compensation for killing endangered species,” wildlife biologist Nick Mooney told Leon Compton on ABC Radio Hobart…

    Musselroe Wind Farm, Tasmania’s largest, has reported 11 wedge-tail eagle deaths and one white-bellied sea eagle death since it was constructed in 2013.
    Mr Mooney believes the mortality rate is higher
    “We don’t know how many are killed, there is no proper study,” he said.
    It is estimated there are less than 350 breeding pairs of the endangered Tasmanian wedge-tail eagles, and in 2017–18, 29 were killed by ***powerlines…

    Mr Mooney said while there is no suggestion companies are hiding bird deaths, the system of reporting was a potential conflict of interest.
    “The amount of offsets you pay is related to the number of eagles you’re found to be killing,” he said.
    He said searches for dead or injured birds were often underneath and near turbines, meaning some may not be found and reported.
    “Anything with wings is going to wobble off.”
    Mr Mooney said real data needed to be collected, and a proper study of eagle populations around windfarms was needed.
    “It’s inexcusable not to have eagles with GPS packages on them to find out how many were killed,” he said…READ ALL
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-04/wildlife-expert-nick-mooney-calls-for-windfarm-eagle-death-study/11274334

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    • #
      Zane

      ” We need to have renewable energy “. Ah, the green brainwashing runs deep. Repeat a lie often enough and everyone believes it. No, nobody needs renewable energy in the form of wind. Least of all Tasmania which has hydro for its modest electrical requirements.

      40

    • #
      pat

      Winds of change: bird risks sway the Greens
      The Australian-25 Aug 2019
      The Victorian Greens have qualified their support for wind farms, saying … western Victorian wind farm where three wedge-tailed eagles have been… Pacific Hydro confirmed the deaths of the eagles at its Yaloak South wind farm in January and told media then that they had been reported to relevant authorities when they were discovered in August and September last year…

      URL says “Victorian Greens say wind farms are no good if they kill birds”. however, that’s not quite what the summary says:

      AUDIO: 8min46sec: 26 Aug: 3AW: Tom Elliott: Victorian Greens stand by wind farms, but urge careful consideration amid bird concerns
      Just a month ago a former greens leader was opposed to a wind farm on an island off North West coast of Tasmania, now some Victorian Greens members have said wind farms aren’t good because they kill birds.

      State Member for Brunswick and Victorian Greens’ energy spokesman, Dr Tim Read, told 3AW Drive he does not agree, but there needs to be better judgement on where they go.
      “We strongly support wind farm, it’s critically important that we have more wind farms and soon,” said Dr Read.
      “You need to use some judgement as to where they go.
      “Research suggests each turbine might kill one or two birds a year.
      “But cats kill around a million birds a day in Australia and climate change is going to kill a whole lot more birds.”

      Dr Read did suggest that there are ways of combating bird deaths.
      “There is a bird identifying technology you can put in sensitive areas to stops the turbines,” said Dr Read.
      “I’m not sure how cost effective it is.”
      https://www.3aw.com.au/victorian-greens-say-wind-farms-are-no-good-if-they-kill-birds/

      28 Aug: SolarQuotes: Victorian Greens Continue Push For 100% Renewable Energy By 2030
      by Michael Bloch
      The Victorian Greens will move an amendment in State Parliament this week to boost the Victorian Renewable Energy Target for 2030 to 100%.

      The Andrews Labor Government introduced the Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Amendment Bill 2019 into Parliament last month. It would lift the current VRET of 25 per cent renewables by 2020 and 40 per cent by 2025 to 50 per cent by 2030.
      Member for Brunswick, Dr. Tim Read, says this isn’t enough.
      “Victoria is already on track to reach this target by 2029,” said Dr. Read. “We need a more ambitious target to adequately respond to the climate emergency and to provide stable and reliable energy for Victorian homes and businesses.”…

      The Greens also say they support the Andrews Government’s goal of putting solar panels on 650,000 homes through its (currently very problematic) Solar Homes program, but they’ll take it further. This includes a “Solar Gardens” program, which would provide $1,000 to each adult living in a rental home or apartment for the purposes of buying into a large rooftop solar power system installed in their local area…

      UPDATE: The Victorian Government has boosted solar rebate allocation (LINK) – and in a big way.
      https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/victoria-greens-renewables-mb1190/

      28 Aug: SolarQuotes: NEWSFLASH – Big Boost To Victorian Solar Rebate Allocations
      by Michael Bloch
      The Victorian Government has listened to the concerns of the community and the state’s residential solar power sector, announcing this morning a major increase in solar panel rebate allocations for next month.
      This month’s allocation of 3,767 rebates was gone in just 90 minutes after release on August 1, leaving thousands of Victorians frustrated and more businesses in dire straits.

      Solar Victoria announced this morning for September, the program will release 6,500 rebates on September 2 (next Monday) and a further 3,250 rebates two weeks later, for a total of 9,750 rebates across the month…
      Solar Victoria says the value of the rebate will remain the same for now; i.e. up to a value of $2,225 or 50% of the price of a solar power system – whichever is lowest…
      The entire Solar Homes Package program runs over ten years and aims to support the installation of PV, solar hot water systems or battery storage for 770,000 homes…READ ON
      https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/victoria-solar-rebate-boost-mb1192/

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      • #
        Zane

        It would take rather a large cat to kill an eagle. The kind of cat that might be more common in the wild in, say, Tanzania.

        30

        • #
          Graeme#4

          One of the feral cats I saw up close was larger than a small dog – a big beast, a lot bigger than your average moggie.

          30

  • #
    pat

    Wind turbines ‘an extinction threat’ for birds
    The Australian-12 Aug 2019
    There are fears the wind farm boom will push endangered species such as the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle, swift parrot and orange-bellied parrot closer to extinction…

    Fears mutton birds will be blinded by the light at wind farm site
    Townsville Bulletin – 26 Aug 2019
    The Tasmanian Aboriginal community is the latest group to raise … It was revealed earlier this week six eagles had been killed at Tasmania’s established wind farms since January this year…

    Wind farm proponents ease mutton bird concerns
    Hobart Mercury – 26 Aug 2019
    Tasmanian Aboriginals say mutton bird colonies could be killed if they are blinded by lights from a proposed wind farm in Robbins Passage…

    Five wedge-tailed eagle nesting sites found within proposed St Patrick Plains wind farm location
    Hobart Mercury – 20 Aug 2019

    16 Aug: The Advocate: Central Highlands wind farm wedge-tailed eagle safety plans
    by Sean Ford
    Proposed Central Highlands wind turbines will be located to avoid any significant risk of being struck by wedge-tailed eagles, the proponent says.
    Sydney-based renewables company Epuron is proposing a 67-turbine wind farm development at St Patricks Plains, south of Great Lake and Arthurs Lake.
    The project would have tower heights of 150 metres and proposed blade length of 90 metres.
    In documents lodged with the federal Environment Department, Epuron said an “eagle utilisation survey” over 24 months would be completed, and wedge-tailed eagle activity would be mapped.
    “If this plan identifies a conflict between flight paths and turbine locations, the configuration of turbines will be amended to avoid any significant risk of eagle strike,” the documents said…

    Construction work would be timed and designed to avoid disturbance of active nests.
    The company said a nest survey in February across the proposed turbine locations and a 1 kilometre buffer zone confirmed five registered nests in the project area and recorded three new nests.
    There were other nests near the site boundary…
    The company said the project, without mitigation measures, would have potential to have a significant impact on the species within the project area.
    The project would require assessment by the Environment Protection Authority and Central Highlands Council approval.
    Australian-owned Epuron also has potential wind farm projects at Hampshire and Guildford, south of Burnie.
    https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/6332645/central-highlands-wind-farm-wedge-tailed-eagle-safety-plans/

    00

    • #
      pat

      RE EPURON: theirABC hides their minimal coverage way down on a Tasmanian News page, even tho they are informing the public the project is open for comment until August 28, for which a link is provided. who on earth would get to read it?

      16 Aug: ABC Tasmanian news: Two in custody after body found, suspect sought after aggravated burglary
      SCROLL DOWN TO FIFTH STORY
      Nests in danger zone
      A wedge-tailed eagle study has revealed at least eight nest sites in an area proposed for the development of 80 wind turbines in Tasmania’s Central Highlands
      Sydney-based company Epuron is behind the 300-megawatt, $500 million Saint Patrick’s Plains project, and is aiming to get construction started by early 2023.

      “We’ll be studying eagles in terms of nesting locations and also flight paths and utilisation of the area and I expect there will be further changes as a result of what we learn,” Epuron’s Martin Poole said.

      The project is open for comment until August 28 on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation website (LINK).
      https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-16/tas-news-brief-16-august/11419298

      00

  • #
    pat

    27 Aug: KTAB: Taylor Co. wind turbine fire at 200 acres and 50% containment
    by Martín Mercado
    ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – A wind turbine caught on fire in southwest Taylor County late Monday afternoon.
    Crews worked all night putting containment lines and forward progression has stopped.
    According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the fire is estimated at 200 acres and 50% containment.
    TWEET PIC
    https://www.bigcountryhomepage.com/news/taylor-co-wind-turbine-fire-at-200-acres-and-50-containment/

    27 Aug: KTAB: Wind turbine that caught fire was last serviced in January
    by Kelsee Pitman
    You can still see smoke coming off the ground a day after the fire that was started by a wind turbine Monday afternoon.
    “As a result of the embers coming off of that, it created this wildfire,” said Mary Leathers, Public Information Officer for The Texas A&M Forest Service.
    The Texas A&M Forest Service brought in the heavy air tanker, the single-engineer tankers and type one helicopter to help them…

    Margie Hughes, who lives in the area, has been bringing food and drinks to the fire crews.
    “I had no way of knowing, but they have started fires in the past since they have been out here.”…

    AES, who maintains the wind turbine that caught fire and 300 more in the area, says this particular turbine was last serviced in January. The forest service says they are in contact with area turbine companies.
    “Windmill companies are being very diligent, they know the weather conditions, so they are looking at the windmills, and looking at service, and some of them that have maybe needed some mechanical work, they shut them down so they don’t spin, and they are not energized so that they can do work on them. In fact, today the company has a service person working on some of the windmills to make sure that this doesn’t happen in the future,” said Leathers…
    https://www.bigcountryhomepage.com/news/wind-turbine-that-caught-fire-was-last-serviced-in-january/

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  • #
    pat

    27 Aug: Breitbart: Bernie Sanders Hits Andrew Yang’s Proposed Universal Basic Income: ‘People Want to Work’
    by Hannah Bleau
    Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) took aim at fellow presidential candidate Andrew Yang’s (D) proposal for universal basic income, telling Hill.TV that a federal jobs guarantee is preferable because “people want to work.”
    Yang – who saw a spike in Emerson Polling’s recent survey (4 percent support) and qualified for September’s Democrat presidential debate – has touted his universal basic income plan, promising to give U.S. citizens $1,000 a month…

    “We take a very different approach from Mr. Yang and that is I believe in a jobs guarantee,” Sanders continued…
    Sanders’ website provides similar details on his federal jobs guarantee, assessing that the U.S. will need “millions of workers to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure—roads, bridges, drinking water systems, wastewater plants, rail, schools, affordable housing—and build our 100% sustainable energy system” as part of his Green New Deal…
    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/08/27/bernie-sanders-hits-andrew-yangs-proposed-universal-basic-income-people-want-to-work/

    24 Aug: CleanTechnica: Elon Musk’s Long-Standing Support of Basic Income (& Thus Support of Andrew Yang)
    by Michael Barnard
    Elon Musk recently threw his support behind 2020 Democratic Party presidential candidate Andrew Yang. At one level, this seems unsurprising, as Yang is a technology entrepreneur and hence someone Musk would have more affinity with than other political candidates. However, the support appears to be strongly related to Universal Basic Income (UBI), Yang’s signature platform policy, branded as the Freedom Dividend…

    Recently, Elon Musk was interviewed by CNBC (LINK) and made an assertion that ran shivers up a few spines:
    “There is a pretty good chance we end up with a universal basic income, or something like that, due to automation.”…

    Studies suggest that from almost half to two-thirds of jobs globally are likely to be replaced by automation over the next three decades. What will those people do? How will they buy food and shelter? How will they adapt to the changes?
    There is a strong set of historical precedents that new jobs will emerge and that people will end up in them…

    Socialists vs Libertarians on basic income…READ ON
    https://cleantechnica.com/2019/08/24/elon-musks-long-standing-support-of-basic-income-thus-support-of-andrew-yang/

    12 Aug: TheFederalist: Elon Musk Endorses Andrew Yang For President
    By Tristan Justice
    2020 Democratic presidential candidate and tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang scored a major endorsement this weekend from fellow tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, the founder of PayPal who now leads SpaceX and Tesla…
    Musk’s tweet was a welcome endorsement for Yang, who has struggled to garner support in the crowded field of candidates in the Democratic primary…

    Musk endorsed the Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016 but joined President Donald Trump’s economic advisory team after the president’s inauguration. Musk’s tenure only lasted a few months, however: he left the team in June 2017 over the administration’s policies regarding climate change…
    Real Clear Politics’ latest aggregate of polls shows Yang with an average of 1.3 percent support in the polls.
    https://thefederalist.com/2019/08/12/elon-musk-endorses-andrew-yang-president/

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  • #
    Karabar

    At 16:43 AEST, with nothing from the Bass Link, Queensland and SA! are supplying Victoria with power, where the price is currently $543! And without the Bass Link, it has been about $22.51 in Tassie all day.

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  • #
    Another Ian

    Our wildlife update for the year

    Three new ones this year so far

    In June a Woma python.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woma_python

    Neighbours get them but that is the first we’ve seen here since 1947. Plenty of carpet snakes.

    In the last few days

    Kangaroo rat in the garden

    Squatter pigeon in a paddock

    20

    • #
      Kinky Keith

      We have a blue tongue lizard that has been coming out of the rocks for the last two weeks to get some sun. Still a bit too cold for him in the shade.

      10

  • #
    pat

    tons more publicity to encourage further protests. “hundreds” becomes “more than 100”, but it’s a “mass demonstration”! “jovial” in headline is ridiculous. if nothing else, these tactics are infuriating the public more and more with each “stunt”:

    VIDEOS/PICS: 28 Aug: Daily Mail: ***Hundreds of jovial ‘extremist’ climate change protesters and grinning Greens politicians spark chaos in Brisbane’s CBD by blocking roads during peak hour – bringing the city to a standstill
    •***Mass demonstration sparks traffic and commuter chaos in the Brisbane CBD with streets closed to traffic
    •Demonstration for climate change and against Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s new anti-protest laws
    •Brisbane Council lost last minute court battle on Tuesday to stop the protest march from happening
    •Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner described protesters as ‘extremists’ and worse than the CMFEU
    By Kylie Stevens
    ***More than 100 climate change protesters have gathered in Brisbane’s CBD, sparking traffic and commuter chaos.
    The ***mass demonstration led by Brisbane Greens councillor Jonathan Sri got underway at 8am on Wednesday morning and made their way to state parliament for a morning of protests and speeches…

    (Brisbane-based Greens MP Michael Berkman) fears the anti-protest new laws will unwind the progress made after the Joh Bjelke-Petersen era.
    He also claimed protest organisers offered to walk down Queen Street Mall instead to not disrupt traffic.
    ‘Brisbane City Council refused to let them – said they had to march on the streets instead,’ Mr Bermkan tweeted…

    The traffic disruptions caused left many frustrated commuters.’
    ‘Brisbane ratbag protesters, enabled by leftie magistrate, are given free reign by without views presented by sensible people whose lives, businesses are disrupted as idiots want to protest for right to protest, one posted.

    The protest went ahead after Brisbane Council lost a last minute court battle to stop the march organised by Councillor Sri…
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7400773/Traffic-chaos-Brisbanes-CBD-climate-activists-protest.html

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  • #
    Another Ian

    For the mathematically inclined

    “Yesterday Oz linked a Breitbart article about computer scientist David Galernter and the math deficiencies related to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Embedded in that story was a link to an hour long youtube discussion about those math problems. Very interesting and worth an hour of your time.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noj4phMT9OE

    http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/index.php/2019/08/28/august-28-2019-reader-tips/#comment-1233609

    10

    • #
      Kinky Keith

      Hi Ian, sounds interesting but I haven’t looked at the link yet.

      One thing that concerns me is that the person pushing this is a mathematician.
      If it was a biologist taking support from a mathematician it might be more logical.
      From recent experience over the last few years it seems that there’s a Big Religious push to discredit evolution theory, I hope that isn’t what’s driving this bloke.

      Since the end of world war two there has been a new line of study on what happens during pregnancy and how the mother can transmit her physical experience of her living conditions to the developing phoetus.
      Sort of like instant evolution.
      🙂

      00

  • #
    beowulf

    Breaking news on Brexit.

    Sky is reporting that Boris Johnson is off to ask the Queen to prorogue parliament from Sept 9th to stop Remainers from derailing Brexit again (parliament is still in recess ATM). I believe there is a 5 or 6 week limit on the duration of prorogation so there will still be a week or 2 of parliament sitting before the October 31st Brexit deadline, hopefully too little time to sabotage it.

    Boris has been taking legal advice on prorogation for the past week or so. Whether he is serious or is using this to pressure the EU into a new deal, only Boris knows, but he looks serious.

    Expect the caterwauling to commence in earnest. The Left will go berserk.

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  • #
    Graeme#4

    Local Perth news folks are bloviating about the “record temperature” of 30 degrees, totally forgetting that the last benchmark in 1940 was measured on top of a cool hill, about two degrees lower than the current measurement site. Every time the BOM talks about “record heat” in Perth, they always go right back to include the previous cooler measurement sites. But if they mention an unusual cold snap, they only go back to the start of the new measurement site. When will our news reporters ever question this clear case of BS.

    30

  • #
    Greg in NZ

    Almost September and still no hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean
    let alone any major ‘Category Six’ monsters –
    so much for the hottest summer/year/decade/century/millennia evah!

    http://tropical.atmos.colostate.edu/Realtime/index.php?loc=northatlantic (ACE)

    NOAA are so desperate they’re christening/naming any swirly cloud they see on the horizon:

    https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ (tropical storms Dorian and Erin)

    Poor east coast USA surfers doing it tough this year: no hurricanes = no waves.
    *Climate Change© now causes wave drought – 10 years and surf will be extinct – PANIC!

    30

  • #
    Hanrahan

    Looking at Greta Yhunberg’s trans-Atlantic plot they have been stalled 6 miles out of harbour for a few hours. Obviously wanting to make a triumphant entrance in daylight.

    https://www.windy.com/track-team-malizia-and-greta-on-their-journey-across-the-atlantic?40.590,-74.020,18

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    pat

    how pathetic. don’t hold your breath waiting for the Govt to withdraw from Paris:

    Scott Morrison says China needs to start cutting emissions
    The Australian – 13 hours ago
    Scott Morrison has signalled China needs to start curtailing its carbon emissions…

    VIDEO: 1min02sec: 28 Aug: news.com.au: PM urges China ‘emissions don’t have nationalities’
    China needs to cleave emissions if the world is to properly tackle climate change because greenhouse gases “don’t have nationalities”, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned. Beijing is not obliged to begin reducing emissions until 2030 under the Paris Agreement, despite producing a mammoth portion of global input. Australia counts for 1.3 per cent of the world’s emissions compared to China’s 27 per cent.
    When asked if China’s developing nation status is enough for an exemption, Mr Morrison told Sky News, “Is it about the environment or is it about the economy?” “An emission from one part of the world has the same impact on the environment as an emission from another,” he said. “If it’s about reducing emissions, at some point we need to understand that globally.”
    https://www.news.com.au/video/id-5348771529001-6078251493001/pm-urges-china-emissions-dont-have-nationalities

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  • #
    pat

    28 Aug: UK Times: Electric cars lose their value twice as fast
    by Ben Haugh
    Electric cars drop in value at almost twice the rate of petrol cars ***because of the speed at which the technology is advancing, according to research from an online marketplace.
    DoneDeal said electric cars drop in value by 41 per cent over the first three years, compared with 24 per cent for petrol cars, 43 per cent for diesel and 26 per cent for hybrids…
    The marketplace said Nissan Leaf remained the top selling electric car in Ireland this year. In total, 944 were sold in the first half of this year…

    28 Aug: ThisIsMoney: Revealed: Electric vehicles depreciate twice as quickly as petrol cars and almost as fast as out-of-favour diesels
    •Experts have warned that concerns regarding battery longevity are taking a toll
    •Valuations firm Glass’s has released a list of the fastest-depreciating plug-in cars
    By Rob Hull
    Electric cars might well be the future of motoring, but drivers are being warned that today’s models are susceptible to losing their value at an alarming rate.
    The rapid development of plug-in vehicles means electric cars on sale today are quickly outdated and become worth much less when it comes time to sell, a new study shows.
    The average electric model drops in value by 41 per cent after three years – that compares to 24 per cent for petrol cars and 26 per cent for hybrids, according to Irish online marketplace DoneDeal.

    As a result, electric models sold three years ago are depreciating almost as quickly as diesels, which have in recent years been targeted by governments and cities with higher taxation and an introduction of subsidies to use – and even park – them…

    Clancy added that as ranges of newer electric cars get longer – and the charging infrastructure also improves – the depreciation gap between electric and petrol cars should shrink.
    However, ongoing concerns regarding the longevity of electric cars, especially those used on a daily basis and charged regularly, are still impacting demand on the second-hand market…

    John Hayes, a senior lecturer in electric vehicles at University College Cork, told The Times that the ranges of electric vehicles could potentially drop by around 10 per cent over three years of use.
    A third of UK drivers like to change their cars at least every four years – this means deteriorating performance of batteries is likely to limit the appeal of electric models for used buyers, a recent survey suggests…
    He went on to add that electric car batteries are likely to have to be replaced after eight years because the battery’s range would have dropped by about 30 per cent by then…

    Below is a list of the fastest depreciating electric and hybrid models…READ ON
    https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-7402405/Electric-vehicles-depreciate-twice-quickly-petrol-cars.html

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      pat

      ‘Transition unstoppable’: Labor defends its electric vehicle target
      The Australian-27 Aug 2019
      Mark Butler has declared the transition to electric cars “unstoppable” and a “revolution”, as the Labor energy spokesman defended his…

      not the Cuban revolution!

      27 Aug: Guardian: Labor says electric cars ‘unstoppable’ and Coalition wants to make Australia ‘like Cuba’
      Mark Butler signals Labor won’t retreat from policy following election defeat
      by Katharine Murphy
      The shadow climate change minister, Mark Butler, has doubled down on the need for policy to drive the transition to electric vehicles in Australia, arguing electrification is “unstoppable” and declaring Australia will become like Cuba if the Coalition continues to obstruct progress…

      Butler has signalled Labor will review the election measures but is not inclined to retreat, remaining “engaged in this area … [to] make sure that we can play a role in ensuring that consumers get the maximum benefit from the EV revolution, because it is truly a revolution”…

      Butler said Labor drafted its election policies – which included a national electric vehicles target of 50% new car sales by 2030 – after deep engagement with stakeholders and with industry. He said while the measures were considered to be ambitious, “when you set it against where the global car industry is heading I don’t think it was a particularly remarkable policy”…
      https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/aug/27/labor-says-electric-cars-unstoppable-and-coalition-wants-to-make-australia-like-cuba

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    pat

    not in any MSM, naturally:

    27 Aug: LibertyHeadlines: Senator Urges Action as Renewables Make Electricity Less Reliable, Causing Blackouts
    ‘Stability is being disrupted by the influx of intermittent power generators…’
    Climate alarmists insist increasing renewable energy sources will save the planet.
    But Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., is among a growing number of people warning that expansion can actually degrade dependable electricity delivery.

    Cramer, a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, sent a letter (LINK) to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Neil Chatterjee on Aug. 21 outlining his concerns for the reliability of the nation’s electricity system.
    “Today, that stability is being disrupted by the influx of intermittent power generators,” Cramer wrote, referring to wind and solar energy sources…
    In an article analyzing power outages during the polar vortex in 2019, Greentech Media reported: “In extreme temperatures, solar panels can be less efficient than during normal operation. Batteries are also able to store less power. And wind turbines often can’t function in extreme cold, which can ice over blades, or in high winds.”…

    The Mail on Sunday, a British newspaper, reported problems with renewable power during widespread power outages that hit Great Britain on Aug. 9, even though a significant part of the electricity loss was linked to an offshore wind power plant failing.
    The country’s National Grid, which provides electric power transmission to the country, downplayed wind power’s failure in the biggest outage in a decade, the newspaper reported. “Yet in April, National Grid published research warning that using more renewable power sources posed a threat to the network’s ‘stability.’”

    In his letter to FERC, Cramer urged Chatterjee to re-examine America’s regulatory framework in light of renewable’s reliability problems.
    Chatterjee appears to be willing to explore the matter.
    S&P Global Platts, which provides energy information, quoted Chatterjee as hinting in June that FERC could soon “carefully consider what threats the grid should be designed to withstand, [and] what actions we can take” to improve the system.
    Chatterjee said the issue demands participation from Regional Transmission Organizations and Independent System Operators that operate electric grids, and from the states.
    https://www.libertyheadlines.com/cramer-renewables-destabilizes-electric-grid/

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    pat

    28 Aug: REchargeNews: Orsted blow as plan to double size of UK offshore wind farm blocked
    Crown Estate says it can’t rule out adverse environmental impact of 573MW Race Bank Extension
    by Andrew Lee
    Plans to double the size of the Orsted-led 573MW Race Bank offshore wind farm – already among the UK’s largest – have been blocked by Britain’s seabed landlord citing environmental fears.
    The Crown Estate said a Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) it conducted of the Race Bank Extension plan could not rule out “an adverse effect” to a conservation area off Eastern England.

    The body – which runs leasing on the seabed off England and Wales – said seeking special derogation for the project under Habitats Regulations would be a “first for the offshore wind sector” that would delay the award of rights for seven other projects seeking extensions, so it had decided not to do so “at this stage”…

    Danish offshore wind giant Orsted owns 50% of the existing Race Bank wind farm, which entered service in 2018. Investment group Macquarie (37.5%) and Japan’s Sumiotmo own the rest…
    Orsted said in a statement sent to Recharge: “The Crown Estate has not awarded Race Bank Extension an Agreement for Lease (AfL) at this stage. However, we are in ongoing discussions with The Crown Estate to explore next steps and the potential routes available to ensure that Race Bank Extension remains an option for the future.”

    Last year Orsted said Race Bank Extension was “a great addition to our pipeline of development projects in the UK”. The decision is another blow to Orsted, which was recently told it faces a regulatory inquiry into the role of its Hornsea 1 offshore wind farm in a huge UK blackout…READ ALL
    https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/1842970/orsted-blow-as-plan-to-double-size-of-uk-offshore-wind-farm-blocked

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    Brett

    Christopher Monckton: New Irish study shows greenhouse gas effect cannot cause global warming

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6iOOuZCE_Y

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      Kinky Keith

      Got to the quarter mark and the message was exciting because it is such a simple thing to grasp.

      If the message can be condensed it would probably say something like:

      All of the atmospheric temperature and pressure measurements over the last 50 years have been graphed to show a continuous transition of the relationship between the two.

      This means that there are no discontinuities between pressure and temperature from ground level up to the stratosphere.

      This result shows that the atmosphere is in equilibrium that is controlled solely by conduction and that there is No Possibility of the greenhouse effect being operative in that situation.

      Lord Monckton is basically a mathematician who pulls apart the stated IPCCCCC thesis rather than looking at the alternate science so the constant mention of a doubling of CO2 causing so and so rise in temperature is a bit confusing.
      That aside he eventually gets to the Irish research which is brilliant in its simplicity and should be pushed widely.

      What he lacks in process analysis he makes up for with his energy and enthusiasm for the cause. Some of us met him at a Newcastle talk he gave and he’s a Big bloke on and off the T.V.
      We should be thankful that Lord Christopher has taken up the challenge of this scam and now pushes a simple, measured denial of an operational greenhouse effect from CO2.

      A graph set on a graphic of the “atmosphere” with a few words of explanation might make a good handout sheet to confront Gretta with. :-).

      KK

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      Eddie

      I like the way it is framed by Greta. Totally taking the wind out of her sails.

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        Kalm Keith

        Talking of wind, here in Newcastle we’ve had an unusually warm day, thin looking cloudy sky, then after sunset strong cool gusty winds. As the ABC would say, unprecedented weather.

        KK

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    David Maddison

    I have just done the Ayers Rock climb and highly recommend it for those interested but you have only until Oct 26th 2019 to do so. If you visit, the closest and only resort to stay at is Yulara about 20km from the rock. Motel accommodation is exceptionally expensive at $395 to $2000 per night (government and Aboriginal Community granted legal monopoly), at least anything available before October 26th that I could find. Cheaper options available are dormitory hostel style accommodation or camping in Yulara. From what I have read from Aboriginal Elders there is no cultural problem with people climbing the rock. The stated reason for the prohibition from the parks people is a supposed danger (Nanny Statism). I don’t believe a word of it though, they just want to cut off access because of Green infiltration. I don’t think it’s any more dangerous than a lot of other still legal activities like going to the beach or riding a bike (but wait until they ban those). Here are some warning signs on my Facebook page. You decide.

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10158801982348082&id=740348081

    Once you get to the resort there are a few local free activities but if you want to visit Ayers Rock or the Olgas it will cost you an extra $25 each for a 3 day park entry fee (extendable to 5 days) plus a 20km return bus ride to the rock costs $49 return or a return bus ride to the Olgas (50km) $95 return. Meals at the restaurants will cost $80 to $100 per person per day for three basic meals or you can go to an IGA supermarket where most things cost 2 to 3 times city prices. You can also hire a car at the airport or resort.

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