Thursday Open Thread

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151 comments to Thursday Open Thread

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    Best thread ever so far

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    David Maddison

    I posted this at the end of the last thread but I don’t think many will see it so I am reposting. It’s sickening the amount of money this country is throwing down the toilet in the pursuit of “green”.

    QUOTING MYSELF
    In this project, A$496 million is going to be spent to produce 3 tonnes of “green” hydrogen from brown coal.

    https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2020/05/15/morrison-government-paves-the-way-for-brown-hydrogen-industry/

    According to Wikipedia: As of 2020 green hydrogen costs between $2.50-6.80 per kilogram and blue hydrogen $1.40-2.40/kg compared with high-carbon grey hydrogen at $1–1.80/kg.

    At the most expensive price for “green” hydrogen it would cost $20,400, not $496 million, or over 24,000 times as much.

    Sounds like a bargain!

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      Chad

      David,
      If you read that Wiki Hydrogen article carefully, you will find that those $/kg figures refer only to the cost of the energy to release the h2 from its base ( water for “green” , Gas for Grey h2)
      They ignore all other cost inputs such as capital equipment, facilities, services, or even simple little things such as the cost of supplying RO water essential for “Green” h2 electrolysis..
      “Grey” H2, currently costs in excess of $10/kg…….”Green”, is much , much, more
      ….And if you have to store it for 3 months, That will add another $10/ kg !

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      GW

      Surprised Japan takes place in this madness. Actually, not so much. They rejected technologies like those of Mr Fukai, and Toyota is developing Mirai car. They have technologies, but not willing to use them. It is the big corporations policy, following greedy algorithms.

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    David Maddison

    I just voted in the RACV Board election. Five candidates for two positions. Only one candidate explicitly stated they were a motoring enthusiast. All the rest just engaged in woke waffle in their election statements with no reference to cars whatsoever. All part of Rudi Dutschke’s “long march through the institutions”, I guess. I don’t think the RACV has represented genuine motorist needs for a long time.

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      David

      Did the same thing but sent an e-mail to the RACV asking whether there had been a mistake in the information as I could find no mention of motoring in four of the applicants material.

      No reply as yet – not that I expect one.

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    David Maddison

    In Californiastan the governor is banning petrol and diesel cars from 2035.

    https://www.foxnews.com/auto/california-gov-newsom-order-bans-gas-diesel-cars-by-2034

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      PeterS

      That is so long away such a statement will be well and truly forgotten by then, especially since others events will eclipse it, possible a depression and/or major war. They might as well say by 2035, no child will be living in poverty. Sound familiar?

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      RossP

      California is already experiencing electricity supply issues so where is the electricity coming from for all the electric cars? Or are horse and carts going to make a comeback? Maybe they are going to build a nuclear plant on Hollywood Boulevard //

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      Colin

      Our governor (CA) is so desperate to be politically relevant that he will say anything he thinks people want to hear and/or cover his a$$ in hopes of furthering his political career.

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    DavidGeo

    Just forget the UN Climate Warming hoax propagated by carpetbaggers and use what energy sources we already have, namely thousands of years supply of reliable and affordable Coal and Natural Gas. Plant a few trees if you like and build a nuclear power plant to use that lovely Uranium we dig up from Olympic Dam. Build a nuclear bomb at the same time to deter our oriental friends for the next century. Life wasn’t meant to be easy but the UN wasn’t also meant to be stupid. They should be off feeding the masses not dictating what fuel source countries are allowed to use.

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    sophocles

    I posted about Betelgeuse’s (it’s a big red star in the constellation of Orion) dimming which raised some speculation amongst the astronomical press community about it being a possible prelude to it going nova — which would have been very exciting and incredibly spectacular if it had.

    However, it’s dimming was caused by an outburst which although not as spectacular as it would have been as a nova, is still pretty interesting. Hubble had a peek and here is an artist’s impression of what may have happened:
    https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/hubble-finds-that-betelgeuses-mysterious-dimming-is-due-to-a-traumatic-outburst

    It seems Betelgeuse has outbursts as Old Sol is reputed to do every 10,000 – 12,000 years or so — but fortunately it’s not so dangerous for us because Betelgeuse is a long way away [c.700 or so ly]. Current astronomical thinking in some quartersj is Old Sol (the sun) is a recurrent long period (c. 10,000 or 12,000 yrs) micro-nova. Now, that is dangerous for us.

    ly = light years)

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    With respect to current energy policy, and people in positions of power making (what we know are wrong) bland statements on the way things WILL be in the future with respect to Renewable weather dependent power generation, there are those of us who ‘KNOW’ that they are patently false, and some of us wonder (what with the nature of the Internet never forgetting) what will happen when none of it comes to pass, just what will they think of themselves when they have been so patently discredited for what they stated categorically in the past. Whenever I think of this, I refer back to when I started, and there is a point to the following, which is just for context.

    Twelve and a half years ago, I started what I do. Before I committed to hitting the ‘Publish Post’ button at my home site, it was a leap of faith, because, well, this was now going to be ‘out there’ and if (and when, I thought at the time) I was wrong, then it’s there for everyone to read forever.

    Before I started, there was back and forth between the site’s owner and me, with him telling me that whatever I wanted to write would be okay, and when I told him it would be something I knew, boring old electrical engineering, he said that was fine by him, anything at all. After more than a dozen emails, when he had a general idea on what I wanted to write about, he, (without any knowledge on the subject) set me an improbable task of replacing coal fired power in the U.S. with those ‘renewables’.

    I still thought that would tap me out in around a dozen, at the absolute maximum, Posts, and around a couple of Months.

    I was solidly trained in electrical engineering, and at that time, I had done zero research into those ‘renewables’, so I believed what was general thinking at that time, early 2008, that wind and solar power were the coming thing and that they would very soon displace coal fired power ….. and, as I said, I actually believed it.

    The more research I did, (daily and for many hours a day) the more I found how incompatible they were for the task, and that they were in fact, all but useless as large scale power replacement. Even after finding all this out, I still thought I was somehow wrong, because everyone else was just so d@mnned confident. I knew I would soon be found out. That original Series morphed into more than 50 separate Posts, and even though I thought I was now tapped out, I ended up just going on with it all, and I am so glad I did.

    Okay, so now, the point of all this.

    I AM electrically trained, so I know I’m on rock solid ground. I have done those 12 years of research on that daily basis of many hours a day. So, I KNOW those weather dependent power generators cannot ever replace coal fired power.

    When I see these people in power so confidently saying the diametric opposite, I think back to when I started. I KNEW electrical power, and I still believed they could do it. These people have no idea whatsoever about electricity, ….. AT ANY LEVEL, so they naturally believe that electricity is just electricity, no matter where it comes from.

    The exact same thing applies with the general people, as they too, have no concept at all about any of it, and no need to even find out.

    They can say whatever they want to, safe in the knowledge that they believe hand on heart what they are saying. If they have doubts, then they are never to be seen coming to the surface. They HAVE to be right.

    That’s what we are up against. We cannot fight that, no matter that we know they are wrong. We are marginalised nobodies, so no one will ever listen to us, no matter how right we are.

    Tony.

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      TedM

      I despair when I say that I know you are right, but you are right.

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      FarmerDoug2

      Please don’t give up Tony
      It seems about half population don’t know and don’t care. If pressed they lean woke but have no heart either way. No personal drive. (Not saying thats bad.)
      Half the rest have vested interest or have swallowed the cool aid and fight for the climate change scam to varying degrees.
      The rest of us speak up a bit occasionally depending on our commitment to the truth. Some, like Jo and you, have much commitment and some education and resources to fight for “civilisation”.
      People like me are very dependant on people like Jo and the tribe here for encouragement and information.
      I have been encouraged by just how many have quietly supported me when I have “stuck my head up”. I never would have without people like Jo and the supporters here.
      The big disappointment is that we don’t seem to actually win. Just when the truth seems to be coming out the matter gets dropped from MSM and decision makers. Surely though some of those who are in it because they swallowed the hype will start to think for themselves and the balance of “noise” will get the MSM leaning the other way. Politicians will, have to, lean where they think the votes are.
      Please don’t give up.
      Doug

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        OriginalSteve

        Agreed…eventually it make take a few black starts of the grid to get the message across, but it will.

        When SA did a North Korea a while back, it burnt a permanent hole in the cred of many politicians and RE.

        A blacked out state and households of hungry kids and no employment will convince people way quicker than we can.

        Tony, keep plugging on the info itself with calculations etc all laid out will be invaluable.

        Is there are summary article that shows the overview maths etc of why it cant work?

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        Robdel

        Patience. The days of continual blackouts will come and then the politicians who have promoted these crazy schemes had better beware!

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        PeterS

        True, we shouldn’t give up even though the LNP has. We need to keep poking at them to see if they eventually get the message and wake up. Otherwise, there is no hope for us. The problem though is the vast majority of the voters don’t give a damn or are clueless as well. So, as I keep saying it appears we will have to learn the hard way. It will be painful but that’s how the cookie crumbles.

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          Gary Simpson

          Perhaps we need to just return to the basic premise that any changes currently occurring with regard to the chaotic global system known as ‘the climate, are almost entirely due to periodic natural cycles and fluctuations. Then, any urgent rush to power society using intermittent, inefficient sources is totally unnecessary and, frankly, insane.

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      Serp

      The bottom line is that eventually, after the green idiots have had their day, there will be no option but to use the coal we’re standing on; we need to be patient is all while the big wheel keeps on turning.

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      Another Ian

      An example I use –

      The assignment is to wreck a large wooden structure and fire and explosives aren’t allowed.

      If you are patient then dry rot and termites will do the job.

      Like when the Germans copied the Mosquito with the FW 154. The RAF bombed the only factory making the glue that was used and aircraft using the substitute disintegrated with the project being ended.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Ta_154

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      Found this informative post by Tony, <http://papundits.wordpress.com/2009/08/21thelimitations-of-renewable-power-part3/&gt
      and cited in my 3rd edition of Serf Under_ground Journal, Energy's a Staff of Life…

      'An Australian Study analyses the engineering in one of these large turbines in windy Esperance, Western Australia, the kind of tower proliferating around the world. Its electric power is generated in the nacelle behind the propeller. The generator can’t be too large though, or it couldn’t be mounted off the ground, so units most commonly in use only generate about 3/4MW power output. The gear box of the unit is designed to hold the turbine at one speed, to produce maximum power and operate in prescribed wind speeds, and to lock down in high winds so the blades won’t be damaged.'

      Keep going, Tony. Truth to data, like murdre, will out!

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      Richard Ilfeld

      Tony, I believe you understate the problem.
      I am an older person, 50 years removed from my college days and 40 from my last stint as a professor.
      I have regular contact with High School folks through our aviation club’s Young eagles program
      where we give free first flights to young people trying to interest them in aviation. I still enjoy the reaction of
      a first flight immensely. I once though that the wonder might disappear when the kids had experience with drones and video games, but
      this seems not to be the case. The world from 1000 feet is still a unique view, the visceral reaction when you hand them the
      controls is the same, and the reaction the the landing from the front seat is still fun.
      Often we have real conversations, sometime longer when the weather intervenes.

      I find it sometimes is necessary to break through the bs by looking the youngsters straight in the eye and telling them “everything you know is wrong”.
      Certainly about climate change, but on nearly every other aspect of life they have been taught a narrative that does not stand up to even casual
      scrutiny. Its taken some time to develop a challenge to their narrative that is positive, fun, interesting, and non threatening, but in the end, Socrates was right.

      I feel the best course is to guide them through the discovery that the world is nowhere near as simple a place as they think it is. Since all of them readily understand that the can simply get on a jet and for a few dollars travel vast distances in a short time, and we are sitting at a small airport, the history and complexity of aviation provides a tapestry that initially seems non threatening, that, I hope, causes a few to start asking questions as well as having had a quick and hopefully fun ride.

      Over 200 and counting, and only had to use the sick sack once.

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        What a potent combo. You have authority, expertise, major speed, risk, and 1000 feet of perspective and distance above the rat race and fashion-parade on the ground. Plus it’s a one on one conversation. No groupthink.

        We should give you grants to help these younger people….

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        I remember that for my sons 16th birthday we arranged for him to have a private lesson in a small plane at the local airport as he had expressed interest in becoming a pilot

        Came the day we trooped there and I looked in horror at the small plane and was thankful that it wasn’t me going up in it.

        The instructor looked at me and my wife and said

        ‘ due to the laws on guarding the young, one of you two will need to accompany us.’

        I swear my wife took a discreet backwards step leaving me looking eager as I was rooted to the spot.

        In I get and within 10 minutes my son had been given the controls. To be fair he was very good but I was as terrified as when we had a helicopter ride over New York.

        I would definitely never go in either type of transport again.

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          yarpos

          Great that you dont let your own fears censor your support of his interests.

          My parents fueled my life passion and I didnt realise till yeas late that they lived in mortal fear each weekend that I wouldnt come home. In the long term it took me all over the world and made me a much stonger person.

          Light aircraft are definitely not for everyone, you are probably in a strong majority with your fears.

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        sophocles

        This Richard Ilfield character is a very dangerous individual suggesting the young should engage their brains and use them. He’s guilty of leading young people astray … Definitely Dangerous!

        More power to you, Richard! Fully approve so go for it.

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        PeterS

        In an age where old people with wisdom such as you are shunned if not outright criticised for even thinking that way, what hope is there? None of course. In the end civilisations come and go via the same pattern. As a Christian though I do have hope of another kind. Christians need to take the time now to fill their lamp with oil and take extra along while waiting and watching with joy and anticipation of the return of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, be it in our life time, or the next when the dead are resurrected. That’s the only thing that’s keeping me from going insane along with this insane world.

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          el gordo

          Oh my god … I have it on good authority that the deity will not be returning in the next 30 years. On the other hand, there has been chatter that the galactic brotherhood is about to make their move within that timeframe.

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            PeterS

            I didn’t say our Lord is returning in the next 30 years. He might then He might not. Christians need to be vigilant as well as waiting in anticipation. One doesn’t dare miss the “bridegroom”.

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            PeterS

            Oh by the way, if you know on “good” authority that He definitely won’t be returning within 30 years then that so called “authority” is wrong since we are told we do not know the timing of His return. Your “authority” is very possibly the evil one. I highly recommend you stay away from him for obvious reasons.

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              el gordo

              The Antichrist is announced as the one “who denies the Father and the Son.”

              I nominate Premier Xi as a candidate. Its a little known fact that 60% of US Evangelicals believe this is the end times.

              One other thing, do you think the Pauline Conversion was caused by a stroke?

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          Kalm Keith

          Peter,

          perhaps the “return” might be a reference to the renewal of awareness and acceptance of the need to take God into our lives rather than an actual tangible, talking person.

          Matthew 18:20 suggests that it’s up to us to work together now rather than wait to be “saved” at some time in the future.

          KK

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            PeterS

            He said many things. It appears you haven’t understood what Jesus said about His return. I suggest if you want to hear the Truth you study the Word of God.

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              el gordo

              Its precisely this squatting over religious interpretations of holy books which has gotten the world into such an unholy mess. The Judaeo-Christian model, encompassing the one god, is badly flawed.

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              And it is important to get your capital letters sorted out. There is truth but there is also Truth.

              God worries about these things.

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              el gordo

              ‘ … squabbling over religious interpretations …’

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              yarpos

              I always enjoy the sureity about what was allegedly said a couple of thousand years ago and gone through many generations of interpretation and Chinese whispers. But yeah, a sound basis for living.

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        Orson

        I find it sometimes is necessary to break through the bs by looking the youngsters straight in the eye and telling them “everything you know is wrong”.

        Certainly about climate change, but on nearly every other aspect of life they have been taught a narrative that does not stand up to even casual
        scrutiny.

        How depressing. I don’t doubt you, Richard. I believe you.

        The young people I know are in Northern Europe. I’m not sure how different these two 20ish types are from your young charges. But your words do not swell my interest in befriending more of them. And that’s depressing to me.

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      yarpos

      I think taking the fight outside the echo chamber, does do good though. Recently there was an very enthusiastic letter in our regional paper pumping the vitues of “RE” and bemoaning the lack of projects in our Shire.

      The guy was genuine but the item was full of memes like “powering 35000 households” , no mention of intermittency or storage, incorrect and ovestated units (M vs G confusion) So I wrote a polite (I thought) rebuttal.

      I was suprised by the positive feedback both face to face and by phone. Some noted they took away a little bit of extra stuff to think about from it. Sadly one noted fear of “repurcussions” if they stick their head up.

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      John Andrews

      Reposted on my Facebook page.

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      Travis T. Jones

      No mentiofrom their abc of a carbon (sic) induced global warming cooling.

      If it wasn’t carbon (sic) what caused the ‘not unprecedented’ cold snap, what could it be?

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        el gordo

        According to BoM its unusual but not unprecedented.

        http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDY65100.pdf

        No mention that the subtropical ridge has collapsed.

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          Greg in NZ

          Your Snowy Mountains sure look beautiful today covered in (cough!) freshly fallen late September snow. As Santa Claus would chuckle, ho ho ho! Next stop, NZ’s Southern Alps, where over ONE METRE of ‘carbon fallout pollution’ is predicted to fall on the hills, even to low levels in the far south. That imaginary ‘warming’ sure has run away, far far away…

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            el gordo

            Ahh yes, Spring is a bit like that, nothing to see here, move along.

            My question to BoM, how ‘unusual’ is this anomaly?

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              indeed and the snow season was generally poor with a couple of huge dumps and a lot of fast melting. Perisher was a field of green a couple of weeks ago.

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                el gordo

                Forget the snow season, tel me why you think the high pressure is deep in the southern ocean?

                http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDY65100.pdf

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                el gordo

                You will also notice that this wind hitting south east Australia is coming directly from Antarctica. Do you not think this odd?

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                sophocles

                Do you not think this odd?

                No, EG, it’s not odd. We’re just past the lambing season in NZ and our sheep farmers always expect this sort of weather at this time of the year … The weather obviously doesn’t like to disappoint. So don’t waste all that White Global Warming you’ve been enjoying.

                After all, there is only open sea between Antarctica and Aus all along that Southern coast line. Have you forgotten how to duck?

                And here in NZ, it’s the start of Daylight Saving Time so the weather always makes an especially strong effort to keep NZers off the beaches … Think of all those skin cancers it’s preventing!

                Hello La Nina.

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      RickWill

      Melbourne coldest spring day ever recorded. Homogeniser brains to explode. Gets tough to get an upward trend when the present is coldest ever.

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    David Maddison

    This will solve Australia’s electricity problem. Billions or trillions of these:

    https://youtu.be/EkNTAiWX8g0

    Maybe a capacity factor of 30 percent or so and 100mW name plate per unit?

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      yarpos

      30% is starting to be a magic number for so called “renewables”

      solar effective capacity about 30% of nameplate
      wind effective capacity about 30% of nameplate
      penetration of “RE” before poblems cant be hidden any more, about 30%

      if only it only drove up costs by 30%

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    joseph

    Just in case anyone here likes barbershop quartets . . . . recorded on ZOOM during COVID isolation . . . . .

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBMhNBF7sC0

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      PTR

      Thanks, restores some of my faith in human ability. Once there was a time when I could copy and save such as this using Clip Grab; seems YouTube has put an end to that, at least without subscription being paid.

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      Environment Skeptic

      Crikey!!
      So that is why we have a larynx. Always wondered about that.

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    David Maddison

    I just found out, someone has done the calculations:

    http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2018/09/many-hamsters-take-power-home-cheaper-coal-power/#:~:text=The%20amount%20of%20power%20produced,joules%20per%20second%20while%20running.

    Thus, it would take in the ballpark of 486,000 hamsters running on wheels connected to generators to produce enough electricity for an average American home for a year.

    And for further reference, given the 3 year lifespan of a typical hamster kept in captivity, to power a home for the average amount of time a typical homeowner lives in it (13 years according to National Association of Home Builders), you’d need well over 2.1 million hamsters, with a little excess to account for baby and elderly hamsters not pulling their own weight.

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    Transmission study from China, in August:

    Contact Settings and Risk for Transmission in 3410 Close Contacts of Patients With COVID-19 in Guangzhou, China

    3410 close contacts of 391 index cases were traced between 13 January and 6 March 2020. Data on the setting of the exposure, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing, and clinical characteristics of index and secondary cases were collected.

    Bottom line: asymptomatic cases infected 1 person out of 305 close contacts.

    This confirms the June article in Reuters saying:

    China does not count people who are infected with the virus but do not show symptoms of the disease as confirmed cases.

    Officials told reporters in a briefing that […] the asymptomatic carriers had been found not to be infectious; masks, toothbrushes, phones, door handles and elevator buttons that they touched had no traces of virus.

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    OriginalSteve

    I love this bit , a link from the hamster article….

    https://road.cc/content/news/11779-cyclists-power-family-home-bbc-show-highlight-energy-wastage

    “Cyclists power family home on BBC show to highlight energy wastage
    “How many cyclists does it take to power a kettle, iron, light bulb? Quite a lot…

    “How many cyclists does it take to power a lightbulb? That’s just one of the questions that will be answered in a programme on BBC1 tonight that harnesses pedal power to highlight how much electricity it takes to keep various appliances in the home running, and just how much we waste by leaving devices switched on.

    “‘The first problem was that a number of the cyclists’ efforts were used up in maintaining what we call base power,” he said. “When estimating how many cyclists we’d need, we’d factored in such things as lights being left on, but we hadn’t counted on things like the warming plate on the coffee machine being left on all day. Supplying that limited who was available to provide power for other items the family needed throughout the day, such as the oven and the washing machine”

    ““But the real problem came in the afternoon, when the family started cooking, playing computer games and doing the vacuuming – all at once,” he continued. “To attempt to keep up, we were in emergency mode, with nine groups pedalling at full-throttle, while one group rested for just a minute.

    “‘Some of the riders were in absolutely agony, their legs were cramping, they were screaming in pain and sweating profusely. Still, the family used more energy than we could provide – the oven was on for nearly three hours – and eventually the power supply cut out. By the end of the day, the cyclists were completely exhausted, and these are all extremely fit people used to cycling very long distances.”

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      Slithers

      AND of course no mention of how much food those cyclists had to eat or time pedaling!
      Tony from Oz could do a capacity factor perhaps!

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    Environment Skeptic

    Carbon batteries would solve all this. OK, they are bigger than an equivalent Lead acid or metal hydride, or lithium type, but who cares?. . . if carbon batteries take up more space, we all have plenty of that right??

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      Environment Skeptic

      Hydrogen power is so dated. Carbon energy storage is the new frontier.

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        MP

        Sounds great, how much power does this make?

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        Chad

        Yes !
        Solid carbon energy storage ,..24Mj / kg ( 6.5kWh).. a brilliant concept !
        Easy to produce
        Easy to transport
        Stable and cheap to store
        It energy can be utilised easily , anywhere with no special equipment required.

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      neil

      I used to work in the solar industry, you remind me of the morons who would compare the advertised “efficiency” of solar panels, ignorantly believing that a 14% u 200W panel would provide more energy than a 13.5% u 200W panel. But in reality they both generate 200W but the “less efficient” panel was a little bit bigger because it had a bigger stronger frame and would be more durable in harsh weather so was the superior product but you just couldn’t make the morons understand.

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      yarpos

      depends where you are deploying said batteries

      in a UK housing estate it may be an issue

      in the fantasy land where eveyone has thei own block, own roof and own garage probably fine.

      nothing will be a silver bullet anyway. There will always be a range of solutions. If only we knew what the problem really was.

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        Environment Skeptic

        One of the major great things about using some ultra/super-capacitors in a PV battery system is voltage stabilisation.

        There is no need for a massive battery bank to stabilise the PV off grid system. All that is needed in the simplest scenario where there is 2kw of PV generation on the roof is a MPPT (maximum power point tracking) charge controller to charge nothing more than a car battery for a small car, a string of super capacitors wired in parallel to the single battery, and a transfer switch to switch from solar to grid when power from the PV is not sufficient, in this case loads over 2kw. Transfer switch also kicks in when the battery system voltage is too low.

        It gets better….the thing about super capacitors is that they can provide enormous amount of power when starting an inductive load where a single car battery cannot. As a bonus, the super capacitors prevent the MPPT charge controller from overshooting the target voltage in this case around 13.7 volts DC, and thus stabilise the charge voltage which protects the battery and inverter.

        See if you can see why this is a major breakthrough. Also note this is not widely known in the PV off grid community although it is slowly becoming known.

        It is a little bit like a hybrid off grid system and can really save a lot on electricity bills with a very small outlay and some major advantages other PV systems do not have.

        See what you think….as a further example, there are people out there, and transport companies who are already combining the massive grunt of super capacitors (carbon batteries) to start up massive trucks and so on ditching lead acid altogether…or combining the ultra capacitors with lead acid into a hybrid battery system.

        Carbon carbon, carbon… 🙂

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          Environment Skeptic

          I make no apology for PV and battery systems still being in the dark ages. It is really not my fault this is not common knowledge at this time.

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    Lucky

    When quoting from the internet, please give the reference if the matter is important.

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      el gordo

      I think this is important, sea level rise since 1900 has been forensically analysed and the verdict is that Greenland ice melt and thermal expansion can account for all the increase.

      https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2591-3

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      Environment Skeptic

      Some easy to assimilate reference material at a DIY grassroots level. Like i said in the earlier comment, i make not apology for PV and battery systems being in the dark ages.

      “Hybrid Supercapacitor Car Battery Part 11 – 2 Year Durability Testing
      6,313 views
      •Jan 3, 2020
      From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUQemPWDAak

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        Environment Skeptic

        Woops, syntax error on my part. sorry 🙂

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        Slithers

        A very interesting video, however there is a rather large CO2 and Cost problem here.
        The amount of CO2 emmited to produce those ‘Super’ Capacitors and the scarcity and cost of the materials is ENORMOUS!
        Yes the system uses a 10 amp-hour to do the job of a 50 amp-hour battery. A lead acid battery costs way less in CO2 to produce and costs a few percent of that complicated system.
        An example of unicorns and fairies at work.
        I had a good high capacity lead acid battery in my foirst car that lasted 10 years with minimal upkeep, just a few ml of distilled water occasionally.

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          Environment Skeptic

          I was hoping you would not point out that hybrid super capacitor batteries contain vast amounts of Carbon. It is so totally depressing when a good idea is completely taken apart in such few words as though surgically!!

          My next idea is that i propose hair dryers can slash heating bills so that only 100 times less energy is used to heat the individual seeking the warmth desired. Simply by directing the nozzle of the hair dryer under a jacket so that the heat is trapped in there for a time instead of attempting to heat an entire room and the plaster, furniture and so on…You will find the logic is difficult to poke holes in as easily as you did in your previous comment.

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            Environment Skeptic

            Power points could be arranged near park benches and under bridges so that homeless people without enough finances or a job to pay for rent due to lock-downs could simply plug in their hair dryers to stay warm. Vastly more efficient than providing public housing.

            Believe me, i have been in similar circumstances in my life so this is from experience. In a civilised society, in my opinion, there should be power points everywhere!!:)

            Forward thinking governance could even supply nozzles that are temperature controlled so that inexperienced users would not burn themselves or catch fire. They could then simply find a nozzle on a cold night and enjoy the warmth of a snug nights sleep, or to dry wet socks and or clothes. The heat nozzles could be supplied near parks and areas where homeless people sleep rough.

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    sophocles

    It’s Cooling: the ENSO index shows La Nina conditions (for the last six months:)

    https://psl.noaa.gov/enso/mei/

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    • #
      Pauly

      Not quite yet. That index shows negative conditions have existed since March, but La Nina is only defined as commencing below -0.5 degC temperature anomaly. Slight variations in index definitions aside, the majority of models indicate that a La Nina episode is definitely emerging:

      https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/figure06.gif

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      MCMXLIII

      However there will be no pause in the general warming trend; I’m an empiricist, past flattening or reversal of the ongoing trend has been ‘adjusted’ away and there is no reason not to expect the same in future.

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        el gordo

        Yes, all of that, but the klimatariat cannot avoid the impact of natural variability.

        On this occasion temperatures and sea level should both fall, like in 2010-11. The coming decade appears to be cool and wet, so I think we have the opportunity to sell the idea that nothing is ‘unprecedented’.

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        sophocles

        the weather forecast I’m following says “and the next 50 years will be cool.”

        I do not see any need to change forecasts.

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    RicDre

    Green Paranoia: The Paris Agreement is Being Subverted by Evil Aussie Capitalists

    Renewable energy does not deliver a useful product, but some greens appear to be having trouble accepting this simple explanation for why the green revolution is faltering.

    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/09/24/more-green-paranoia-the-paris-agreement-is-being-subverted-by-evil-capitalists/

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    PeterS

    At least some are awake in the UK:
    Repeal the Coronavirus Act 2020

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      beowulf

      The UK coronavirus plot thickens.

      It transpires that Sir Patrick Vallance, Boris’ chief science advisor who chairs the Government’s special board on vaccines — and conveniently recommended the further 6 month lockdown in the UK — has a £600,000 conflict of interest. He was previously the President of Glaxo-Smith-Kline and still holds £600,000 of bonus shares in that company. He claimed a CV vaccine would be available by the end of the year without revealing that he has a vested interest in the company contracted to develop the vaccine. GSK has deals with both the British and US governments to supply them with Covid-19 vaccines.

      https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8766531/Chief-Scientific-Officer-Sir-Patrick-Vallance-600-000-shares-vaccine-maker-GSK.html

      ‘The policy of this Government is to try to suppress Covid at every opportunity until we get a vaccine,’ a conservative MP said.

      I somehow doubt that Sir Patrick has equivalent shares in hydroxychloroquine.

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    Furiously curious

    I’m wondering how much effect HCQ and Invermectin et al would have on the long term nasties, that covid often generates? If it was possible to clear up the symptoms in half the time, rather than just letting it rampidly(?) run it’s course , maybe that could be a good thing? Death rates are the only things ever mentioned, but if there could be an effect on residual damage by shortening the disease’ life span, why isn’t anyone thinking about that? I guess getting these drugs looked at at all is a huge battle.

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      David-of-Cooyal-in-Oz

      G’day F c,
      It’s my understanding that hcq + zinc completely (?) stops the virus from replicating, and I think that means “anywhere in the body”, not just in the lungs. So those “nasties” could not develop. But is that completeness dependent on timeliness of starting treatment, or…??
      Is that also true for Ivermectin? I’ve not followed that line in much detail.
      The other one is vitamin D, and I think if a person has, and maintains, an adequate blood level that person will survive unharmed, even through multiple exposures. But, the “maintains” is essential.
      Cheers
      Dave B

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    el gordo

    Intuitively, the NAO should go negative and produce an early start to winter in Europe.

    https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/pna/nao_index.html

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    Chad

    Tesla’s latest battery plan.
    Tesla have just had another presentation of their future plans.
    Much of it revolves around a new battery “Cell Format” and construction/production method.
    Lots of tech detail i wont bore you with, but they are claiming to be developing a new “4680” 25 Ah capacity , lithium, cell design (thats 46mm dia and 80 mm tall), with special “tabless , dry electrolyte, construction internally”.
    One of the key points is that they claim they can produce these new cells faster and cheaper.
    Cut to the chase… by 2030, they claim they will be producing 3000 GWh of cell capacity per year ( which is 100 times more than current production from their “GigaFactory).
    Also claimed , is a cost reduction of 56% for assembled packs, ( currently analysists calculate Tesla’s pack cost is us$219/kWh ),..
    The only snag is….. currently this new “wonder” cell is not yet developed for production and the equipment to produce it does not exist !
    If you have an hour to spare..its all here ..
    https://youtu.be/AqywRziE7pk
    Those boys sure know how to sell an idea !

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      Graeme#4

      Didn’t watch the full length version, only the short version.
      My take is that they have achieved a “better” battery by increasing the size and adding more internal connections, thus I presume lowering both the internal resistance and the manufacturing costs. However, I gained the impression that the internal chemistry hadn’t altered. So it’s an incremental improvement, not a breakthrough.
      Am I correct in my assumptions?

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        Chad

        If they do what they propose, it will be the first cell with a “dry” coated electrolyte, as opposed to the wet polymer construction normally used, hence avoiding the need for large thermal drying ovens required for the polymer build.
        So its a new size, new construction, and a new manufacturing process…
        All major challenges.

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          Graeme4

          Ok thanks Chad – another improvement that I hadn’t picked up on. But in the end, just improvements, no breakthroughs.

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    yarpos

    Light dusting of global warming on the nearby hills today.

    Bit chilly for late September

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      Annie

      I drove through quite heavily falling snow over the Black Spur late afternoon. Quite a bit had settled but as it is wet it will probably not last long. This global warming is quite pretty, if a tad uncomfortable.

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        Annie

        It’s not the first time; in August 1997 I towed a double-axle furniture trailer over there in the snow. At least that was more to be expected as it was still winter!

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    OriginalSteve

    In the spirit of an open forum…

    An interesting take on things, 2 hours long, seems to align fairly well with other research done on the matter. Puts climate change and corona in overall context. I dont agree with everything in the film. Thought provoking none theless….

    https://youtu.be/x-CrNlilZho

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    Yonniestone

    Currently snowing in Ballarat

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      Yonniestone

      Its actually a decent cover, if it keeps up it could be a foot deep by tomorrow and I’m out delivering in it!

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      • #
        MCMXLIII

        Yes and not just ‘flurries’ as reported in the media.
        The temperature at 1:30 pm was 0.2C while the lowest maximum for September since 1957 was 6.0C on September 11, 1969.

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    RickWill

    My wife thinks there will be a high demand for TV sets over the weekend; a result of Dan Amnesia giving 2 hours of evidence that shed no light on the failures in hotel quarantine and people hurling heavy objects at his image.

    It was determined
    1. The government was responsible for the care of returned travellers in hotel quarantine.
    2. Dan was aware of the cowboy nature of the private security industry.
    3. Dan was aware that private security was one of the options being considered for hotel quarantine.
    4. The collective decision making was more a matter of rolling assumptions that no one took responsibility for.

    His only option, with the death of some 800 Victorians on his hands, is for hime to step down. There is no one in charge of the lunatic asylum that Victoria has become.

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      Stanley

      He should step down after punting the MOH and Head of PNC, among others. Mikakos is cactus?

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    • #
      Another Ian

      A comment on Ben Fordham’s show this afternoon (the gist as I recall it)

      “Those security guards were/are being paid. Government money. Means there were contracts. Find copies of those and see who signed them and start the unravelling”

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    • #
      yarpos

      Why is this hard?

      A public servant contracted private security.

      Who directed them to tender and contract?

      Go to that person, “on what basis did you issue that instruction?”

      If they point upstream, go to that person , “on what basis did you issue that instruction?”

      Rinse and repeat until you get to the source , or at least till you get to two people pointing at each other

      This would only take a couple of honest people a short time to do?

      Are we really expected to beleive the complete BS that we dont know and its unknowable?

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      Graeme4

      At least the Health Minister has resigned – one down, hopefully more will follow.

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    David Wojick

    CLINTEL puts hard climate questions to Bill Gates (my latest)

    https://www.cfact.org/2020/09/23/clintel-puts-hard-climate-questions-to-bill-gates/

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    OriginalSteve

    Jo

    This is a bit of a bombshell, could be worthy of an article….

    https://canadafreepress.com/article/covid-vaccine-clinical-trials-doomed-to-fail-fatal-design-flaw-ny-times-opi

    “Peter Doshi, associate editor of the medical journal BMJ, and Eric Topol, Scripps Research professor of molecular medicine, have written a devastating NY Times opinion piece about the ongoing COVID vaccine clinical trials.

    “They expose the fatal flaw in the large Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Moderna trials.

    “September 22, the Times: “These Coronavirus Trials Don’t Answer the One Question We Need to know:

    “”If you were to approve a coronavirus vaccine, would you approve one that you only knew protected people only from the most mild form of Covid-19, or one that would prevent its serious complications?”

    “”The answer is obvious. You would want to protect against the worst cases.”

    “”But that’s not how the companies testing three of the leading coronavirus vaccine candidates, Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca, whose U.S. trial is on hold, are approaching the problem.”

    ““According to the protocols for their studies, which they released late last week, a vaccine could meet the companies’ benchmark for success if it lowered the risk of mild Covid-19, but was never shown to reduce moderate or severe forms of the disease, or the risk of hospitalization, admissions to the intensive care unit or death.”

    ““To say a vaccine works should mean that most people no longer run the risk of getting seriously sick. That’s not what these trials will determine.”

    “This means these clinical trials are dead in the water.

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    el gordo

    ‘In the southernmost reaches of Australia, the pristine island of Tasmania has virtually eliminated the coronavirus by cutting itself off from the mainland.
    The remote state’s four-month run without local transmission puts it among the world’s most successful places in curbing the Covid-19 disease.

    ‘But the economic cost for the island, where almost 1 in 5 jobs is reliant on tourism, is mounting.’ SCMP

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    William Astley

    It looks as if France may have a treatment option for covid. The explanation for the sudden drop in covid deaths is the variance of the general populations Vit. D deficiency summer/winter.

    French new daily covid cases have been roughly 15,000/day. Deaths per day were roughly 10% of the daily rate in the first wave.

    Now deaths per day is 39 deaths per day vs expected 1500 deaths per day.

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/france/

    The death rate for covid has in Florida has drop by a factor 10. Florida is the sunshine state. Floridians like to go outside in the sunshine and to the beach.

    https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-09-25-20-intl/h_37aff395e347b70eb90c6859f64c5fa6

    Florida’s governor clears restaurants and bars to fully open

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