JoNova
A science presenter, writer, speaker & former TV host; author of The Skeptic's Handbook (over 200,000 copies distributed & available in 15 languages).
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Statistics
Here in Nepal I have seen zero evidence of anything useful that the UN has done here. People still suffer energy starvation, lack of clean water and proper sewers or sewer treatment, lack of education about real environmental issues like teaching people not to litter etc..
Rather your hard-earned taxes that your government gives to the UN are used for mostly useless Leftist fantasy projects such as:
(Posted from Thamel, Kathmandu.)
260
Yes, and where is the World Bank or the IMF? MIA it appears.
120
Most of the money soaked up in bureaucracy, I expect. And most of the remainder siphoned of through corrupt in country processes.
80
Musings on the POTUS election and the after action situation of the Democratic party.
From a person that hobnobed and worked in DC both in DNC politics and the Pentagon (very low level, but they talk candidly around the help).
The last decade has been extremely lucrative for the political industrial complex.
Just as the last two decades were for the MIC, just counting Afghanistan.
As Pandemic was for BlackRock and Gates.
Give us all your money or you will face terrorists and viruses.
If Donald Trump had not appeared, the DC political industry wouldn’t of dreamed of inventing him.
People are talking about the big cash paid by the Harris campaign to Oprah and Sharpton as if it is an error or a scandal.
This is simply the economic machine that has been purposely evolved.
It may be comparable to the tithing days created by the Medieval Church (until they ran out of calendar days), that Martin Luther complained about.
Only we can save you from the Devil Trump.
Of course, much rebranding is now necessary. But the Church of Holy Progressives will survive.
The Democrats will wail and despair and confab about their ‘failure’ … on the way to the bank and looking at beach front real estate.
230
‘Give us all your money or you will face terrorists and viruses.’
Sorry correction, should read … ‘print fiat money and assume generational debt that we can turn into real assets before we crash the system and leave the mess for you, or you will face terrorists and viruses.’
160
Video about how the Jaguar car brand has been destroyed by the Woke Mind Virus. What is it with these marketing clowns, they didn’t take note of what happened to Bud Light?
https://youtu.be/ubK7Kugel14
160
Video by Styxhexenhammer about how the US Democrat Party is effectively broke and firing most staff and won’t even give them severance pay. And millions were paid to Beyonce and Lizzo because like all Leftists, they refused to volunteer their services for the cause they claimed to believe in.
https://youtu.be/kv3mh5rQRJM
190
If they all leave the USA as promised then I hope that they don’t come to Sunny Australia. We have enough clowns here already. They are all in the Feral Guv’ment in CanBrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Plenty in the State Guv’ments as well – Sictoria is a good example.
200
No, these people would never come to live in Australia. It’s too far from quick trips to Europe. And it’s far too boring for them. Remember film star Ava Gardner(?) and her comments on Melbourne? These people are elitists, they don’t want to live in a backwater, thank goodness. They seem to be going to the UK. Not Paris I note, wonder why? Even though London is not far behind and I bet they’re not settling in Birmingham either.
70
They are threatening to settle in the beautiful Cotswolds.
40
I seem to remember that quote:
was made up by an Australian journalist. When asked about it Ava said she didn’t remember saying it, but would take credit for it.
Cranky Frankie wasn’t so cooperative with Aussie journalists calling them out at his Melbourne concert, reportedly.
20
HELLO BLACKOUTS
Around the Western world subsidised wind and solar have displacing coal and other forms of conventional power from the grids.
This does not cause problems until there is not enough spare capacity to cover breakdowns and extreme weather. In SE Australia We reached that point when Hazelwood closed in 2017.
With further closures and the unscheduled outages this week we have reached a tipping point or a “red zone” where wind and solar inputs have become essential and not just an add-on.
Indeed the average “add on” from wind and solar is now over 44% and rising. However on nights with little or no wind that 44% shrinks to next to nothing.
Over a decade ago independent Australian observers Anton Lang and the Miskelly team looked at the record of wind power generation in the AEMO records and discovered severe “wind droughts” when high pressure systems linger and there is little or no wind across the NEM for periods up to three days.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1260/0958-305x.23.8.1233
We have sleep-walked into a “wind drought trap” that will spring every time the wind is low overnight unless we protect every megawatt of coal power we have. That is why the governments in Victoria and NSW are prepared to subsidise the coal burners to keep the lights on. There is no alternative at present and I wish the Liberals would have the wits and the integrity to promise to do the same.
240
“This does not cause problems until there is not enough spare capacity…….”
I think it does Rafe. Complexity rises, costs rise, investment in more useful technology is discouraged. All long before the threat of blackouts arrive.
150
FWIW
Neil Oliver and Edward Dowd
“More sobering stuff on the COVID vaccine & associated global psi-ops.”
https://youtu.be/4GVG_w7-xsE
https://chiefio.wordpress.com/2024/11/03/w-o-o-d-3-november-2024-remember-remember-this-5th-of-november-the-vote-stealing-treason-plot-and-pnut/#comment-174082
70
FWIW
IIRC there is a saying that “An army marches on its stomach” or words to that effect.
So how to derate the US Army!
“Lather, Rinse, Repeat: How ‘Bout Making Sure Troops Get Some %#$*ing Food?!”
https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2024/11/27/lather-rinse-repeat-how-making-sure-troops-get-some-ing-food-n3797411
An what’s the betting that the DEI’s get the good stuff?
40
UK fantasy weather stations.
https://notrickszone.com/2024/11/27/research-103-of-302-weather-stations-united-kingdom-do-not-exist-at-all/
71
They’re called dummy stations to fill in the grid. Of course you can manipulate (weight) them accordingly to give a biased result.
40
Labor is trying to pass 30 bills through the Senate on final parliamentary sitting day.
71
Every one of them thoroughly read, researched and understood by every MP, and then debated and argued over until problems have been resolved… Democracy is a wonderful thing.
70
I’ve been thinking the problem is that we don’t have enough Laws….
30
FWIW
“States Ban Lab-Grown Meat
It looks like meat, tastes like meat, and is made from real animal cells — but lab-grown meat is under attack. Florida and Alabama don’t want you to try it. Why?”
https://patriotpost.us/videos/112337-states-ban-lab-grown-meat-2024-11-26
30
Well, I wouldn’t bother to watch a video, but straight away you’d expect it to be made from cells in a cancerous state to keep them growing.
50
Would you like a Frankenfurter with that?
10
I go with the French decision … you are allowed to sell margarine in France but you can’t mention the word “butter” in any relationship with that product.
You are allowed to grind soy beans into a white liquid but you sure as heck cannot use the word “milk”.
Similarly, you can grow yeast in a lab and stain it red if you like but don’t you dare call it “meat”.
00
So, what is the immediate solution to the power crisis in NSW? I’d say diesel generators will be brought in. Don’t see what else they can do at this stage. Everything else takes too long. They will also build gas run plants as well, they don’t take too long?
This coming fed election should be the energy election. It is crucial. Though even best-case scenario, the Liberal cop out plan of nuclear isn’t going to help until at least 12 years, and being Australia I’d say 25 and a lot of $$$ court cases, probably 30 to 50 years.
I honestly think the country is finished. Cynical sure, but I just don’t see any solution, save diesel generators (which isn’t really a solution). We have become run by our inferiors.
80
The problem with quickly installing gas peakers is that they are usually open cycle, with efficiencies similar to wind. So with the high eastern gas price, which I believe is double that of WA, and low energy conversion efficiency, surely this can only lead to even higher electricity costs.
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What do you mean, open cycle?
00
This is OCGT, (Open Cycle Gas Turbine) the simplest version of Natural Gas Fired Power Generation.
It just uses what is basically similar to a jet engine with a shaft to drive the generator. (Note here I said ‘basically similar’, just a little more complex)
The advantage with these types of Unit are that they can come on line delivering their power in a very short time, hence they are only used for Peaking Power Plants, which are utilised mainly at Peak Power times for just that reason, power needed quickly.
Fast On and Fast Off.
Tony.
100
You can see (text at right under the image) from the image I linked to that this turbine is best used for CCGT (Combined Cycle Gas Turbine) shown in the text where it mentions 30 minutes to on line.
This image better shows an OCGT turbine, which almost looks to be the same ‘engine’. (just look closely) and with this turbine, you can see on the text line under the image that it comes on line in ten minutes
The difference between the two (OCGT and CCGT) is that the CCGT uses the superheated exhaust from the turbine to ‘make’ steam to operate a smaller steam turbine to drive a secondary generator as well.
(The Edit function wouldn’t let me easily change the url for the image in the original Comment, hence the need for this reply post)
Tony.
60
Thanks for the explanations Tony. The CCGT engine efficiency was quoted at 67%
10
The then NEA installed an OC turbine in Mackay early ’70s, it was an RR RB211 jet motor.
It powered:
Boeing 747
Boeing 757
Boeing 767
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
Tupolev Tu-204
40
“The then NEA installed an OC turbine in Mackay early ’70s, it was an RR RB211 jet motor.”
Yes, Auckland had a couple at the Otara power station, using Rolls Royce Olympus turbines. I expect they cost a bomb to run, they were the emergency backups
30
It is common in the power industry to buy gas turbines from aircraft. There’s good reasons: the airline industry has already invested in the development of these engines and you probably won’t do better starting from scratch; also second-hand engines are available which have done too many hours for aircraft to trust them, or have failed some small safety check … but they are good enough for electricity generation.
00
“We have become run by our inferiors.”
But… I’m told democracy is the best form of Govt.. I’m told a Welfare State is great…I’m told immigration is good for a country..
So how did we end up with pig-ignorant voters getting lying narcissists as the politicians they so richly deserve? Is this what democracy does?
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‘ … pig-ignorant voters …’
That is a classic case of disinformation.
03
That’s just KP being commo again.
21
It has been said that one cannot have democracy in the absence of an informed electorate.
I’m not sure that a disinformed electorate will be adequate.
50
Hanrahan!! Anarchist please!
“‘ … pig-ignorant voters …’ That is a classic case of disinformation.”
Nah, the parasites don’t care what you call the voters. Lying narcissists may be accurate, but it would be classified as disinformation I’m sure!
20
Anarchists are only a political splinter going nowhere fast.
00
Load management. Tomago is the easiest target for a couple of hours. If it gets worse, selectively shut down outer suburbs of Sydney on rolling blackouts.
Of course Blackout could ask the wind farm owners to crank up output but asking and doing are quite seoarate when it comes to wind turbines.
Almost certain there are contingency plans for rolling blackouts (load management in new speak) now. We saw how AusNet was able to take out 5M homes in Victoria to avoid a system crash. I would be very surprised if similar contingencies are not in place for NSW.
80
And those homes are all in electorates that never voted ALP/Green. Not a coincidence.
80
FWIW – award time
“The PJ Media ‘Turkey of the Year’ Award Goes to…”
The winner and why
https://pjmedia.com/scott-pinsker/2024/11/27/the-pj-media-turkey-of-the-year-award-goes-to-n4934682
40
antother ian,
the best line from your link is this one”
That got me a spontaneous laugh.
Great article really, so funny.
Tony
60
I notice on X, the Australian political scene is dominated by a Libertarian uprising stemming from the “freedom movement” of the Covid era. These people are currently outraged, apoplectic, by the u16 Bill and failed MAD Bill. Their message is to put the majors last and also “put the Libs last”.
I think they’re foolish amateurs, throwing out the toys from the cot in their tantrum. Thier theory promotes accelerationism at best. A theory that doesn’t work as intended (even though with energy I think accelerationism is our only hope at this stage).
Now, I have always used the preferential voting system ever since I began voting, and I do suggest voting for fringe parties. But Australians at large don’t understand the pref voting system – it is poorly explained too – and they stand the risk of giving their vote to unknown independents who are Labor in disguise, especially with reckless shouty advice like “put LNP last”, which I see often.
Fortunately these groups are echo chambers and won’t filter out to the apolitical Aussie public, but hot heads always concern me.
61
never win a lower house seat but be careful in the senate.
40
” won’t filter out to the apolitical Aussie public”
which is why
“We have become run by our inferiors.”
40
Career politicians are unfit for purpose, which is the point Donald Horne made in Lucky Country.
In our Westminster system we have a Senate where outliers can form new parties which can stifle the masters, venting one’s spleen on an independent of your choice is good value.
Keating referred to them as “unrepresentative swill’.
42
Perhaps “dominated” might be too strong of a word … but I’ve been trying for years to explain how the preferential voting system makes it the only sensible choice to push major parties down towards the bottom.
If you have a minor party that more closely represents your point of view of course you put them above the major parties … that’s the whole idea of preference voting.
00
FWIW
“11 State Attorneys General, Led by Ken Paxton, Take on BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street in Groundbreaking Anti-Trust Lawsuit Over Coal Market Manipulation”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/11/11-state-attorneys-general-led-ken-paxton-take/
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Talking of the rock which is bl@ck:
SolarZero has gone into ‘liquidation’ – they supplied solar panel systems on a no-money-upfront deal to New Zealanders. An outfit called Verofi (?) is taking over the day-to-day running while BlackRock disappears after only 2 years’ ownership.
Meanwhile Candace Owens has been denied a visa to NZ because some Burke in Australia claimed she had the ‘capacity to widely incite discord’ (RNZ).
Our govt banned the wrong side… again.
100
FWIW
“How Joe Biden Could Really Screw America Over Before He Stumbles Off Into Oblivion”
By declaring a “Climate Emergency”, with similar rules to the “Covid Success”
https://pjmedia.com/victoria-taft/2024/11/27/as-if-escalating-war-wasnt-enough-biden-is-being-asked-to-declare-a-climate-emergency-n4934685
60
It appears Zuckerbergs martial arts training may be shifting his stance to the right side of politics rather than the woke side:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPh7UAx6Jak
Who does not want to be friends with President Trump now?
Trump is building some powerful allies who previously stacked the deck against him.
20
When your local council announces a new low carbon emissions environmental policy planning for the decades ahead, following a U.N. agenda, how critical can you be in any public response? Such as distributing leaflets with examples of a Orwellian U.N. future if this goes ahead, to encourage others to make submissions. No persons in the council would be named. Can the “broad brush” be used or would can the council still take legal action against you, run up tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees, and then drop the case leaving you broke?
Is free speech really dead in Australia?
30
I would never get involved in local politics for that very reason. I’m not someone who just tows the line, contrarian by nature, and I would surely get sued or some trouble. Whenever I have popped my head up in the past, there have always been bullets flying. Aussies don’t like those who rock the boat, be they left or right, they don’t like it.
Politics is also a huge game of ego, which I just can’t stand.
20
I would have thought a good alderman has a clearly defined line of responsibility and will try to prevent his council painting rainbow ped crossings, expensive electric bus fleets and declaring the city nuclear free. These things should not be distracting a council.
20
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/electric-vehicles-rules-vauxhall-controversy-185137299.html Stellantis, which owns Vauxhall, has blamed the decision on the UK’s “stringent” zero-emission vehicle mandate,
00
FWIW
Methinks signs of a fuster?
00
Power infrastructure hit significantly.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-28/ukraine-energy-sector-targeted-as-temperatures-hit-freezing/104661668
00
FWIW
Instapundit lead in –
“AN INCREASINGLY RELEVANT QUESTION, ALAS:”
https://x.com/KurtSchlichter/status/1861800754652266871
“The England we had a special relationship with no longer exists.”
https://instapundit.com/687127/#disqus_thread
00
The irony being that they left us
00
FWIW
“My Family Has Grown Britain’s Food for 140 Years.”
https://hotair.com/headlines/2024/11/27/my-family-has-grown-britains-food-for-140-years-n3797419
Welcome to the country
00
FWIW
Well that is jamming it in!
“Sit down.
We can’t even keep the Red Sea open to shipping because of what clowns like you did to the
@USNavy
.
It’s bad enough the Army lost to an opponent without tanks, but the Navy losing to an opponent without ships really takes the cake.”
https://x.com/skenzyme/status/1861767217303445728
10
FWIW
“When EVerything Green Starts to Turn Brown”
https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2024/11/27/when-everything-green-starts-to-turn-brown-n3797422
A message there?
00