JoNova
A science presenter, writer, speaker & former TV host; author of The Skeptic's Handbook (over 200,000 copies distributed & available in 15 languages).
Jo appreciates your support to help her keep doing what she does. This blog is funded by donations. Thanks!
Follow Jo's Tweets
To report "lost" comments or defamatory and offensive remarks, email the moderators at: support.jonova AT proton.me
Statistics
Over the last couple of days I have referenced the German Christmas market killings and wondered what the motive was.
Old Ozzie summed up the options well, yesterday
“Based upon this information, there are three possible scenarios:
(1) The guy is a former Muslim who hates Germany for being complicit with Islam, so he decided to slaughter innocent people at a Christian-oriented Christmas market;
(2) the guy is a complete lunatic; and
(3) the guy is a Muslim who has played a Taqiyya game for almost two decades as a Muslim sleeper agent in Germany.”
As regards 3) this is also a trick of communism to lull people into a sense of false security. To 2) I would add, Drugs. He could have gone mad or been on drugs or both.
As for 1) killing Christians at a Christmas fair when you are so anti Mu*lim and Far right seems counter intuitive.
To do this baffling deed surely your mind must be messed up, which then inches us to 2) but I think a lot more is yet to come out
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14218751/german-christmas-market-attacker-charged-murder-multiple-attempted.html
180
A more likely option is that he had a beef with the market people or some such.
64
That would have to be a whole herd of beef in order to react in that manner.
130
Could have been planned, could have been a spur of moment decision.
Was he familiar with the vehicle? How did he come to be in the place at the time?
00
Immigrants who just can’t drive…
90
See link posted yesterday by another ian.
https://x.com/MaralSalmassi/status/1870413236996092217
Don’t believe the Official Narrative.
111
And why would I believe her.
Truck runs over 78 people
Car runs over 205 people
00
“To do this baffling deed surely your mind must be messed up, which then inches us to 2) but I think a lot more is yet to come out”
It is a conceit of modernism that only ‘messed up’ people carry out such acts.
Somehow if we are inclusive and equitable and provide sufficient mental health services, disparate value systems will abandon their antiquated beliefs and build the imagined conflict free utopia.
This absurdity is the reason the German press and government is pretzel logicing information on the event.
Same weird obfuscation in the UK Southport trial.
UK media reports the child murders were committed by “a man”.
Under New Age Progressive Law one can murder, then suffer added penalty if one was motivated by ‘hate’ to commit the crime.
Odd we haven’t heard about the additional charge of ‘hate’ floated in these circumstances.
It will be a long slow journey back to sanity.
That can only start when the people demand that the Western government elitist progressive hallucinating stop.
230
I would go with (2) the guy is a complete lunatic and his upbringing in an Islamic state makes him see murdering of Christians as a normal activity.
151
You’re all wrong. He is a narcissist who got rejected by the German government and this is his revenge.
00
This is an interesting one
https://dailysceptic.org/2024/12/21/majority-of-brits-receive-more-in-benefits-than-they-pay-in-taxes/
Looking at the data this sort of headline could be produced about many western economies as we are all mostly living far beyond our means.
When it appears to be incorrect-as with the US-we then need to factor in their enormous deficit to see that they too are living beyond their means but as a reserve currency have some leeway.
This interesting link compares virtually all economies for a wide variety of factors from debt to tax and GDP
The US gdp per head is some 30% better than ours in the UK. Most of the developed European economies are in the same boat and the gap widens each year.
https://countryeconomy.com/countries/compare/uk/usa
71
The chart indicates I, a U. S. citizen, am in arrears to the tune of $98,204; 2X that of a Brit. In practical terms, that will never be paid. My question is whether spending is increasing faster than border crossings? With lots of new folks, my share ought to be going down.
151
lets hope that this study from Australia is complete nonsense
https://slaynews.com/news/bird-flu-kill-90-pregnant-women-unborn-babies-study-warns/
40
Start here.
60
“Unsurprisingly, Purcell and The Guardian argued that the findings warrant a push for vaccines.”
There’s your answer.
160
It might depend on whether it is a natural strain, or a lab strain that takes off?
30
“Traditional Finnish Log House Building Process”. A nice 25 minutes long film that shows how log houses were built in the past. English subtitles.
60
That process looks remarkably like that used by a lot of Pioneerss” in theeastern ESAfrom very early days.
Look up a TV shoew called “Barnwood Builders” for details.
LOTS of “re-using’ hundred-year old, hand-trimmed timber from derelict old barns and houses to build “new” ones.
It makes a relaxing segue from “Timbersports”
Of course the practice did not take off well in Australia. Trees too hard, (there is “hardwood” and then there is HARD WOOD and the Termites are ferocious in Oz.
I’ll stick to repairing old Australian furniture in my garage.
140
I laugh when I see US people shifting huge logs on their shoulder. Try that with Aus hardwood. Lol.
10
From the YT- video comments; “The early Finns who settled southern New Jersey in the 1600s brought exactly this kind of craftsmanship with them.”
There is also a Wikipedia article C. A. Nothnagle Log House. From article “The older part of the house was built sometime between 1638 and 1643 by Finnish or Swedish settlers”. So it is no wonder that building process looks familiar with one in TV-show.
You can also deconstruct these houses, transport logs to another place and build a “new” house. Termites or insects are not threat to log houses here in Scandinavia.
20
More Get Woke, Go Broke.
Video about how Elon Musk has officially moved SpaceX headquarters from California to Starbase in the free state of Texas. He has previously moved Tesla as well.
https://youtu.be/4ZeJHpbcwr8
151
But will some employees, moved to Texas, bring Californistan voting habits with them?
Auto
130
A lot of Texans are worried about that.
91
The number plate surround message
“Don’t Californicate Colorado”
didn’t work so well
50
Probably, but just as Musk doesnt want punitive politically motivated action against his company, his relocating employees should be free to hold views and vote as they wish.
10
Yes.
00
The Science on human origins is certainly not “settled”, science never is despite constant pronouncements from the Left to the contrary.
These days it’s not considered PC or woke to discuss human origins or ancient human migration patterns, especially when it conflicts with official narratives such as, for example, there only ever being one ancient human migration of people to Australia.
Nevertheless, inquiring minds understand that there is plenty of uncertainty about human origins and ancient human migration patterns and the following video discusses the pure “out of Africa” theory and its possible invalidity.
https://youtu.be/UIIXmmTjeYY
81
” … “settled”, science never is … ”
Science can get pretty firmly settled at times, for example what are known as “the laws of physics”. But it is conceptually true that science is never absolutely settled. One of the bits of “settled” science that I rather like is gravity: it is a “law of physics” yet we still don’t know how it works. When Einstein re-wrote it (which supports the idea that science is never absolutely settled), did gravity as we know it really change or did it just grow an extension? Regardless of Einstein’s contribution, we still don’t know how gravity works. Science does work in mysterious ways.
70
Ever seen any of Rupert Sheldrake’s work? He finds flaws in many of these laws, including gravity.
I think he is a bit mad actually. Co2 believer, so there you go. Interesting mind though I do admit.
10
Donald Trump suggests to retake control of the Panama Canal, something they mostly built and paid for, because Panama is charging extortionate fees to US ships.
Good idea.
Styxhexenhammer discusses:
https://youtu.be/S4qxavgdQP8
130
Panama is charging extortionate fees to ALL ships.
There is much maintenance etc. needed on the canal, that needs to be paid for.
But as a seafarer, I do wonder whether all the money goes there. Or does a little get bled off for the benefit of – let us imagine – a third cousin of the man who sweeps the lock-sides . . .
Other officials are available, of course!
I imagine the Wa-Benzi tribe has a branch there, too.
Auto
110
Apparently they are not using the money to do adequate maintenance.
80
Apparently they are not using the money to do adequate maintenance.
You mean like Labor/Green/TEAL Federal/State Governments and Labor/Green/TEAL Local Councils aren’t using the Money to maintain our Roads?
300
Another way of putting it is they did a bad deal in the first place and now it doesnt suit them they want to reneg, by force if they have to. Then they wonder why BRICS got started and we a good chunk of the world is turning away.
12
Excellent news. Because we’ve seen how WHO handles “emergencies”. In future, let any genuine emergencies be handled by people who know what they’re doing
300
Surely, WHO knew what they were doing, it just wasn’t what they were supposed to be doing.
170
I’m Sicktoria, Australia, if Persutto stays he will lose the next unlosable election.
I am not convinced that the Liberal “leadership” actually want to win Government. The “leaders” have comfortable, well paid jobs with excellent retirement benefits, don’t do much, don’t believe in anything and get invited to lots of cocktail parties and other social functions. Why do the hard work of winning an election?
In any case, there is very little difference in beliefs of either Uniparty faction.
380
Who can we vote for?
Senator Rennick has just founded another conservative party (People First), thereby fragmenting the conservative vote even further!
Now we have:
People First
Family First
Australia First
Lib Dems
One Nation
Hunters and Fishers
United Australia
What hope is there?
210
Those conservative parties need to unify under one banner because we need a conservative alternative to the Lib/Lab/Green Uniparty under which we effectively have a one party state.
261
The joys of democracy David, the greatest way to run a country, I’m told.
The small parties can’t unify any more than the Greens and Labor, they are usually just one-policy parties who disagree on everything else.
As Lindsey Perigo said, “Its not politics, its not economics, its philosophy. You need a philosophy first, which you then apply to economics and politics.” I have yet to see any politician with a demonstrable philosophy past “If it gives me money or power I agree with it!” as they try to skate in three different directions at once.
100
Was anybody watching SkyNews after 5 pm just now?
Chris Minns and some others about the Christmas strikers.
Not since Joh Bjelke-Petersen have I heard such plain sense. Looking like a leader.
And then—-wait for it–Albo following in support. Appearing to have been coached by Chris Minns.
One thing that Albo could be good at is playing a puppet. Could Albo, coached by Minns, win the election?
10
Like the Reform Party in the UK, their vote share was enough to win them seats.
80
At least in the Australian system people can put them all high in their preferences. In the UK, division is death.
120
You are right Mike,
With the preferential voting system We can vote for all of the small conservative parties, numbering our voting paper from 1 onwards. It does not matter which order they are in so long as the Libs are near the bottom, just above Labor.
The candidate with the least votes is eliminated first and your vote passes to the next one, with full value until someone is elected.
220
It begins to look like a plan Peter.
Still more details are required. For instance where to place Greens and Teals?
Contra spem spera :
a) all 14 Liberals who voted for Moira expulsion will not be in the next Victorian Parliament, even if they change their minds on Friday.
b) there is a dark horse (black swan?) between the remaining 14 who will jump on the table and scream Make Victoria Great Again !
40
Lets not discount Moira , she has shown more guts than any Lib leader since Kennet.
50
The opposition leader to Tom Playford (?) in South Aus – long term Premier – thought the same, comfortable in opposition.
10
In Melbournistan right now its a “balmy” 11C according to the official temperature.
80
In Ellensburg it is 1C, snow on the ground and dense fog. It is either winter or CO2. As I get older moving to a place of better weather is more appealing.
120
Happy ‘White’ Monday 23 December ❄️
Up bright ‘n’ early to check alpine webcams and YES a light dusting of impossible snow on the slopes of Thredbo, Perisher, and Mt Baw Baw of all places, two days out from Christmas Day, in Australia, 2024, in ‘summer’.
Lest some don’t believe, Carbon [sic] can do anything AND everything at the same time.
Mt Kosciuszko is still obscured by clouds – a whiteout? – will check back in 30 minutes to see if the summit has a skiff of climate den!al!sm gracing the peak. Happy Christmas everyone – hopefully it warms up.
160
Rather hot here old chap. 35 today. You know, Australia.
00
Monday film.
Metropolis (1927)
Restored to close to original form with missing footage found in Argentina in 2008.
https://youtu.be/X-S5v4UwhAE
60
Or if you prefer the restored colourised full version:
https://youtu.be/4rW_-FuzYKY?si=xPNh9HNIEqilKy3-
Not the usual sepia!😉
10
Quote from Margaret Thatcher.
270
its even simpler David,
Capitalism = provide the opportunity to bring everyone up to the highest common denominator
Socialism = try to drag everyone down to the lowest common denominator except for those in charge.
241
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/12/22/ai-lions-and-renewable-straw/
Here is a realistic review of the dilemma that the development and promotion of AI has created. It is patently impossible to mine sufficient minerals to manufacture sufficient solar/wind/battery power to sustain Nett Zero. The future is population reduction or consumption restrictions. We can’t have the unlimited supply/use of both.
171
Which is exactly what the Left are promoting.
And they are the biggest beneficiaries of AI because
1) they use it to control and censor the flow of information such as through Goolag, Farcebook and other legacy social media,
2) plus its also used by Government to monitor and control the population,
3) and also used in various professional situations to minimise the need to think or work.
120
As is portrayed in many dystopian future flicks, humans will live in a world beyond their ability to maintain and repair.
It’s already there now.
Kids now can’t read the time on an analog clock let alone adjust the tracking on a VCR, whatever that is.
How many readers could make a child’s glass marble, start a fire without matches or flint, navigate in the wilderness, build a toaster, diagnose modern tech products?
When AI comes of age and replaces the human “makers”, leaving only the users, it’ll all be over pretty quick when the system fails.
101
make child’s glass marble as a test? where on Earth did you dredge that one up from? how about cast a fishing sinker or a bullet projectile?
20
David,
It is now apparent that AI’s can lie . If you thought the internet was corrupt , this is another level . If you trust anything you see or hear you are subject to manipulation .https://chiefio.wordpress.com/2024/12/11/is-deception-and-scheming-inherent-to-intelligence-including-a-i/
50
Christmas Humour Department:
Kamala campaign advisor & fundraiser Lindy Li quits the Democrat Party calling it a cult – I don’t want to be part of this tent anymore. I don’t want to be part of this craziness. I want to be part of the team that treats me with common decency, I want to be part of the team that says men are men and women are women and men shouldn’t play in women’s sports.
Li says she’s been the target of a vicious & abusive smear and cancel campaign because she dared to ask questions about Kamala’s mismanagement of donor money that Li helped her raise.
https://x.com/joma_gc/status/1870492985298940322?t=0RbWgbnrv4eqVc1WCQQQqg&s=19
210
Elon Musk posted the new DOGE logo.
I’m not sure if it will be the official one or not…
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1870894953838109073
80
I like it!
Musk and Ramaswamy have made a difference already, simply by taking the time to read the 1500 page Continuing Resolution bill ( which the Phillies never do).
120
Did they read it, or just turn AI loose on it?
50
Perhaps I am slow – I assume “Fox in the Hen House” Connotations?
130
Good point OldOzzie.
50
I don’t see a fox, I see a cute dog. Musk is a great engineer, obviously a great business man who effectively delegates responsibilities within his organisations. Big problem solver. But most of all just a great marketeer. Because you might have the best products in the world but you still have to convince the punter to hand over their hard earned dollars. Or, vote for Trump. Using a cute dog as the mascot ( if its official ) for DOGE is a great move and the logo itself then can have many manifestations. If it was an Australian DOGE, I might be tempted to use a wombat as the mascot.
80
I dislike people “hijacking” words and redefining their meaning.
Historically the DOGE is the cheif mgistrate of Venice…IE,..the big boss.
This modern corruption should maybe spelt DOGGY !….if that is the image they want to use !
10
Corruption? It’s not a corruption, it’s an abbreviation: Department of Government Efficiency. How do you feel about BoM (large American serpent)?
Logo doesn’t appeal much to me. How about a cat among the pigeons?
50
IGNORING THE EXISTENTIAL THREAT OF WIND DROUGHTS
The spectre of power failure is haunting Europe as Britain and Germany demonstrate that modern societies can’t run on wind and solar power. Wind droughts are the fatal flaw in the system and one can envisage a book titled How Wind Droughts Destroyed Western Civilisation.
Think about the consequences of a system blackout if Net Zero policies are pursued to the bitter end. Texas in 2021 gave us a glimpse of the abyss during a spell of low wind and a serious cold snap. Hundreds died and it would have been thousands if the state had gone completely black, instead of hanging on by a thread of coal and nuclear power.
READ ALL ABOUT IT!
https://www.flickerpower.com/images/The_endless_wind_drought_crippling_renewables___The_Spectator_Australia.pdf
170
Germany is progressing steadily toward economic oblivion. BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen have rapidly declining profit margins. They need government support to continue business.
Germany will likely incur a current account deficit this month for the first time this century. UK is heading deeper into the red.
The voters have chosen governments hell bent on economic decline and they are delivering.
Both UK and Germany occasionally have excess wind energy but they need to pay other countries to take it to maintain system stability. The cost of system stability is never factored into the cost of “renewable” energy. In fact, it is a compelling reason for rooftop owners in Australia to go off-grid because synchronisation is not a requirement for off-grid systems and will increasingly burden the grid scale generators in Australia..
140
Yes, wind droughts cripple wind generation and clouds/night cripple solar.
That AEMO does not well predict wind droughts isn’t the real issue.
The issue is that grid stability isn’t modeled first and foremost prior to Loy Yang A/B or Liddell being considered for retirement/demolition.
AEMO is criminally negligent in not publicly and clearly proving HOW a full scale black grid restart will be possible without Loy Yang A/B and Liddell. Wind droughts might trip the grid, so might clouds. But for sure and for certain, without dispatchable generation, it may be weeks to months in electrical service restoration in the event of a full grid blackout. What are the financial/economic, health, crime, social stability, impacts of a grid failure covering months? Sure, enough load can be shed to keep a crippled grid online at the expense of the national economy. But a grid blackout can occur in 15 minutes, and without sufficient dispatchable generation, it is much more likely than not.
Before any thermal generation retirement is considered, there needs to be full and transparent disclosure of the impacts of that eventuality including the effects of wind drought. Otherwise, it is every household for themselves and no reason to trust the grid or grid managers. This used to happen only in third world countries.
151
When I was in Nepal recently I experienced Third World electricity.
It comes and goes either due to scheduled load shedding or for random reasons and in the mountains many guest houses had small solar panels and lead acid batteries to provide low power lighting. They may or may not have had grid power. If WiFi with internet was available it came via the cellular network, if available, but would often fail around 8pm or so as the cell towers were solar powered and that’s when their batteries went flat. I carried my own electricity to charge my phone, watch and other devices with about 40Ah of lithium batteries.
80
Is This a Description of Australia’s Future Under Labor/Greens/TEALs Federal & State Governments?
Iran’s Energy Crisis Hits ‘Dire’ Point as Industries Are Forced to Shut Down
Although Iran has one of the biggest supplies of natural gas and crude oil in the world, it finds itself in a full blown energy emergency, coming just as it also suffers major geopolitical setbacks.
Government offices in Iran are closed or operating at reduced hours. Schools and colleges have moved to online only. Highways and shopping malls have descended into darkness, and industrial plants have been denied power, bringing manufacturing to a near halt.
Although Iran has one of the biggest supplies of natural gas and crude oil in the world, it is in a full-blown energy crisis that can be attributed to years of sanctions, mismanagement, aging infrastructure, wasteful consumption — and targeted attacks by Israel.
“We are facing very dire imbalances in gas, electricity, energy, water, money and environment,” said President Masoud Pezeshkian in a live televised address to the nation this month. “All of them are at a level that could turn into a crisis.”
Officials have said the deficit in the amount of gas the country needs to function amounts to about 350 million cubic meters a day, and as temperatures have plunged and demand has spiked, officials have had to resort to extreme measures to ration gas.
The government faced two stark choices. It either had to cut gas service to residential homes or shut down the supply to power plants that generated electricity.
It chose the latter, as turning gas off to residential units would come with serious safety hazards and would cut off the primary source of heat for most Iranians.
“The policy of the government is to prevent at all costs cutting gas and heat to homes,” Seyed Hamid Hosseini, a member of the Chamber of Commerce’s energy committee, said in telephone interview. “They are scrambling to manage the crisis and contain the damage because this is like a powder keg that can explode and create unrest across the country.”
By Friday, 17 power plants had been completely taken off line and the rest were only partially operational.
Ordinary Iranians are waking up every day not knowing if they will be able to go to work or send their children to school, or if the elevators or traffic lights will function.
91
Ozzie,
NYT – This is a mouthpiece of the deep state , grain of salt…..
30
Iran key services shut as rial plunges amid energy crisis, regional tension
Iranians reel from worsening power cuts, fuel shortages, partial shutdowns and a falling purchasing power.
By Maziar Motamedi Published On 18 Dec 2024
Tehran, Iran – Tens of millions of people across Iran are facing major disruptions as authorities shut down services in the face of an exacerbating energy and currency crisis amid historic regional tensions.
This week, government offices, schools, banks and businesses in major provinces and in the capital Tehran have been largely closed due to worsening fuel and power shortages as temperatures dropped to subzero levels.
Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said on Wednesday that 13 power plants are out of commission due to a lack of fuel.
“If the fuel is provided, there will be no problem in providing the electricity, as power plants have undergone necessary repairs and are ready for winter. The petroleum ministry is following up on providing fuel,” he told reporters after a cabinet meeting.
There have been renewed power outages to homes across the country, most of which have come unannounced and lasted for hours.
There have also been massive industrial power cuts, impacting not just large energy-intensive industries but also many small and medium-sized enterprises across the country.
Despite holding the second-largest proven natural gas reserves in the world and ranking fourth in terms of proven crude oil reserves, Iran has been facing gas shortages during winter for years.
The power outages were largely within the summertime before now, but have recently hit with winter’s first cold, with even state television experts issuing stern warnings that next year could potentially be far worse.
10
Why is energy giant Iran facing gas shortages?
Amir Soltanzadeh December 19, 2024
Despite boasting massive gas reserves, Iran is facing power blackouts and industrial shutdowns. Years of mismanagement and false priorities threaten to turn the country into an energy importer.
10
Ozzie,
Thats strange – as you say they have plenty of gas . Thats what made me skeptical . Sub zero temps may be restricting gas supply and freezing the pipelines (similar to the issue Texas had) . They have some nuclear energy but its minor . Being a member of BRICS will see improvements as sanctions will have less effect . The middle east is a bonfire that everyone is throwing fuel on.
20
Yes but archive being beyond the firewall provides ready access to other nyt lying items via the side links (which you’d see a dubious benefit eh).
00
Its simple Lance. In the AEMO Chief’s office there is a big Frankenstein switch. The boss only has to move it from.the “OOPS!” position to the “ON” position. Job done.
This is known as the Bowen Black Start.
40
‘Time is running out’: Victoria, NSW turn to gas imports as energy crisis nears
Australia’s energy ministers are developing a plan to kickstart the first deliveries of huge liquefied gas shipments into Victoria and NSW, fearing they are out of time and other viable options to avert a domestic gas crisis.
Despite Australia’s position as a top global gas exporter, homes and businesses in the south-east are facing a shortage of the fuel by 2028 unless urgent measures are taken to offset rapidly depleting gas fields in the Bass Strait that have supplied the local market for decades.
Surging gas demand on cold winter days – when households crank up their heaters – could lead to sporadic shortfalls even sooner, officials warn.
With long lead times involved in exploring and developing new gas fields, state and federal ministers are looking for a more immediate solution, and have agreed to collectively seek advice on underwriting special shipping terminals to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) into Victoria, NSW or South Australia for the first time.
If projects proceed, retailers in the south-east would be able to ship in giant cargoes from LNG ventures in Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia or overseas and turn it back into vapour to supply their customers.
Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said ministers had agreed that “time is running out” as legacy gas fields off the southern coastline continued depleting with scant new supplies to replace them.
Kick-starting imports from at least one LNG terminal by 2028 was the only way Victoria and NSW – which depends on Victoria for much of its gas – could cover their forecast annual gas deficit, she said.
“That’s the quickest way – and probably really right now the only feasible option – for us to meet that 2028 shortfall,” D’Ambrosio said.
50
All while sitting on large onshore gas reserves and not exploiting them. A Grade idiots.
170
Surely that would also push up the price of SA electricity.
30
I made an interesting observation yesterday.
If you were looking for the bightest spot on Earth for May in any year, where would you look. Interestingly Greenland is up there in May and Antarctica is even higher in January but where would you expect it to be in May? If you answered:
Kansas
You would likely be correct most years.
If you think about what weather events Kansas is noted for, you may deduce that we again observe the important role ice plays in Earth’s energy balance.
71
?…”bightest spot.”.?
20
Brightest being highest radiating power, or in this case, reflecting at the highest power. The highest day for the month of May in 2017 was 363W/m^2 from somewhere over Kansas. But apparently that region often experiences convective overshooting.
Such circumstances result in great chunks of ice coming down out of the sky.
I expected the brightest spot to be over the Bay of Bengall because convection had overshot there with a resulting convective storm but, to my surprise, Kansas was slightly brighter.
I have observed that overshooting convection can lead to cyclones over ocean warm pools before cyclic instability sets in. Over land is more transient and the overshoot can be more dramatic because the surface warms faster. Kansas (and Missouri) has the unique circumstances jammed between the rockies and the Gulf of Mexico with cool dry air streaming down from the Rockies mixing with warm moist air coming off the Gulf of Mexico. The mixing results in intense convective overshooting with extremely high updraft velocity and very bright, high altitude cloud notionally above the tropopause.
30
90
Plus people just don’t care, it’s all too hard, the experts disagree, I comply because I need my job, normalcy bias, cognitive dissonance…
Only at the precipice…
/precipice on the horizon now
80
I was aghast to receive an email from the CO2 Coalition, Prof Will Happer’s group who did such a great job explaining firstly why extra CO2 cannot heat the planet and on all the benefits of CO2.
The email gave all the reasons Will believed CO2 levels were man made. And they are wrong.
I will try again to explain why C14 proves by direct evidence that only 2.0% of CO2 is from fossil fuel.
1. It was discovered that ALL CO2 on the surface of the planet is radioactive. And this level of radioactivity has been a constant for a great length of time.
2. Fossil fuel CO2 is from oil/gas/coal which has been in the ground for 150million years, so it has zero radioactivity
3. If the 50% increase in atmospheric CO2 was from fossil fuel, the radioactivity should have dropped 33%.
4. It has not. In 1958 the drop was 2.03%. Today it is 0%
Why CO2 has gone up is easy to explain. CO2 is 98% dissolved in the water on this planet 75% covered by water. It is extremely soluble and there are even vast quantities of oxygen, which is how fish breathe.
What is in the air is not random. It is the fixed vapour pressure of this dissolved gas. Our annual contribution is about 1% of what is in the air and so only 1% of 2% of the total, 0.02%. Irrelevant. All we see is what is in rapid transit.
Whether increasing CO2 causes warming is irrelevant, as it is outside our control.
And if Carbon Dioxide is pollution then all living things are breathing out CO2 right now. From bacteria to fungi to insects, birds, fish, animals. All made from CO2. All dirty pollution.
160
I’m not convinced by your arguments, so some data would help. In particular, I don’t think that “If the 50% increase in atmospheric CO2 was from fossil fuel, the radioactivity should have dropped 33%“, because the ocean is part of the equation with CO2 rotating between atmosphere and ocean.
10
Mike, i agree that TdF may have given a simplified explanation, ..but if you are considering the TOTAL CO2 in the atmosphere and the oceans, ….and if atmospheric CO2 is known to have increased 50%…. Then to be in equlibrium it suggests that the ocean cO2. Should also have increased 50% ?…….which is a volume increase beyond any rational thinking !
20
The atmosphere and ocean exchange CO2, but they aren’t necessarily in balance, and the transfer isn’t uniform – in fact the oceans can be emiting CO2 in some places and absorbing it in others. My suggestion is that mankind has put CO2 into the atmosphere, which the ocean is now net absorbing because the CO2 partial pressure is higher at most places in the atmosphere just above the ocean than it is in the ocean just below the surface. But if mankind had not added that CO2 to the atmosphere then the warming oceans would have emitted CO2 thus increaing atmospheric CO2 but not as much. Obviously I don’t think the ocean warming is all because of atmospheric CO2.
11
Sure but radioactivity in the ocean is almost the same as that in the air or in all living things, the ‘biosphere’. If CO2 comes out of the ocean, it makes very little difference to atmospheric CO2 radioactivity, which is why it is constant. Constant regardless of the tiny amount of CO2 in the air. (I would mention that this is per unit volume, not absolute. Absolute or total radioactivity would of course increase as there is more CO2 in the air and no other common gas is radioactive.)
Also CO2 is constant within 1% from pole to pole, which is amazing. The Southern Hemisphere lags slightly. And there is annual variation around Hawaii with peak in summer and dips in winter, as you can see. The annual variation in NZ is zero.
It is amazing as China/US/Japan/Europe/Russia are mostly in a very narrow band of 30-60North, 20 degrees out of 180. And the band 30-90 South has almost zero population but the same CO2 levels within 1%. Annual growth is 0.4%. It takes about 2 years for CO2 to cross the equator.
30
That is a relief. Likely none of the ocean warming is due to CO2!
30
None. The warming increases CO2. Obviously. No science needed.
Why the more obvious conclusion is ignored is part of the hoax.
It takes a lot of conjecture to create the long fable that fossil fuel increase CO2 which increases IR reflection which increases the temperature of the ocean which evaporates more water which amplifies the effect. The Infamous ‘hot spot’. Which doesn’t exist.
60
Simple thermodynamics – the sun heats the earth (mostly the 70+% oceans).
The earth losses the extra heat with water vapour and some warming of the atmosphere. (the loss of heat by the water vapour when it condenses) is absorbed mostly by non-radiation molecules and transferred from warmer levels to the cooler Troposphere.
Any increase in the temperature of the troposphere is radiated to space.
The idea that molecules at minus 50-55℃ are going to warm the distant ground is a fantasy.
40
Well put Graeme, and the ‘belief’ that you described is just that; a fantasy.
20
In the final analysis, the ocean, the plants, the animals, the phytoplankton, the carbonates, the limestone, volcanoes all are irrelevant.
The fundamental assertion of man made CO2 driven Global warming is that the CO2 in the atmosphere has increased 50% because of fossil fuel. That’s it.
That means 33% of the CO2 in the ocean is fossil fuel CO2 with no radioactivity.
The total radioactivity in the atmosphere should then be 2/3 of the historic constant value.
This was first proven in 1958 as they searched for a reason that radio carbon dating was very wrong after 1850. The conclusion was dilution of the constant value by fossil fuel. And the dilution was measured as 2.03%.
10
This was a simple conclusion in 1958, before hydrogen bombs. Total atmospheric CO2 was 2.03% when it could have been as high as 13%.
Then in 1965 atmospheric radioactivity was doubled and that is all gone today. The increase is then 2% cancelling out the -2%. So the radioactivity in 2024 is exactly what it was in 1800. This is all straightforward measurement.
It was only buried when man made atmospheric CO2 was reinvented by James Hansena and Al Gore in 1988. And no one contradicted them. Partly because it is a reasonable proposition. Except that it is not true. CO2 is too soluble.
So they invented a Hot Spot to explain the fact that the extra CO2 could not possibly have produced the observed effect. And without any proof.
And they invented a ‘Surface’ ocean and ‘Deep ocean’ so that the CO2 was restricted to the surface. Again without any proof.
It’s all nonsense. The fact that the Hydrogen bomb radiation CO2 is all gone proves it.
20
Ever seen a flying Porta Potty (or Porta Loo as they are called in Australia)?
https://x.com/atensnut/status/1870934309089239459
50
Sh#t!
Wonder if anyone was in there!😆
20
I wonder if the “Poodinis” escaped
10
FWIW
“Putin: Joe Biden Is Corrupt, Unpresidential… and Less Honorable than Stalin!”
https://pjmedia.com/scott-pinsker/2024/12/21/putin-joe-biden-is-corrupt-unpresidential-and-less-honorable-than-stalin-n4935335
70
There’s a very popular meme going around, which can be adapted to any country. In the US, the TV program chosen is ” The view”. I’m going to use Australia’s ABC “Q&A” program. Some have used “The Project”, Channel 10. “Meet John (photo of man in hospital bed ). John credits the ABC program “Q & A” with saving his life. After John had been in a coma for 3 months a nurse came in and turned his hospital TV to “Q & A”. John got up and changed the channel.
160
I think their ABC is responsible for a few damaged TV sets to balance the good deed of bringing people out of comas..
My 5yo grand daughter has an interesting response to welcome to country ceromonies. She avoids watching them by head in hands or going away. One brother-in-law has the sort of reaction that results in beer can into TV. My sister makes sure he never accidentally sees their ABC. He is not able to articulate specific failures of the climate scam but has a great BS meter and not an ounce of woke so response to BS meter going into red can be untethered.
150
Rumble Secures $775 Million Investment from Tether to Bolster Free Speech and Decentralization
The transaction is set to provide a significant boost to Rumble’s resources and operational capabilities. From the proceeds, $250 million will be allocated to strengthen the company’s financial foundation and accelerate its growth initiatives.
Tether’s CEO, Paolo Ardoino, expressed equal enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, “Tether’s investment in Rumble reflects our shared values of decentralization, independence, transparency, and the fundamental right to free expression.
“In today’s world, legacy media has increasingly eroded trust, creating an opportunity for platforms like Rumble to offer a credible, uncensored alternative.”
https://discernreport.com/rumble-secures-775-million-investment-from-tether-to-bolster-free-speech-and-decentralization/
Youtube is going down.
50
Not until the have a better creator revenue model.
00
YouTube needs 1,000 subscribers & 4,000 watch hours. Rumble doesn’t.
YouTube can help you make more money, but only if you have a lot of viewers.
With Rumble, you can start earning right away.
Rumble gives you a bigger share of the ad money (60% vs Youtube’s 55%). It’s easier for new creators to make money on Rumble because there’s less competition.
Youtube has 2 billion monthly users, Rumble 36 million.
Given the censorship, deletions, demonetisation, ads, and videos that could be reduced in size by 90% without you losing anything, an alternative is desirable.
Remember, Microsoft was founded with just $5,000.
20
An alternative is indeed desirable, but popular creators aren’t flocking to Rumble or others. All those alleged downsides dont apply to mainstream generic entertainment channels, so Youtube loses accounts on what they regard as the fringe anyway. Their business choice.
Not saying it cant happen, just not seeing it atm. I did like low user numbers as a competitive advantage though, very creative 🙂
00
Santa is coming to town: AI version
https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_sohg0hnrz61y9d09t.mp4
10
I guess AI doesn’t know there aren’t any penguins at the North Pole where Santa lives.
30
But there have been attempts to introduce penguins to the North.
20
But they only got as far as the Galapagos on the Humboldt Current
30
Took a photo of a penguin when in the Galapagos, when wandering around that island point with the lava cone.
20
Ah, but Santa flies around the world* does he not?
/*lefty houses not included
10
Copied from elsewhere:
100
China’s emergence as the global manufacturer of everything has increased wealth globally. But it has resulted in many developed nations losing the will to work. So much effort in the developed nations is now counter-productive.
In Australia, many government agencies are eroding wealth. They are counterproductive.
Who knows that CSIRO ia an acronym that previously stood for-
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
This organisation is now at the forefront of the climate scam and dismantling the electrical grid into a regressive tax mechanism. Lost their way is a woke way of avoiding the reality that the CSIRO is now a terrorist organisation working against the best interest of Australia. Likewise their ABC – the propaganda arm- and the BoM.- the data fiddlers.
140
Merry Hamas Christmas………lol
https://twitter.com/i/status/1870209501833351618
A very good p$$s taking video song.
Merry Christmas everyone.
68
Excellent.
That’s sure to attract the attention of the Red Thumbers…
510
We all know the feeling of redthumbers.
https://imgbox.com/jmMzxeE9
310
…and a merry xmas to the redthumber! 😁
48
Time lapse astronomy
https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_sovnes8N9b1areze9.mp4
50
The human body is the most amazing piece of machinery you’ll ever own
https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_sowfstjT4k1z23obp.mp4
What’s that you say?
Your joints hurt getting out of bed?
60
I’m sure you’ve seen this.
https://youtu.be/_94viw75ulc
11
And this ballet technique is amazing.
https://youtu.be/qiBvrsnB1cU
11
Did we make it out of the ‘Pandemic’ with ownership of our bodies intact?
Most people at least handed over temporary custody for a couple years.
Damn thing seemed like a property dispute from the get go, if you ask me.
They’re still after our brains.
They’ll come for our bodies again soon.
30
Okay, boring old electrical power ‘stuff’ again.
Last Monday, 16 December, overall power consumption just for this day was 720GWH, the highest daily power consumption across this last year, and arguably, either close to or higher than it has ever been before, and okay, we ‘handled’ it. However, there’s one thing in all of this I would like to point out to you ….. the SCALE required here if Batteries are to (dare I even say it at all) be the way of the future.
That overall total power consumption was almost 30% higher than the year round average for daily power consumption.
Batteries contributed 2.5% of that total consumed power, virtually all of it around that evening Peak, around 6PM. (and I’ll address that a little later) However on that same day, batteries consumed 3.3GWH just to charge them up. So, as you can see, Batteries are not actually a contributor, but are ….. a nett consumer of power.
Okay, the Evening Peak around 6PM (every evening in history, (and that will NEVER change) saw power consumption total out at 35,500MW, and again, that was 34% higher than the average evening Peak for a year.
This was when the Batteries really came into their own. (oh Tony, puhleeeease!) Batteries supplied a phenomenal, umm, 300MW towards that total, a stupendous ….. 0.85%.
Can you now even guess at what is required when it comes to Grid Battery requirements.
And they’re still nett power consumers.
It’s not even a F@rt in a Cyclone.
Tony.
200
Hey, Ive just had a thought on that.
You know how there’s gross oversupply in rooftop solar power, and they’re shutting them off during the day, well, how about this.
It (rooftop solar power) doesn’t get ‘fed back’ to the grid via the Substations in each suburb or area, well perhaps they could install ‘thumping big’ grid scale batteries in each suburb, and use that excess rooftop power and then install all the transmission to get the batteries back onto the grid.
Hmm! Thumping big batteries and transmission ‘stuff’ in every suburb.
I, umm, wonder just how well that idea would go down ….. you know, umm, politically!
And they’re (even in this scenario) still a nett power consumer. Use the power as it is generated, or DIVERT the power to charge the batteries.
Tony.
70
The AEMO ‘Boffins’ are onto it right now.
20
Is this not what the “Community batteries” are supposed to be doing ?….at least on a local level, but i am sure the authorities have also installed facilities to enable them to feed back to the main grid network .
20
When I challenge the battery supporters in The Australian, not one ever responds with claims that I’m wrong. They absolutely refuse to backup their silly assertions about batteries being able to support renewables.
50
In my local Victorian regional city, the major power authority ( Powercor) wished to build a betterer transfer station. Located in centre of town. It’s been stuck in approval and community engagement process for about 2 years. A whole heap of local residents did the NIMBY thing and set up a protest, engaged with all their neighbours to cancel the upgrade or at least delay it. If word got around that any power authority was going to install large scale highly inflammable batteries in quiet suburban streets. there would be hell to pay.
90
Tony, like you I’m a RAAF queer tradie who is aware that a transformer is a two way device.
That said I don’t know why excess suburb generation stops at the substation. Can you help?
On the ringroad around town you can look down at a relatively new suburb where the developers must have put solar on every roof. Demographically that suburb is prolly nearly deserted during the day with both parents working to pay the mortgage and any kids at kindy or school. What CAN they do with that power? Did anyone ever THINK?
10
Tony, isnt 2.5% of 720GWh, = 18.0 GWh ..?…….seems like a huge amount for battery input ?
Did you intended to say 2.5 GWh ..?
60
Ah yes, and thanks Chad.
I looked in the wrong column.
The power delivered from batteries across the whole day was 2.5GWH and not 2.5%, as you correctly pointed out.
That 2.5GWH was in fact just 0.3% of the overall daily power consumption.
Again, thanks so much for finding that.
Tony.
60
Thanks for that info Tony. I cannot believe that some renewables enthusiasts still rattle on about averages, ignoring the fact that an electricity grid has to be able to meet its peak load then some.
60
Looking for a partner with money for a world-wide upstart company to install a most efficient device to burn off excess energy when kWh price goes negative.
(A hint – must be in place before next Victorian election)
Plenty of opportunities already available in many households!
At one home it switches on swimming pool pumps as the solar panel app screams blue murder.
40
I have heard that excess solar power could be used to power big users like aluminium smelters, oil refineries and car manufacturing plants. Get to use that cheap power and actually make stuff. Oh sorry, what did you say…. we did that before?
10
Batteries time shift power at a cost. If you have regular periods of excess energy it makes sense at a superficial level. In reality it doesnt scale and is unaffordable so its best left to green fantasists like Zali Stegall and Adam Bandt to waffle on about.
60
The engineers running the batteries do what every share investor does: Buy low sell high. The arbitrage pays their wages.
So they make a good call and sell 90% into the evening peak but a thermal generator trips. They have nothing to keep the lights on and blame the coal generators because they are unreliable. The FACT that they have met demand every peak for a year proves nothing. They are still unreliable. Go figure.
00
Some Far Side funnies
https://screenrant.com/funniest-far-side-comics-gary-larson/
Love the Far Side!
50
We have a couple here who could be invited to the Midvale School for the Gifted.
00
Sorry to winge about Victorian elections again.
Would anyone know why to join cfmeu in Tasmania cost $22 only ?
$66 in Victoria.
Anything to do with those pretty young things holding SLOW/GO signs?
30
Snowy 2.0
Inside Australia’s $8BN Megaproject Disaster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQoZvximKGM
40
They will be really happy if they get out of that project for $8 billion.
20
All good but some correction.
1. With regard energy storage – Snowy 2 has a capacity of 350GWh.. Lithium batteries installed run at around $1/Wh. So replacing Snowy 2 with lithium would cost around $350bn, which is a lot more than $20bn it could end costing.
2. At current rate of tunnelling, even allowing for an additional TBM, I figure completion around 2040 rather than 2030. Florence has taken around 2.5 years to do 10% of its tunnel. It is hopeful to suggest it will rapidly improve its rate of progress.
70
Snowy 2.0
Inside Australia’s $8BN Megaproject Disaster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQoZvximKGM
50
A Megadisaster…
40
Statistically, 5 out of 6 experts believe Russian Roulette is safe and effective.
90
You have to admit it is effective.
20
And, astonishingly safe too when modern shot standards are used as a benchmark..
00
Fun fact:
Melbournistan is closer to Antarctica than it is to Darwin!
3,140km Melbourne to Darwin.
3,120km Melbourne to Antarctica.
60
Explains the weather.
40
Study Reveals COVID-19 ‘Vaccines’ Have Far Exceeded Criteria for Market Withdrawal
https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/study-reveals-covid-19-vaccines-have
Figures 1 and 4 say it all.
70
Now the Australian Government has “invested” in an mRNA factory, they’ll keep finding excuses for compulsory administration of the defective “vaccines”. They’ve already established that a vast majority of the Sheeple will comply and that the militarised police forces of Australia will actually enjoy brutalising the non-compliant.
60
Moderna CEO: We Never Had Access to the Physical Virus to Design the Product.
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel Says They ‘Copied & Pasted’ the Spike Sequence From the Chinese Government
“Think about the COVID vaccine … We copied and paste spike. When the virus was sequenced and put online by the Chinese government early in the pandemic, we had it in like in 48 hours … We never had access to the physical virus to design the product.”
https://x.com/TheChiefNerd/status/1870642816172654632
90
The #1 hit in the UK now: Freezing this Xmas
https://youtu.be/mQrvmY5s2mo?si=6aO1TSiwS3Cc5qmE
31
FWIW
“How To Calculate Any Square Root”
https://youtu.be/MXveVqBxFow
10
Australia is lucky we don’t share a border with the US. If we did WE would be the butt of their poor taste jokes, not Canada.
I just heard Kevin O’Leary eviscerate Canada [he is Canadian] on their poor economic performance and the collapse of the C$. Maybe he hasn’t heard that the A$ is doing worse and our PM is as pathetic as Canada’s.
20
FWIW
“Cautious Optimism On the Demise of the Green Energy Fantasy”
https://hotair.com/headlines/2024/12/22/cautious-optimism-on-the-demise-of-the-green-energy-fantasy-n3798146
10
While everyone is focused on Christmas cheer in Germany …
‘Woman killed after being set on fire on (NYC) subway’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_IkL3pjtug
Oh gee, guess there wasn’t anyone around, like Daniel Penny, to help.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/crime/general/daniel-penny-found-not-guilty-of-criminally-negligent-homicide/ar-AA1vxOTO
Would that be because everyone knew that helping would get you arrested and jailed for trying to stop innocent people from being murdered?
Use public transport to make the glaciers stand still, get vaccinated, and stop eating meat … we don’t give a rats pattootie what happens to you otherwise … oh, and we’ll also arrest you if you say bad things about us, your omnipotent government.
Goodbye NYC, LA, San Fran, London, Berlin, and every Godforsaken thing the elite cult Progressives touch.
40