Enviroweenies: We Want Renewable Energy. Also Enviroweenies: But, Not There

By William Teach August 16, 2023 – 3:00 pm

How many times have we seen this: the enviroweenies/Warmists demand more and more “green” energy, but, the minute either the government or private sector tries to do it they try to stop it. Remember the Cape Wind Project, and how long they tried to stop it, along with grand high poobahs in the climate cult like John Kerry? How about when they tried to stop the transmission line from the desert into Los Angeles? Or how Dianne Feinstein worked to block a solar project in the Mojave Desert, along with the extreme-enviros? There are lots of examples. If they cannot stop the project, and there’s always some Reason, they’ll attempt to block the transmission lines. And now we have (via Hot Air)

Environmentalists sue Puerto Rican government over location of renewable energy projects

Activists and environmental groups including the Sierra Club sued Puerto Rico’s government Monday over the planned location of dozens of renewable energy projects meant to ease the U.S. territory’s power woes.

The lawsuit claims the projects would be built on lands that are ecologically sensitive and of high agricultural value, a violation of local laws.

The groups requested that a judge prohibit various local government agencies from approving projects on such lands, noting that they should instead be built on roofs, parking lots, landfills in disuse and previously contaminated grounds.

“The loss of prime agricultural land to install solar projects of an industrial magnitude is a serious attack on the food security of Puerto Rico, which is already in precarious condition,” said David Sotomayor, a soils professor at the University of Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico’s Energy Bureau has so far approved 18 projects on more than 2,000 hectares that the lawsuit states are classified as special agricultural reserve and specially protected rustic land.

Like I said, it’s always some Reason. And if they did try and do this on the mentioned areas, they would complain about that. Surely, building on some roofs would be great, but, what happens when another hurricane, and there’s bound to be one, destroys homes? A company can respond a lot quicker to repair a solar farm, and could have worked to protect it from a coming storm.

As far as agricultural lands, do these activists and environmental groups own those lands? No? Then it’s none of their business. They can all piss off.

Read: Enviroweenies: We Want Renewable Energy. Also Enviroweenies: But, Not There »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, Energy, Global Warming | 6 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach August 16, 2023 – 1:00 pm

…is a wonderful big city full of fellow Warmists, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is American Greatness, with a post on the hostile judge Tanya Chutkan.

Read: If All You See… »

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Biden Finally Mentions Disaster In Maui, Forgets Name

By William Teach August 16, 2023 – 10:30 am

If this was Trump or any other Republican, the Credentialed Media would have destroyed him for all the no comment stuff (he did that multiple times), for saying he’s not going there (which is actually wise policy, presidents should almost always avoid disaster areas to not create a circus, but, really, Biden just doesn’t care, which shows with him being on vacation), and for this

Biden Brain Sucker(UK Daily Mail) Joe Biden on Tuesday appeared to forget the name Maui, referring to the island in a speech in Milwaukee as ‘the one where you see on television all the time.’

As the death toll rose to 106 as rescuers combed the rubble in Lahaina, Hawaii, the president told the crowd that there were still fires on the Big Island – also known as Hawaii.

He pointed out the fires were blazing on the Big Island, not Maui, but appeared to struggle to name Maui.

‘The Army helicopters helped fire suppression efforts on the Big Island because there’s still some burning on the Big Island — not the one that, not the one where you see on television all the time,’ he said.

And the speech was really about Bidenomics on the anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act which wasn’t about reducing inflation. Did they not properly put the minimal info about the disaster on the teleprompter? Is Biden unable to read it correctly? The media would annihilate Trump if he did this, and the opinion section would be calling for a mental faculties examination.

Meanwhile

(Washington Post) At 10:47 p.m. last Monday, a security camera at the Maui Bird Conservation Center captured a bright flash in the woods, illuminating the trees swaying in the wind. “I think that is when a tree is falling on a power line,” says Jennifer Pribble, a senior research coordinator at the center, in a video posted on Instagram.

“The power goes out, our generator kicks in, the camera comes back online, and then the forest is on fire.”

At that exact moment, 10 sensors in Makawao, a small, rural town in the East Maui region of Upcountry — where the Conservation Center is located — recorded a significant incident in Hawaiian Electric’s grid, according to data from Whisker Labs, a company that uses an advanced sensor network to monitor grids across the United States. The bright light in the video was probably an “arc flash,” something that happens when a power line “faults” — meaning it has come in contact with vegetation or another line, or gets knocked down, releasing power, usually through sparks, according to a Whisker Labs official and other experts.

It’s correlated, not confirmed, but, it would not be a surprise. And people are wonder why the power was not shut off to the area with all those high winds.

Read: Biden Finally Mentions Disaster In Maui, Forgets Name »

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New One: “Carbon Pollution” Is Now Bad For Plants

By William Teach August 16, 2023 – 7:00 am

What do plants need? Water, nutrients from the soil, and carbon dioxide. But, because this is a cult, CO2 is called a pollutant, and it’s required to find a way to say it is super bad for the very thing that needs it

For Decades, Our Carbon Emissions Sped the Growth of Plants — Not Anymore

Sherman Potter Bull CookiesFor the last century, rising levels of carbon dioxide helped plants grow faster, a rare silver lining in human-caused climate change. But now, as drier conditions set in across much of the globe, plant growth may be failing to keep up with emissions, a new study suggests.

Through photosynthesis, plants convert water and carbon dioxide into storable energy. By burning fossil fuels, humans have driven up carbon dioxide levels, from around 280 parts per million before the Industrial Revolution to 417 parts per million last year. That extra carbon dioxide has sped up photosynthesis, spurring plants to soak up more of our emissions and grow faster. Since 1982, plants globally have added enough leaf cover to span an area roughly twice the size of the continental U.S.

But the effect appears to be wearing off. While carbon dioxide levels continue to climb, more than a century of warming has also made the climate more hostile to plants. Drier conditions in many parts of the world mean that, even as plants get more carbon dioxide, they are also losing more of the other key ingredient needed for photosynthesis — water.

For the new study, scientists gathered data from ground monitors measuring levels of carbon dioxide and water in the air from 1982 to 2016. They compared these data with satellite images of forests, grasslands, shrublands, farmlands, and savannas, using artificial intelligence to spot changes over time. Small differences in the green hue of plants, for instance, indicate a shift in the rate of photosynthesis.

So, they never actually went into the field to observe the plants? Isn’t observation a vital part of Science, particularly when you can observer it

The study suggests that photosynthesis sped up until around the year 2000, at which point it began to level off, owing to more arid conditions. Looking ahead, authors say, the rate of photosynthesis could flatten out entirely, making it harder to keep rising carbon emissions — and warming — in check. The findings were published in the journal Science.

Suggest? The results should either say this is or is not happening, and, if it “suggests”, that means there is no conclusion, so, they should be doing more research to determine what is actually happening. Warmists do not care, because no one will call them on their shoddy studies, they’ll just be published in places like Yale, who should know better.

Read: New One: “Carbon Pollution” Is Now Bad For Plants »

Posted in AGW Scaremongering, Global Warming | 11 Comments | Trackback URL

Large Supermarket In Nation’s Capitol May Close Over $500K Worth Of Shoplifting

By William Teach August 16, 2023 – 6:45 am

It’s one thing to have all this theft in a place like Portland or San Francisco. This is our nation’s seat of government

DC supermarket near closing after $500K in groceries walks out the door

As cities across the U.S. grapple with a growing shoplifting problem, a Washington, D.C., grocery store may be on the verge of closure after rampant theft has depleted much of its resources, a D.C. councilman warned.

A popular Giant Food store reported $500,000 in product loss due to shoplifting, the store’s management told D.C. Councilman Trayon White recently, which equates to roughly 20% of sales after theft.

White called the news “disheartening” in a press conference last week, especially after the store recently spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to hire security guards and upgrade its equipment.

Despite its effort to crack down on shoplifters, thieves remained emboldened and continued to walk out of the store with their carts filled with stolen items, White said.

What are they supposed to do, continue to deal with the theft? They certainly do not want to get physically involved with the shoplifters, who could get violent, pull out a knife or gun.

If the store has to shut its doors, White warned the impact would be felt hard in the community, as the chain is the only major grocery outlet in Ward 8, serving more than 85,000 people. (snip)

In June, Giant President Ira Kress told Washington, D.C., radio station WTOP that thieves are stealing “everything” at the chain’s outlets, from food to beauty products. Some Giant locations began placing products behind a lock and key.

He added that shoplifting at Giant has “probably increased five to 10 times in the last three years.” The chain has 165 locations across Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and D.C.

Profit margins for grocery stores are based on volume, and with that much theft it becomes difficult to stay in business, not too mention the concern for their employees. Ward 8 is the section of D.C. that is south of the Anacostia River, and, overall, is probably the worst ward for crime. Should this really be happening in our nation’s capitol? This is embarrassing.

 

Read: Large Supermarket In Nation’s Capitol May Close Over $500K Worth Of Shoplifting »

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Why Is It So Hot? Well, Your Fault, Plus Natural Processes Like A Volcano

By William Teach August 15, 2023 – 3:00 pm

The Arizona Republic’s Phil Boas attempts to give a dose of reality while still pushing the climate cult line

Why is it so hot in Phoenix this year? Climate change may not be the only explanation

This year’s summer heat wave in Arizona has already killed 59 people with 345 deaths now under investigation.

Our July set a new record for the most consecutive days (31) with high temperatures at or above 110 degrees, reports The Arizona Republic’s Fernando Cervantes Jr.

That we know.

What we don’t know is why.

Why are we seeing these record-smashing temperatures this year in metro Phoenix and across the globe?

I’ve been reliably informed that this is solely your fault. You could have given up your use of fossil fuels, stopped eating meat, moved into a tiny home, and given your money and freedom to government. But, no, you didn’t

Some will scoff at the question. But it’s actually a mystery that will take time to study and understand.

Yes, climate change undoubtedly played a roll.

I’m sure it did. The Earth goes through warm and cool cycles, as it’s done numerous times throughout the Holocene. Mankind does play a part, as I’ve always maintained. How much is the question. Certainly, land use and the Urban Heat Island effect plays a part, as does the release of greenhouse gas from more humans, agriculture, landfills, and ocean pollution (messes with the plankton, the number one converter of CO2 to oxygen). Yes, and fossil fuels. Certainly, air pollution traps heat, especially at night. Lower radiative cooling. So, how much is local from Man, how much is global from Man, and how much is natural?

One of those factors was a massive underwater earthquake near the island nation of Tonga more than a year and a half ago.

On Jan. 15, 2022, the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai underwater volcano erupted.

A year later, January 2023, scientists mostly from Oxford University published a study in the peer-reviewed Nature Climate Change that noted the Tonga-Hunga volcanic eruption was extraordinary in that it pushed an enormous amount of water into the atmosphere.

Most volcanic eruptions spew large amounts of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere that form particles that can actually reflect the sun and cool the planet.

This one did that as well, but was offset and exceeded by the amount of moisture it sent skyward — roughly the equivalent of 58,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, according to separate research done by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Because water vapor is a greenhouse gas, “it is possible that over a multiyear period Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai will cause a temporary increase in global surface temperatures,” the Oxford group noted.

Oops?

Of course, the climate cult will say that the loss of glaciers because Other People drive fossil fueled vehicles and have gas stoves is messing with tectonics and caused this. Because cult.

Anyhow, Mr. Boas also mentions the El Nino conditions and pollution control. Yes, that last one is Man-induced: we created the pollution, and removing it can also let in more sunlight to heat up the buildings and roadways. But, that’s localized.

Read: Why Is It So Hot? Well, Your Fault, Plus Natural Processes Like A Volcano »

Posted in Collapsing Science, Global Warming | 9 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach August 15, 2023 – 1:00 pm

…are Bad Weather clouds rolling in, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is 90Ninety Miles From Tyranny, with a post on how many kids died suddenly after COVID shots.

Read: If All You See… »

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Obligatory “Trump Indicted In Georgia” Post

By William Teach August 15, 2023 – 10:30 am

The leftists and Trump haters just can’t help themselves. Are the trying to make sure that Trump is the GOP representative for the 2024 election? Most of these charges are pretty shaky, and shady, and will most likely end up being dropped or lost. They will be great at jamming up Trump’s time and money, though, which is probably the point, along with making good on Leftist promises to indict Trump

Trump Attorneys: Georgia Indictment ‘as Flawed and Unconstitutional as This Entire Process’

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump responded after midnight Tuesday morning to the late-night indictment in Fulton County, Georgia, by District Attorney Fani Willis, calling it “as flawed and unconstitutional as this entire process.”

Their full statement — issued by Drew Findling, Jennifer Little and Marissa Goldberg — follows:

The events that have unfolded today have been shocking and absurd, starting with the leak of a presumed and premature indictment before the witnesses had testified or the grand jurors had deliberated and ending with the District Attorney being unable to offer any explanation. In light of this major fumble, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office clearly decided to force through and rush this 98-page indictment. This one-sided grand jury presentation relied on witnesses who harbor their own personal and political interests— some of whom ran campaigns touting their efforts against the accused and/or profited from book deals and employment opportunities as a result. We look forward to a detailed review of this indictment which is undoubtedly just as flawed and unconstitutional as this entire process has been.

Critics noted that the 41-count indictment (which include 13 counts against Trump) accuses the defendants of crimes for simply arguing that the 2020 presidential election was flawed. That, in turn implicates the First Amendment right to free speech and the Sixth Amendment right to counsel. The indictment also attempts to use a county court in Georgia to charge the defendants for crimes allegedly committed on a national scale and in violation of a federal election, which typically fall under federal jurisdiction.

It will be interesting to see what happens when this goes in front of a judge with it’s 1st Amendment violations. Meanwhile, Stacy Abrams has yet to be charged

The indictment, however, describes “acts” furthering the “conspiracy” that largely consist of public statements, protests, claims at hearings, and even posts on social media — the very same kinds of actions and statements Abrams and her allies made for years.

Like Trump and his associates, Abrams made her claims of a stolen election repeatedly, from public platforms (and appears to have believed them). Like Trump, Abrams enlisted the help of political allies — and, worse, other elected Democratic officials.

Like Trump, Abrams took her claims to court, where they were dismissed even by otherwise sympathetic judges. Like Trump, Abrams nevertheless persuaded the media and supporters that her election was, in fact stolen; many still believe it to this day.

When will all those who claimed the 2016 election was stolen (and the 2000 and 2004 elections) be charged? Strange that none of the Credentialed Media outlets covering this gleefully wonder about that, and you’re not seeing any of them mentioning the 1st Amendment violations.

Update: More below the fold

Read More »

Read: Obligatory “Trump Indicted In Georgia” Post »

Posted in 1st Amendment, Donald Trump, Unhinged Tools | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

Montana Climate Youts Get Judge To Agree With Them

By William Teach August 15, 2023 – 7:00 am

Hey, look, finally a win for a group suing over ‘climate change’, which is pretty much backed by lots of big astroturfed groups

Judge sides with young activists in first-of-its-kind climate change trial in Montana

A Montana judge on Monday sided with young environmental activists who said state agencies were violating their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by permitting fossil fuel development without considering its effect on the climate.

The ruling following a first-of-its- kind trial in the U.S. adds to a small number of legal decisions around the world that have established a government duty to protect citizens from climate change.

District Court Judge Kathy Seeley found the policy the state uses in evaluating requests for fossil fuel permits — which does not allow agencies to evaluate the effects of greenhouse gas emissions — is unconstitutional.

Judge Seeley wrote in the ruling that “Montana’s emissions and climate change have been proven to be a substantial factor in causing climate impacts to Montana’s environment and harm and injury” to the youth.

So, she pretty much made it up in order to give the kiddies a win

However, it’s up to the state Legislature to determine how to bring the policy into compliance. That leaves slim chances for immediate change in a fossil fuel-friendly state where Republicans dominate the statehouse.

They’ll get right on that in about 20 years. Maybe they’ll pass a few laws that restrict youts from using fossil fuels. They can do away with school buses, end the use of fossil fuels and such to heat schools.

Emily Flower, spokesperson for Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, decried the ruling as “absurd” and said the office planned to appeal. She criticized Seeley for allowing the plaintiffs to put on what Flower called a “taxpayer-funded publicity stunt.”

“Montanans can’t be blamed for changing the climate,” Flower said in an email. “Their same legal theory has been thrown out of federal court and courts in more than a dozen states. It should have been here as well, but they found an ideological judge who bent over backward to allow the case to move forward and earn herself a spot in their next documentary.”

They did

But Seeley said the state’s attorneys failed to give a compelling reason for why they were not evaluating greenhouse gas impacts. She rejected the notion that Montana’s greenhouse gas emissions are insignificant and noted that renewable power is “technically feasible and economically beneficial,” citing testimony from the trial indicating Montana could replace 80% of existing fossil fuel energy by 2030.

In all the articles and testimony I’ve seen, the state attorneys failed to ask some questions like “how did you kids get to the courthouse? Have you given up your own use of fossil fuels? Do you live in tiny homes? Given up meat? How many articles of clothing, jewelry, and tech products are on you that were made with petroleum?” Perhaps they could ask the judge the same questions.

Read: Montana Climate Youts Get Judge To Agree With Them »

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Good News: Biden To Send Eligible Hawaiians $700 Each After Fire

By William Teach August 15, 2023 – 6:45 am

He’s such a charitable guy!

White House outlines Maui fire response, says Biden is ‘deeply concerned’

The White House on Monday outlined steps being taken to aid Maui amid its deadly wildfires, and defended against questions about President Joe Biden’s response.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said the president has ordered a “whole of government” approach to the fires, now the deadliest natural disaster in state history.

In fairness, Los Federales did mobilize to provide aid. However

To further assist survivors, FEMA has activated a transitional sheltering assistance program to help displaced residents find a hotel or motel, as well as a “critical needs” program to provide $700 to eligible people for food, water and other supplies.

You read that right

Biden literally just sent another $200 million to Ukraine.

Read: Good News: Biden To Send Eligible Hawaiians $700 Each After Fire »

Posted in Current Affairs, Joe Biden | 7 Comments | Trackback URL
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