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November 2019 General Discussions & Observations Thread
LibertyBell replied to Rtd208's topic in New York City Metro
I think NYC averaged under 20" of snow during the 80s. -
November 2019 General Discussions & Observations Thread
LibertyBell replied to Rtd208's topic in New York City Metro
What about April 2002, Chris? -
November 2019 General Discussions & Observations Thread
LibertyBell replied to Rtd208's topic in New York City Metro
Looks like we're in a period where that will be difficult to do, because the timing between the Arctic shots and storms is bad- another reminder of the 80s. -
November 2019 General Discussions & Observations Thread
LibertyBell replied to Rtd208's topic in New York City Metro
This is exactly what I found back in the early 90s. Cold Novembers result in winters that are either much delayed or denied (the majority of the time.) -
Predict the Date: First Bonafide Nor'Easter of the Season
LibertyBell replied to Rtd208's topic in New York City Metro
lol it would be Boxing Day x 3. Remember how hectic it was after that monumental event? -
Yes, our first freeze is actually happening right when it's supposed to. With all that extreme warmth in Alaska, it should be much colder than this.
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on TWC they had the climate debate and I listened with some alacrity while R's were talking about letting the free market handle it and letting them spurt as much CO2 as they want to into the air until it hurts them economically.
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Do you think there is a way to extract all that extra heat from the oceans and use that for energy, while simultaneously bringing some equilibrium to the planet?!
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November 2019 General Discussions & Observations Thread
LibertyBell replied to Rtd208's topic in New York City Metro
Athena! The first-ever named snowstorm. Our earliest true snowstorm, got 8" here! -
Occasional Thoughts on Climate Change
LibertyBell replied to donsutherland1's topic in Climate Change
Unfortunately there are massive side effects to industrialization, and the rise of large global multinational corporations is one of the cancers of modern society. Yes, there are positive aspects to it, but it must be strictly regulated to counter the side effects of human greed. Factory farming MUST come to an end, consumption of meat must be sharply reduced. Not just for the environment but for human health also, as the ACS and AHA both now call for a massive reduction in the consumption of processed food and meat to lower cancer and heart disease risks. A prime example is how the corruption and monetary influence of the American Chemical Lobby has kept toxic substances legal here which are banned in Canada and Europe. The pesticide Chlorpyrifos which has been linked to brain damage in children was due to be banned until the current administration took charge and got an earful from the chemical lobby and decided to not go through with the ban which the EPA's own scientists had stated was necessary. The administration's decision was reversed by the federal courts, however toxic levels of this chemical are still being sprayed on fields near schools in California's central valley and children and pregnant women who gave birth to children have been reported as suffering from various side effects. Aside from that we have over 2000 superfund sites, places where companies like Dow buried their harmful PFOA for which they got sued, when it was found out they kept using them even though their own employees were giving birth to children with birth defects. NJ the state with the most superfund sites is also not coincidentally, the state with the highest rate of autism. It's out of control capitalism and unregulated industrialism that has produced these horrors, as well as fast food that has chemicals added that are specifically included to make children addicted to fast food for life. The sugar industry's cover up with its paid "scientists" is a well known example of how money has been used to influence those in charge. -
Occasional Thoughts on Climate Change
LibertyBell replied to donsutherland1's topic in Climate Change
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/01/us/the-unrealized-horrors-of-population-explosion.html https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet/paul-ehrlichs-population-bomb-argument-was-right https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet/the-violent-side-effect-to-high-fertility-rates https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet/asia-must-build-a-less-wasteful-economy https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet/empower-women-for-the-health-of-the-planet https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet/its-not-a-numbers-problem https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet/overconsumption-is-a-grave-threat-to-humanity https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/opinion/18iht-edwesting.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/23/opinion/no-to-population-growth.html https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/opinion/population-growth.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/15/opinion/sunday/remember-the-population-bomb-its-still-ticking.html I knew I remembered this study from somewhere, now I finally found it- they're not talking about having no children at all, but the environmental benefit of just one less child per family. An official at our own NOAA made this point also, just last year. https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/3kn5z9/stop-telling-people-not-to-have-kids-to-save-the-planet https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/12/want-to-fight-climate-change-have-fewer-children?CMP=twt_gu https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/world-population-prospects-2017.html So when a new study came out today suggesting that having fewer kids is the most effective way to reduce our carbon emissions—sparking media headlines like "Want to fight climate change? Have fewer children" in The Guardian—I had to stop what I was doing and read it. It notes that a US family choosing to have one fewer child would be responsible for the same level of emissions reductions as 684 teens who "adopt comprehensive recycling" for the rest of their lives. With the global population projected to reach 11.2 billion by the year 2100, up from 7.6 billion today, there are urgent questions about how we'll feed, clothe, house, and provide medical care for so many people in the face of climate change and its accompanying threats, including sea level rise, ocean acidification, and desertification. And, while the new paper doesn't go so far, I've heard it suggested before that having kids is environmentally unconscionable—that parents are selfish to bring more people onto an already overcrowded planet, to gobble up more of our resources. This study predictably re-ignited a long-simmering debate. https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/53ny3z/even-the-rainforest-is-better-off-when-women-have-reproductive-healthcare https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/59mb5d/our-planet-is-so-****ed-that-some-women-are-choosing-to-not-have-kids?utm_source=vicetwitterus the paper http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7541 https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/reuse-reduce-reproductive-rights-how-abortion-can-help-save-the-planet another study http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/pdfs/OSUCarbonStudy.pdf Stefanie Weiss, a writer in her mid-40s based in New York City, also decided to be child-free out of concern for the environment."Years ago, there was a study I learned about," Weiss told Broadly, referencing a 2008 study from a pair of researchers at Oregon State University. "There's this number, 9,441. That's the amount of additional metric tons of carbon you add to the atmosphere for every child you have. You can never take it back. That stopped me in my tracks." There's this number, 9,441. That's the amount of additional metric tons of carbon you add to the atmosphere for every child you have. That same study put those 9,441 metric tons of carbon dioxide into perspective: If a typical American decided to recycle newspapers, magazines, glass, plastic, aluminum, and steel cans over the course of her entire life, she would save the environment from just 17 metric tons of carbon emissions. https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/children-carbon-footprint-environment-climate-change-adoption-birth-pregnancy-a8469886.html http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7541/meta And the proliferating organisations arguing we should consider smaller families are being bolstered by recent reports. A major study last year concluded that not having children is one of the most effective ways of cutting our carbon footprint, and that a US family who chooses to have one fewer child would provide the same level of emissions reductions as 684 teenagers who recycle for the rest of their lives. Last year researchers recommended four ways to contribute to lowering our emissions, including having one fewer child – the equivalent of 58.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year. The other three suggestions – avoiding aeroplane travel, ditching the car and eating a plant-based diet – totalled a fraction of the emissions of having a child. https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/children-carbon-footprint-climate-change-damage-having-kids-research-a7837961.html Having children is the most destructive thing a person can to do to the environment, according to a new study. Researchers from Lund University in Sweden found having one fewer child per family can save “an average of 58.6 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions per year”. Eating meat, driving a car and travelling by aeroplane made up the list of the most polluting things people can do to the planet. But having children was top, according to the new study, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters. Read more Carbon maps reveal those causing the most and least climate change Government’s own experts slam its lack of action on climate change Key environmental pledge feared shelved on Gove's return “A US family who chooses to have one fewer child would provide the same level of emissions reductions as 684 teenagers who choose to adopt comprehensive recycling for the rest of their lives,” it said. Lead author Seth Wynes told The Local: “We found there are four actions that could result in substantial decreases in an individual's carbon footprint: eating a plant-based diet, avoiding air travel, living car free and having smaller families. “For example, living car-free saves about 2.4 tonnes of C02 equivalent per year, while eating a plant-based diet saves 0.8 tonnes of C02 equivalent a year.” The paper, which studied analysed 39-peer reviewed journals studying the environmental policies of several major economies, found most governments focused on incremental changes which have “much smaller potential to reduce emissions”. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/12/want-to-fight-climate-change-have-fewer-children http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/07/best-way-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-one-government-isn-t-telling-you-about Recycling and using public transit are all fine and good if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, but to truly make a difference you should have fewer children. That’s the conclusion of a new study in which researchers looked at 39 peer-reviewed papers, government reports, and web-based programs that assess how an individual’s lifestyle choices might shrink their personal share of emissions. Many commonly promoted options, such as washing clothes in cold water or swapping incandescent bulbs for light-emitting diodes, have only a moderate impact (see chart, below), the team reports today in Environmental Research Letters. But four lifestyle choices had a major impact: Become a vegetarian, forego air travel, ditch your car, and—most significantly—have fewer children. http://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7541 Eating no meat cuts an individual’s carbon footprint by 820 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year, on average, about four times the reduction they’d get by recycling as much as possible. (Emissions generated by eating meat result, in large part, from the large amounts of energy needed to grow, harvest, and process feed crops.) Foregoing one round-trip transatlantic flight each year would cut a person’s emissions of CO2 by 1600 kilograms. Getting rid of their car would reduce emissions by 2400 kilograms, or 2.4 metric tons. And by choosing to have one fewer child in their family, a person would trim their carbon footprint by a whopping 58.6 metric tons—about the same emissions savings as having nearly 700 teenagers recycle as much as possible for the rest of their lives. https://slate.com/technology/2007/09/should-americans-have-fewer-babies-to-save-the-environment.html https://globalnews.ca/news/3595511/climate-change-carbon-footprint-children/ http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7541/meta#erlaa7541s1 https://www.sciencealert.com/the-best-ways-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-environment-science-less-children https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7541 https://www.sciencealert.com/the-best-ways-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-environment-science-less-children https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7541 https://www.kinder-world.org/articles/you/these-are-the-4-most-effective-ways-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-19883 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-15/a-radical-plan-to-slow-climate-change-eat-less-meat Avoiding meat and dairy products is the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact on the planet, according to the scientists behind the most comprehensive analysis to date of the damage farming does to the planet. The new research shows that without meat and dairy consumption, global farmland use could be reduced by more than 75% – an area equivalent to the US, China, European Union and Australia combined – and still feed the world. Loss of wild areas to agriculture is the leading cause of the current mass extinction of wildlife. The new analysis shows that while meat and dairy provide just 18% of calories and 37% of protein, it uses the vast majority – 83% – of farmland and produces 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions. Other recent research shows 86% of all land mammals are now livestock or humans. The scientists also found that even the very lowest impact meat and dairy products still cause much more environmental harm than the least sustainable vegetable and cereal growing. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/10/earths-sixth-mass-extinction-event-already-underway-scientists-warn https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/21/human-race-just-001-of-all-life-but-has-destroyed-over-80-of-wild-mammals-study http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1711842115 http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg3/index.php?idp=115 Humankind is revealed as simultaneously insignificant and utterly dominant in the grand scheme of life on Earth by a groundbreaking new assessment of all life on the planet. The world’s 7.6 billion people represent just 0.01% of all living things, according to the study. Yet since the dawn of civilisation, humanity has caused the loss of 83% of all wild mammals and half of plants, while livestock kept by humans abounds. The new work is the first comprehensive estimate of the weight of every class of living creature and overturns some long-held assumptions. Bacteria are indeed a major life form – 13% of everything – but plants overshadow everything, representing 82% of all living matter. All other creatures, from insects to fungi, to fish and animals, make up just 5% of the world’s biomass. Another surprise is that the teeming life revealed in the oceans by the recent BBC television series Blue Planet II turns out to represent just 1% of all biomass. The vast majority of life is land-based and a large chunk – an eighth – is bacteria buried deep below the surface. “I was shocked to find there wasn’t already a comprehensive, holistic estimate of all the different components of biomass,” said Prof Ron Milo, at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, who led the work, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “I would hope this gives people a perspective on the very dominant role that humanity now plays on Earth,” he said, adding that he now chooses to eat less meat due to the huge environmental impact of livestock. http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1704949114 A “biological annihilation” of wildlife in recent decades means a sixth mass extinction in Earth’s history is under way and is more severe than previously feared, according to research. Scientists analysed both common and rare species and found billions of regional or local populations have been lost. They blame human overpopulation and overconsumption for the crisis and warn that it threatens the survival of human civilisation, with just a short window of time in which to act. The study, , eschews the normally sober tone of scientific papers and calls the massive loss of wildlife a “biological annihilation” that represents a “frightening assault on the foundations of human civilisation”. Prof Gerardo Ceballos, at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, who led the work, said: “The situation has become so bad it would not be ethical not to use strong language.” Previous studies have shown species are becoming extinct at a significantly faster rate than for millions of years before, but even so extinctions remain relatively rare giving the impression of a gradual loss of biodiversity. The new work instead takes a broader view, assessing many common species which are losing populations all over the world as their ranges shrink, but remain present elsewhere. The scientists found that a third of the thousands of species losing populations are not currently considered endangered and that up to 50% of all individual animals have been lost in recent decades. Detailed data is available for land mammals, and almost half of these have lost 80% of their range in the last century. The scientists found billions of populations of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians have been lost all over the planet, leading them to say a sixth mass extinction has already progressed further than was thought. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/10/earths-sixth-mass-extinction-event-already-underway-scientists-warn https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/19/humans-creating-sixth-great-extinction-of-animal-species-say-scientists https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/11/sixth-mass-extinction-habitats-destroy-population The human population has grown so large that roughly 40% of the Earth’s land surface is now farmed to feed people – and none too well at that. Largely due to persistent problems with distribution, almost 800 million people go to bed hungry, and between one and two billion suffer from malnutrition. As a consequence of its booming population, Homo sapiens has taken much of the most fertile land to grow plants for its own consumption. But guess what? That cropland is generally not rich in food plants suitable for the caterpillars of the 15,000 butterfly species with which we share the planet. Few butterflies require the wheat, corn or rice on which humans largely depend. From the viewpoint of most of the Earth’s wildlife, farming can be viewed as “habitat destruction”. And, unsurprisingly, few species of wildlife have evolved to live on highways, or in strip malls, office buildings, kitchens or sewers – unless you count Norway rats, house mice, European starlings and German roaches. Virtually everything humanity constructs provides an example of habitat destruction. The more people there are, the more products of nature they demand to meet their needs and wants: timber, seafood, meat, gas, oil, metal ores, rare earths and rare animals to eat or to use for medicinal purposes. Human demands cause both habitat destruction and outright extermination of wildlife. So when you watch the expansion of the human enterprise; when you see buildings springing up; when you settle down to dinner at home or in a restaurant; you are observing (and often participating in) the sixth mass extinction. The expanding human population not only outright destroys habitats, it also alters them to the detriment of wildlife (and often people themselves). The more people there are, the more greenhouse gases flow into the atmosphere, and the greater the impacts on wildlife that require specific temperature ranges. And the more people there are, the more cities, roads, farm fields, fences and other barriers preventing wildlife from moving to areas of more favourable temperature or humidity in a rapidly changing climate. Less recognised, but perhaps even more dangerous to both people and wildlife, is the increasing toxification of the entire planet with synthetic chemicals. Growing populations want myriad more items of plastic that often leak toxic chemicals: more cosmetics, cleansing compounds, pesticides, herbicides, preservatives and industrial chemicals. Many of these novel chemicals mimic natural hormones, and in tiny quantities can alter the development of animals or human children, with potentially catastrophic consequences. As with climate disruption, this is one more case of human overpopulation threatening civilisation. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180531-where-are-the-worlds-healthiest-places-to-live Generally speaking, evidence suggests that green spaces are good for those of us who live in urban areas. Those who reside near parks or trees tend to enjoy lower levels of ambient air pollution, reduced manmade noise pollution and more cooling effects (something that will become increasingly useful as the planet warms). Natural spaces are conducive to physical and social activities– both of which are associated with myriad benefits of their own. Time in nature has been linked to reduced physical markers of stress. When we are out for a stroll or just sitting beneath the trees, our heart rate and blood pressure both tend to go down. We also release more natural ‘killer cells’: lymphocytes that roam throughout the body, hunting down cancerous and virus-infected cells. Researchers are still trying to determine why this is so, although they do have a number of hypotheses. “One predominate theory is that natural spaces act as a calming backdrop to the busy stimuli of the city,” says Amber Pearson, a health geographer at Michigan State University. “From an evolutionary perspective, we also associate natural things as key resources for survival, so we favour them.” City residents tend to suffer from more asthma, allergies and depression – but they also tend to be less obese, at a lower suicide risk and are less likely to get killed in an accident https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204611003665 http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180531-where-are-the-worlds-healthiest-places-to-live https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204611003665 http://www.ecehh.org/research-projects/urban-green-space/ -
Occasional Thoughts on Climate Change
LibertyBell replied to donsutherland1's topic in Climate Change
I've noticed it much more in the last few years with rising humidity, more rainfall, and uncomfortable health issues like allergies occurring almost year round. I never had these issues before the last few years. -
Occasional Thoughts on Climate Change
LibertyBell replied to donsutherland1's topic in Climate Change
Thats fine John, I was looking up some of my reading material and just found it..... have a look at these: Here is an excellent piece https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/15/sunday-review/overpopulated-and-underfed-countries-near-a-breaking-point.html some others https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/talking-about-overpopulation-is-still-taboo-that-has-to-change/2018/06/18/ca7c1838-6e6f-11e8-afd5-778aca903bbe_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.10f9f1d1fab7 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-continuing-debate-over-population/2017/07/19/85c5f4bc-6b09-11e7-abbc-a53480672286_story.html?utm_term=.9cd76cfd419e https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2018/10/10/how-will-or-billion-people-eat-without-destroying-environment/?utm_term=.c22851ff04dd here is an awesome piece from Nature https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0594-0 A sobering report published Wednesday in the journal Nature argues that a sustainable food system that doesn’t ravage the environment is going to require dramatic reforms, including a radical change in dietary habits. To be specific: Cheeseburgers are out, and fruits and veggies are in. The 23 authors of the report, hailing from Europe, the United States, Australia and Lebanon, reviewed the many moving parts of the global food system and how they interact with the environment. The authors concluded that the current methods of producing, distributing and consuming food aren’t environmentally sustainable and that damage to the planet could make it less hospitable for human existence. A core message from the researchers is that efforts to keep climate change at an acceptable level won’t be successful without a huge reduction in meat consumption. “Feeding humanity is possible. It’s just a question of whether we can do it in an environmentally responsible way,” said Johan Rockström, an earth scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany and a co-author of the study. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/talking-about-overpopulation-is-still-taboo-that-has-to-change/2018/06/18/ca7c1838-6e6f-11e8-afd5-778aca903bbe_story.html?utm_term=.249575592711 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-importance-of-limiting-our-reproduction/2018/06/28/104ea1de-7959-11e8-ac4e-421ef7165923_story.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/15/opinion/sunday/remember-the-population-bomb-its-still-ticking.html https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/01/us/the-unrealized-horrors-of-population-explosion.html https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet/paul-ehrlichs-population-bomb-argument-was-right https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet/the-violent-side-effect-to-high-fertility-rates https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet/asia-must-build-a-less-wasteful-economy https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet/empower-women-for-the-health-of-the-planet https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet/its-not-a-numbers-problem https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet/overconsumption-is-a-grave-threat-to-humanity https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/opinion/18iht-edwesting.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/23/opinion/no-to-population-growth.html https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/08/is-overpopulation-a-legitimate-threat-to-humanity-and-the-planet https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/opinion/population-growth.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/15/opinion/sunday/remember-the-population-bomb-its-still-ticking.html -
Occasional Thoughts on Climate Change
LibertyBell replied to donsutherland1's topic in Climate Change
Thats interesting and true in the sense that sociologically humankind seems to be ignorant to what they are doing, with their brains wired for short term profit not long term sustainability, however we must also look at how being densely populated in cities adversely affects our health, as well as the negative impact on endangered species with humans cutting down trees to build more homes (cutting down trees is also bad for the environment) I do believe we will stabilize our population at some point, the question is, at what point will that be and will we avoid an ecological disaster. Land usage, the consumption of meat and overconsumption in general are also issues. I believe it was stated that the most efficient way to reduce one's carbon footprint is to have one less child. Having one species dominate over the rest seems to unbalance nature and intricate ecosystems. PS have you seen all the smog/air pollution issues going on in India? It's unfortunate that breathing clean air, which should be a right, is so hard to come by! -
The planet does self-regulate for biodiversity rather than dominance of a single species and I do believe there's much truth in what you're saying. Our very nature which led to our dominance may well lead to our destruction. Evolution comes full circle.
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Occasional Thoughts on Climate Change
LibertyBell replied to donsutherland1's topic in Climate Change
John, TWC is hosting a climate change debate tonight at 8. I found what Dr Rick Knabb said last night very illuminating. He pointed to a collaboration of research between a few hundred scientists pointing to human overpopulation being the main cause behind all the other things we face (climate change, pollution, mass extinction, land usage, etc.) He quoted this research: https://theconversation.com/11-000-scientists-warn-climate-change-isnt-just-about-temperature-126261 -
November 2019 General Discussions & Observations Thread
LibertyBell replied to Rtd208's topic in New York City Metro
it was an 80s type winter. I cant say it was bad luck, all I can say that it's a really stable pattern that repeats. The whole 80s decade was like that. -
Predict the Date: First Bonafide Nor'Easter of the Season
LibertyBell replied to Rtd208's topic in New York City Metro
We need a three day blizzard around here, a Dec 1992 storm that's all snow! That's the one thing we haven't seen yet! -
November 2019 General Discussions & Observations Thread
LibertyBell replied to Rtd208's topic in New York City Metro
I remember this pattern started in the early 00s where storms almost always went further NW than expected. Actually going back to 1995-96 when you think about it. -
November 2019 General Discussions & Observations Thread
LibertyBell replied to Rtd208's topic in New York City Metro
That's conducive for a meteorological bomb! -
and that warm blob over the Pacific and super amplified patterns that stick in place
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Occasional Thoughts on Climate Change
LibertyBell replied to donsutherland1's topic in Climate Change
Very well stated John, short term profits are selected over long term sustainability. -
November 2019 General Discussions & Observations Thread
LibertyBell replied to Rtd208's topic in New York City Metro
Thanks, I remember that night being crystal clear too and frigid but maybe the wind was too high to get below 0. Do you remember the other one (also February), the 30 hour snowstorm due to a low stalling just offshore with a narrow band of 4-8? (Would have been more if the snow during the day wasn't so wet.) I'm thinking early 90s on that one too. -
November 2019 General Discussions & Observations Thread
LibertyBell replied to Rtd208's topic in New York City Metro
Pre 93 I remember a storm that stalled just offshore in February. It was supposed to just be a frontal passage and it stalled for 30 hours and just kept snowing. During the day it was mostly wet snow and at night it really started to stick, and there was 4-8 inches in a narrow band from EWR across the city and on Long Island. Do you happen to know what year that was? Sometime in the early 90s? Then there was another one in the early 90s that also occurred in February, an arctic front slipped down from the north and a low formed on it and dropped 4-7 inches across the area, an all day snowfall with a brilliant red frigid sunset (what a treat!) It was 4 inches here with 7 inches in Plainview, Long Island. Was that the following year? -
Occasional Thoughts on Climate Change
LibertyBell replied to donsutherland1's topic in Climate Change
They mention a catalyst and also that it's a few years away from commercial development. https://twitter.com/i/events/1191456175449088006 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-04/moth-poulsen-s-energy-trapping-molecule-could-solve-solar-storage The innovations include an energy-trapping molecule, a storage system that promises to outperform traditional batteries and an energy-storing laminate coating that can be applied to windows and textiles. Swedish scientists develop energy storing molecule that can be applied as a transparent coating to windows, houses, cars, clothes and release heat when exposed to a catalyst. Still a few years from commercialisation - but pretty amazing potential if it comes good. Scientists say they’ve figured out how to store solar power for decades, a major energy breakthrough Scientists in Sweden have figured out how to harness solar power, store it and release it on demand in the form of heat decades after it's been captured Scientists at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg have figured out how to harness the energy and keep it in reserve so it can be released on demand in the form of heat—even decades after it was captured. The innovations include an energy-trapping molecule, a storage system that promises to outperform traditional batteries, at least when it comes to heating, and an energy-storing laminate coating that can be applied to windows and textiles. The breakthroughs, from a team led by researcher Kasper Moth-Poulsen, have garnered praise within the scientific community. Now comes the real test: whether Moth-Poulsen can get investors to back his technology and take it to market. The system starts with a liquid molecule made up of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen. When hit by sunlight, the molecule draws in the sun’s energy and holds it until a catalyst triggers its release as heat. The researchers spent almost a decade and $2.5 million to create a specialized storage unit, which Moth-Poulsen, a 40-year-old professor in the department of chemistry and chemical engineering, says has the stability to outlast the 5-to 10-year life span of typical lithium-ion batteries on the market today. The most advanced potential commercial use the team developed is a transparent coating that can be applied to home windows, a moving vehicle, or even clothing. The coating collects solar energy and releases heat, reducing electricity required for heating spaces and curbing carbon emissions. Moth-Poulsen is coating an entire building on campus to showcase the technology. The ideal use in the early going, he says, is in relatively small spaces. “This could be heating of electrical vehicles or in houses.” A big unknown is whether the system can produce electricity. While Moth-Poulsen believes the potential exists, his team is focused for now on heating. His research group is one of about 15 trying to tackle climate change with molecular thermal solar systems. Part of what motivates them is the Paris Agreement, which commits signatories to pursue efforts to limit global warming to 1.5C (2.7F). Moth-Poulsen plans to spin off a company that would advance the technology and says he’s in talks with venture capital investors. The storage unit could be commercially available in as little as six years and the coating in three, pending the $5 million of additional funding he estimates will be needed to bring the coating to market. In May he won the Arnbergska Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for his solar energy projects. The professor doesn’t have precise cost estimates for the technology but is aware that it will need to be affordable. One cost advantage is that the system doesn’t need any rare or expensive elements. Jeffrey Grossman, a professor in the department of materials science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who’s also developing energy storage molecules, calls the Chalmers University team’s work “crucial if we want to see this energy conversion storage approach commercialized.”