Posted on 10/11/2019 2:35:26 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The power is out in Northern California. More than 1 million Californians are now without electricity, one of modern life’s essentials that is frequently taken for granted. The blackout was done on purpose—to prevent sparks from powerlines that could ignite deadly wildfires.
Before planned blackouts are through in two or three days, as many as 3 million Californians may go without power. On the surface, the blackout and its causes are simple to understand. But the deeper causes are complicated, span decades of public policy, and dozens of overlapping unintended—and intended—consequences of decisions, both related and unrelated.
The wind in Northern California is blowing in from dry Nevada, as it often does this time of year. It’s called the “Diablo wind.” In Southern California, the comparable current blowing in from the Mojave Desert is known as the “Santa Ana winds.”
In both cases, as the wind rises above California’s mountain spine, then descends, it compresses and heats up. Forests, chaparral and brush, dry this time of year in California’s Mediterranean climate, are primed for wildfires.
This Isn’t Climate Change
Michael Wara, Stanford University’s director of climate and energy policy, warns, “We are having to adapt to new circumstances brought about by climate change.” He estimates that this week’s blackout could cost the state as much as $2.6 billion in lost economic activity.
Politicians, journalists, and some scientists repeat a common refrain: California is getting hotter and drier because of climate change. They ignore the fact that annual precipitation totals over the past 100 years show no statistically meaningful trend.
(Excerpt) Read more at thefederalist.com ...
When the electricity is off gas pumps don’t work either.
Last year Redding California nearly burned up. Keswick just west of Redding did. In 20 minutes the town was gone. Mostly Federal workers for the Bureau of Reclamation that operates the dam and power station for Keswick Lake controlling water going down from Lake Shasta. I know some Bureau people who lost homes.
when do the food shortages begin?
PG&E did the right thing.
PG&E did the right thing here. The answer to this problem is to run power wires underground.
Your entire post is 100 percent factual. State government created the problems that led to the devastating fires. PG&E forbidden from clearing trees and brush, as were homeowners. (Gotta save the lizards and bugs etc.) My wife worked for PG&E, and there were always complaints about the state PUC putting very restrictive handcuffs on PG&E from being proactive. State and local governments screwed everything up. So why shouldn't PG&E shut off the power so they won't get unfairly blamed again? Damn democrat governors.
Please add me to your climate change list.
Last year was nothing. The average acres burned in California before 1800 was 4.5 million. Last year was less than 2 million which still less than needs to burn. More should have burned. The essential problem is by putting out small fires in the early part of the year, calfire is creating the conditions for giant out-of-control fires later in the year. Also they need to set more fires.
Spotted Owl futures are up 18% on the DOW.
We have lived and prospered on the northeast for over 80 years and PG&E singled us out because of our limited voice. I’m thrilled to see other areas getting the blackout treatment.
Thanks, I see your point. We were talking about hydrogen fuel cells. Hydrogen fuel derived from water, then returning to H2O as vapor after combustion.
Re: I know a Stanford egghead who thinks water is a greenhouse gas.
Your friend is correct. Water vapor (gas) is the most important green house gas in the atmosphere.
CO2 - by itself - cannot cause dangerous warming.
However, it does cause some warming.
According to theory, CO2 causes the oceans to warm. When the oceans warm, they release more H2O gas, which causes more warming.
The basic theory of man made global warming is that CO2 and H2O gas must work in concert to create highly destructive warming.
Done.
That should read We have lived and prospered on the northCOAST for over 80 years. and have lost electric power due to storms, floods and earthquakes but never been shut out of the grid like this before
Yes they need both more forestry and more natural burns. The burns prior to 1800’s where all natural burns so there is no comparison. The Redwood tree actually need the moderate fires to grow and germinate. Those pre 1800 fires were expansive, but not as volatile. The volatile fires with lots of fuel are actually worse for the Redwoods.
(winks!)
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