Here’s another reminder of the fact that not all the effects of global warming are harmful, and longer growing seasons in higher latitudes is among them.
If you’ve ever wondered how the physicists who have been studying how to extract the most energy out of the wind for the last three hundred years, whose work has been greatly accelerated in the last few decades, these people claim to have a shocking answer.
Of course, you have to believe that all previous and present-day scientists are total fools.
If that’s your take, by all means, jump on in!
This artist’s rendering at left suggests a device that its proponents say will, one day, capture CO2 from the Earth’s atmosphere, and mitigate the growing threat of climate change. But let’s think about this for a moment.
The concentration of CO2 in our atmosphere is fairly consistent from the planet’s surface up to about 60 miles in elevation.
Given that the radius of the Earth is ~4000 miles, and that the volume of a sphere is 4/3 πr3, this means the volume of this section of our atmosphere is 4/3 π 40603 – 4/3 π 40003 = 11.7 trillion cubic miles.
How many of these devices will be required to make a significant dent in the overall CO2 concentration, given that they need to process almost 12 trillion cubic miles of our atmosphere? What’s the cost per each one? How will they be powered, given that our grid-mix is largely fossil fuels? Won’t this only make matters worse?
This is a sad joke, but even sadder, it’s not the only one out there.
I’m sorry to report that “the Donald Trump of Argentina” Javier Milei has won his country’s presidential election.
Milei has all the earmarks of the world’s rising numbers of extreme right-wing leaders. He believes that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by Marxists and that gun laws increase crime levels.
From CNN: Milei, a social conservative with ties to the American right, opposes abortion rights and has called climate change a “lie of socialism.” He has promised to slash government spending by closing Argentina’s ministries of culture, education, and diversity, and by eliminating public subsidies.
The first person to call to congratulate him? Donald Trump himself.
I’m suspicious. Yes, I know that our educational system is failing, and that young people are less altruistic than they were a generation ago, but it’s still hard to believe that Americans 18 – 29 years old would vote for anyone whose platform is a mixture of climate denial, racism, and misogyny. On top of that, you have the 30K+ documented lies and the 91 felony charges.
Again, I can’t imagine how this is possible.
Fistfights at sporting events erupt spontaneously–even in the absence of provocative statements like the one this fellow is making.
Now, this is a baseball game, so perhaps a brawl is a bit less likely here than had it been football or ice hockey.
Still: ill-advised.
These people’s message to potential investors: “There is no reason to drill when you can capture CO2 directly from the air.”
The concentration of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere is ~400 ppm, or ~0.04%. This is either a scam or a terrible idea that is supported by people with no scientific training.
I don’t think anyone of any political philosophy disputes that the United States is in trouble.
When Donald Trump, facing 91 felony charges from four separate indictments, is the runaway leader in one of two parties, that qualifies as trouble right there.
DeSantis himself is trailing badly and is no real threat. We can thank the good Lord for that, because, though he’s (apparently) not a criminal sociopath like Trump, he’s at least as bad ideologically.
In the intricate tapestry of modern development, mineral rights emerge as pivotal threads, weaving together the fabric of economic progress and environmental stewardship. This article delves into the multifaceted relationship between mineral rights and sustainable development, a liaison critical yet often overlooked in contemporary discourse. (more…)
The 
Here’s an 
