The Climate thread

[RomaVicta 30,149]

On 9/30/2022 at 12:59 PM, EuroHorn said:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/09/to-tote-or-note-to-tote/498557/
 

“Cotton tote bags, by contrast, exhibited the highest and most severe global-warming potential by far since they require more resources to produce and distribute.“

 

thanks for your contribution!

 

On 9/30/2022 at 1:18 PM, Neonmoon said:

All those studies measure net energy used in production for the claim of what is worse 

https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/04/30/plastic-paper-cotton-bags/

So, yes, cotton bags require more energy to be produced…but they are renewable and biodegradable, and don’t pollute the environment. Soooooo yeah, whoever says plastic bags are better are morons. 
 

They require less energy!

but it’s wiping out the fish because they can’t breath plastic 

But they require less energy to produce, which helps my argument, win win!

Excellent response by Neonmoon. 

Quote

Such results feel deeply counterintuitive. HDPE bags seem foreign, artificial. They lodge in trees, catch in the esophagi of animals, fester in landfills, clot cities, and are reduced to small particles floating in ocean gyres—for hundreds of years into the future. But even though they don’t easily degrade, they require very few resources to manufacture and transport. They produce less carbon, waste, and byproducts than cotton or paper bags. They’re recyclable. They’re cheap. For all those reasons, they’re ubiquitous. And they remain, long after their usefulness is exhausted.

The article focuses on the aspects named by Neonmoon without daring to make the subjective case for relative advantage between the types of totes. How do you measure the damage done as described above against the single measure of production cost?

An interestng aspect of the article is that totes are being produced on such a large scale for use as advertising that their over abundance makes them seem as disposable as the ubiquitous thin plastic bags littering the land, choking marine life, and poisoning the seas. What would be the impact of limiting production of cotton totes so that their overall footprint would be diminished? I don't know the answer to this, which brings me to another consideration.

We don't know the extent to which plastic products are damaging our world because we don't generally seem to reckon what happens with a new product. Micro-beads used in face cleansers to exfoliate skin were washed down bathroom drains and into the rivers. I'd used the product from time to time. Turns out that they fuck up river fish. Who knew something so small could do so much damage?

What else is going on that we don't know about?

Seizing on a single, measurable aspect of an issue to make a general assertion about a solution to that issue isn't a complete process. It's similar to the idiot denying climate change because of the single issue of hurricane frequency. 

[Willfully Horn 8,104]

This isn’t helping the supply of goods.

 

Barges hit bottom of Mississippi River as water levels approach historic low

Quote

The supply chain across the nation's heartland is facing significant constraints that could have far-reaching consequences into the winter, starting with farmers in the Plains and expanding all the way to the overall economy of the United States.

Exacerbating the problem are the low water levels of the Mississippi River, a crucial waterway for commerce that has seen a steady decline in its flow in recent months due to a lack of rain. A river gauge at Osceola, Arkansas, 35 miles north of Memphis, Tennessee, reported a water level of 8.8 feet below what is considered ‘low stage' on Wednesday, Oct. 12, the fourth-lowest water level at the location since record-keeping began in 1927.

At least eight barges ran aground earlier in the month due to the low water levels, according to The Associated Press. The risk of barges getting stuck continues to rise with each passing day as the water level continues to fall, putting additional stress on the shipping and barge traffic that rely on the largest U.S. river for transportation.

"It's a really integral part of our overall economy, and it's particularly so for agriculture," Michael Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, told AccuWeather in an interview.

The commerce on the Mississippi River accounts for 92% of the country's agricultural exports, 60% of all grain exports and 78% of feed grains, soybeans and livestock exports.

The timing of the drought and falling water levels could not have come at a worse time for farmers.

"We are in the middle of the harvest season and this is the most active time," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. "Barge trafficking is the heaviest means to transport agricultural products."

"If this cannot be controlled, grains cannot get to the ports to transport to other countries," Pastelok said, adding that it could hurt farmers and the overall U.S. economy.

Between Sept. 12 and Oct. 12, the Mississippi River watershed received just a fraction of the average rainfall. Memphis, Tennessee, did not even measure 0.01 of an inch of rain during this time frame.

Steenhoek told AccuWeather that concerns over the current situation started to arise nearly a year ago during the winter of 2021-2022 when there was a scarcity of snowfall across the Mississippi River basin.

"A lot of the water that you see on the lower Mississippi River, it originally starts as a snowflake in Montana," he said. "It just continued to compound and of course summer we didn't get much rainfall, so now we're in the situation we're in today."

Steenhoek explained that the demand for crops, such as soybean and corn, is well exceeding the supply due to the reduced shipping on the Mississippi River.

Barges can still navigate down the river, but they may be loaded with fewer goods in order to keep afloat in shallow water. However, this means that the shipping method is less efficient, ultimately leading to higher costs.

"We're seeing well in excess of over 100% increase in the cost of barge freight now versus the same period last year," he explained. "What often happens within the agricultural industry and what's certainly happening right now is those costs are being largely passed on to the farmer. How is that passed on to the farmer? Well, in the form of a lower price that those farmers are offered at that point of sale."
 

Shipping has not ground to a halt, but it has been significantly reduced.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers normally moves between 30 and 40 barges at a time, but that number has been cut to 25 barges due to the extremely low water level, the AP reported. Barge traffic has been reduced by 39% compared to the previous five years.

"Plain and simple, the solution for this is rain, we gotta have rain and we're gonna need and you're gonna need a lot of it," Tyler Oxner, with the Arkansas Farm Bureau, told KATV, a news station based out of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Conditions on the Mississippi River could get worse before they improve with Pastelok saying that the long-range forecast does not look very wet for the region.

"This could go on through the winter and into the start of spring," Pastelok explained. "The only hope is some relief from the Ohio and Tennessee tributaries which drain into the Mississippi River. There is a chance by mid to late winter, east of the Mississippi River can be wetter as a winter storm track evolves. But farther west, the precipitation forecast is drier at this time."

AccuWeather long-range forecasters are predicting a wet weather pattern to eventually set up across most of the Mississippi River Valley this winter with snow across the northern Plains. These factors should help ease drought concerns and raise the water level on the Mississippi River, but it will take time for this forecast to come to fruition.

"We're seeing the conditions deteriorate with each passing day," Steenhoek said. "There's not a lot of reason for optimism on the horizon. There's not alot you can do now."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/barges-hit-bottom-of-mississippi-river-as-water-levels-approach-historic-low/ar-AA12TES7

Edited October 17, 2022 by Willfully Horn
Link

[Biff Tannen 45,786]

3 hours ago, Willfully Horn said:

This isn’t helping the supply of goods.

 

Barges hit bottom of Mississippi River as water levels approach historic low

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/barges-hit-bottom-of-mississippi-river-as-water-levels-approach-historic-low/ar-AA12TES7

There are so many unrealized effects of climate change that we can't even fathom yet.  It's going to be wild.

[WhatTheBuck 28,852]

20 hours ago, RomaVicta said:

 

Excellent response by Neonmoon. 

The article focuses on the aspects named by Neonmoon without daring to make the subjective case for relative advantage between the types of totes. How do you measure the damage done as described above against the single measure of production cost?

An interestng aspect of the article is that totes are being produced on such a large scale for use as advertising that their over abundance makes them seem as disposable as the ubiquitous thin plastic bags littering the land, choking marine life, and poisoning the seas. What would be the impact of limiting production of cotton totes so that their overall footprint would be diminished? I don't know the answer to this, which brings me to another consideration.

We don't know the extent to which plastic products are damaging our world because we don't generally seem to reckon what happens with a new product. Micro-beads used in face cleansers to exfoliate skin were washed down bathroom drains and into the rivers. I'd used the product from time to time. Turns out that they fuck up river fish. Who knew something so small could do so much damage?

What else is going on that we don't know about?

Seizing on a single, measurable aspect of an issue to make a general assertion about a solution to that issue isn't a complete process. It's similar to the idiot denying climate change because of the single issue of hurricane frequency. 

What resources are used to make plastic bags and what industry might benefit from promoting the idea that they’re actually better to use than cotton tote bags because they’re cheaper to produce? Hmmm.

Also, reducing your carbon footprint, you say? This is pretty good:

 

[hookem2010 2,648]

On 10/17/2022 at 7:58 AM, Biff Tannen said:

There are so many unrealized effects of climate change that we can't even fathom yet.  It's going to be wild.

It really would be fascinating to watch if this wasn't our only home. A decade ago, I would've guessed the severe effects wouldn't occur until near the end of my life, or after. How this is all just an afterthought to most people, and not at the front of their minds on a daily basis, really blows my mind.

[troph 24,929]

On 10/16/2022 at 7:04 PM, RomaVicta said:

 

Excellent response by Neonmoon. 

The article focuses on the aspects named by Neonmoon without daring to make the subjective case for relative advantage between the types of totes. How do you measure the damage done as described above against the single measure of production cost?

An interestng aspect of the article is that totes are being produced on such a large scale for use as advertising that their over abundance makes them seem as disposable as the ubiquitous thin plastic bags littering the land, choking marine life, and poisoning the seas. What would be the impact of limiting production of cotton totes so that their overall footprint would be diminished? I don't know the answer to this, which brings me to another consideration.

We don't know the extent to which plastic products are damaging our world because we don't generally seem to reckon what happens with a new product. Micro-beads used in face cleansers to exfoliate skin were washed down bathroom drains and into the rivers. I'd used the product from time to time. Turns out that they fuck up river fish. Who knew something so small could do so much damage?

What else is going on that we don't know about?

Seizing on a single, measurable aspect of an issue to make a general assertion about a solution to that issue isn't a complete process. It's similar to the idiot denying climate change because of the single issue of hurricane frequency. 

It’s really, really simple on this issue. Refuse totes, refuse plastic bags, bring your own. Everywhere you go, not just the grocery store, the c-store, the boutique retail, whatever. No plastic, no new totes even if durable or biodegradable. Bring your own durable totes, don’t take any new ones with you.  On an individual level, done. Money where your mouth is troph, honestly We are about half way there. By spring of next year I expect our family to have a perfect score (restaurant take out excepted - that’s a whole other post - and something we are working on). 

that said, John Stewart is right, individual carbon footprint my ass, governments need to slam the brakes now. 

[brakeman 28,517]

we are fucked.

[Willfully Horn 8,104]

Can’t be helping the supply side hangups that are pushing up prices.

 

[High Plains Drifter 11,084]

 

Until today, I hadn't heard of this particular thread in the tapestry of a fucked up earth:

 

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/09/12/killing-invasive-species-is-now-a-competitive-sport

 

tldr: Lionfish, the python of the Florida keys, introduced by aquarium homies who didn't want them anymore, now completely destroying entire reef ecosystems in the florida keys.

(not really climate related, but still, another example of man vs nature, man wins, mankind loses)

 

[elfenix 34,396]

On 10/20/2022 at 10:51 PM, troph said:

It’s really, really simple on this issue. Refuse totes, refuse plastic bags, bring your own. Everywhere you go, not just the grocery store, the c-store, the boutique retail, whatever. No plastic, no new totes even if durable or biodegradable. Bring your own durable totes, don’t take any new ones with you.  On an individual level, done. Money where your mouth is troph, honestly We are about half way there. By spring of next year I expect our family to have a perfect score (restaurant take out excepted - that’s a whole other post - and something we are working on). 

that said, John Stewart is right, individual carbon footprint my ass, governments need to slam the brakes now. 

i've been declining bags, especially on single items, for a long time.  i got it to the register from the back of the store, i can get it to my car without the additional piece of trash, thanks. 

[elfenix 34,396]

saw this about potentially endless recycling of plastics:

https://www.colorado.edu/today/2022/09/26/plastics-future-will-live-many-past-lives-thanks-chemical-recycling

 

if this can be scaled then we probably already have all the plastic we'll ever need

 

/billgates640kjoke

Edited October 25, 2022 by elfenix

[Biff Tannen 45,786]

9 minutes ago, elfenix said:

saw this about potentially endless recycling of plastics:

https://www.colorado.edu/today/2022/09/26/plastics-future-will-live-many-past-lives-thanks-chemical-recycling

 

if this can be scaled then we probably already have all the plastic we'll ever need

That's awesome and perhaps our only hope.  Cleaning up all the plastic already out there is a whole other issue too.  

[WhatTheBuck 28,852]

I stopped at the grocery tonight for the first time in about a week-and-a-half. Giant Eagle has eliminated their plastic bags. They just have paper bags but are encouraging people to use their own.l reusable bags. I have two. One large one they gave me at Whole Foods when I bought a big plate of ribs that were too big to fit in any other bag. And a smaller one I got from my bank. I can use those but I’ve heard that reusable bags can become filthy after repeated use. I could see using those for dry goods and maybe buy a wicker basket for meat, dairy, and produce.

There used to be a Fresh Market store nearby that didn’t survive the pandemic. They were replaced by a really nice Asian/International market and the new occupants kept the old Fresh Market baskets. Maybe I’ll try just walking out of the store with one of those sometime and use it at other grocers. 

[Viking 301]

5 hours ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

Until today, I hadn't heard of this particular thread in the tapestry of a fucked up earth:

 

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/09/12/killing-invasive-species-is-now-a-competitive-sport

 

tldr: Lionfish, the python of the Florida keys, introduced by aquarium homies who didn't want them anymore, now completely destroying entire reef ecosystems in the florida keys.

(not really climate related, but still, another example of man vs nature, man wins, mankind loses)

 

Bad news for the lionfish is that they are delicious so they stand no chance against Florida Man. I'm no expert but I'm actually seeing less and less lionfish in the Bahamas now that the word has gotten out.

[elfenix 34,396]

3 hours ago, WhatTheBuck said:

reusable bags can become filthy after repeated use.

https://www.thespruce.com/keep-reusable-bags-clean-and-usable-2147015

[Horn Under a Bad Sign 20,701]

55 minutes ago, elfenix said:

https://www.thespruce.com/keep-reusable-bags-clean-and-usable-2147015

 

So can my blue jeans. That's why I wash them.

[elfenix 34,396]

7 minutes ago, Horn Under a Bad Sign said:

 

So can my blue jeans. That's why I wash them.

don't and then sell them as boutique hand distressed to douchebros. 

[WhatTheBuck 28,852]

12 minutes ago, elfenix said:

don't and then sell them as boutique hand distressed to douchebros. 

Wait an extra 9 months before doing so to reduce your carbon footprint.

[WhatTheBuck 28,852]

On 10/25/2022 at 2:19 PM, High Plains Drifter said:

 

Until today, I hadn't heard of this particular thread in the tapestry of a fucked up earth:

 

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/09/12/killing-invasive-species-is-now-a-competitive-sport

 

tldr: Lionfish, the python of the Florida keys, introduced by aquarium homies who didn't want them anymore, now completely destroying entire reef ecosystems in the florida keys.

(not really climate related, but still, another example of man vs nature, man wins, mankind loses)

 

Coincidentally, lionfish are the subject of tonight’s episode of NOVA.

[fattyflattie 4,639]

On 10/25/2022 at 1:19 PM, High Plains Drifter said:

 

Until today, I hadn't heard of this particular thread in the tapestry of a fucked up earth:

 

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/09/12/killing-invasive-species-is-now-a-competitive-sport

 

tldr: Lionfish, the python of the Florida keys, introduced by aquarium homies who didn't want them anymore, now completely destroying entire reef ecosystems in the florida keys.

(not really climate related, but still, another example of man vs nature, man wins, mankind loses)

 

They used to constantly fuck up our divers. Can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent on the phone doing incident reports and RCAs over those little fuckers.  

[High Plains Drifter 11,084]

17 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

They used to constantly fuck up our divers. Can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent on the phone doing incident reports and RCAs over those little fuckers.  

 

Apparently they have venomous fins that can puncture wet suits. According to the article, they can be pretty painful and even cause loss of consciousness.

 

[fattyflattie 4,639]

48 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

Apparently they have venomous fins that can puncture wet suits. According to the article, they can be pretty painful and even cause loss of consciousness.

 

Yep. And they like to hide on any structure, like flanges and valves.   These guys didn’t wear wetsuits, but they would easily puncture thru every pair of gloves we ever tried.  We ended up with some super fancy, super expensive gloves, that helped, but nowhere near eliminated the punctures. Always felt bad for the divers (sort of) because it’s not like they can just pop up and take care of it.  You’re hitting your stops, waiting in pain, then hitting next stop, waiting in pain.  Then going in the chamber for awhile, in pain, then you can come out and get some help.  Lion fish made up a shitload of our incidents. 

[WhatTheBuck 28,852]

2 hours ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

Apparently they have venomous fins that can puncture wet suits. According to the article, they can be pretty painful and even cause loss of consciousness.

 

A lady on NOVA said the pain is worse than getting stung by a stingray and lasts for a couple weeks. 

[RomaVicta 30,149]

30 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

A lady on NOVA said the pain is worse than getting stung by a stingray and lasts for a couple weeks. 

Crikey! I'm not sure about that, mate!

[WhatTheBuck 28,852]

1 minute ago, RomaVicta said:

Crikey! I'm not sure about that, mate!

He didn’t die from the pain. He died from where he got stung. 

[Biff Tannen 45,786]

1 hour ago, RomaVicta said:

Crikey! I'm not sure about that, mate!

Too soon

[RomaVicta 30,149]

18 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

He didn’t die from the pain. He died from where he got stung. 

I suspect it was painful when the stinger went through his chest into his heart.

Also, I'm not publishing in the Lancet or any scientific publication.

Slack. Cut me some, bro.

[WhatTheBuck 28,852]

1 hour ago, RomaVicta said:

I suspect it was painful when the stinger went through his chest into his heart.

Not for long. 

[fattyflattie 4,639]

2 hours ago, WhatTheBuck said:

A lady on NOVA said the pain is worse than getting stung by a stingray and lasts for a couple weeks. 

Bubbleheads all said it felt like they imaged a .22 would.  

[hookem2010 2,648]

Cross-posting from the fascism thread, the Amazon is on the ballot in Brazil tomorrow. South American Trump (Bolsonaro) looking to win or steal the election, then continue bulldozing/burning the rainforest. Cool...

[hookem2010 2,648]

Anyone else watching Brazilian election results come in? Seems like something the news should maybe cover more. 

[Willfully Horn 8,104]

Here’s a thread about the guy behind the climate deniers’ playbook. Real estate developer and self proclaimed physicist is also a freshly minted election security expert. Because, of course.

 

 

Quote

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2022 by Willfully Horn

[elfenix 34,396]

UT researchers develop enzyme that quickly breaks down PET

https://news.yahoo.com/recycling-breakthrough-could-eliminate-billions-134745922.html

[Post Oak 20,358]

In France, solar just got a huge boost from new legislation approved through the Senate this week that requires all parking lots with spaces for at least 80 vehicles – both existing and new – be covered by solar panels.

https://electrek.co/2022/11/08/france-require-parking-lots-be-covered-in-solar-panels/

seems like a great idea to me.  I'm not sure of the details but financing a large solar array will be difficult to manage without government funding, rebates but I'm all for it.

As a Texan I'm all for this. I'd love to get into my truck and it not be 160 degrees.

Parking lots are a wasteland, need to make them more useful.

[Post Oak 20,358]

15 hours ago, elfenix said:

UT researchers develop enzyme that quickly breaks down PET

https://news.yahoo.com/recycling-breakthrough-could-eliminate-billions-134745922.html

Great news.  Thanks for posting.  Since we can't seem to recycle on an even moderately beneficial scale this is a wonderful tool.

[elfenix 34,396]

we might be able to manufacture an alloy that can replace rare-earth permanent magnets:

 

Quote

This is why the discovery of synthetic tetrataenite is so exciting, Jonathan Hykawy says. The compound is so tough that manufacturers could make permanent magnets out of it for all but the most demanding pieces of machinery. If that happens, the US could fill a huge part of the magnet market itself, and reduce its need for certain rare earths.

...

But it will be a long time before tetrataenite is in a position to disrupt any existing markets, Laura Lewis says. She says there is still a lot of testing to be done to find out whether lab tetrataenite is as hardy and as useful as the outer space material. And even if it turns out to be as good, it will be five to eight years "pedal to the metal" before anyone could make permanent magnets out of it.

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2022/11/08/1134461777/they-made-a-material-that-doesnt-exist-on-earth-thats-only-the-start-of-the-stor?utm_source=pocket-newtab

[elfenix 34,396]

grid scale immobile batteries should not be lithium or something else needed for mobile batteries.  so things like gravity batteries or this CO2 battery will be sitting around in cities (or outside wind and solar farms)

 

Quote

To charge the battery, we take CO2 at near atmospheric temperature and pressure and we compress it. The heat that is generated during compression is stored. When we exchange the thermal energy with the atmosphere, the CO2 gas becomes liquid.

To generate and dispatch electricity, the liquid CO2 is heated up and converted back into a gas that powers a turbine, which generates power. The CO2 gas is always contained and the entire system is sealed.

We don’t use any exotic materials. The technology uses steel, CO2 and water. So there is no dependency on rare earth materials like cobalt or lithium. This makes our technology geopolitically independent. It can be produced everywhere and it can be used everywhere.

 

https://electrek.co/2022/11/14/the-worlds-first-co2-battery-for-long-duration-energy-storage-is-headed-to-the-us/

[Biff Tannen 45,786]

On 11/1/2022 at 11:42 PM, Willfully Horn said:

Here’s a thread about the guy behind the climate deniers’ playbook. Real estate developer and self proclaimed physicist is also a freshly minted election security expert. Because, of course.

 

 

 

John Droz?  John "Dr. Oz"?  Well played Simulation.  Well played.

[washparkhorn 9,939]

 

[brakeman 28,517]

 

fuck.

[Fastbreak 4,000]

 
fuck.

Drill baby, drill!

I need to take my F350 to Walmart to get some Chinese stuff I don’t need.

[Neonmoon 38,130]

Weird, wasn’t the Native American protests saying they didn’t want that exact thing from happening on their land?

[WhatTheBuck 28,852]

Not a matter of if, just a matter of when. 

[GreenspointTexas 9,881]

Im not sure what else one can do to convince people climate change is real and here

[WhatTheBuck 28,852]

39 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Im not sure what else one can do to convince people climate change is real and here

It’s another case of, “You can’t reason someone out of a position they weren’t reasoned into.” I think, for most deniers, it still boils down to, “Al Gore made a movie about global warming. Al Gore is a Democrat. I’m a Republican. Therefore Al Gore is wrong.” And there’s a whole industry built up to reinforce that opinion; an industry funded by the industries who profit from pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere; industries that pump a lot of money into Republican campaigns to elect officials who will prevent legislation that might negatively affect those industries’ bottom lines from being enacted. It’s also a case of, “You ain’t gonna learn what you don’t want to know,” to borrow a line from a Grateful Dead song. (RIP John Perry Barlow.) It’s a daunting problem with no easy or painless solution. Denial is an easy way to avoid addressing it.

[brakeman 28,517]

I did not know who Andrew Tate was before yesterday, but I know he's fucked.

Andrew responds to Greta and gets doxxed by his pizza.

 

 

 

 

[mdmost 43,332]

Restores my belief that there is karma in this world and he got a giant footload of it shoved up his ass. 

[elfenix 34,396]

self ownage of the year candidate in the waning minutes of the game

[Horn Under a Bad Sign 20,701]

There is no way that renewables won't continue to gain market share.  Putin's foray into Ukraine just made the entire world realize how dumb it is to be dependent on fossil fuels that are at the mercy of the whims of a deranged psycho when you could be producing all the electricity you need right in your own country.

Iowa is now getting 60 percent of its electricity from wind. Drive through Iowa on I-35 and it's a beautiful sight.  Last night, Texas ---- TEXAS, land of petrochemicals ---- was getting almost 60 percent of its electricity from wind.  I took this ERCOT screenshot to show this.  Those who O&G people here on Surly whose livelihoods depend on this complex chain of extraction, shipping, refining etc... are in for a rude awakening.  Iowa's average residential electricity rate is  13 ¢/kWh, which is 38% lower than the national average rate of 22 ¢/kWh. It is the same in Texas, which also has average rates of 13 ¢/kWh for homeowners.  This comparison will increasingly go in favor of Iowa and Texas as solar and wind prices continue to plummet:  https://www.lazard.com/perspective/levelized-cost-of-energy-levelized-cost-of-storage-and-levelized-cost-of-hydrogen/ 

There are several massive wind projects that are planned for Texas. This doesn't include the solar farms.  There are people in El Paso who have solar panels on their roofs and, over the course of a year,  are producing a substantial surplus of electricity. 

Anyway, this is a snapshot of Texas last night. When it gets windy this spring we might see 100% of Texas' electricity consumption coming from wind alone, as we did briefly a couple of times in the past two years.  How beautiful is this?




 

[Horn Under a Bad Sign 20,701]

7 minutes ago, elfenix said:

self ownage of the year candidate in the waning minutes of the game

 

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by Horn Under a Bad Sign