- An alert viewer suggests a variation on the old kids’ game “Simon Says” called “Science says” where it’s always “Science says… hand over your wallet”.
- On Jan. 28 GB News warns under the heading “UK weather: Records smashed as Britain sees hottest January day ever with temperatures warmer than Ibiza” that the place is on fire and quotes a “Senior Meteorologist and Social Commentator” (apparently it’s one job) that “these kinds of temperatures at this time of year – while pleasant – are scary and do not bode well for the months ahead.” Then under “Latest Developments” it says “UK weather: Arctic blast to batter Britain bringing ‘increasingly cold’ period and widespread snow”.
- A number of outlets proclaim that due to the dreaded atmospheric rivers, as the National Post put it, “A record 4.1 inches (10.41 centimeters) of rain fell Sunday in downtown Los Angeles, blowing past the previous record of 2.55 inches (6.48 centimeters) set in 1927, the National Weather Service said.” Gad. A record. Must be climate change. Except it’s not a record. As the Wall Street Journal semi-clarified, “About 4.1 inches of rain poured onto downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, breaking the daily record of 2.55 inches of rain set in 1927, according to the NWS. It was the third wettest day on record for February, with the high of 4.8 inches set in 1913.” So how does it break a record if it’s not a record? Because everybody knows climate change is bringing unprecedented weather and if you look hard enough you find a way, including NBC’s “California battered by ‘potentially historic’ storm”. So it’s not the most rain they ever had in February, just the most they ever had on February 4. In downtown Los Angeles. Since 1877. We are all going to die. Although it rained harder in February 1913, more than a century ago, before climate changed. No story seemed to say when 2nd place for February in L.A. came (apparently 1944), but the Los Angeles Times coughed up that the most rain ever fell on March 2, 1938, 5.88 inches but um uh never mind…
- Not guilty by reason of activism: Greta Thunberg was finally actually charged, or typically symbolically charged, for failing to obey police directives on orderly protesting outside an Energy Intelligence Forum at a London hotel. Predictably the judge found that the police order could have been different, they could have given her more time, who among us and what the heck, she’s on the right side. As if anyone thought she’d get punished for breaking the law. Her own take during the trial was “we must remember who the real enemy is”. Namely law-abiding citizens, apparently.
- The infamous $8-million cost of the solar-powered, 9,300-square-foot shed on the grounds of Rideau Hall, official residence of Canada’s Governor-General, turns out to have included half a million dollars in architects’ fees among its 86 separate contracts over 10 years. And people think government is just the agency efficiently to transform our economy, change the weather and make us better off. Or get rich trying.
- Oh, that’s original: “Climate change is hitting the planet faster than scientists originally thought”. But this item isn’t a news tip. It’s a quiz: Who said it, and when? (Click here but first guess or Google and try to narrow it down.)
- Now this one really is original, especially given where it happened. The Quebec government has decided (h/t Michael Binnion) to forbid cities unilaterally forbidding natural gas hookups. Even though the premier of that same province had claimed there was no “social acceptability” for a new fossil fuel pipeline bringing Alberta oil east, just for the vast network already in place and new connections because they don’t have « l’expertise pour déterminer l’impact de leur décision sur la sécurité énergétique ». Arguably the provincial authorities don’t either given their various statements, their fracking ban and so forth, but it’s still a step in the right direction and we’ll take it.
- The snow of end: Anchorage, Alaska in this time of global boiling and vanishing snow inexplicably looks set to break its all time snow record. “So much snow has fallen – so far, more than 8.7 feet (2.65 meters) – that roofs on commercial buildings are collapsing around Anchorage and officials are urging residents to break out their shovels to avoid a similar fate at home.” But remember: warming is bad and relentless, cold is good and history.
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Tidbits
07 Feb 2024 | News Roundup
Who’s looking up who said that first, I found this recent article entitled “When will global warming actually hit the landmark 1.5 ºC limit?”. Ah, so it’s not a tipping point anymore? It’s a limit now, is it? That’s good then. Because in mathematics a limit isn’t something you can’t exceed. We’ll just get closer and closer to it in tinier and tinier increments! Climate catastrophe averted!
The architect's fees were only about 6% of the cost of the barn. If it were sold on the market in Canada, that's the same rate as the realtors' fees would be. I think an architect provides greater value for money than realtors in the grand scheme of things. I'll never understand why Canadians are so eager to pay realtors 6% to market their property when it can be done so cheaply online these days.
The Snowmeggedan event in Anchorage shows that just because you're having a mild winter where you live(so far),doesn't mean everywhere else
in the Northern Hemisphere is.In fact an earlier CDN newsletter pointed that inconvenient fact to alarmists.Snow cover in many places is above
average.Just weather,right?