Climate change.

[Chippy_Tea]

Having gone through this last weekend i hope its not as bad as predicted, half our street on both sides flooded we were lucky it blocked all the drains at the back of the house but it didn't get high enough to enter ours, check your local council site ours has sand bags you can collect from the local depot if i had known all the drains in the streets were going to be overwhelmed i would have gone and got some.

Almost a month's worth of rain could fall in less than 24 hours in south-western parts of the UK as the Met Office issues a thunderstorm warning.
The yellow warning covers south and parts of mid Wales and south-west England until 18:00 BST on Sunday.
The forecaster warned of a "small chance" lives could be put at risk.
The warning covers several major cities including Swansea, Cardiff, Bristol and Plymouth.
Sixteen of Wales' 22 local authorities are covered by the warning.
Homes and businesses could also be in danger of flooding quickly in "torrential downpours", the Met Office said, with up to 70mm (2.8in) possible in some spots.
Buildings could also be damaged by lightning, hail or strong winds as well as floodwater.
The forecaster added there was a "small chance" of power cuts or that other services to homes and businesses could be lost while some communities could also be cut off by floodwater.
People planning on travelling face the prospect of delays or sudden cancellations to trains and buses.
Roads may be closed at short notice due to spray and sudden floods and "difficult driving conditions" are expected on those that remain open.
Met Office meteorologist Rachel Ayers said the region had already seen some rain fall but it was expected to get worse later this weekend.
She added: "The heaviest and most persistent rain will be tomorrow morning, bringing a risk of some potential flooding in homes and businesses."
Ms Ayers urged drivers to think about their stopping distances if they need to travel on a motorway and to look at the Met Office and RAC websites for updates before setting off.
She said the region's weather would "remain unsettled" early next week, bringing "very changeable and autumnal" conditions.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66832012

 

[Steve.]

Looks like hop prices and quality will be working against us, better get brewing whilst you can

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67078674

 

[dad_of_jon]

Looks like hop prices and quality will be working against us, better get brewing whilst you can

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67078674

I brew, therefore I am.

 

[MattH1973]

Looks like hop prices and quality will be working against us, better get brewing whilst you can

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67078674

For those that worry that the media like peddling hysteria - I think headlines liken this prove the point. They very often include the word "could" as we saw a lot during the pandemic. My favourite Covid headline was a scientist speculating that some theoretical future pandemic "could" be really bad if it had a high mortality rate and a vaccine couldnt be developed - hard to disagree with such a conclusion but hardly warranted the top slot on the bbc website....the obvious solution to the hops problem is that countries that were slightly cooler start growing hops - free market price changes will provide an incentive for this to happen. I'd be willing to bet we dont see substantial hops shortages, but we will see price fluctuations with supply and demand changes as happens with every commodity in the world.

As far as climate change is concerned it's pretty clear what side of the debate everyone is on but an angle that looks under discussed on here is what we do about it....

I think climate change is happening (the stats tell us this), and i think it very likely is man made - or put another way, it surely cannot be good to keep filling the sky with smoke. But what do we do about it and who decides ? This is where it gets tricky.

I certainly do have problem with elites (Klaus Schwab, Bill Gates etc) prescribing that the answer must be that the rest of us lead more meagre lives (less meat, less holidays, less clothes etc) whilst not apparently doing anything meaningful or sacrificial to reign in their own consumption.

Earlier in the thread someone raised the challenge of never ending growth - I agree that this is a problem and I think it is the crux of the issue. In recent decades, capitalism and growth have massively increased living standards and life expectancy. This very likely has been bad for the planet but how to we persuade the public (particularly under 50s who have watched the generation above them enjoy consumption to the fullest) to support a different model that may (in the short term at least) have lower living standards and life expectancy ? Some might argue that the apocalypse is imminent therefore reducing life expectancy, and this may be true, but if that is true it's too late to fix it by shutting down our central heating (particularly when China and India will keep polluting) and we may as well enjoy life. If it isn't true, then the public need to be persuaded to take the short term hit, and be reassured that the rest of the world will do the same. If this is the case then what is the alternative model to capitalism and growth and, very crucially, who decides ? That road ends with the abolition of democracy and I am not going to support that. And definitely not if it's Klaus Schwab, Bill Gates and King Charles that decide.

One key way to persuade the public is more balance and to drive solutions that don't require more meagre lives. The best example of this that i can find is nuclear power - and this is why I am distrusting of the ruling elites. Why have we not seen the massive growth in nuclear power required to decarbonise travel, home heating and other sectors ? And why do we see such mixed messaging in the revealed behaviour ? - For example, speed bumps and 20mph limits increase energy consumption as they encourage more braking and force engines to run at inefficient output levels. I get that there are road safety benefits, but those who advocate such measures never concede that they have an environmental impact, and nor do the media report it. Effectively they cherry pick when to make the climate change argument. It is the one sided nature of govt and mainstream media on these issues that lead to cynicism. If those introducing such measures conceded the climate impact, and persuaded the public that it was worth it, then they might be trusted more.

Personally, I would take the politicians advocating action more seriously if there was more carrot and less stick.

 

[Clarence]

Poor use of language is not limited to the press, politicians never even learn to talk proper, in my opinion, let alone read and write. Look at this joyful article in today's Guardian about climate change activists:

UK has led the way, with countries across the continent making mass arrests, passing draconian new laws and labelling activists as eco-terrorists

So terrorists being terrorists, either, some geezer chucking orange powder on a snooker table is in the same league as Hamas or Hamas is no worse than Greenpeace! Which way do these nkobheads want it?
How in the name of all that's beery can somebody who is unarmed, makes no direct threat of violence against anybody else and certainly doesn't go around killing people be considered a terrorist.
My dog's a terrorist, he barks at the postman ans quite puts the willies up him!

Here's the article:
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...inst-european-crackdown-on-climate-protesters

 

[stripeyjoe]

Having gone through this last weekend i hope its not as bad as predicted, half our street on both sides flooded we were lucky it blocked all the drains at the back of the house but it didn't get high enough to enter ours, check your local council site ours has sand bags you can collect from the local depot if i had known all the drains in the streets were going to be overwhelmed i would have gone and got some.

Almost a month's worth of rain could fall in less than 24 hours in south-western parts of the UK as the Met Office issues a thunderstorm warning.
The yellow warning covers south and parts of mid Wales and south-west England until 18:00 BST on Sunday.
The forecaster warned of a "small chance" lives could be put at risk.
The warning covers several major cities including Swansea, Cardiff, Bristol and Plymouth.
Sixteen of Wales' 22 local authorities are covered by the warning.
Homes and businesses could also be in danger of flooding quickly in "torrential downpours", the Met Office said, with up to 70mm (2.8in) possible in some spots.
Buildings could also be damaged by lightning, hail or strong winds as well as floodwater.
The forecaster added there was a "small chance" of power cuts or that other services to homes and businesses could be lost while some communities could also be cut off by floodwater.
People planning on travelling face the prospect of delays or sudden cancellations to trains and buses.
Roads may be closed at short notice due to spray and sudden floods and "difficult driving conditions" are expected on those that remain open.
Met Office meteorologist Rachel Ayers said the region had already seen some rain fall but it was expected to get worse later this weekend.
She added: "The heaviest and most persistent rain will be tomorrow morning, bringing a risk of some potential flooding in homes and businesses."
Ms Ayers urged drivers to think about their stopping distances if they need to travel on a motorway and to look at the Met Office and RAC websites for updates before setting off.
She said the region's weather would "remain unsettled" early next week, bringing "very changeable and autumnal" conditions.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66832012
View attachment 89966

I'd be more worried that a giant yellow pac-man has eaten Cornwall and South Wales...

 

[MattH1973]

Agree - calling protestors "terrorists" [or calling anyone an "terrorist" unless they are actually a terrorist] is obviously unhelpful and inflammatory.

I think the underlying issue here (which is a problem) is when protestors adopt disruptive tactics that stop others going about their law abiding lives. I absolutley support peaceful protest but also support governments taking action to prevent excessive disruption to others. That should never mean "silencing" protestors though. For example, I thought it was completely wrong that anti monarchy protestors were arrested at the coronation.

 

[Clarence]

Agree - calling protestors "terrorists" [or calling anyone an "terrorist" unless they are actually a terrorist] is obviously unhelpful and inflammatory.

I think the underlying issue here (which is a problem) is when protestors adopt disruptive tactics that stop others going about their law abiding lives. I absolutley support peaceful protest but also support governments taking action to prevent excessive disruption to others. That should never mean "silencing" protestors though. For example, I thought it was completely wrong that anti monarchy protestors were arrested at the coronation.

I think I'd go along with what you say, but there will come a time when protest isn't enough and there will be literal "climate warriors" and real "eco-terrorists". As long as we go on doing nothing very much at all, the more likely this will become.
And then there's migration. When the millions are displaced from their lands because crops will no longer grow to support them and temperatures are too high to support human life, where do you think they're all going to go? To dear old Blighty of course, for our generous benefits and free council housing. I'm being facetious, but climate migration is going to make today's boys and girls floating around in rubber dinghies look like the Cowes Regatta.

 

[Rodcx500z]

We are nearing the solar maximus July 2025 and according to experts strange things happen here on earth. google it it makes for some startling reading

 

[Chippy_Tea]

We are nearing the solar maximus July 2025 and according to experts strange things happen here on earth.

Will i find my wheelie bin where i left it on bin day when i get home from work?

 

[dad_of_jon]

Will i find my wheelie bin where i left it on bin day when i get home from work?

Nope, your bin will enter the 5th dimension.

 

[Clint]

 

[Clarence]

View attachment 90877

Forum jester indeed.

 

[Clint]

I might consider putting the log burner on this next few days...a jumper would be cheaper but I've got a cherry tree that's nice and dry and loads of apple,plus a ton of oak.

 

[Clarence]

I might consider putting the log burner on this next few days...a jumper would be cheaper but I've got a cherry tree that's nice and dry and loads of apple,plus a ton of oak.

Let the oak weather for a couple of years. If the cherry and apple are big enough, sell them to a furniture-maker and use the proceeds to buy some beech or chestnut.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Our log burner has had its first outing of the autumn.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I might consider putting the log burner on this next few days...a jumper would be cheaper but I've got a cherry tree that's nice and dry and loads of apple,plus a ton of oak.

Our log burner has had its first outing of the autumn.

We got some logs and smokeless coal for the open fire today we were going to have the chimney widened and one of the new super efficient gas fires put in but we have run out of time this year so it'll have to be next year now, i love an open fire i will be gutted when its gone but SWMBO says its got to go as it makes too much of a mess when its windy and it blows back and it makes everything dusty and its not very efficient.

 

[MattH1973]

log burner is a great compromise Chippy - still has the romance and way more efficient

 

[Chippy_Tea]

still has the romance and way more efficient

Not any more and thats one of the reasons why we changed our minds.

We were going to go for a multi fuel stove but the way councils are going i can see burning anything but smokeless coal being banned over the next few years, a guy at work has had one of these new gas fires put in and said its great he gave me a link to this video which i have posted here before.

Old gas fire 20% efficient - modern gas fire anything up to 95% efficient -



Wood burner.



Big log fire



Small log fire

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

This kind of weather is just perfect for my solar panels and heat pump units. I had the heating fire up for 15 minutes this morning before we got up but that was it. With the sun out now I’ve put my heat pumps.

It’s currently still a chilly 8.4 degrees outside in Essex but as it’s sunny the solar is generating a little over 1.8kwh and with both heat pumps on we are using 1.6kwh, so free of charge currently to keep inside to about 21 degrees.