Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
NickB79
NickB79's Journal
NickB79's Journal
November 21, 2023
Poll: Gun ownership reaches record high with American electorate
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/shows/meetthepress/blog/rcna126037More than half of American voters -- 52% -- say they or someone in their household owns a gun, per the latest NBC News national poll.
That's the highest share of voters who say that they or someone in their household owns a gun in the history of the NBC News poll, on a question dating back to 1999.
In 2019, 46% of Americans said that they or someone in their household owned a gun, per an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. And in February 2013, that share was 42%.
"In the last ten years, we've grown [10 points] in gun ownership. That's a very stunning number," said Micah Roberts of Public Opinion Strategies, a Republican polling firm that co-conducted the poll with members of the Democratic polling firm Hart Research.
That's the highest share of voters who say that they or someone in their household owns a gun in the history of the NBC News poll, on a question dating back to 1999.
In 2019, 46% of Americans said that they or someone in their household owned a gun, per an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. And in February 2013, that share was 42%.
"In the last ten years, we've grown [10 points] in gun ownership. That's a very stunning number," said Micah Roberts of Public Opinion Strategies, a Republican polling firm that co-conducted the poll with members of the Democratic polling firm Hart Research.
November 17, 2023
This is a serious problem. Walking is the easiest way to stay healthy both physically and mentally.
Walking has plummeted across America
https://www.axios.com/2023/11/16/walking-americans-declines-mapThere's been a staggering decline in the number of trips Americans take by putting one foot in front of the other, per a new report.
Why it matters: Walking is good for us.
That's true both on an individual level (thanks to the many health benefits it confers) and in the big-picture climate change sense (given that it's the OG form of zero-emissions travel).
Driving the news: The number of annual average daily walking trips dropped a whopping 36% in the contiguous U.S. between 2019 and 2022, per a new StreetLight Data report.
"In every metro and state that StreetLight analyzed, walking trips declined over the three-year period by at least 20%," per the report.
Why it matters: Walking is good for us.
That's true both on an individual level (thanks to the many health benefits it confers) and in the big-picture climate change sense (given that it's the OG form of zero-emissions travel).
Driving the news: The number of annual average daily walking trips dropped a whopping 36% in the contiguous U.S. between 2019 and 2022, per a new StreetLight Data report.
"In every metro and state that StreetLight analyzed, walking trips declined over the three-year period by at least 20%," per the report.
This is a serious problem. Walking is the easiest way to stay healthy both physically and mentally.
November 17, 2023
Sad. She was a grandmother battling cancer when she was taken.
Looks like the IDF found a dead hostage at Al Shifa
https://m.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-773615Sad. She was a grandmother battling cancer when she was taken.
November 16, 2023
Don't buy coastal property.
The math checks out. The last time we were 2-3C warmer than today was the late Pliocene, 2.5 million years ago. Forests grew in the Arctic and along the coast of Antarctica, alligators swam in the swamps of the upper Midwest, and seas were 50-75' higher. Florida was coral reef at the time.
2 degrees, 40 feet: Scientists who study Earth's ice say we could be committed to disastrous sea level rise
https://news.yahoo.com/2-degrees-40-feet-scientists-161213079.htmlTop scientists say the world’s ice sheets are melting more rapidly than expected and that world leaders must ramp up their climate ambitions to avoid a catastrophic rise in sea levels.
A report released Thursday from the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, a network of policy experts and researchers, pleads with world leaders to heed their warnings as they gather for the United Nations’ COP28 climate conference later this month. The report says if global average temperatures settle at 2 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial baseline, the planet could be committed to more than 40 feet of sea-level rise — a melt that would take centuries and reshape societies across the globe.
The collapse of ice sheets and ice shelves has been a major point of uncertainty within the climate science community. But a flurry of new research suggests that dangerous tipping points are nearer than once thought and that there is likely less room in Earth’s carbon budget than expected.
“We might be reaching these temperature thresholds that we’ve been talking about for a long time sooner than we were thinking about years ago,” said Rob DeConto, the director of the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Earth & Sustainability and an author of the report. “And it may be that the thresholds for some of these processes that can drive really rapid ice loss are lower than we were thinking just a few years ago.”
A report released Thursday from the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, a network of policy experts and researchers, pleads with world leaders to heed their warnings as they gather for the United Nations’ COP28 climate conference later this month. The report says if global average temperatures settle at 2 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial baseline, the planet could be committed to more than 40 feet of sea-level rise — a melt that would take centuries and reshape societies across the globe.
The collapse of ice sheets and ice shelves has been a major point of uncertainty within the climate science community. But a flurry of new research suggests that dangerous tipping points are nearer than once thought and that there is likely less room in Earth’s carbon budget than expected.
“We might be reaching these temperature thresholds that we’ve been talking about for a long time sooner than we were thinking about years ago,” said Rob DeConto, the director of the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Earth & Sustainability and an author of the report. “And it may be that the thresholds for some of these processes that can drive really rapid ice loss are lower than we were thinking just a few years ago.”
Don't buy coastal property.
The math checks out. The last time we were 2-3C warmer than today was the late Pliocene, 2.5 million years ago. Forests grew in the Arctic and along the coast of Antarctica, alligators swam in the swamps of the upper Midwest, and seas were 50-75' higher. Florida was coral reef at the time.
November 16, 2023
Hamas command centre, weapons found at Gaza hospital, Israeli military says
Source: Reuters
Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the troops were still searching, having entered the hospital early on Wednesday after days of clashes around it.
The military simultaneously released a video it said showed some of the materials it recovered from an undisclosed building in the hospital compound, including automatic weapons, grenades, ammunition and flak jackets.
In one hospital department, "the soldiers located an operational command centre and technological assets belonging to Hamas, indicating that the terrorist organization uses the hospital for terrorist purposes," an Israeli military statement said.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-raids-gazas-al-shifa-hospital-2023-11-15/
November 15, 2023
The USDA updated their plant zone maps. It's absolutely nuts
If you don't know, the USDA maintains a database of climate records that it uses to classify different parts of the US based on average winter low temperatures. This is extremely useful because you need to know your zone to determine what types of plants will survive in your area.
https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/?fbclid=IwAR2qwFS7vm40qUyP8kJT4A_Wc46g4Yqar9CTCWzJI-SE-pyA8m2-_wFQIwA
So, I'm in Southeast Minnesota. The ancient 1990 hardiness map listed us then as 4a, meaning you could expect -25F to -30F in a normal winter.
In 2012, my area was updated to 4b, meaning -20 to -25.
Yesterday it was updated to 5a, meaning -15 to -20 is our new normal winter low.
That's very close to what Kansas City, Missouri was on the 1990 zone map. I'm 400 miles north of Kansas City!
That's an insane change in winter lows in less than 40 years. All the gardening groups I'm on via Facebook are losing their minds over this.
November 13, 2023
Eventually, the IDF will gain control of the Shifa hospital. They've made that clear
I was just listening to NPR on my drive home, and the Israeli representative was saying how they will conduct tours and distribute video of the command centers and tunnels under the hospital when they gain control of it.
It will be interesting to see how a certain segment of DU reacts to this, when it occurs in the near future.
November 11, 2023
That is a problem I didn't see coming, to be honest.
We're Going To Have To Cut Down A Lot Of Big Trees To Upgrade The Electric Grid For EVs
https://jalopnik.com/were-going-to-have-to-cut-down-a-lot-of-big-trees-to-up-1851007188Over 120 million wood power poles stand in the United States, literally propping up our aerial wire power grid. Every single day some of these poles age out and need to be replaced, some are damaged by fires, car crashes, or natural forces — wind, woodpeckers, beavers, and rot, chiefly. As we continue to spend more on our aging infrastructure, we’re also leaning on it more than ever to power our lives. Increased electric car adoption, large-scale solar and wind farms, and a $1.2 billion infrastructure bill mean we’re going to need a whole lot more power poles in the near future.
Demand is rising for taller and larger-diameter power poles, which means companies like Koppers are seeking out and cutting down massive old-growth conifers to sate this demand. The old standard 40-foot Class 4 pole is falling out of favor, as power companies jump to install new 45-foot Class 2 poles for a thicker and stronger foundation to their lines. Koppers Vidalia, Georgia plant manager Brad Singleton told the Wall Street Journal, “They don’t know what’s coming next. They want room to add things.”
Demand is rising for taller and larger-diameter power poles, which means companies like Koppers are seeking out and cutting down massive old-growth conifers to sate this demand. The old standard 40-foot Class 4 pole is falling out of favor, as power companies jump to install new 45-foot Class 2 poles for a thicker and stronger foundation to their lines. Koppers Vidalia, Georgia plant manager Brad Singleton told the Wall Street Journal, “They don’t know what’s coming next. They want room to add things.”
That is a problem I didn't see coming, to be honest.
November 10, 2023
Without the ability to cheaply utilize existing natural gas lines, hydrogen is largely DOA given the cost of building a nationwide pipeline system dedicated to hydrogen.
Hydrogen blending in gas pipelines faces limits due to leakage: US DOE lab
https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/natural-gas/102723-hydrogen-blending-in-gas-pipelines-faces-limits-due-to-leakage-us-doe-labIn Argonne's modeling, blending 30% hydrogen by volume into gas pipelines yielded a relatively modest 6% decrease in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. A major factor in Argonne's estimate was its finding that hydrogen blending at that level can double leakage from transmission lines.
The lifecycle benefits of pipeline blending came chiefly from the lower emissions tied to hydrogen production and end-use combustion. However, injecting hydrogen into pipelines led to higher transmission and distribution emissions and greater energy demand in compressor stations, largely wiping out the upstream and downstream benefits.
"This is largely because I am replacing a fossil molecule with a green molecule, but much of that is offset with the compression footprint and also the leakage," Amgad Elgowainy, a senior scientist and distinguished fellow at Argonne, said during an Oct. 26 webinar.
The US Energy Department hosted the webinar to highlight findings from the first phase of its HyBlend initiative, which aims to remove barriers to transporting hydrogen in gas pipelines.
The lifecycle benefits of pipeline blending came chiefly from the lower emissions tied to hydrogen production and end-use combustion. However, injecting hydrogen into pipelines led to higher transmission and distribution emissions and greater energy demand in compressor stations, largely wiping out the upstream and downstream benefits.
"This is largely because I am replacing a fossil molecule with a green molecule, but much of that is offset with the compression footprint and also the leakage," Amgad Elgowainy, a senior scientist and distinguished fellow at Argonne, said during an Oct. 26 webinar.
The US Energy Department hosted the webinar to highlight findings from the first phase of its HyBlend initiative, which aims to remove barriers to transporting hydrogen in gas pipelines.
Without the ability to cheaply utilize existing natural gas lines, hydrogen is largely DOA given the cost of building a nationwide pipeline system dedicated to hydrogen.
November 10, 2023
What a shock, the fossil fuels oligarchy wants in on the hydrogen bandwagon. I'm sure their intentions are pure though : sarcasm:
In completely unrelated news, Argonne Lab just found out that blending green hydrogen in natural gas infrastructure offset most of it's carbon reductions because it doubles the leakage rates significantly.
https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/natural-gas/102723-hydrogen-blending-in-gas-pipelines-faces-limits-due-to-leakage-us-doe-lab
'We need everything': CEO on why natural gas infrastructure needs to be ready for clean hydrogen
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/09/ceo-on-why-natural-gas-infrastructure-must-be-ready-for-clean-hydrogen.htmlBlending hydrogen into natural gas infrastructure will be needed to meet decarbonization goals, according to the CEO of Italgas.
"Today we are moving around natural gas, but tomorrow we will have biomethane [and] clean hydrogen that will be used to decarbonize the system," Paolo Gallo told CNBC.
Advocating the continued use of fossil fuel infrastructure is likely to spark debate and criticism, not least because of fossil fuels' huge impact on the environment.
"Today we are moving around natural gas, but tomorrow we will have biomethane [and] clean hydrogen that will be used to decarbonize the system," Paolo Gallo told CNBC.
Advocating the continued use of fossil fuel infrastructure is likely to spark debate and criticism, not least because of fossil fuels' huge impact on the environment.
What a shock, the fossil fuels oligarchy wants in on the hydrogen bandwagon. I'm sure their intentions are pure though : sarcasm:
In completely unrelated news, Argonne Lab just found out that blending green hydrogen in natural gas infrastructure offset most of it's carbon reductions because it doubles the leakage rates significantly.
https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/natural-gas/102723-hydrogen-blending-in-gas-pipelines-faces-limits-due-to-leakage-us-doe-lab
In Argonne's modeling, blending 30% hydrogen by volume into gas pipelines yielded a relatively modest 6% decrease in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. A major factor in Argonne's estimate was its finding that hydrogen blending at that level can double leakage from transmission lines.
The lifecycle benefits of pipeline blending came chiefly from the lower emissions tied to hydrogen production and end-use combustion. However, injecting hydrogen into pipelines led to higher transmission and distribution emissions and greater energy demand in compressor stations, largely wiping out the upstream and downstream benefits.
"This is largely because I am replacing a fossil molecule with a green molecule, but much of that is offset with the compression footprint and also the leakage," Amgad Elgowainy, a senior scientist and distinguished fellow at Argonne, said during an Oct. 26 webinar.
The lifecycle benefits of pipeline blending came chiefly from the lower emissions tied to hydrogen production and end-use combustion. However, injecting hydrogen into pipelines led to higher transmission and distribution emissions and greater energy demand in compressor stations, largely wiping out the upstream and downstream benefits.
"This is largely because I am replacing a fossil molecule with a green molecule, but much of that is offset with the compression footprint and also the leakage," Amgad Elgowainy, a senior scientist and distinguished fellow at Argonne, said during an Oct. 26 webinar.
Profile Information
Member since: 2002Number of posts: 19,258
