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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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We should just wait and see if it gets bad enough to do anything about, like Rick says. But, we could tax chalk too. Chalk is getting off easy.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 5, 2013 - 11:50am PT
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jgill, it is an interesting problem you spotlight. How do we, on a micro level, deal with a problem that is macro in nature?
Because the economy is directly tied to energy and its cost, any bump to the energy supply will resonate with the economies of the world.
As you say, the latest recession is still bouncing off the walls, and while the DOW just hit its all-time high, the under-structure is rotten to the core. People with skills can't find work and people without skills are in a worse way.
And now, we're hit with some crazy problem with our energy source?
Yeah, we are.
DMT, 123,123,123. I loved that--Brilliant!
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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all for an unproven disaster that may occur (according to a minority of scientists)many decades in the future.
And here is the lie, in all it's glory.
I AM a member of the scientific community. I personally meet climate scientists.
"according to a minority of scientists" is bald-faced rubbish. You can find a very small number of climate deniers among climate scientists, but those consist almost exclusively of those on the payrolls of industry, earning their bucks.
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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k-man,
If I might take a stab at your question:
The old adage in hiking might apply: If you take care of the oz, the lbs take care of themselves.
An example might be the Kyoto treaty, which the US has not signed. My city, Los Angeles, HAS signed the treaty.....and HAS met the established goals of the treaty.....as have a number of cities.
LA has a plan to be off all coal-fired electricity, and it is making it's way in that direction at breakneck speed...we'll be off in 12 years.
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/20/los-angeles-wants-nothing-to-do-with-coal-fired-power/
Ironic the way the Mayor describes it:
“I believe the only way to get the goal is to set aggressive timetables,” Villaraigosa said. “Climbing mountains that have never been climbed before [isn't] easy.”
LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa initially set twin goals, to achieve 20 percent renewable energy in the city’s mix by 2010, and to get LA off of coal by 2020.
The city has reached the 20 percent renewables goal.
The Sierra Club’s Evan Gillespie likes that quitting coal will bring L.A.’s greenhouse gas emissions 60 percent below 1990 levels.
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jgill
Boulder climber
Colorado
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The most obvious thing to do is get Pueblo off of that coal fired power
My first glimpse of Pueblo occurred 51 years ago when my first wife and I drove south on the new I-25. Smoke was billowing from the furnaces of CF&I that early evening drifting to the south along the freeway, in a leisurely fashion - 90 miles to Trinidad. I was impressed, but back then the paper mill on the Black Warrior was still emitting a far more lethal product, so I wasn't shocked.
About 10 years later I moved to Pueblo, and the air seemed a little cleaner. Then, some years later, the steel mill went electric, and suddenly Pueblo had amazingly clean air, far better than Aspen, Colorado Springs, Denver, or Fort Collins. Back in Tuscaloosa the paper mill shut down and air quality improved enormously.
Those of you who are younger perhaps have not lived through such remarkable advances and your baselines are quite high from my perspective. I'm not being critical, but only mentioning this so you might recognize that older people sometimes see things a bit differently.
The Commanche (coal) plant is actually pretty clean these days. I would not recommend advocating its closure or conversion anytime soon. Although, from the distant reaches of Canada you might be safe doing so.
;>)
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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LA has a plan to be off all coal-fired electricity, and it is making it's way in that direction at breakneck speed...we'll be off in 12 years.
Amazing news - good to see! Unless.....it's just a conversion to natural gas.
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command error
Trad climber
Colorado
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Aerosols from wildfires and volcano's and my burned chicken wings are all
helping to cool the climate.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 5, 2013 - 03:02pm PT
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Ron plays card #1:
The WEAKEST stuff ever..
I agree Ron, your argument is as weak as a left jab from a toddler.
OF COURSE warmer temps mean harder burning fires.. But a a degree or so diff ISNT going to make or break ANYTHING in wildifires.
Sounds like opinion to me. For me, I'd sooner listed to somebody who knows what they're talking about, and would pay extra attention to somebody who studies the subject for a living:
"Even a degree or so warmer, day in day out, evaporates water faster and that desiccates the system more," said fire ecologist Steve Running of the University of Montana.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 5, 2013 - 03:22pm PT
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Funny Ron, we're talking climate change and how it has an effect on wild fires.
Your prior knowledge on wild fires doesn't give your opinion traction.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 5, 2013 - 03:29pm PT
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Ron, tell me how you know about the scope of my wild fire knowledge?
More hot air and ad-hoc opinion. Keep at it, the respect for your writings dwindles with each of your baseless posts.
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Hi Ron,
What factors influence the fuels moisture %?
And what effects do those fuel moisture levels have on fires?
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Dr. Christ
Mountain climber
State of Mine
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But a a degree or so diff ISNT going to make or break ANYTHING in wildifires.
It is THE FUEL MOISTURES that are lacking in many areas.
And you know this how, intuition?
You KNOW plants lose more water when it is hot, right?
You know soil does too right?
A 1.0F increase in air temperature can result in an increase in water loss of over 1/2" of per month. The article Bruce posted says the 10 year average air temperature has changed 2.3F in AZ.
Do you really think a loss of 1/2" per month is insignificant given the very low precipitation in the area? (HINT: the little blue line WELL below 1/4" is the average precipitation.
What effects fuel moistures? HUMIDITY, TEMPERATURE, WEATHER and TOPOGRAPHY.
So, tell me, how is it that "a degree or so diff ISNT going to make or break ANYTHING in wildifires."
The explanation of how these affect wildfires are complex and far too long for me to indulge here.
Your combination of arrogance and ignorance is tiresome and nauseating.
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jgill
Boulder climber
Colorado
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. . . the wisdom of past eras that got us into this mess in the first place
Oooh . . . I feel so bad about that . . .
;>\
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 5, 2013 - 03:51pm PT
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What effects fuel moistures? HUMIDITY, TEMPERATURE, WEATHER and TOPOGRAPHY.
weath·er
[ wéər ]
state of atmosphere: the state of the atmosphere with regard to temperature, cloudiness, rainfall, wind, and other meteorological conditions
Looks like you failed the question Ron, and that you're not as knowledgeable about these things as you'd like to feel.
But you're funny. And that does have merit, so chin up.
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raymond phule
climber
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It is strange, Ron has no problem at all to ignore scientist or disagree with them on subjects that he has very limited knowledge about but when people disagree with him on subjects that he claims he know he seems to became frustrated.
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Dr. Christ
Mountain climber
State of Mine
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So young idgets like wes will now post his graphs not to prove anything but to just show his disdain for me.
Really Rong, you can't even see the point of that graph? It doesn't PROVE anything, it SHOWS that the average precipitation around Yarnell is less than 1/4". Others have proven (and damn near anyone can show) that a 1.0F increase in temperature can increase water loss by over 1/2". Are you REALLY so willfully ignorant that you refuse to accept 1.0F ABSOLUTELY WILL make a difference in fuel moisture, and hence fire behavior?
I have in my library may reports from fatal fires that i was involved with one way or the other. But never mind that right?
Right, because your reports from fires have NOTHING TO DO with what influences fire behavior.
I appreciate your hard work on the lines, but you NEVER studied how fire behaves. It is complicated and you don't learn it in those 1 week FS classes.
I was on a hand crew for 5 years before working for the Riverside Fire Lab (USDA) where they ACTUALLY STUDY WHAT INFLUENCES FIRE BEHAVIOR. Huge advances have been made since the 1970's. I'm sorry you are too stubborn and/or willfully ignorant to accept that. But that is okay, the world will go on without your ridiculous mixture of arrogance and ignorance.
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Dr. Christ
Mountain climber
State of Mine
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Nope, I don't know you or the classes you took. All I know is that you are either unable or unwilling to provide any relevant information about anything, ever. You acknowledge that fuel moisture affects fire behavior, but refuse to admit air temperature affects fuel moisture... something any 8 year old can CLEARLY understand and demonstrate. Instead of addressing how air temperature affects FIRE BEHAVIOR you go off about the jobs you held over 3 decades ago and the reports you have. You bring it on yourself. Those of us interested in the truth can't help but correct you when you are FLAT OUT WRONG.
Did you take the equivalent of S-590? Were you ever FBAN?
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 5, 2013 - 04:36pm PT
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Ron, I have to admit, your fire-fighting resume is impressive. And you seem to have boned up with classes too boot. It appears you're quite knowledgeable and rounded in this area.
But all that, and you still say that a 1 degree increase in temperature doesn't make a difference in the severity of wild fires?? Come on, my man, and have a beer. It's time to take solace in the fact that half the population possesses below-average intelligence.
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Dr. Christ
Mountain climber
State of Mine
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So you did the pre-course work portion of S-490?
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 5, 2013 - 04:58pm PT
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Ron: Nice!
Predicting Behavior and Size of Crown
So, does water content have an effect of the size of the fire?
According to the Yosemite Fire Chief, it does. And I believe her. I also believe it when they say the dry conditions have moved forward the fire season by two months.
Why? Because it's dry and Hot. We're in a drought, and the extra heat doesn't help us WRT fire danger.
But I figured you knew all this, according to your credentials and the class outline you posted above.
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