Pirate's Cove

Funny how it always comes down to government authoritarianism, eh? First, though

A ‘wobble’ in the moon’s orbit could result in record flooding in the 2030s, new study finds

Climate change has already increased the frequency and severity of hurricanes and other extreme weather events around the world. — But there’s a smaller, less splashy threat on the horizon that could wreak havoc on America’s coasts. (no, they haven’t)

High-tide floods, also called “nuisance floods,” occur in coastal areas when tides reach about 2 feet (0.6 meters) above the daily average high tide and begin to flood onto streets or seep through storm drains. True to their nickname, these floods are more of a nuisance than an outright calamity, inundating streets and homes, forcing businesses to close and causing cesspools to overflow — but the longer they last, the more damage they can do. (big snip)

The moon influences the tides, but the power of the moon’s pull isn’t equal from year to year; the moon actually has a “wobble” in its orbit, slightly altering its position relative to Earth on a rhythmic 18.6-year cycle. For half of the cycle, the moon suppresses tides on Earth, resulting in lower high tides and higher low tides. For the other half of the cycle, tides are amplified, with higher high tides and lower low tides, according to NASA.

We are currently in the tide-amplifying part of the cycle; the next tide-amplifying cycle begins in the mid-2030s; — and, by then, global sea levels will have risen enough to make those higher-than-normal high tides particularly troublesome, the researchers found.

Huh. Nature is making this happen? Oh, right, it is worse because you ate a cheeseburger

Technology won’t save us from climate change. Government must act (Your Letters)

It may be reassuring, but we should have no illusions that a “hydrogen economy” (”The future is now for carbon-free Hydrogen Economy,” July 9, 2021) is going to become established in the time frame within which science says we must act to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change.

And setting aside a technical discussion of whether hydrogen can truly be a source of green energy (as opposed to merely a different carrier of energy produced by existing renewable sources), the more troublesome aspect of the letter was the apparent dismissal of government’s role in tackling the enormous challenge of climate change, based on the belief that “[t]he vision and creativity of our science and engineering community will continue to develop the ‘Hydrogen Economy’ and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions through creative practice.”

This is the “techno-optimism” that politicians often use to punt on the climate change challenge. And it must be recognized that, difficult as it may be, government action on the climate change issue is essential. That action should be legislation that incentivizes both innovation in the green energy space and also wider adoption of existing technologies, whether those be hydrogen, wind, solar, nuclear; or, best of all, more efficient energy consumption. Carbon pricing is the simplest, most straightforward policy for accomplishing that objective.

Of course they want Government and taxes. Just on Other People, right?

Rather than defaulting to cynicism about government or passively waiting for a technological savior to rescue us from the climate crisis, each of us can exercise our political power to let our representatives know that climate change is a priority for us as constituents. Contact your Congressional representatives and demand they support legislation that puts a price on carbon pollution.

Or, Warmists could practice what they preach.

Climate change is a global challenge that requires a global perspective

Two defining issues of our time raise tough questions about the United States’ relationship with the rest of the world. A recent essay argued that the twin challenges of a global pandemic and climate change are similar because they force wealthy countries like the U.S. to rethink their global challenges and opportunities. Such discussions are not always pleasant.

Like the struggle to contain the worldwide spread of a lethal virus, the task of slowing the inadvertent but substantial alteration of our climate faces higher hurdles because any long-term solution to the problem requires cooperation between nations in vastly different situations. But there is an upside to the international dimension of the climate puzzle. The contributions of diverse countries worldwide working toward solutions offer greater chances for success than if each one was going it alone.

Only Big Government can solve this, folks!