If spending is the equivalent of prayer to a leftist, “climate change” is the equivalent of Christian “end-time” cultism. Let me share with you a very recent, and very relevant, example. Over the past week, we here in sunny insane California have faced the prospect of a major calamity as three merciless months of near-nonstop rainfall have led to the possibility of a massive failure at the tallest dam in the U.S., in Oroville, near Sacramento. It’s a big deal; 188,000 people have been evacuated. Concerns about how the aging Oroville Dam would fare in the face of record rainfall were raised years ago, but the state and the feds ignored them.
The story has been amply reported locally and nationally. But what the press conveniently leaves out of its coverage is the underlining theory behind the dam inaction: climate-change apocalyptics had convinced the Silly Putty-brained California powers-that-be that rain was never returning to the state. Quite literally, new dams, and improvements on old ones, were rejected because a doomsday cult had convinced politicians that water was “over,” that the drought that began in 2012 was not a passing thing but an “era,” something that would last decades if not a century. And why build new dams if there’ll be no water for them to hold? Why refurbish old ones if there’s no chance they’ll ever be filled again?
They should have known better. Climate alarmists have been wrong on everything for well over a century now.
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2016-09-19-history-keeps-proving-prophets-of-eco-apocalypse-wrong/#.WK_SV9QrKKr
Everyone thinks linear ,never is cycles
Kate. It’s worse than that.
All you said is true. But the real problem was, they believed that gospel even in the face of the rainstorms in December and into January that already brought the rainfall of a normal season.
I keep track of the state (would you believe) website that reported the daily status of the reservoirs. And through January, they kept the two largest reservoirs, Shasta and Oroville, at 90%+ capacity, only releasing as much water as came in. This is reminiscent of what happened in Queensland several years ago, when eventually it was flooded when the rain overwhelmed the available storage. Here, when the rains poured down late January and early February, they finally realized they had to get rid of the water in Oroville however they could, which meant also using the emergency release never before found necessary. When they used it, they found it was all cracked due to decades of neglect, and were lucky it did not collapse.
But the point is, even with the infrastructure the way it is, if they believed the forecast that everyone was making, even the warmist national service, they should have expected the deluge. They had plenty of time in December to release the water in an orderly fashion down to say 50%, or even as high as 70% which is the usual storage, and there would have been no problem, and no one outside the state would still never have heard of Oroville Dam.
As of today at 1 p.m., they have managed to reduce the water to 80% capacity, which is still 17% over normal storage for this time of the year, and they manage to have more outflow than inflow. So thankfully the crisis may be over, and we didn’t fare as badly as Queensland did. But yes, it seems they never learn, and only lucked out this time. As proof of that, all the state media still follow the official line that the drought is not over, and the water agencies still maintain the drought surcharge. This is in spite of the fact that the reservoirs are full, and the snow buildup on Sierra Nevada, whose melt actually provides more water than the reservoirs, is at a 25 year high.
And what’s really gonna bake your noodle is that our Jesuit Governor Brown has not yet “officially” declared CA’s drought to be over. Nope. Jerry consulted his Catholic version of a very scienci-sounding Witch Doctor (aka The Pope) and insisted the drought will continue till at least the end of April … because … as he said … ANYTHING can still happen during this horrible global warming. BTW … he said that BEFORE he directed the State DWR to sabotage both of Oroville’s primary and secondary spillways So … what we have in CA is “officially” a 6-year long drought, when in REALITY we had a 4-year drought. 6-year long drought: scary and frighteningly rare … 4-year long drought: typical, normal, cyclical CA drought. California’s drought was OVER last year. Anyone who has lived in CA for more than 25 years KNOWS that the drought weather pattern was busted LAST year. The “storm door” was opened last year. The major reservoirs (including Oroville) were FULL last June … till they were DUMPED to save a baitfish. I have experienced many droughts here in my lifetime in CA … but NEVER did we have a crucial water shortage until a Federal Judge decided that a baitfish needed water more than people or agriculture.
It must also be noted … if one is given to conspiracy theories … that Oroville Reservoir is the only Reservoir dedicated exclusively to the CA Water Project. This means that ALL of Oroville’s water goes to Central Valley Farming, and south to Los Angeles via the Central Valley Canal. Neither of these end-users are in particularly good favor in Sacramento. So what if a little deferred maintenance RUINS Oroville … nobody “believes-in” or “supports” its mission anyway.
By the way, it’s not the Oroville dam that is poorly maintained or in danger of collapse, it’s the spillway about a half mile away that has basically lost most of its side structure and is spraying water being released all over the landscape. The dam will probably never fail, but the spillway could erode back into the reservoir and effectively negate the purpose of the dam allowing the reservoir to drain out too fast down the spillway.
The last video report I saw on this appeared to be somewhat optimistic that things would hold. Once they fix the spillway and the water proceeds in a more orderly fashion into the river below the dam, they can then fix the power station that has been shut down because of this water diversion and associated debris problems (and the wiping out of part of the transmission lines network).
Another positive development is that it won’t be raining too heavily for the next week or two, and freezing levels are coming well down which restricts runoff into the reservoir (basically it collects two branches of the Feather River which drains most of the northern third of the Sierra Nevada).
I agree that there is a cult-like quality to recent pronouncements about drought in California, but it appears that the reservoir will remain intact (unless the spillway totally collapses, let’s say if water starts eroding its structure right back to where it starts to drop out of the reservoir, then the bank could be undercut — the dam would remain there doing nothing as the reservoir drained out through the spillway).
Top Worst Dam Disasters Ever – National Geographic Documentary 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P5vHrcDnl8
It is not that the USA doesn’t know about dam failures; they’ve had enough to have learned from experience. Dam maintenance neglect has traditionally been the human cause of dam failure…
The US Army Corps of Engineers don’t need too many reminders of Johnstown 1889; not to mention the Grand Teton failure!
Cheers
Hans Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group ‘True North’
We are being lied to about the Dam repairs only 8% of the hole was filled 2/16/2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw2PqPUebGA
Interesting clip, on site engineer interviewed says the Governor knew about the spillway damage back in 2005 when it would have cost $1.5 million to fix. Now estimated at a $100 million dollar fix.
I’m sure that’ll help get Gov Jerry Brown reelected… 🙂
Too damned cheap to fund the maintenance but they’ll risk drowning a bunch of people!
What an em-bare-assing pile of political “do-do”.
Cheers
Hans Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group ‘True North’
Yep the maintenance budget seems to have gone AWOL..
Cal Fire employee sacked for taking photo of damage spillway, cause the authorities wanted to explain away this catastrophe:
https://twitter.com/CalFireNews/status/833039413588348928
#OrovilleDam team dedicated to searching social media controlling message! #censorship must stop! Young man fired for posting this photo
The state of Jerry Brown. 730 million on water infrastructure 25 BILLION on Illegals. (yes ILLEGAL) DOESN’T HAVE MONEY FOR #OrovilleDam
Cheers
Hans Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group ‘True North’
I would suggest that people everywhere avoid living on a flood plain be it natural or man made.
No, avoid listening to your governments. They were duped, like others, that the drought would go on for a hundred years, or more.
Never let a crisis go to waste.
“… “climate change” is the equivalent of Christian “end-time” cultism. …:
Heh, If you’re a member of the UCC, climate change and saving the earth is THE raison d’etre. THis, from a Glengarry County UCC bulletin….passed on to me by a recent excommunicant:
March 1 to April 13: Give it up for the Earth!
The early church looked to Jesus’ example and developed a practice of fasting during the 40 days leading up to Easter. This practice has evolved over the years and many Christians now mark Lent by “giving up” a bad habit or distracting practice. This symbolic sacrifice provides space to reflect and refocus, tune-in to our Christian calling, and renew our commitment to God.
The Give it up for the Earth! Initiative is asking participants to make a pledge*, to reduce their personal GHG emissions and to send their pledged commitment to the Minister of Environment. The goal is to signal to the government that Canadians – especially Canadian Christians – are prepared to make lifestyle changes in order to reduce our GHG emissions. And, that we want our government to match and exceed these actions with policy changes that will move us further and faster towards international climate change goals. Get motivated & watch the video: https://vimeo.com/202217588
And here is the pledge card: http://bit.ly/2kvmIm9
*PLEDGE:
Over the next six weeks, I will: (choose a least one) *
· cut my driving by commuting on foot, cycling, taking transit, or carpooling.
· eliminate meat from my diet one day a week to reduce emissions from raising and processing cattle.
· commit to enjoying a spring break “staycation” close to home to avoid aviation emissions.
· divest my savings from fossil fuel companies and reinvest in renewables.
· other: (For suggestions, read: 7 ways to reduce your GHG footprint: https://cpj.ca/7-ways-reduce-your-ghg-footprint )
Kate a game changer trial is on going in British Columbia! The Infamous Michael Mann has sued Canadian Dr. Tim Ball! Dr Tim Ball called him a fraud over his “hockey stick” analysis of climate change. This so called hockey stick has been used to justify the cause of the alarmist. On Feb 1, 2017 Michael Mann asked for a concession from the BC supreme court and Dr. Tim Ball. Michael Mann will not supply the Supreme Court with his data!!!! Not one news agency is covering this very important Trial—-Kate we need you to cover it! This and the rain in California should tell us something!
“The state of Jerry Brown. 730 million on water infrastructureÂ
25 BILLION on Illegals.”
That’s not the half of it. Here’s one more juicy tidbit:
$215 BILLION on the hi-speed rail boondoggle to exactly nowhere.
$215,000,000,000
No shit.
And I pay my CA taxes form this shit.
In 2007, Chief Climate Commissioner Tim Flannery made this bizarre claim while hyping the threat to Australia from global warming:
“Even the rain that falls isn’t actually going to fill our dams and river systems.”
Flannery was completely wrong. Two years of record rains, floods and filled dams prove it.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/flannery-says-it-again-the-dams-wont-fill/news-story/fc39cd244faba3e29b842e09e5b4dd5c
Kate a game changer trial is on going in British Columbia’s Supreme Court. The infamous Michael Mann is suing Canadian Dr. Tim Ball because Dr.Ball called his work a fraud.Feb 1st 2017 Mann asked for a concession, he wouldn’t supply the court with his material. No news agency is covering this very important trial.
Kate this needs to be covered like the rains in California it is huge to disprove Athropogenic Climate change. Go Tim Go!!!!
The lunacy and utter lack of logic is mind-boggling.
Let’s go down the path of ‘scarcity/less rain/more fires’…Ok hot shot, where does one get the water to fight the fires? You didn’t create any more reservoirs to capture/store water, so what do you do?
And over the longer run, what fuels the fires? Oh yeah–plant growth from more rain. So if rainfall actually were to decrease continually, you eventually see a reduction in fuel.
But it’s calamity in every direction with these morons.
The ruling class in California has less on the ball than an immature 7th grade class president. They promise free lunches and longer recesses, but have no idea how anything actually WORKS.
Now we are watching multiple years’ worth of water wash into the sea; our roads collapse; and nothing being done to solve the pre-existing and persistent high-cost problems we have such as Bay Area traffic.
I say to SF and LA–secede on your own. We inland folks will keep the fresh water, agriculture and mountains, and calloused/dirty hands. You keep your keyboards.
And don’t think for a moment that the culpable and guilty politicians nor the AGW cultists that deliberately misled them will be held accountable.
Keith, we need some links to follow up on the Mann/Ball case.
Our brilliant leftist rulers are never found lacking when it comes to having “smart reasons” which prove that
spending the taxpayers money on long term sensible priorities is just a foolish patriarchal out of date habit.
Jerry Brown-out was a Jimmy Jones supporter. For someone like him to make the leap to green theocrat, it’s effortless. He also holds the distinction of being a recycled green Governor. Water infrastructure is so passe’ in the post-rational era of deconstructing Dams, infinite valuations on fish, sanctity of unreliable energy, passenger rail transport at any cost, essentially all the pieties of the anti-industrial revolution cult.
The folly, pseudo religious or pseudo scientific, is that CO2 is the control knob for global climate. That going from 250 parts per million of CO2 to 400 ppm is more powerful than every other variable that affects our climate. It’s a teneuos concept at best. I suspect future scientists will think this as ridiculous as the human/Earth centered solar system. “Wow, 21st century people thought they controlled the weather. Heh”
What’s even sillier is the idea that every negative thing going on in the world can be blamed on catastrophic anthropogenic global warming. That is the religious tell. The “Blame X” without investigating any other possible causes dates back to the dawn of human history. Basically the jump to the conclusion that the all powerful evil X (CAGW in this case) is the reason for war, weather, disease and destruction is no different God’s wrath, the evil eye or a witch’s curse. The modern augurs just sound more convincing because of the science speak but the predictions are as inaccurate. The solutions aren’t very different either: burn the witch/climate denier, sacrifice a virgin/capitalism, pay a tithe/carbon price, sinner redeem your wicked ways.
So blaming a damn failure on CAGW instead of neglect or poor design is perfectly consistent with religion and superstitious belief.
I used to think CAGW was the religion but now I think it’s only the money and control part of it. Obviously being born white is original sin, redemption can only be achieved by enthusiastically submitting to each and every of the hundreds of Progressive Thou shalls and Though shall nots (subject to constant additions and revisions). Thank Gaia these commandments are now being taught at the progressive religious seminaries called University (non STEM). The New Clergy graduates can then spread the faith to the non-progressive heathens. Then and only then will we have a perfect, unchanging climate Eden. 🙂
I remember back in the late 60s, early 70s that there were some who thought the ice age was returning due to Russian weather modification experiments.
At least they had the good sense back then to label it as ‘weather’ instead of ‘climate’.
OK, OK. So it was in the 50s. I seem to have a memory leak in my brain.
Weather Control as a Cold War Weapon
it is still a flood plain even a 100 years later.
They are called snowflakes, I know I paid the whole bill to put two of them through university. Now I have to listen to their liberated b.s.
A most excellent thread on Oroville.
https://www.metabunk.org/oroville-dam-spillway-failure.t8381/
This just in: due to heavy rains in California, Governor Brown has mandated car washing and lawn watering 3x daily.
Ken I had trouble tracking it down heard initially on an video clip with Dr.Tim Ball. Principia Scientific International is covering it and Mark Steyn is also being sued by Michael Mann and has mentioned it. I also heard an interview with Dr. Ball on the Roy Green radio show where he outlined his court battle. Michael Mann vs Dr. Tim Ball. Dr. Ball on Roy Green was confident in winning the case!
“Dr. Ball on Roy Green was confident in winning the case!”
Hopefully this is so.
While in charge of a Fortune 200 transport fleet, the state enacted diesel legislation that required tiered limits on emissions from the refrigerated pool that cost tens of millions each tier with no technology in existence to meet the ultimate target. This of course literally wiped out privateer truckers without the resources to meet the deadlines.