Biologists warn that hundreds of species could die or weaken as growing
levels of CO2 make oceans more acidic and disrupt shell formation
Thursday, November 14, 2024
Saturday, November 9, 2024
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Friday, August 18, 2023
Saturday, August 5, 2023
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Corporations Control Our Governments: Here’s How | Aaron Bastani meets Matt Kennard
Corporations Control Our Governments: Here’s How | Aaron Bastani youtu.be/vDsp2apG5zQ via Support Novara Media:
Most of you will agree that corporations have undue influence over our democracies, but exactly how this influence is exerted is tricky to illustrate - and that is by design. Behind innocuous sounding acronyms and worthy sounding trade agreements are the real cogs that allow the global corporate machine to corrupt societies and our guest this week, Matt Kennard, has spent the last two years investigating these shady entities. In his new book, ‘Silent Coup’, he and co-author Claire Provost give us shocking examples of how corporations exert, expand and consolidate control over the lives of practically everyone.
You can buy Matt's book here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/silent-...
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Thursday, June 29, 2023
Friday, June 16, 2023
Saturday, March 12, 2022
Friday, March 11, 2022
Saturday, December 25, 2021
Monday, April 26, 2021
Monday, March 22, 2021
Monday, March 1, 2021
Monday, February 1, 2021
Thursday, January 28, 2021
Friday, December 4, 2020
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Monday, November 16, 2020
Saturday, October 17, 2020
California's Renewable Energy Problem
Why not pump desalinated sea water up into our existing reservoirs all summer using the extra energy? Then use the summer extra renewable energy to separate hydrogen out of the water using electrolysis, storing the hydrogen in super-cooled underground caves? The long term solution to batteries is easy, grow trees.
Sunday, September 27, 2020
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Krystal and Saagar: Liberal Push To Censor Trump On Facebook, BACKFIRES ...
Climate Hawks Vote is a great organization, 100% Scientific FACTS! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_Hawks_Vote
Why would fb take them down?
see - http://climatehawksvote.com/
Sunday, September 6, 2020
Saturday, September 5, 2020
1999
https://www.facebook.com/djrudy7/videos/10158669588134976/
Found this old gem. Inside SDLGs circa 1999
Posted by Daniel Rudy on Friday, September 4, 2020
Friday, August 14, 2020
Friday, February 21, 2020
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Monday, September 2, 2019
Friday, August 2, 2019
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Monday, September 10, 2018
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Friday, November 18, 2016
Friday, January 8, 2016
Sunday, July 5, 2015
UV and IR Reflective Paints as a Solution
The first use of designed-in, energy efficient German pigments in American paints occurred in the 1970's in collaborations between metal roofing manufacturers and makers of industrial coatings. These coatings contained infrared (IR) and mixed metal oxide (MMO) pigments, were factory applied, and were expensive. Their chemistry was toxic solvent based, and they were exceptionally durable, eventually becoming the standard for commercial and industrial buildings.
Metallic pigments are much more efficient in reflecting away the sun's radiation (infra-red spectrum) than standard organic liquid tints. This trend was brought to the high-end, residential marketplace into the 1980's and hasn’t changed since. The high cost of the metal roof coating system known as Kynar™ (over $100 per gallon) only suited large-capital corporate and industrial jobs and those with unlimited budgets since the lifespan of 20 to 30 years before these coatings failed. Variations of the technology were taken up in military applications as well.
In Australia, there was a huge need for durable, efficient, cool coatings for metal and tile roofs that could be inexpensively field-applied to buildings in the torrid Outback, tropical Queensland and the rest of the vast Australian continent. Thirty years ago, the Australians went with the best acrylic latexes of the day and their own version of the German factory-ground pigments to develop water-based coatings that had the capability to provide the heat reflecting they needed.
While these coatings were slightly more expensive than standard tinted paint formulas (and could not be made at the local store), they still cost much less than the solvent-based roof coatings. Their fully renewable 12 to 15-year lifespans added to their cost-savings benefits with twice the lifespan of standard paints. These paints cooled the buildings dramatically by reflecting away the majority of the sun's radiation (solar reflectance) and by emitting a very high percentage of the heat that did find its way into the underlying substrate materials (thermal emissivity).
Another advantage of reflective paints is that they these required no special procedures to apply, while being substantially more environmentally friendly with low odor. This was in part because the IR reflecting, MMO inorganic pigments were low toxic by their nature, with low-VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) unlike the liquid organic-based standard paint tinting systems. They also did not fade, another big plus, and these paints were breathable but waterproof when used on walls (think Gore-Tex™).
These thermally emissive/reflective coatings offer a range of applications such as on roofs and walls of buildings. These coatings will adhere to a variety of materials such as composite roof shingles, metal roofs, and concrete tile roofs as well as stucco, plywood, and concrete block walls. Manufacturers offer a wide assortment of formulations. So be sure to read the spec sheet and get the correct type before application. When considering thermally emissive/reflective cool coatings be sure to look for metal oxide and infra-red emissive pigments. These ingredients are necessary to block ultra violet rays and reflect infrared radiation.
Heat reflective coatings that have met the standards of the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) can qualify for LEED credit. This credit is available for new construction and existing building LEED projects. The purpose of this credit is to promote the reduction of the heat island effect, which is a known cause of increased temperatures and pollution in urban areas. In addition, for buildings in the state of California, many of these products exceed the state’s Title 24 energy efficiency requirements of 70% solar reflectance for commercial and residential buildings.
It is important to note that a thermally emissive/reflective coating is not meant to insulate. Insulation is used to slow the transfer of heat. Thermally reflective coatings are used to reflect the heat. If the reflective coating is doing its job, the demand on insulation decreases. This assistance is similar to radiant barriers.
A common misconception is that heat reflective coatings, such as cool walls and cool roofs, can only be found in light colors. However, thermally reflective coatings are offered in a variety of colors to suit design specifications. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory offers a Pigment Database for more detailed information. Generally, lighter colors do offer a higher level of thermal reflectance though a quick review of the database reveals many viable options.
Financial Benefits of Cool Paint Technology
Exterior wall paint job life-cycles can be increased by a minimum of 50% percent and as much as 100%. Combined with electrical cost savings of up to 22% (results for Los Angeles residence in U.S.- D.O.E. Cool Wall Paints study, 2007), in locales where air-conditioning is normally used, these solar-reflective paints just on the walls means large and measurable financial paybacks to those who utilize them for repaint and new construction projects. Further combine this with cool roof top coats on the same building(s) and energy needs will be massively reduced with even larger environmental benefits.You can calculate the energy cost savings for cool paint for your location with the US Dept. of Energy's Cool Roof Calculator. (link is external)
Cool Roof Rebates and Environmental Impact
Reflective wall coatings are the last area to be explored by the residential paint manufacturing industry, but the new LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and national Green-Seal standards will recognize them as a significant factor in total building energy efficiency. After all, wall surface areas will equal or exceed that of the roof surface square footage when the buildings are more than one story tall. And with the amount of energy cool paints can save, it’s no wonder rebates are available.Rebates, LEED Credits, and the Green Seal
This means that having the walls coated with solar-reflective paints will ensure added energy cost reductions for air conditioning and this will serve to increase the return on investment for any such paint job. LEED credits for both non-roof and cool roof coatings are available (see LEED Credit 7.1 & 7.2 respectively), which can qualify for energy tax credits, increased property values, and publicity benefits for buildings so coated. Depending upon the zip code, public utilities like PG&E and SMUD (link is external) are already giving residential rebates for Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) qualified "cool roof” top coats for both steep slope and low slope roof types.Environmental Impact
Carbon pollution reduction from cooling down roofs and walls in our city environments is a real way to reduce the "Urban Heat Island Effect" caused by buildings absorbing the sun's radiation, then re-radiating that heat after the sun goes down. This "hidden" environmental benefit is one that we must all hope we'll be able to notice. Lawrence Berkeley Labs has quantified that 663 grams of CO2 is the environmental "cost" for every kilowatt hour (KWh) of electricity produced by conventional power plants. The average California house in turn uses 3,000 to 4,000 KWh per year for electricity for cooling from these plants. That equals approximately 2,650 lbs. of CO2 emitted to produce that power per Los Angeles household.Therefore, every reduction in that energy demand has a direct bearing on how much atmospheric, heat-inducing pollution is prevented. When cool paint and cool roof coatings can make an 8% to 60% factored per household reduction in this electricity used, it's easy to see why so energy companies and the government are offering rebates to begin with.
What is a Paint Specification?
A paint specification provides detailed information about preparation for specific substrates, application, color, clean up etc. and specifies what exact products will be used on the repaint: so all contractors will be bidding on the same value line product. This provides the customer a standard to evaluate the painting contractor bids (i.e. so one contractor doesn't include standard paint in the bid while another uses premium). A specification is also a legal document, so the material must be used as directed.The paint specification should include the following:
- Paint Product Line–Determines the performance and longevity of the repaint. Premium lines are products engineered to offer excellent hide, color retention, and resistance to chalking and blistering. A standard line offers good performance when budget constraints are an issue.
- Specific Primers–Includes the primers necessary for all surfaces of the building to be painted, such as wood, ferrous and non-ferrous metal, concrete, and stucco.
- Topcoat Gloss–Indicates the optimum topcoat gloss level for the surfaces and paint product line.
from ECHO-CA.ORG - Michael Biel is the founder of The Ultimate Coatings Company. He has been associated with the trade of both residential and commercial painting for 22 years. He was a high-end house painter/restorer for a majority of that time and was sales consultant, estimator and trainer to a well-known northern California painting contractor for their property management clientele.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Guardian Predicts End of Sea Life
Shellfish species shrinking as rising carbon emissions hit marine life
Sea creatures are set to shrink as the world’s oceans become more acidic. That is the startling warning given by an international group of biologists who have charted the likely impact of rising carbon dioxide levels on marine life.
The group reveals that not only are hundreds of marine species likely to be wiped out as more and more carbon dioxide is dissolved in the Earth’s oceans but also that creatures that do survive – in particular those with shells, such as clams, oysters and snails – will be left puny and shrunken as a result.
“We have already seen this effect in commercial oyster beds in the US, where marine farmers have had to stop growing young oysters in sea water because their shells could no longer form properly in our increasingly acidic seas. Instead they have to grow them in tanks where water acidity can be controlled,” said marine biologist Professor Jason Hall-Spencer, of Plymouth University.
“And as the oceans get even more acidic, the problem of species shrinkage – known as the Lilliput effect – will become more and more common. It is a clear warning of the extreme dangers we are facing as carbon emissions continue to rise around the planet.”
Scientists estimate that the oceans absorb around a million tonnes of carbon dioxide every hour. As a result our seas have become 30% more acidic than they were a century ago. This increased acidity plays havoc with levels of calcium carbonate, which forms the shells and skeletons of many sea creatures, and also disrupts reproductive activity. These threats have led to the phenomenon of ocean acidification being dubbed global warming’s “equally evil twin”.
Ocean acidification is not new, however. During the Permian extinction 252m years ago – an event linked to soaring atmospheric carbon dioxide levels triggered by volcanic eruptions – swaths of species were wiped out both on land and in the sea. At the same time, many of the marine creatures that survived were greatly reduced in size. Now scientists have shown this effect in operation today and have traced the cause.
The work – funded by the EU MedSeA project and the UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme – was carried out by researchers working on the island of Vulcano, off Sicily.
Its volcano, which has given its name to all other volcanoes, leaves a distinct sulphurous smell over its beaches of black volcanic sand and belches out about 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide a day. Much of this gas bubbles up through offshore vents, making the island’s coastal waters highly acidic.
“These patches of acidic water are ideal place to study the effects of ocean acidification,” added Hall-Spencer, one of the project’s scientists. “By studying marine creatures and plants living at varying distances from a vent, we could get a very clear idea of the impact of carbon dioxide on their make-up.”
Close to the vents, nothing can survive – not even seaweed. Further away, the marine life increases. The intriguing difference for Hall-Spencer and his colleagues lay with several species of sea snail, in particular Cyclope nerita and Nassarius corniculus, that were found around the shore of Vulcano.
Essentially, the nearer a colony was to a carbon dioxide vent, the smaller and weaker the individual snails were: with the shells from high CO2 seawater areas about a third smaller than those in “normal” environments. In many cases, these adaptations had allowed the snails to survive for many generations in extremely hostile conditions.
“The two species of snails adapted their metabolic rates to cope with the acidified seawater,” said Dr Vittorio Garilli, from Palermo University. “These physiological changes allowed the animals to maintain calcification and to partially repair shell dissolution.”
The study, published in Nature Climate Change, provides precise details of how dwarfing occurs in a specific species and demonstrates how marine creatures will struggle to survive as our oceans become more acidic.
The group reveals that not only are hundreds of marine species likely to be wiped out as more and more carbon dioxide is dissolved in the Earth’s oceans but also that creatures that do survive – in particular those with shells, such as clams, oysters and snails – will be left puny and shrunken as a result.
“We have already seen this effect in commercial oyster beds in the US, where marine farmers have had to stop growing young oysters in sea water because their shells could no longer form properly in our increasingly acidic seas. Instead they have to grow them in tanks where water acidity can be controlled,” said marine biologist Professor Jason Hall-Spencer, of Plymouth University.
“And as the oceans get even more acidic, the problem of species shrinkage – known as the Lilliput effect – will become more and more common. It is a clear warning of the extreme dangers we are facing as carbon emissions continue to rise around the planet.”
Scientists estimate that the oceans absorb around a million tonnes of carbon dioxide every hour. As a result our seas have become 30% more acidic than they were a century ago. This increased acidity plays havoc with levels of calcium carbonate, which forms the shells and skeletons of many sea creatures, and also disrupts reproductive activity. These threats have led to the phenomenon of ocean acidification being dubbed global warming’s “equally evil twin”.
Ocean acidification is not new, however. During the Permian extinction 252m years ago – an event linked to soaring atmospheric carbon dioxide levels triggered by volcanic eruptions – swaths of species were wiped out both on land and in the sea. At the same time, many of the marine creatures that survived were greatly reduced in size. Now scientists have shown this effect in operation today and have traced the cause.
The work – funded by the EU MedSeA project and the UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme – was carried out by researchers working on the island of Vulcano, off Sicily.
Its volcano, which has given its name to all other volcanoes, leaves a distinct sulphurous smell over its beaches of black volcanic sand and belches out about 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide a day. Much of this gas bubbles up through offshore vents, making the island’s coastal waters highly acidic.
“These patches of acidic water are ideal place to study the effects of ocean acidification,” added Hall-Spencer, one of the project’s scientists. “By studying marine creatures and plants living at varying distances from a vent, we could get a very clear idea of the impact of carbon dioxide on their make-up.”
Close to the vents, nothing can survive – not even seaweed. Further away, the marine life increases. The intriguing difference for Hall-Spencer and his colleagues lay with several species of sea snail, in particular Cyclope nerita and Nassarius corniculus, that were found around the shore of Vulcano.
Essentially, the nearer a colony was to a carbon dioxide vent, the smaller and weaker the individual snails were: with the shells from high CO2 seawater areas about a third smaller than those in “normal” environments. In many cases, these adaptations had allowed the snails to survive for many generations in extremely hostile conditions.
“The two species of snails adapted their metabolic rates to cope with the acidified seawater,” said Dr Vittorio Garilli, from Palermo University. “These physiological changes allowed the animals to maintain calcification and to partially repair shell dissolution.”
The study, published in Nature Climate Change, provides precise details of how dwarfing occurs in a specific species and demonstrates how marine creatures will struggle to survive as our oceans become more acidic.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Monday, July 7, 2014
truth ~ 20/20 in 2014
The Truth vs. DC's Propaganda Machine
As the exploding crisis in Iraq spotlights once again the tragic record of American policy in the Middle East, Bill speaks with investigative journalist Charles Lewis, whose new book, “935 Lies” details the many government falsehoods that have led us into the current nightmare. A complicit partner, he says, is a media intent on preserving the status quo and never offending the ruling elite.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
New Harvard Study targets Bayer Neonicotinoids as cause of Colony Collapse Disorder
The bee colony collapse disorder mystery has been solved.In spite of denials that claim neonicatinoid pesticides are not lethal to bees, a new Harvard study fingers neonics as the key driver of colony collapse disorder. The experiment couldn't have been simpler. Working with nearby beekeepers, Harvard researcher Chensheng Lu and his team treated 12 colonies with tiny levels of neonics and kept six control hives free of the popular chemicals. All 18 hives made it through summer without any apparent trouble. Come winter, though, the bees in six of the treated hives vanished, leaving behind empty colonies—the classic behavior of colony collapse disorder. None of the six control hives experienced a CCD-style disappearing act, although one did succumb to a common-to-bees gut pathogen called nosema.
This year, beekeepers in Ohio, for example, reported winter losses of 50 percent to 80 percent.Last year, Europe placed a two-year moratorium on most neonic uses, pending more research on their effect on honeybees. The US Environmental Protection Agency, for its part, is reviewing its registration of the chemicals, and won't be done until 2016 at the earliest.
http://www.bulletinofinsectology.org/pdfarticles/vol67-2014-125-130lu.pdf
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Friday, July 20, 2012
Bob Filner Speaks at the Pacific Beach Town Council
San Diego Speaks presents Bob Filner - running for San Diego Mayor 2012, at the Pacific Beach Town Council meeting at the PB Women's Club, Wednesday, July 18, 2012.
Promises: I will get the City to put Solar Panels on EVERY City and School Building.
I will consult with neighborhood councils to invent local solutions.
I will find a way to deal with homelessness without breaking our back.
I will consult with neighborhood councils to invent local solutions.
I will find a way to deal with homelessness without breaking our back.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Protest against SDGE's solar fee 1/18/12
When SEMPRA uses rate-payer fees (i.e. taxes) to open their NEW SDG&E 'Energy Innovation Center' (i.e. propaganda center), they were met with protesters. Planning to charge people with Solar Panels a 'fee' for using the public electric grid. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) rejected the SDG&E "Network Usage" fee.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
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