Ramblings of a 70-year old: california

Showing posts with label california. Show all posts

Monday, November 7, 2022

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautions planet Earth is on "the highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator"

The COP27 summit kicked off in Egypt and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautioned that planet Earth is on shaky ground. He used strong words and said our planet is on “the highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator." This summit is follows a year of violent effects of climate change. He quoted the examples of catastrophic flooding that killed more than 1,700 people in Pakistan and uprooted 1.3 million from their homes in Nigeria. He also mentioned about drought and withered crops in Europe, large scale starvation in Africa, and loss of fish from California to France to China. These are results of rise in emissions and global warming. In his words - "Humanity has a choice: cooperate or perish." Those present in the room included heads of state. They were Europe's Ursula von der Leyen, France's Emmanuel Macron and Colombia's Gustavo Francisco. The main purpose of the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh was to inject momentum into the two-week talks. Nearly 200 countries hope to agree on the collective steps necessary to slow climate breakdown. Antonio Guterres said - failing to work together will amount to a "collective suicide pact." COP27: Agree on climate action or face a 'collective suicide pact' - UN chief's ultimatum to world leaders.

Already the world faces fierce geopolitical tensions. These are due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, followed by subsequent food, energy and cost of living crises, and arguments over who should pay for the increasingly damaging impacts of climate change. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the conflict and soaring energy prices are "not a reason to go slow on climate change, they are a reason to act faster." In his words - "Climate security goes hand in hand with energy security." The PM did publicly thank Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el Sisi for his "leadership" at the talks. Simultaneously, he is pressing the Egyptian leader to release imprisoned British-Egyptian political activist Alaa Abd el Fattah. President Sisi was one of many to urge an end to the war in Ukraine. "This war must stop," he said in an emotive plea, adding that not just Egypt but likely the "entire world" was suffering as a result. However, the talks did offer some rays of hope. This is the first time that the concept of compensation made it to the agenda. This was to compensate countries for irreversible losses inflicted by climate change. Examples are - the loss of lives, collapse of jobs and sinking of islands.

Saturday, November 5, 2022

Mystery surrounds the fate of Elon Musk’s proposed Hyperloop transportation technology from Los Angeles to San Francisco

Six years ago, Elon Musk wanted to develop and test his proposed Hyperloop transportation technology. His promise was to hurl passengers through tunnels in levitating, autonomous electric pods at more than 600 mph. its success would reduce the time of a trip from Los Angeles to California to 35 minutes. There were annual competitions involving engineers and students from all over the world to develop and test the proposed Hyperloop transportation technology of Elon Musk. Right now, the Hyperloop system has yet to see the light of day. As a result, the locals began to complain about road and pedestrian access. Hawthorne Councilmember Angie Reyes English asked city staff to request that SpaceX remove the tube. She said - “The city has been very giving and has been very supportive in efforts that SpaceX has had. But ultimately, we have other businesses and other things we need to consider, and to give the community their streets back.” Elon Musk’s Hyperloop prototype tube is gone. What does it mean for his tunneling dream?

There is no confirmation on whether SpaceX or Musk’s tunneling venture, Boring Co., are continuing to develop the Hyperloop technology. A media outlet first reported the Hawthorne tube’s removal this week. They called it “symbolic of a larger retreat” and said the Hyperloop project “has been indefinitely shelved.” However, SpaceX and Boring Co. did not respond to requests for comment. The last student competition was held in the summer of 2019. Since then, SpaceX has apparently abandoned operations at the nearly mile long test tube. Angie Reyes English said - “We just have to clean it up to ensure its safety and to ensure pedestrian right of way.” In view of Musk’s history of shelving tunnel projects, English is not sure whether the Hawthorne project is still running.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Forests of the southern Sierra Nevada become victims of climate change

Wildfires, drought and bark beetle infestations between 2011 and 2020 have led to the loss of nearly a third of all conifer forests in the lower half of the mountain range. This is according to a recent study published in a journal related to ecology. It puts the loss to eighty-five percent of the southern Sierra’s high-density mature forests. These have either lost density or became non-forest vegetation. Obviously, climate change is taking a heavy toll of the landscape of California. It is not only staggering but also often irreversible. Losses of this nature could have grave consequences for wildlife in the region. These include protected species like spotted owls and Pacific fishers. They rely on mature tree canopies for their habitats. In the opinion of researchers, the findings are another indication of the shifting climate regime. Moreover, these offer new insights that could help guide forest management and conservation strategies. Nearly a third of southern Sierra forests killed by drought and wildfire in last decade. The Sierra covers about a quarter of California’s land area. Hundreds of plants and animals call the region home, and the forest helps sequester carbon and store water for the state’s residents.

The problem is multifaceted. Human-caused climate change is contributing to warmer, drier conditions. These are converting once-green forests into brittle tinder and lengthening the window of time in which wildfires can burn each year. Wildfires once regularly simmered along the forest floors, today’s “megafires” are burning at high severity and searing some trees up to the top. Incidentally, the loss of forestland may be jarring to humans, but it is devastating for some creatures that call the Sierra home. California spotted owls, which typically occupy nest sites with huge canopy cover are left with fewer options in younger, sparser forests. Climate change is a “threat multiplier” and it might lead to irreversible disturbances in due course of time.

Friday, October 28, 2022

Spare is the title of Prince Harry’s 416-page memoir, publishers Penguin Random House

Prince Harry’s memoir Spare is due for release on January 10. Royal insiders have labeled the choice of the title of the memoir as "confrontational" and "yet another attack on the royal family." The name Spare is believed to be a nod to the phrase 'The Heir and Spare.' This was used to describe Harry and his older brother Prince William based on their positions within the line of succession. A description of the book claims it will take "readers immediately back to one of the most searing images of the twentieth century.” It was of two young boys walking behind the coffin of their mother while the world watched in sorrow and horror. The cost of the book in hardback form will be £28 while the cost of the audio version, voiced by Harry himself, will be £20. The publishers re Penguin Random House and they revealed the language for the memoir will English in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa and Canada. Moreover, it will also be in 15 additional languages, including Spanish, Italian, German and Chinese. Prince Harry reveals first details of memoir including bitter title and striking cover photo. Palace lawyers will be on standby in the New Year to see the contents of the memoir. The contents will no doubt be explosive and observers feel there will be remote chance of this book acting as a vehicle for reconciliation for the royal couple of Prince Harry and Meghan Mrkle.

In the description under the heading "about the author" it mentions about Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, who resides in Santa Barbara, California, with his family and three dogs. It also mentions that Harry is a husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist. The money raised from the sale proceeds will go to charities. He has already donated $1,500,000 to Sentebale and £300,000 to WellChild. He was their patron during his time as a working royal. Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on the book. It seems King Charles and William are -"increasingly uneasy" about its contents. They fear it could affect their family relations. News about Harry’s tell-all book came last year. At the time, Harry said - "I'm writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man, I have become.”

Monday, August 29, 2022

Meghan Markle says she and her husband were "happy" to leave the UK

In another tell-tale interview to a New York magazine, Meghan Markle admits she and her husband Prince Harry were "happy" to leave the UK. The main reason was apparently adjustment. In her words - "just by existing, we were upsetting the dynamic of the hierarchy." She went on to add that the two of them were prepared to go anywhere in the Commonwealth. They wanted to move out of their life in Britain and relocate to Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. That was before deciding on a home in California. The Duchess of Sussex explains that she did make efforts to patch up with both her in-laws and members of her own family and she is “still healing" from the ordeal. . Meghan’s interview comes amid speculation she and Harry might noit be able to visit the Queen at Balmoral during their forthcoming visit to Britain next week due to security issues.

Meghan recently launched her Archetypes podcast on Spotify. In it, she reveals that in spite of her son Archie narrowly escaping a fire in his bedroom, she and Harry had to go ahead with their visit to South Africa. The couple now live in Montecito. This is a small coastal village north of Los Angeles. On the subject of her relationship with Prince Harry, she said they were like "salt and pepper." This is because they "always move together." The couple has made some plans related to their upcoming trip to the UK. They will make appearances to "support several charities close to their hearts." Their itinerary includes a trip to Manchester on 5 September for the One Young World Summit. Later they will visit Germany for the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 One Year To Go event.

Friday, August 26, 2022

California to go electric by 2035 with more climate-friendly vehicles

Let us have more climate-friendly vehicles is the intention of California. It is evolving plans to give more thrust to manufacture vehicles that run on electricity or hydrogen. The state wants to wean people way from gas-powered cars. Automobile manufacturers need to explore alternatives. Of course, people can continue to operate gas-fueled vehicles and purchase used ones after 2035. The broad plan is to permit one-fifth of sales after 2035 to be plug-in hybrids that can run on batteries and gas. It would mean an end to filling up at the local gas station. Moreover, the change over from gas to electric cars will be environment friendly and reduce carbon emissions and air pollutants. Incidentally, California is the seventh-largest oil producing state. Its output is on the decline in view of its willingness to push forward its climate goals. Consequently, the transition might be painful in some parts of the state. California Poised to Phase Out Sale of New Gas-Powered Cars. As Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said - “The climate crisis is solvable if we focus on the big, bold steps necessary to stem the tide of carbon pollution."

The Governor had announced the 2035 goal two years ago. Subsequently, regulators have worked out the details of the action that has to be taken to ensure that our planet can cater to future generations. The road is ridden with practical hurdles. One of these is the scarcity of adequate reliable power and charging stations. At present, there are about 80,000 stations in public places. This is against a requirement of about 250,000 by 2025. The challengers include the lack of infrastructure, access to materials needed to make batteries, and issues related to the supply chain. There is a need for the authorities to address these hurdles. Climate officials in California believe its new policy will be the most ambitious in the world. It has already set clear benchmarks for ramping up electric vehicle sales over the next dozen years. This is now a global target. The European Parliament, Canada and China are in the same frequency.