Things that made you laugh today (Political Version)

[Gelston]

I'm still trying to figure out - a water shortage with snow on the ground. Have we as modern folk lost all survival instincts?

Texas leadership did mess up their response though. I'm still on the fence about the winterization of infrastructure given the weather patterns of Texas - as on one hand, I get it.. normal Texas climate there is no need for it - but on the other hand.. I believe when you build something, it should be built with worse case scenarios in mind.

So hate the politicians response, but am 50/50 on the historical construction decisions - I'd need to do more research to educate myself better on a project as large as that.

Any links from people with knowledge in that field I'm down to read through.

The water shortage is because the pipes froze and burst. Also because electricity was cut to pumping stations so there was less pressure. When pressure is low, the water becomes non-potable (you can't drink it) because it sits more, so people without burst pipes still had to boil it first anyways. Low pressure is also bad for fighting fires, they have to bring out an additional tank truck because the hydrants have little flow. It isn't about a literal lack of water.

[Orthin]

Yeah a friend in Texas was taking snow and boiling it for drinking water which is fine while it is cold and you have snow, when it warms up and the snow melts though you are left without your source of water, piled on top of all the things Gelston said

[Seran]

Except they do.





In case you're having trouble understanding that, the windfarm was producing 11,445 megawatts before the cold weather set in, and only 550 megawatts after the cold weather hit.



Yes that's even WITH "cold weather packages" wind turbines can't operate in -22F weather. Guess how cold it got in some parts of Texas? That's right, almost -20, throw in windchill and it was colder than -20, toss in some icy rain on top of that and it means bad news for wind turbines.

Texas experienced sustained cold weather it hasn't seen ever in recorded history. The average temperatures for the week were over 30 degrees colder than usual. You're pissed at politicians in Texas (because they're a red state of course) for not anticipating a natural event the state has never seen and most likely won't see again for at least a couple of decades.

Here's something that might shock you; most of California doesn't insulate their water pipes or prepare for this kind of cold weather either, and if something like this ever happened to California I feel safe betting money that you wouldn't dare blame a single politician (well you might find a Republican who said something you don't like and blame them) for not preparing for something that no one could have possibly saw coming.

“Historically, the really cold weather comes with a decline in wind speeds,” he said. “When you get that low, you don’t get that much wind, normally.”

The wind sometimes doesn't blow, so you reach the conclusion that wind turbines are overall a failure. Dude, seriously did you even read the entire article? The author pointed out this central fact and even touted the necessity of large interconnected grids which ferry power from one operation area to another as generating conditions slacken. Renewable are cheap, good for the environment and beyond construction, not dependent on dwindling fuel stock. You may think coal and natural gas will run forever, but even the major oil producers in the US are shifting into renewables.

[Shaps]

The water shortage is because the pipes froze and burst. Also because electricity was cut to pumping stations so there was less pressure. When pressure is low, the water becomes non-potable (you can't drink it) because it sits more, so people without burst pipes still had to boil it first anyways. Low pressure is also bad for fighting fires, they have to bring out an additional tank truck because the hydrants have little flow. It isn't about a literal lack of water.

Ya - understand the overall mechanical operations of it.. was trying to say I'm 50/50 on "winterization" of such systems in a climate that 99% of the time doesn't require it. I personally tend to lean towards, if you build it - build it with the thought of worse case scenario - which is what occurred. But I have no idea on infrastructure projects so large what's feasible/reasonable/etc. so that's why I'd have to educate myself better.

And Orthin understood what I meant about a water shortage - with snow on the ground (it's water) - but he makes an excellent point about the weather warming up.

[Tgo01]

The wind sometimes doesn't blow, so you reach the conclusion that wind turbines are overall a failure.

Not even close to what I said. Did you get dumber in the past couple of months?

Renewable are cheap, good for the environment and beyond construction, not dependent on dwindling fuel stock.

Oh boy! So many things wrong I barely even know where to begin!

Okay so mining iron ore out of the ground to make the steel in wind turbines = bad for the environment
Mining iron ore out of the ground to use in wind turbines = bad for the environment
Mining copper out of the ground to use in wind turbines = bad for the environment
Extracting oil out of the ground to make the plastic which is used to make wind turbines = bad for the environment
Creating the steel to use in making wind turbines = bad for the environment

And I'm not just talking about a little bit of steel or plastic; wind turbines are over 250 feet tall, the blades are over 130 feet wide, and they are made up of about 80% steel, 10% plastic, and 2% copper. That's a whole lotta bad for the environment!

You can go ahead and try to make the argument that they are BETTER for the environment than coal, and you're probably right. Better than natural gas? Meh...better than nuclear? Get the fuck outta here!

But to say that wind turbines are "good" for the environment? Again get the fuck outta here.

This is kind of embarrassing, Seran.

Oh yeah almost forgot, as far as "not dependent on dwindling fuel stock", you do know we have a finite supply of iron and copper too right? I know I know, you said "beyond construction"...you do know wind turbines only last about 20 years right? And that's assuming they don't get destroyed sooner due to really bad weather. It's not like we build a wind farm and we're set forever for "free" electricity from them.

[Solkern]

Except they do.


In case you're having trouble understanding that, the windfarm was producing 11,445 megawatts before the cold weather set in, and only 550 megawatts after the cold weather hit.



Yes that's even WITH "cold weather packages" wind turbines can't operate in -22F weather. Guess how cold it got in some parts of Texas? That's right, almost -20, throw in windchill and it was colder than -20, toss in some icy rain on top of that and it means bad news for wind turbines.

Umm the article said wind turbines can operate up to -22 F, with a cold weather package, Texas got to around -20.. so yeah they would have still been working.

[Solkern]

No idea, I haven't kept up with any of that.

I'm sure it's somehow Trump's fault though. Bush too.

Of course!

[Seran]

Blah blah blah

Speaking of not knowing where to start. The iron and copper of those turbines has a design life of 20 years, longer with regular maintenance, all the while producing electricity at an average cost of 2 cents per kw/h. While natural gas, a limited and non-renewable energy source averages 8 cents per kw/h and is subject to wild price fluctuations dependent on wholesale fuel costs.

Going beyond that, the iron and copper of the turbines themselves are recoverable and can be reused at the end of its life cycle for a new turbine. All told, the carbon footprint of a wind turbine is 25% of a gas powered plant.

Go back to bend you damned flat earther.

[Tgo01]

The iron and copper of those turbines has a design life of 20 years

Funny how I point this out as a con and you just claim it’s somehow a pro.

Going beyond that, the iron and copper of the turbines themselves are recoverable and can be reused at the end of its life cycle for a new turbine.

So wind turbines are perhaps the first product thing ever produced that is 100% recyclable.

Seran, you’re wrong, again. It’s time to move on.

[Methais]

Funny how I point this out as a con and you just claim it’s somehow a pro.



So wind turbines are perhaps the first product thing ever produced that is 100% recyclable.

Seran, you’re wrong, again. It’s time to move on.

I'm still laughing at the random "flat earther" insult that came out of left field.