Recent “unprecedented” floods are ‘nowhere near’ the severity of some such events further in the past, new research shows. So much for feverish climate alarmist claims about the supposed effects of paltry variations in trace gases in the atmosphere.
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A team of scientists—led by the University of Exeter—used geological paleo-flood records to examine extreme floods in western Europe over several thousand years, says Phys.org.
Published in Climatic Change, the study finds many previous floods exceeded recent extremes, highlighting the need to use these paleo records—not just river gauge data that typically exists for the last century or less.
The researchers challenge the idea that recent floods can be attributed solely to greenhouse gas emissions, but they warn that the combination of natural extremes and global warming could lead to truly extraordinary floods.
“In recent years, floods around the world—including in Pakistan, Spain and Germany—have killed thousands of people and caused enormous damage,” said Professor Stephan Harrison, from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.
“Such floods are seen as ‘unprecedented’—but if you look back over the last few thousand years, that’s not the case. In fact, floods we call unprecedented may be nowhere near the most extreme that have happened in the past.”
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The study examined paleo-flood records for the Lower Rhine (Germany and Netherlands), the Upper Severn (UK) and rivers around Valencia (Spain). In the Rhine, records for about 8,000 years show at least 12 floods that are likely to have exceeded modern peaks.
The Severn analysis shows that floods in the last 72 years of monitoring are not exceptional in the context of paleo-flood records of the last 4,000 years.
The largest flood in the Upper Severn occurred in about 250 BCE and is estimated to have had a peak discharge 50% larger than the damaging floods in the year 2000.
In Denierland, q.v., I noted that the snow that falls on Arctic ice that has survived the summer thaw slows the rate at which it thickens. With a snuggly blanket on top, it does not get as cold as it otherwise would. Snow that falls on open water disappears, so that the new ice forming in open water thickens faster than the surviving “multi-year” ice.
At the time, it occurred to me that a seasonal story might invent a maverick scientist who, noting the “Arctic death spiral,” might turn the snow observation into a “send money now” project. This might be a project to air-lift autonomous, battery-powered snowploughs onto the ice, and send them zooming up and down to push the snow off, thereby increasing the thickening of said ice, and “tackling climate change.” No doubt the solar cells on the ploughs would keep them going throughout the long Arctic winter. (cf. the present Australian PM.)
My ruminations on this potential story were given a boost by an apparently real story about an outfit of chancers who – while not planning to deploy autonomous snow ploughs – wanted to do something substantially similar. As I remembered it, they wanted to spray seawater onto ice floes. The surface of the ice being colder than the seawater, the seawater would freeze, and the ice would thicken accordingly.
This spring, riffling through my notebooks in search of story ideas appropriate to the time of year, I came across my snow plough plotline, and decided to put it together. Here’s how it would go. I would create a fictional outfit of chancers who were adamant that their snow plough idea was not just feasible, it was practical, and an inexpensive means of staving off climate collapse.
Then, I would admit that the story was just too absurd to be remotely believable.
Then, (surprise!) I would note that actually, just such an outfit of chancers once existed, and that they begged for funds to do something equally absurd, expensive and impractical – namely spraying brine onto the ice in order to thicken it. Eventually, of course, like all such schemes, the money would soon stop flowing, and those behind it would move on to something else.
For that, I had to remind myself who they were, and what it was they had wanted to do up in the icy north. Alas, what I found was so extraordinary that it rather killed off the joke in the instant. But I’ll tell you anyway.
Readers with the memory of a pachyderm will remember that the outfit in question called themselves Climate Repair, and that they were associated with Cambridge University. They bubbled out of the green swamp in 2019 (Cliscep post by Jaime), and they were also mentioned by me in 2021. What happened next? Did they move on to doing something useful?
Well, surprisingly, they’re still about. Their website now lists several on-going projects, if we may dignify them with the term. We have marine cloud brightening (spraying water into the air from robot ships), stratospheric aerosol injection (what could go wrong?), marine curtains (stop the AMOC in its tracks with giant plastic screens anchored to the sea floor and held up by a row of buoys), and of course our old favourite, sea ice thickening. Alas for them, the Cambridge lot don’t get to go to the icy north to play with water pumps. Their experiments are done indoors. But they do now have a collaboration with a bunch called Real Ice, who have been doing real experiments in the real outdoors in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. Who funds them? Who knows. They’ve gone one better than my flight of fancy though. Not only do they thicken the ice as it forms in the autumn: they then spray snow on it in the spring to stop it melting. The latest plan is to deploy 500,000 underwater drones, which will drill through the ice, pump water up onto it, retract the pipework, resubmerge, move a kilometre or two, and do the same again.
Nothing can go wrong, I tell you!
According to their Executive Chairperson,
We’re trying to seed an ice growing industry
PBS explains it all so much better than I can, in a short – some might say mercifully short – youtube video. See if you can bear to watch it to the end. I did. The code phrase if you do make it to the end is probably “Thank God.” Enjoy – if that is the correct word.
In this video Paul Burgess shows how artificial intelligence has enabled him to re-visit the UK all time high record temperature and see if it was genuine. The result was very interesting>
“At the end of my career, I will take pride in knowing that Sunnova played a crucial role in accelerating the energy transition, the most significant challenge of our lifetime. I hope to leave a legacy that inspires others to continue this essential journey towards a lower carbon future, knowing that we’ve made a meaningful impact.” – John Berger (2023 winner)
Sunnova Energy is too broke to be bankrupt. John Berger has resigned as CEO of the company he founded in 2012. Billions of dollars of subsidy from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Energy were not enough for a company engaged in legal plunder.
Rooftop solar contracts from his company promising long-term service are in limbo. Berger, meanwhile, fears possible congressional hearings on where all the money went. It is a mini-Enron, with (Enron-ex) Berger being a little rah, rah Ken Lay. And yes, this is reality, not April Fools.
Confirmation bias is where lots of others sing your praises. In the climate space, where perceptions rule, groups exist to reward each other for their noble service. Never mind Adam Smith’s warning: “I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good.” But centuries later, companies such as Enron and Sunnova are the stuff of fluff with investors going Net Zero.
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ALLY Energy–“the talent and culture platform leveraging AI to power the energy workforce of the future”–appears to be a “scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” PR outfit. A vague, feel-good climate outfit living off of the productive side of the economy. [1]
I ran into ALLY Energy because their interview Getting GRITTY with John Berger. Here it is, an embarrassment less than two years later.
We had the opportunity to connect with Lifetime Achievement Award winner, William J. (John) Berger, to gain some insightful views on grit and leadership. This week, our conversation centers around the founder of Sunnova.
Q. At ALLY, we define GRIT as — Growth. Resilience. Innovation and Talent. What part of grit resonates with you most personally? Professionally? And why?
A. When I founded Sunnova over a decade ago, the future of sustainable energy was riddled with challenges and uncertainties. Over the years, it has been our unwavering focus that has allowed us to overcome adversities, adapt to changing circumstances, and emerge stronger. This quality not only defines our journey but also mirrors my personal commitment to tackling obstacles head-on, no matter how formidable they may seem. Furthermore, the spirit of innovation has been instrumental in keeping us at the forefront of the industry, providing our customers with superior energy services while contributing to a more sustainable future.
Q. At ALLY, we believe role models are important. Who in your work and life have been role models of GRIT? Can you tell us who they are and what you learned from them?
A. My father-in-law, a seasoned entrepreneur, has been a significant influence in shaping my life and work. His unwavering determination and resilience in all his endeavors has been a constant source of inspiration. An important lesson I’ve gleaned from his journey is that success often relies on one’s ability to adapt and innovate in the face of adversity. His influence continues to guide me, both personally and professionally.
Q. The energy transition is the single largest challenge of our lifetime. As a lifetime achievement award winner, looking back at the end of your career when you retire, what will you be most proud of in our quest for a lower carbon future? What does that look like for the industry? What does that look like for you?
A. At the end of my career, I will take pride in knowing that Sunnova played a crucial role in accelerating the energy transition, the most significant challenge of our lifetime. I hope to leave a legacy that inspires others to continue this essential journey towards a lower carbon future, knowing that we’ve made a meaningful impact.
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[1] “ALLY Energy is the most trusted source for companies, startups, professionals, and future workers who want to accelerate their careers, skills, and connections for an equitable energy transition. The community has a presence in 120 countries across energy in oil and natural gas, LNG, renewables, nuclear, and climate technology. To become one of the 2,400 companies on the AI platform or the thousands of professionals with a profile, visit here.
”–appears to be a “scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” PR outfit. A vague, feel-good climate outfit living off of the productive side of the economy. [1]
