JoNova
A science presenter, writer, speaker & former TV host; author of The Skeptic's Handbook (over 200,000 copies distributed & available in 15 languages).
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Statistics
German cities on brink of bankruptcy. Which makes you wonder how many cities throughout the west can no longer fund themselves as costs soar and income can’t keep up without voter revolt.
https://rmx.news/article/almost-every-german-city-is-now-on-the-verge-of-bankruptcy/
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Cities on the brink of bankruptcy, but not a single one will do what it takes to address that problem. They won’t cut back on the social safety net because they got elected by promising their voters free stuff without any concern over how to pay for it, and they won’t play hardball with public unions to cut back on ridiculous benefit and pension packages because the unions are their biggest donors and own them lock, stock and barrel. So they will continue to run things into the ground, kick the can down the road, and hope they aren’t still around when the gravy train finally derails.
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“Cities on the brink of bankruptcy,”
States as well, with Victoriastan rapidly going down the gurgler all the premier can say is if the Liberals get into power “all they will do is cut, cut, cut,” not a word about debt, not a word about interest on the monies owed, can’t remember whether it was $25million a day or $25 million an hour, either way the figures are terrifying. But no, just scare monger about the Libs “possibly” trying to rein in the debt.
Interestingly Victoriastans international credit rating is AAplus. How can this be when even people like me with NO accounting experience can see that there is
1/ No plan to reduce debt
2/ Many plans to keep borrowing more money.
It doesn’t stand scrutiny, who’s making money out of this B.S. rating!
210
The sad thing is.. Vicdanistan has been here before, they have learnt nothing.
51
Sorry Ronin, bad steering, meant green.
22
More than a generation ago. Many current citizens would have no knowledge of past Labor glories.
10
They don’t cut back because they tell us that “too big to fail” won’t fail.
But our failure is their aim.
10
I am sure all on this Blog are bitterly disappointed that COP30 has failed to get an agreement to phase out fossil fuels immediately. Even the BBC has reported on its failure.
Mind you the 100,000 trees cut down to make a road to the venue could usefully Keep Drax burning for a few years. Or perhaps only a few days, it is VERY hungry
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2025/11/23/cop30-was-a-waste-of-time/#more-89632
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The absurd shaman logic behind net zero is also behind the idea that Britain cannot burn coal but can burn American trees recently grown for the purpose and presumably replaced. Net zero trees. And two distinct types of CO2. One that builds up and one that doesn’t. That CO2 piles up in the atmosphere where it stays forever. So DRAX burns imported wood chips. This is a fantasy ‘equilibrium’ which does not exist.
It gets much sillier. If all the fossil fuel CO2 stayed in the atmosphere because it is not net zero CO2, all previous fossil fuel CO2 would mean CO2 in the atmosphere should have gone up 100%, not 50%!
Embarrassing! So the argument is that half goes in the ocean and half stays in the air. Because the ocean is full and can only take half. Sound silly?
AI. “Approximately half of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitted from burning fossil fuels remains in the atmosphere. The other half is absorbed by natural “sinks” on land (plants and soil) and in the oceans, a process which slows the rate of climate change but causes ocean acidification. ”
However the turnover of CO2 at the ocean surface is so great that ALL CO2 in the air is replaced every five years, so 20% of atmospheric CO2 a year. This random process is so precise that of the annual 1% increase in CO2 from fossil fuels only half is absorbed by the ocean.
20% of atmospheric CO2 fine to come and go. But half the 1% has to stay in the atmosphere forever. Given ‘natural’ CO2 is identical chemically to ‘fossil fuel’ CO2, I would love to know how the poor molecules sort this out.
I would also love to know how the individual molecules know the ocean is ‘full’ when it is not acid but alkali at a pH of 8.0. Soda water for example is ‘full’ of CO2. It has a pH of 4.5 which is 3500x the concentration of H+.(the other ion is HCO3-) It is bottled at a pressure of only 2.5 atmospheres, a pressure achieved in the ocean at only 15 metres. Any idea that the oceans are literally full of CO2 is impossible to justify.
Consider policing of the poor CO2 molecules at the surface of the ocean. I had no idea that the random absorption and evaporation of CO2 molecules could be so explicit. But that is what you have to believe to justify using ‘new’ trees to produce CO2 and not old coal. Two types of CO2 molecules.
240
The whole Net zero pseudo science then rests on pretending the massive exchange with the oceans is tiny and slow. And that the oceans are so acidic we are in big trouble with more CO2 and dangerously acidic oceans due to burning fossil fuels. Except both are just lies.
This fantasy is so absurd that before 1988 when real science of massive CO2 ocean exchange was common knowledge, you would have been laughed out of the room. I note that in the Stallinga paper of 2023 there are 36 References (table1) which postulate CO2 residence times. And all are dated between 1958 (Fergusson) and early 1990. After that none! Clearly it was no longer acceptable in scientific circles to talk about the enormous speed where ALL atmospheric CO2 exchanges with the ocean.
It shows the power of the US political system, to suppress discussion and publication of reality because the oceans are not acid, not boiling and easily absorb all CO2 and the amount of CO2 in the air is not determined by human activity, bushfires, volcanoes or growth of trees. In fact as NASA established and another five countries are quite aware including our very own CSIRO, total world tree cover is going up with and proportional to increasing CO2. So growing trees increases CO2? Reality is the complete reverse of net zero and the logic behind burning wood chips at DRAX because there are two types of CO2 and fossil fuel CO2 gets special treatment at the ocean surface.
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I would like to point out how equilibrium works at the ocean/atmosphere interface. CO2 and H2O molecules are absorbed and molecules are evaporated all the time. There are no policemen. what happens is that there is an equilibrium RATIO (which expresses probabilities). The same idea behind Henry’s Law, like all the gas laws.
Boyle’s Law, P1V1=P2V2,
Charles’ Law, V1/T1=V2/T2
Avagadro’s Law, V1/n1=V2/n2
Gay-Lussac’s law. P1/T1 = P2/T2
Ideal Gas Law PV=nRT
These are observed laws, not enforced laws. The result of having countless numbers of gas molecules doing their own thing without policemen. And all expressed as RATIOS.
At present 98% of all CO2 is in the ocean and 2% in the air. So if you add more CO2 to the atmosphere, fossil fuel CO2, 98% of it also ends up permanently in the ocean.
————————————–
However Climate Science says no. ‘The Science’ theory says there is a a constant perfect amount of CO2 in the air, a very delicate and precise balance between ocean and sky. Add even a tiny 1% to the air outside that perfect balance and half of it stays in the air forever. I have no idea how that is even a concept which controls every molecule across the world’s oceans. It’s an unenforceable concept, closer to a bank account than reality. But to argue further that a 0.5% annual increase in CO2 is acceptable but not 1% is to make the nutty concept even nuttier.
And it is quite clear that the invention of 50% absorption of fossil fuel CO2 is simply what is required to balance the books, not science. The problem is that if you admit half the fossil fuel CO2 is absorbed but half is not, you have to postulate exactly how this is enforced. I cannot imagine how anyone explains that the oceans are ‘full’ of CO2 but they can take half. So they talk about sinks and half lives and balances without admitting the fundamental absurdity of the idea. I suppose ‘Mother Nature’ looks after all this nonsense and we toss our three hundred years of understanding of gas laws out the window.
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Thanks for explaining all that TdeF.
I like you idea that Climate catastrophes have to explain how the oceans are full and can’t take up any more CO2, yet the oceans must take up another 1/2 of the CO2 each year.
The Stalinga paper was interesting.
90
Good explanation TDeF.
Obviously ‘Climate Scientists,politicians and most of the population,are completely ignorant of the gas laws.If they were informed,there would be no way,net zero policy wouldn’t be seen as an exercise in futility.
Unfortunately,computer projections
are the accepted’Science,’and the laws of physics are sidelined.
,
10
“The absurd shaman logic behind net zero is also behind the idea that Britain cannot burn coal but can burn American trees recently grown for the purpose and presumably replaced. Net zero trees.”
Presumably the logic is that a tree, while growing, extracts CO2 from the atmosphere. When the tree is harvested and burnt it returns the CO2 to the atmosphere so the net result is that no CO2 is emitted. But there is a problem isn’t there? The tree has been growing and extracting CO2 for about 30 years. Burning, and returning all the CO2 to the atmosphere, takes about two minutes. Then a new tree is planted which takes another 30 years to grow. And as usual in matters of “green” energy, CO2 emissions from harvesting and transport of the timber to the place of use, don’t count.
20
X down due to problems with the cloud. Again
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15318823/X-Users-report-outages.html
We keep digging an ever deeper digital hole for ourselves. We must really try to wean ourselves off this obsession with the idea that if anything moves it needs to be digitalised.
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Cloudflare is a system designed to provide local caching and so speed up the system but also a guardian to prevent hackers attacking. Effectively it protects sites like this one. While it might be a bug in Cloudflare, it might also be a direct attack on the guardian layer now commonly used to protect subsystems.
And of course while some of the hackers are individuals but others might be military groups testing their systems. The Chinese Army in Wuhan in particular created a deadly military virus which killed millions, they might be in peacetime testing other ways to disrupt and so disable their enemies.
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A readable discussion about the joys of integration and consolidation across the Internet , for those interested.
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/rcna245043
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Good link. The cartoon on the page says it all. Its all a giant house of cards teetering on a table shaking in an earthquake. Whats worse is that its also helped to destroy our freedoms.
00
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David:
it is only money – our money, but when that runs out then we will abandon it.
The Canberra inhabitants imagine that this is achievable because money has always been available to support their life style. It will take a revolution (in attitudes) to end this, and losing tax revenue etc. along with extra (emergency) spending on vote buying in affected electorates will soon mean that this agreement will be ignored (as Blackout should be).
50
Never seen a situation where panic was a good response.
I lie, at least it got some laughs in Dads Army.
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Wish I could do more than damning Bowen to burn for eternity in the fires of Hell.
OK, I’ll add his boss the PM, all of the Labor party, 80% of the Liberal party.
And the Teals. And the Greens.
Apart from that, meet you at Flinders Square on Sunday at 12! I’ll have my good old Aussie flag.
20
Just how stupid are they!
Australian researchers have recommended parents ask their babies for consent before nappy changes, citing the importance of educating kids about bodily autonomy – before they even begin speaking.
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I saw a crazy woman doing that on ABC one time! What if the child shakes its head, do you leave it wallowing in its excrement?
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https://www.skynews.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity-life/human-filth-australian-billionaire-james-packer-unloads-on-former-victorian-labor-premier-daniel-andrews/news-story/b3e465d10aafb676ad51ad1eeb8677ee
In essence Packer says “his deep loathing for Daniel Andrews, describing the former Victorian premier as “human filth”.
Edit:
I’d just like to add that James P is a lot kinder than father Kerry would have been! Dan Andrews has betrayed Australia with his inclination to promote China ahead of Australians.
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I think James is being generous with that description. Many could also comment but the comments are actually un printable!!
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Packer is commenting from a Crown perspective. While many of us would use similar language to describe Andrews, it would be for different reasons.
Packer lives in Sydney and has not been subjected to Andrews like we Victorians have been.
But I welcome any criticism of Andrews.
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BOM has bombed! The Sydney Morning Herald revealed on Sunday that the cost of the new website had blown out to $96 million. Not to mention all the ancillary costs to farmers who live and die by weather reports!
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Has everybody forgotten the BOM forecast of a serious drought ( that bloody El Niño BS again) that had farmers selling cattle based on useless misinformation ( no doubt trying emphasise non existent Climate Change on behalf of the mad “ energy minister”)
The MSM certainly buried that cock up very quickly & quietly!!
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The farmers found themselves with green paddocks full of grass and no stock to eat it.
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So the fields were fallowed that year ?
It happens.
If the following year has good rains , then you’ve got fields of new grass, and maybe a more porous soil with an improved structure.
20
Well this year we had forecast of very wet spring.
Dry Autumn, dry winter and now very dry Spring.
Had spread urea on forecast of wet spring, result lots of extra costs for expensive urea and crops going down in yields and quality due to excess growth.
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Look up WeatherWatchTV on UTUbe – this kiwi forecaster is more than useful when it comes to looking ahead.
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Phil Duncan is good, he is the first weatherman to actually mention that the chilly weather has been caused by the sub tropical ridge being too far south.
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The Albanese government has offered major concessions on native forest logging to the Greens as part of efforts to pass its proposed overhaul of environmental laws.
Speaks volumes of both Labor and Greens who have coalesced to pass legislation that rewrites environmental Laws in favour of Greens climate change preferences but ensure Governments can trample over farmers rights to protect their land.
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FWIW
“The Problem Of Fake Science”
“Last week, I was able to generate from artificial intelligence a fake study that proved that eating waffles increases baldness. It was filled with footnotes, citations, and complicated math and models. It was kind of scary to see how credible the results felt. You had to look carefully to see the problems. I shared it with others who immediately said something like, “I can believe it.” ”
“This past week, we saw yet another piece of fake science retracted from publication. This one is a big deal. The publication is The Lancet, one of the most prestigious venues in the world. It had published the study, which was thoroughly peer-reviewed. But it turns out that the authors had pulled the wool over the eyes of the experts.”
More at
https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/problem-fake-science
Hmmm! – in there
“When the study came out in 2021, it was invoked as one of the major reasons to pull hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin from the shelves. Even if your own doctor wrote a prescription, the answer was no.”
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Issued Nov 23: Work continues to deliver website improvements
Couldn’t find their scorecard on the accuracy of their forecasts, but of course they know what the climate will be in 2050.
BoM’s annual budget is over $550 million, including a diversity and inclusion plan, an emissions reduction plan, and a reconciliation action plan.
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Australians beware this is a two faced card trick! A Green smoke screen. The revised Legislation is more about forcing Farmers to allow wind/solar prospectors onto their land than anything else. Now that they have sidelined Bowen and, they hope, mitigated further damage from his mealy mouth they will use force to compel farmers to ‘open the gates’ under threat of Law and severely financially penalise them into submission.
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Watt puts Greens under pressure.
‘But the Greens and Coalition say they are not convinced of the bill’s urgency. Despite not ruling out a deal later in the week, Greens sources said they didn’t see the need for rushing, noting the ongoing Senate inquiry, and their concerns that the bill could help fast-track approval of coal and gas projects.’ (Guardian)
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These activists are against the reforms because they are fearful of fossil fuel miners. Also, in their estimation, giving responsibility back to the States is a no brainer.
‘We are calling for all Parliamentarians to vote against these reforms, because they will undermine our communities and remove our rights to participate in decision-making that affects us, whist putting our precious water, wildlife and landscapes at risk.’ (Lock the Gate)
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There’s now a rush to install home batteries but is it worth it? There’s a scramble on to claim a taxpayer-funded battery incentive to help power solarised homes. Solar and even a subsidised battery will cost almost $30000, minimum. By the time home owners factor in the cost of interest and loss of control over the power they generate coupled with as yet unknown insurance restrictions/complications and the relatively short equipment life cycle any benefits quickly dissipate to ‘net zero’. Selling real estate swathed in solar panels becomes a liability.
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Definitely. You do not need the panels. Just install a battery and have it set to charge from the grid when energy is free.
This web site compares battery prices:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/the-best-batteries-to-buy-with-labors-rebate-and-what-youll-save/
In equal first place in our Installer’s Choice Awards for Best Battery, Sungrow offers a rare combination of relatively low price and high-quality hardware with excellent tech support. Reviews on the SolarQuotes website for Sungrow batteries average an impressive 4.8 out of 5 star rating.
The Sungrow SBR HV is modular and so is available in a range of sizes. For this article we are assessing the 12.8 kWh version, for which you can expect the rebate to shave roughly $4,068 off the cost.
This takes the overall estimated retail cost from $9,500 down to $5432, not including installation.
You install the 12.8kWh battery and you use 12kWh of it every day of the year with no cost to charge. Assume average price of power outside lunchtime is 40c/kWh. So your daily saving is $4.80. So the battery has recovered its capital after 1131 days (3.1 years). That would be about the best investment you could make with a time horizon as short as 10 years.
Basically you are helping the grid by soaking up some of the lunchtime solar glut.
My off-grid LFP battery has been going 13 years now and still doing its job. However it is not fully cycled each day.
If there were enough household batteries installed to take the duck curve away then the retailers may go back to wanting payment for lunchtime energy but that is a long way off yet; certainly more than 3 years.
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Rick,
I have problems with modular units like the ones you nominated.
It is all through one manufacturer and there is no guarantee that spare parts or service will be available for any component within that stack in even a reasonable warranty period.
As as example, if the inverter fails on that unit, you cannot install another brand or model, you must find an exact replacement unit that is not only of the same manufacturer it must also FIT the existing stack. If there are any changes between the installation date and the date that a serviceable part is required then there is a good chance that the whole lot will end up in the bin.
Some recent examples of failures after the parent company goes under include Fiskers. https://www.news.com.au/technology/motoring/motoring-news/fiskers-failure-is-a-warning-for-aussie-drivers/news-story/0b02026d7322dd714a4d842c7c38a121
Whilst Sungrow may not fail, you also have to consider recalls that affect the whole unit because of one component. And who can fit that replacement part? eg Sigenergy https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/risk-of-fire-australias-top-selling-home-battery-brand-issues-controller-recall/
If you had nominated a system comprised of components, then I’d be on board with your recommendation. But I couldn’t support a modular/proprietary installation. I’d rather use something similar to: – https://www.commodoreaustralia.com.au/power-hubs/ Plenty exist.
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Or these modular units for on-grid battery use.
https://www.commodoreaustralia.com.au/power-shields/
All parts can be changed out and there is no need to stick to one supplier or one installer.
30
?? Why exaggerate !…the whole package can be installed for under $10,000 .
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I reckon grab an old EV from the auctions and stack it in thew backyard then hook it up to solar. Why have a 13KwHr when a Tesla has 4 times as much in their cheapest model. MG have 55 to 75KwHr, as do most manufacturers.
These cars will be junked soon and their high-capacity batteries destroyed unless someone (Probably in Pakistan) designs a system to incorporate them.
20
Recently quoted panels plus battery installed for a little over $30,000
Considered not to be worth it at the moment…especially if the offspring move out in the next year or two!
20
How many panels ?
How much battery capacity ?
How recently quoted?
Its like any other asset where there are choices, houses , cars, phones, etc
I could spend $2,000+ on a phone, ..or only $200, … take your choice.
Research the subject, and 2-4 supplier/installers , tell themwhat you want , and your budget.
10
On a trip up to the Maleny region recently, we drove past a beautiful white Queenslander home, set in lovely tropical gardens. However, the effect was ruined by a mass of rooftop solar panels. Hideous, and quite out of place on such a gorgeous, heritage-style house.
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Yes, looks hideous. Our 10kw solar is installed in the home paddock. Even so, original huge sat dish is ugly on our homestead. Havnt got around to taking it down.
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The proverbial dog chasing its own tail! High Costs of Green Energy Transition Leading to Continued and increasing Hydrocarbon Use
A new report from McKinsey & Company, “Global Energy Perspective 2025,” forecasts coal, oil, and natural gas will continue to be the dominant sources of global energy well past 2050, regardless of the intentions and actions of those negotiating climate agreements and making commitments.
As electricity costs take larger bites out of people’s wallets, policymakers must confront the physical and economic limitations of a “green” electric grid. And soon.
30
A lot of the money is sunk cost and is not going away. Even if rooftop solar owners were charged to export, there is still a huge reduction in lunchtime demand.
Costs will only come down when the lowest cost generators are running flat out and all the stabilising charges and subsidies are removed.
The lowest cost fuel source is lignite and I expect a new lignite fired power station coming on line would be 2040 at best given the political situation in Victoria.
The cost of Snowy 2 will be hitting electricity bills for the next 30 years. As will be the cost of all the new transmission lines.
The average cost of electricity to households has not increased in Australia over the past decade. Those who invested in solar/battery pay very little for electricity. South Australia is the obvious example with 44% of households having rooftop solar. Domestic demand has collapsed. Overall, the state average demand has gone down 20% in the last decade. Half the houses pay next to nothing for electricity.
30
Cyclone Fina is just off the coast north of Wyndham. Central pressure now 989hPa so it is losing steam.
So far Wyndham is not experiencing much impact. There has been slight rainfall in the last few hours.
I checked all the NT BoM observations over the last couple of days. The lowest recorded pressure was 993.1hPa and strongiest wind gust 102kph, both measured at Charles Point.
There is a risk in having people believe they have survived a category 3 cyclone with only a few trees falling over. The measured data indicates it was a Category 1 system in the vicinity of Darwin and intensified a little as it moved further south.
You have to wonder if their BoM has an agenda. I heard Sleezy being interviewed a day or so ago and he stated that weather extremes were getting worse. – a lie he often comes out with. Further proof that if he is making a noise he is lying.
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Fina has now crossed the coast to the NE of Wyndham. It intensified to 953jPa just before zipping across the coast. Nullschool displayed wind up to 120kph but all offshore.
Wyndham had gusts to 39kph but pressure is still dropping so wind likely to go up.
10
The forecasts of Fina’s path are being very conservative.
Still a lot of water to be dropped in WA. Pressure still 985hPa
Meanwhile other lows:
1. halfway between Kerguellen Island and Antarctica 938hPa.
2. between Labrador and Greenland 988hPa
10
The news sites are claiming that it’s intensified to Cat 4.
20
Yes – Wyndham recorded gusts to 41kph between 11:30 and noon and pressure down to 1002hPa.
Kalumburu is the next observation station in the vicinity. Its surface pressure is down to 1000hPa but not much wind or rain yet.
The centre has moved back to the coast and travelling NE along the coast.
20
SMH blames Russia for the outbreak of common sense that finished COP30.
“Things got particularly ugly when Russian diplomats turned their guns on a handful of Latin American countries, which in turn had delayed proceedings with a series of objections to the way the Brazilian COP president André Corrêa do Lago was managing the contentious negotiation over adaptation plans.
“Don’t behave like children who want to get their hands on all the sweets and stuff them down their throats,”…India chimed in to agree..”
Reality is starting to hit, people might actually be held to account for their promises-
“each year the gathering of nations signed up to the United Nations climate treaty get tougher, in part because the climate situation is becoming more dire, in part because the talks are now more focused on concrete and immediate action rather than the declarations of future good intention.”
“Negotiators.. failed to secure agreement on a “road map” to transition the global economy away from fossil fuels. Russia and Saudi Arabia led the opposition.”
..and we had plenty of snouts in the trough-
“Tennant Reed, the head of Climate Change and Energy at Australian Industry Group who was also in Belem and at the last eight COPs,..Matt Kean, the former NSW Liberal treasurer who now serves as chair of the federal Climate Change Authority, who was also in Belem, ”
“And what about Chris Bowen? “Well, there’s no one better qualified or more respected on that stage,” said Kean.”
50
Unfortunately for Australia, Kean is right. In the climate cr*p championships we have a winner. Australia will get the recognition it deserves. How to turn a first world country into a failed state.
91
FWIW
Another try for a “Trumping”
“Aussie PM Leads G20 Rebuke of President Trump’s Climate Defiance”
“… Mr Albanese said on Sunday (AEDT) it was “a good thing” and “a very positive sign that the world wants to get on with co-operating” …”
G20 declaration rebuking Trump ‘a good thing’, PM says
Anthony Albanese says a declaration rebuking Donald Trump is “a good thing”. ”
More at
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/11/23/aussie-pm-leads-g20-rebuke-of-president-trumps-climate-defiance/
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And
“Thank You, Mr. President! Trump’s masterclass move not to send U.S. delegation, blamed for failure of UN climate summit! – POLITICO: ‘The U.S. absence allowed’ BRICS nations & petro-states to team up to derail COP30”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/11/23/thank-you-mr-president-trumps-masterclass-move-not-to-send-u-s-delegation-blamed-for-failure-of-un-climate-summit-politico-the-u-s-absence-allowed-bri/
10
And
“G20 In South Africa Ends With A Whimper After Trump Snubs Event”
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/g20-south-africa-opens-whimper-after-trump-snubs-event
Not bad for a double!
00
‘Newspoll: Hastie firms as voter alternative to Ley.
‘Andrew Hastie has emerged as the most popular preferred Opposition Leader behind Sussan Ley, as the Coalition’s primary vote remains stuck at record low levels.’ (Oz)
12
A fairly clear insight into political rumblings on the Poll.
https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-niki-savva-outlines-andrew-hasties-ambition-to-restore-the-menzian-big-tent-269917
01
An interesting insight on the farming crisis in rural USA – sad really.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl02K72QFS0
10
I was discussing AI on farms with my son phoning from the UK last night. His company does targeted research for a wide range of companies and industry groups in Europe. Many are all interested in what China is doing with AI in farming. They lead the world in that regard.
One of the things with AI is that they can use smaller machines but run them 24/7 when needed. Sort of modular equipment and AI as the brain. Usually electric power with interchangeable batteries.
The farmers complain about the high costs of inputs because there is lack of competition but I think it is deeper than that. The cost of energy underpins everthinng. And right now AI is soaking up the energy in the USA. My son was saying that householders in the UK are renting space like garages and sheds for data centres to be installed. It is easier to set up small distributed data centres than large central ones simple because of the hurdles that have to be jumped.
The total debt in in the farming sector was given as $560bn in the video. That is only ten quarters of revenue from just Nvidia.
It is just slack that these days farming still depends so much on the weather. There is much more opportunity to control the inputs to make farming less vulnerable to the weather.
But, hey, in Australia, we are taking the highly robust electricity grid of 1999 and making it vulnerable to the weather. Every AEMO report now has a section on weather bacuse generation is so dependent on it.
40
DOGE doo doo’s
The US has officially added +$2.1 TRILLION of debt since the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was formed on January 20th.
That’s +$6.5 billion PER DAY for 326 days in a row.
Just like Marjorie Taylor Green said, “no matter which way the political pendulum swings, Republican or Democrat, nothing ever gets better” and “There is no ‘plan to save the world’ or insane 4D chess game being played.”
Trump can’t undo a century of debt and corruption in the time he has. He’s definitely not playing 4D chess or capable of it.
As mentioned ages ago the $30T debt is funded, but UNfunded debt is ten times that.
There’s no way out for the USA and every other debt-laden country other than collapse or reset.
40
FRED shows it flat at $36.2tr to end Q2 2025:
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GFDEBTN/
The current Account is a better economic indicator and it has had a significant improvement
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/IEABC
It is clear from the chart that Bioden was out to spend his way into the history books but investment in fairy farts and pixie dust do not increase economic might.
10
Engineers who worked on the Leopard tank upgrade testing brakes
https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_t66grj2fc51z23obp.mp4
Now do the same with politicians and their ideas. 😆
20
FWIW – on “native title”
“This Land is Our Land”
“Read the whole thing.
National Post- Canada wasn’t ‘stolen’ from Indigenous people”
[https://nationalpost.com/opinion/opinion-canada-wasnt-stolen-from-indigenous-people]
In short, the Americas were settled in waves from Asia. Everyone alive today is descended from settlers. The latest “Indigenous” settlers arrived barely ahead of the first European settlers, the Vikings, who settled in Greenland and Newfoundland, and of Christopher Columbus, who started Spanish settlement in the Caribbean.”
https://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2025/11/23/this-land-is-our-land-4/
20
Beringia was a huge expanse.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beringia#/media/File:Beringia_land_bridge-noaagov.gif
20
So after
https://joannenova.com.au/2025/11/sunday-135/#comment-2881855
One might enquire how many landmarks on the road to native title were delivered by female judges?
10
This is an interesting video on AI development:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D4rsqxqSIc
My two sons with their own children are thinking about AI as I thought about desktop computers when they were in primary school. I thought it a good investment for them to develop computer literacy and they all got their machine for their 18th birthday.
Both sons with children are introducing them to AI.
The video points out the prominence of Taiwan in the AI hardware. They suggest 2027 is the year China will move on Taiwan.
I wonder if any AI has returned the energy invested in it yet. That is the challenge. Unless the AI is producing fusion technology it is probably not going to enhance the human condition.
So #1 task for AI is new, low cost fusion technology.
20
A follow up to home invasions with mashete wielding thugs from yesterday.
Apparently WA is the only state where it is legal to procure pepper spray.
I also learnt that it is illegal in Victoria to prepare your own concoction that might deter an unwanted home invader. It has the smell of premeditation.
On the other hand I found a number of references to pressurised wasp spray. It is described here and gives an indication of the range:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-Ym8D90fJ8
Note some of the comments!
One suggests that it is handy to keep a can near each door so you can keep pests at bay from any direction.
This links to the Safety data sheet:
https://www.pestxpert.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/PestXpert-DIY-Wasp-Jet-Long-Reach-Wasp-Spray-SDS-202105.pdf
I might get some to test its aiming ability.
Amazon sell compact pepper spray in the USA and some of them has over 100k reviews. So a lot of people must be carrying them around. Values of sales estimated at $100M.
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What ever you do, do not light up a cigarette after/during spraying that product. Leaving matches lying around is a recipe for fried wasps.
10
Being a nanny country, the law abiding always come off second best.
Maybe the porch pirate approach in the USA where the parcel goes boom spraying the thief with blue dye.
Maybe the spray ’em with manure approach?
Legal, makes a mess but it beats 6 feet under.
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Wasps are also victims of patriarchal colonialism considering the fact that their pre-industrial habitats are being destroyed by Climate Change which is caused by patriarchal colonialism.
(They wouldn’t be forced to build their nests under the eaves of your garage if you hadn’t bought a fossil fuel burning car in the first place.)
So you should be charged with a crime for spraying them too.
You should also be charged with word violence for implying that machete wielding thugs are like wasps.
Any many cultures machete carrying is a culture expression of manhood.
Manhood is permitted only in cultures oppressed by patriarchal colonialism which is the product only one ethnic culture.
And we all know which one that is.
20
World demand for fossil fuels increasing.
https://notrickszone.com/2025/11/23/a-sobering-reality-global-fossil-fuel-demand-continues-to-rise/
10
What The Architect scene in The Matrix actually means
https://youtu.be/K7FVinfllWs?si=IMcVG-mGw0NkJXhy
Nope, Neo isn’t the saviour after all.
00
FWIW
“Her Fascinating Self”
“From the Guardian‘s lifestyle pages, some exquisite sensitivity:”
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/nov/23/highly-sensitive-person-discovery-label-validating
Taken apart at
https://thompsonblog.co.uk/2025/11/her-fascinating-self.html
Via https://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2025/11/24/her-fascinating-self/
00
FWIW – more bodged X accounts showing up
“Several UK Government agencies appear to be VPN’ing outside the UK on X
This looks like an attempt to avoid the restrictions of the Online Safety Act.”
https://x.com/nattyfried/status/1992384817779061052
Via https://instapundit.com/758354/#disqus_thread
30
And
“Foreign Fake MAGA Anti-Israel Accounts Exposed In X “Location” Disclosure
Now we know that it was all a massive foreign influence operation of fake MAGA accounts meant not to promote Trump, but to turn Americans against Jews and Israel and to sow chaos and division among actual Trump supporters.”
https://legalinsurrection.com/2025/11/foreign-fake-maga-anti-israel-accounts-exposed-in-x-location-disclosure/
Via https://instapundit.com/758356/#disqus_thread
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FWIW
“The Difference Between a Thief and a Congressman”
“Quote of the Day
The difference between a thief and a congressman: When a thief steals your money, he doesn’t expect you to thank him.
Walter E. Williams
2008
Liberty Versus the Tyranny of Socialism: Controversial Essays, page 110.
Also, in a 1994 column titled “Government vs. Private Charity.” ”
https://blog.joehuffman.org/2025/11/23/the-difference-between-a-thief-and-a-congressman/
Via https://instapundit.com/758348/#disqus_thread
10
Some movement on real commercial SMR power generation.
https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/uk-greenlights-first-rolls-royce-smr-project-despite-us-pushback
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