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greatfay · 3 years

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since ur answering asks and shit can u explain what u meant by generational differences in communication

Damn it’s like 2015 tumblr when my inbox used to be WET. So if you’re talking about the controversial opinions post, YES, like I totally understand where people are coming from when they say that generational divides aren’t real (because they aren’t, they’re arbitrary) and distract us from real problems and yes they paint past generations as collectively bigoted when Civil Rights protestors in the 60s (who are in their 70s and 80s now) are mirrors to BLM protestors today, who could be of any age, but the most vocal and famous (at least online, especially irt to the founders, like Patrisse Cullors who is 37.

But how we communicate is sooooo different. I really point to the Internet and Social Media as a major influence in how younger millennials (more Tom Hollands and less Seth Rogans—see even there, I feel like there are two different types of Millennials) and Gen Zrs/Zoomers and even Generation Alpha behave and communicate. We live in a world where we grew up either knowing right out the gate or discovering the hard way that what we say and do has permanence, the kind of permanence that prior generations have never experienced until today. The dumb things kids have been saying since forever can now follow them... forever. We have an inherent understanding of how online spaces work. Compare that to, idk, let’s say you posted on your Facebook (for the first time in 18 months) “All these big and bad grown ass Senators going after actual child Greta Gerwig lol ok, you’re so brave for attacking a CHILD over climate change” and then your aunt, who’s turning “forty-fifteen” in May replies to your post with “So happy to see my passionate niece! Much love from us, hope you’re doing well. Paul is doing great, waiting on his screening results. Tell your mom I said we miss her, we need to get together, we forgive her for last Christmas.”

Like... ok there’s a lot going on there, but your hypothetical aunt is oversharing on a publicly accessible post. And even with the most strict of privacy settings, she’s oversharing where your other Facebook friends (which may include classmates, coworkers, etc.) can see. But she’s saying things that would only be appropriate in a 1-on-1 conversation. This Aunt doesn’t have an understanding of such boundaries, she’s not as technologically literate and hasn’t grown up in a world of Virtual Space, she still gets most of her news from TV, she trusts what a reporter on Channel 4 will read off a script more than what actual video footage of an incident might reveal on Twitter, and she has no clue that she’s been sharing her location data with every post she makes.

There’s such a huge difference. I think it even affects how we experience and express stress and frustration. I think growing up partially in online spaces has made me more accustomed to conflict and consequence-free arguing than someone who never had to worry about that. I’ve been exposed so much to harassment and bullying, triangulating and echo chambers in forums and threads, and vastly opposing point of views at such an early age that it’s had an effect on how I see the world. Compare this to a customer I helped two weeks ago who was looking for a specific type of supplement for children. I found it for her, I handed her exactly what she was looking for, even though her description of the product actually matched several different products; to make sure I’d done my job thoroughly and that she leaves happy and satisfied and doesn’t bother me again, I then show her more products that match her description so that she knows she has options. And she proceeds to freak out, saying “NO, NO, I’M LOOKING FOR [X] AND IT HAS TO BE [XYZ]” and when I say freak out, she looked stressed and PANICKED. And being a retail employee wears you down bit by bit, and add COVID on top of it and little shit like this makes you snap, sometimes. So I have to cut her off like “Why are you screaming and freaking out, jfc you’re holding what you said you wanted. It’s in your hands. I gave you what you wanted, I’m just showing you more things.”

That customer is not an exception, she’s not a unique case. She’s representative of a frightening percentage of her generation, the kids who watched Grease and The Breakfast Club and Ghost in theaters when they were originally released. This is how they communicate and process information. She could not, for some reason, register that her need had been fulfilled, and defaulted to an extreme emotional response when given new and different information.

I’ve yet to deal with someone younger than 35 act the same way, the exceptions being the kids of very wealthy people at my new job who reek of privilege I gag when they walk in—but even they are like *shrugs* “ok whatever” and understanding when there’s something I can’t do for them.

Me: “sorry, we are totally out of that one in your size, but I can order it for you, it’s 2-3 day shipping at no cost to you and we ship it straight to your house”

A rich, white, attractive 22-year-old who’s had access to organic food, a rigorous dermatologist, and financial security since she was born: “mmm... sure, I’ll order it”

A 47-year-old of any socioeconomic background, of any race, in the same situation: “AHHHHHHHHHHH”

I just think it’s crazy how three generations of kids and young adults raised in a world where everything moves so much faster, where knowledge and entertainment and communication can be gathered so much faster, are often so much more polite and patient and understanding. Yesterday I told an older man (mid-50s) whose native tongue is the same as mine, as clearly and succinct as possible, that what he’s looking for is “in aisle 4.” He proceeded to repeat back, “Aisle 7?” four time before I dropped everything to show him what he needed in aisle 4, despite his insistence that he didn’t need me to walk him there. 4 and 7 sound nothing alike in English. There’s just something going on up there 🧠 that’s different.

Oh, other generational divides!!! We have different approaches to labor and working. Totally different! I’m a “young” millennial where I’m almost Gen Z, and I’ve noticed an awful trend among my demographic where people actually brag about working 90 hour work weeks. Or brag about how they skip breaks and live on-call to get the job done for “the hustle” like this “hustle, become a millionaire by 30″ culture that’s dominated these kids, idk where tf that came from. Like why are you proud of being a wage slave, getting taken advantage of by your millionaire/billionaire overlords. Compare this to my mother’s generation (she’s a borderline Genius X’er, she and her best friend were a year too young to watch Grease when it came out and had a random older woman buy tickets for her; she went to Prince concerts, took photos of him, then sold the photos on buttons at school, that’s her culture and teenage experience), where she’s insistent on her rights and entitlements as an employee, and these things she instilled me: “whatchu mean they didn’t schedule a break for you and you’re working 12 hrs today? oh no, you’re off, don’t answer your phone cuz you are NOT available!” There are Gen X’ers who entered the workforce at a time that America was drifting toward this corporate world, with more strictly defined regulations, roles, and understandings of labor rights (and also, let’s talk about how the 80s there was so much more attention on workplace harassment, misogyny and gender divides in wage gaps, etc. etc... not that much has changed, but at least it was talked about!). There are young people today who are taken advantage of because they aren’t as informed or don’t feel as secure and valuable enough to claim what belongs to them.

At the same time, those generations (Gen X and older) have a different viewpoint of hierarchies in the workplace and respect irt our direct supervisors. That’s how you get this blurring of boundaries between Work Life and one’s Personal Life that leads to common tropes in media written by their generations, where oh no! I’m having my boss over for dinner and the roast beef is still defrosting :O is such a “relatable thing” for them... meanwhile us younger generations are like I don’t even like that you know where I live, and if I see your 2017 Honda Civic pass my place one day, we’re going to have a problem. I think older generations have a different relationship with the word “Respect” than we do. Like, my grandma, who’s turning 87 (?) this year, and the other seniors in my area, they have a different concept of honor and an expectation of professional boundaries that I, and my mom and her generation, just don’t see (so then there’s something in common with Gen X’ers and the rest of us.) My dad grew up in a world where talking and acting like George Bailey and knocking on someone’s door with a big smile could get you a job, a job that could pay for college and rent no problem. My mom grew up in a world that demanded more prestige, where cover letters and references could get you into some cushy jobs if you’re persistent and ballsy enough. And I grew up in a world where potential employers literally don’t see your face when you apply unless they lurk on any social media profiles you have publicly available and they hold all the cards, and you need all those CVs and reference letters just to make minimum wage... so I feel like I am powerless in the face of such employers.

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thehopefuljournalist · 4 years

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Is there anything that supports the hope that we will beat this? I’m feeling less hopeful every day...

Hi anon, thank you for contacting me! I’m so sorry you’re struggling with keeping up the hope, and I just want to tell you that you’re not alone in this. Many of us are afraid. It’s impossible to be hopeful and happy all the time, but some ways that I found that help me reduce my anxiety about the situation are:

- Exercise. It’s popular knowledge among psychologists that exercising reduces stress levels, and makes us happier. It’s a healthy way to manage stress (from anything, really). I recommend exercising somewhere in nature if you can, as opposed to, say, a gym, since being in nature has also been proven to lower stress levels :) - Do some good. I know that for me, at least, a lot of the stress I feel has to do with guilt over feeling as if I’m not doing anything to help. Go clean up nature, go to a protest, influence people around you with your own behavior. - Routine. It might be less healthy than the other two, but I know that since I got back to school and things started being hectic again I’m less stressed out about this than I was before.

About things that show that we can beat this - I’ll make a list. These aren’t proof that we’ve got this covered. We should continue to act because we’re not in the clear yet, but there are SO many good things happening out there that people don’t know about.

- World’s largest public bank is cutting finance for coal and oil: The European investment bank adopted a new lending policy that will cut finance to most fossil fuel projects as it tries to become the world’s first ‘climate bank’, after pressure from countries like Germany and Italy. (X) - PEOPLE POWER WORKS: Here are some of the amazing things that have happened recently in Europe because of people power. Midcat gas pipeline – cancelled (x), Gothenburg LNG terminal – cancelled (x), Fracking in the UK – banned (x, x). - Last week New Zealand has reached agreement on climate change policy, passing the Zero Carbon Bill in Parliament. (X) - Ecosia’s growth is through the roof: In 2019, 8.5 million people switched to Ecosia. They’ll be to plant more trees than ever thanks to these people! (X) - Wales has planted ten million treed in Uganda, and there are more to come (X) - Scotland’s food recycling is up by over 40%! (X) - Solar energy prices have hit a record low, so India cancelled plans to build nearly 14 gigawatts of coal-fired power stations. (X) - 60% of UK households recycling more than they did a year ago. (X) - Recent wins in Sweden and Brazil highlight how Climate Strike momentum is translating into change. (X) - Poland plans to triple solar energy capacity this year! (X) - Ikea announced a furniture buy-back scheme. (X) - Rise of renewables may see off oil firms decades earlier than they think. (X)

This are not every good thing that I’ve seen recently! Things are moving, people power works, and the strikes are already changing the way people see things and the way big companies work. Imagine what we can do if we keep this snow ball rolling. I know it’s difficult to keep up the hope. Believe me, I do. But things are changing. Slowly, but they really are. Be an example, make some changes. Do good for others. I believe in us and I believe in you.

Please, if any of you want to talk or vent, or ask me anything, feel free to contact me. I’m not always available, but I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Keep up the hope, and keep on fighting.

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spacetimewithstuartgary · 4 years

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Whatever Sea Level Rise Brings, NASA Will Be There Greenland and coastal Louisiana may not seem to have a lot in common. An autonomous territory of Denmark, Greenland is covered in snow most of the year and is home to about 56,000 people. On the other hand, more than 2 million people call coastal Louisiana home and the region rarely sees snow. But their economies, though 3,400 miles (5,400 kilometers) apart, share a dependence on the sea. The majority of Greenland's residents rely on the territory's robust Arctic fishing industry. And in Louisiana, the coasts, ports and wetlands provide the basis for everything from shipping to fishing to tourism. As a result, both locales and the people who live in them are linked by a common environmental thread: melting ice and consequent sea level rise. NASA satellites are keeping an eye on both. NASA Sees the Seas Thanks to altimetry missions, beginning with the U.S.-French TOPEX / Poseidon mission launched in 1992 and continuing through the present with the Jason series, we now have a nearly three-decade-long record of sea level change. Similarly, because of missions like the U.S.-German Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and its successor, GRACE Follow-On, we know a lot more about what the ice is doing than we used to, especially at the poles. For instance, we know that Greenland lost 600 billion tons of ice last summer alone. That's enough to raise global sea levels by a tenth of an inch (2.2 millimeters). We also know that both Greenland and Antarctica are losing ice six times faster than they were in the 1990s. These numbers matter because frozen within all of the glaciers and ice sheets is enough water to raise global sea levels by more than 195 feet (60 meters) - key word here being "global." Ice that melts in Greenland and Antarctica, for example, increases the volume of water in the ocean as a whole and can lead to flooding far from where the melting occurred, like in coastal communities half a world away. In addition to using satellite data to monitor sea levels and ice melt, NASA scientists are observing the seas from a closer vantage point. "The satellites tell us it's happening. But we want to know why - what's causing it?" said Josh Willis of the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "Generally speaking, it's global warming. But in a specific sense, how much is it the melting of polar ice sheets as opposed to glaciers? And how much is it ocean warming and thermal expansion?" he said, referring to how water expands as it warms. "Most importantly, what's going to happen in the future?" Willis is the principal investigator for NASA's Ocean's Melting Greenland (OMG), an air and ship-borne mission designed to answer some of these questions. OMG maps and measures the height of glaciers along Greenland's coast each year. It also measures the temperature and salinity of the ocean around the coastline and has developed precision maps of the ocean floor there. Combined, these datasets reveal to scientists how Greenland's glaciers are responding to changes both in the warming waters below them and in the warming air above them. "The satellites are telling us how much global sea level is rising, but the airborne and shipborne data are really telling us how much Greenland is contributing to it, and what's causing Greenland to contribute to it," Willis said. "It's a piece of a much bigger puzzle, but it's an important piece because Greenland alone has enough ice to raise global sea levels by 25 feet [7.6 meters]." Melting Here, Flooding There As the ice melts in one part of the world, elsewhere, coastal communities in particular wrangle with the consequences - the most common: flooding. High-tide flooding, where seawater spills onto land and into low-lying communities when the tide comes in, has doubled in the last 30 years. Other factors, such as ocean currents, the terrain and subsidence, or land sinking, also influence a region's susceptibility to flooding. In addition to measuring global sea level changes, NASA scientists are working with land and resource managers to help them understand and mitigate these regional flooding risks. "A lot of coastal communities are working to identify particular parts of their towns where there have been flooding issues, and they are trying to adopt strategies to lessen the impact of sea level rise and flooding in those areas," said JPL's Ben Hamlington, head of the Sea Level Change Science Team. "We're often able to provide the high-resolution information that they need to make important decisions, particularly in terms of subsidence, which can differ quite a bit over even short distances." Because subsidence is so variable - it can occur in measurements of less than an inch to feet, and over areas of a few acres to many miles - it is an important factor in assessing and responding to flood risk. For example, in a 2017 study of Hampton Roads, Virginia, an area prone to flooding, NASA scientists, including Hamlington (who was with Old Dominion University at the time), detected major differences in the rate of subsidence in areas just a few miles apart. "It highlights the fact that subsidence information should be incorporated into land use decisions and taken into consideration for future planning, including at the local level," Hamlington said. In order to get crucial information like this into the hands of stakeholders, Hamlington's team is working on a new, interactive sea level assessment tool. Available in coming weeks on the agency's sea level website, it will provide quantitative information, based on NASA observations, on sea level rise in the coastal U.S. and the processes driving it. Disaster Response One reason floods are among the most common natural disasters in the U.S., resulting in billions of dollars in damage each year, is that they can be caused by a number of factors, including excessive rainfall, snowmelt, levee or dam failures, or storm surges from hurricanes. In other words, flooding is a threat that effects nearly every region of the U.S. NASA's role continues even after a flood has occurred. The agency regularly provides relief groups and response agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with crucial satellite-derived data and decision-support maps when flooding events occur. "It can be difficult to assess the extent of flooding from the ground because flood waters can recede and flood extent can disappear in a matter of hours," said JPL's Sang-Ho Yun, Disaster Response lead on NASA's Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) team. "After an earthquake, damaged buildings stay damaged until they are repaired. But flood extent is like a ghost - it is there and then it disappears." Earth-observing satellites can fill in some of the blanks. Using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that penetrates clouds and rain, day and night, including data acquired by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1 and Japan's ALOS-2 satellites, Yun and the ARIA team can identify areas that are likely flooded. "In the satellite radar data, the bare ground has its own roughness, but when you cover the ground with smooth water, it becomes like a mirror," Yun said. "When the radar signal from the satellite hits the bare ground, it reflects back to the satellite. But when the signal hits water on the surface instead, it actually reflects away from the satellite, so flooded areas appear darker than normal." Yun's team processes the satellite data to produce flood maps (like this one) that FEMA and other agencies can use in their disaster response efforts. NASA's Disasters Program, in the agency's Earth Science Division, also provides extremely useful information on the use of Earth observations in the prediction of, preparation for, response to and recovery from natural disasters like flooding. The NASA Disasters Mapping Portal provides access to near real-time data products and maps of disaster areas. The flood dashboard, which brings together observations and products from NASA, the National Weather Service and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to provide a more complete picture of the extent of flooding, is also publicly accessible. In some way or other, the effects of sea level rise, whether direct or indirect, will touch us all. But from Greenland to Louisiana to coastal regions around the world, NASA continues to provide key insight into our rising seas and how to navigate the effects of sea level rise.

#space #science #environment #NASA #global warming #climate change

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mericurialthoughts · 4 years

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#LocustAttack!

Corona virus, economic recession, cyclone and now... a locust attack. One problem doesn't get over and yet another one crops up.

So, what are locusts? Why are they attacking us? What are the reasons behind this? Some people in our country believe that Pakistan is responsible for thisPakistan has sent these terrorist locusts to India and these locusts are basically a conspiracy of Pakistan….hahaha

No, I am not joking. Hear it out.

"India asks the weak and cowardly Pakistan has Pakistan been resorting to the locust conspiracy after the terrorist conspiracy? So Pakistan is now turning locusts into terrorists and sending them to India. Has Pakistan been relying on locusts now instead of the army in order to attack India? Not only me, the whole of India raises this question" says Arnab Goswami!

Somebody please ask Arnab Goswami how this conspiracy works….Is there a nano GPS chip fixed onto these locusts with which Imran Khan is controlling them through a remote? How does that work?

It makes me laugh to think that people like Arnab Goswami consider their audience to be utter fools That no matter what rubbish they utter, the viewers will take that to be true. That's just too much!

Reverting to the topic, we will find out the actual reasons behind the locust attacks today and what innovative solutions are being used worldwide to counter it from which we can learn something.

Come, let us see

First, let us learn something about locusts: Locust is an insect which is quite similar to grasshopper and cricket. Infact, all these three insects belong to the same family. Locusts are generally found in desert regions and the unique thing about this is that as compared to grasshoppers and crickets.

It exists in two phases- It has two forms which is not seen in grasshoppers and crickets normally. These forms are- When it is present alone.This is called the solitary phase: But when it is present in crowds, and the environmental conditions are congenial. For example, wet soil after recent rains with trees and plants in full bloom, then they transform their forms completely.

This is called the gregarious phase. This metamorphosis of form changes everything about them- their behaviour, habits, appearance. Everything is different in the solitary phase and the gregarious phase. In a similar manner, it evolves into another phase if environmental conditions are congenial.

So, we do not have a problem with the ones in their solitary phase. A problem arises when they exist in crowds and are in their gregarious phase. They are yellow and black in color. Their eating habits change in the gregarious phase. They can eat more food and more varieties of food. Their endurance increases and their movements become more rapid.Even their brain size becomes larger

What's interesting is that they can transform into the gregarious phase from the solitary phase anytime. At any point of time in their lives as long as environmental conditions for it are congenial. The apt environmental conditions are- recent rains, moist soil and lush vegetation around. The swarms of these locusts are created in their gregarious phase. And these swarms destroy everything in their way. Because, like I said, their eating habits change so much that they can eat almost everything. Leaves, shoots, flowers, fruits, seeds, stems, barks- they can eat it all. They can eat almost all types of crops or non crops- be it wheat, grass, fruit trees or date palms. This is why complete destruction follows wherever they go.

How large can one locust swarm be?

The swarm found in Kenya in 2020 was 40 km by 60 km in dimension. The swarm can be as large as a rectangle of 40 kms by 60 kms. And in a swarm, there can be more than 150 million locusts within one square kilometre. A swarm can eat as much as 2,500 people in one day. So you can imagine the extent of its scale and how much destruction it can cause. And this is why it is said that the locusts are a kind of species that have the most economic impact on the entire planet as compared to any other animal species.

You can see the regions in which this happens- Africa, Middle east, Pakistan and the western part of India. They are found in larger numbers here because of the large extent of the desert areas in this region. and these are the areas in which they cause the most destruction. The locust attack in India today is the worst in the past 27 years in India. 1993 was the last time conditions were so bad. But this is not a recent phenomena. These locust attacks have been happening for thousands of years throughout the human history. Even ancient Egyptians had drawn locusts on their tombs which tells us that there had been locusts attack even in that age. These tombs are dated around 2400 BC. This is the reason why they are mentioned in a lot of religious texts. For example, Bible and Quran mention locust plagues.

It is believed that the locust plague mentioned in Bible happened in reality in Egypt in around 1400 BC. So, this is a problem that has been festering for ages, but climate change is indirectly held responsible for the locusts attacks happening today.

The sequence of events of how it actually happened is very interesting:The Indian ocean is warming up more than usual due to the climate change;The rains become more extreme due to the enhanced heating of the ocean;Torrential rains hit East Africa around the time of December 2019;Infact, there were floods as well;East Africa includes- Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia;These countries were badly flooded during December 2019;You can see how many people were affected due to these floods;Due to floods and torrential rains, congenial environmental conditions are created for the locusts; As mentioned before; the soil becomes moist and there is abundant vegetation around due to rains; So this becomes a great opportunity for the locusts to breed and change into the gregarious phase. So the locusts began to breed in huge numbers there and a plague hit East Africa. So Around February 2020, there was a huge locust plague in Africa. After which, these swarms of locusts began to travel east. It travelled to Iran, then Pakistan and now by the time of May, this plague has begun its move towards India.

The winds of the cyclone that had hit Bengal moved in such a direction and in such a way that they. They were further pushing the swarm of the locusts towards India. They wouldn't have normally travelled this way but they further moved in this direction because of the cyclone winds and this is exerting a very negative influence on Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana.

So the question is what are the solutions to fight this locust plague?

The first and the most common solution adopted by most of the countries most frequently is simply spraying them with pesticides and insecticides either on the ground or in the air with the help of a helicopter and then they would die.The problem with this solution is that this has a lot of negative impacts. Spraying pesticides has a negative impact in general on the environment , the people and their food. It exerts a negative impact on other things as well. And pesticides need to be sprayed in huge quantities in order for it to show effect.

Another solution could be the use of eco friendly pesticides. But experts have observed that the eco friendly pesticides- the ones that do not harm the environment-do not kill them as effectively.They take some time to show effect. Hence they are not as effective.

The third is the use of loud noises. The locusts flee from any kind of noise.Djs, music on a loudspeaker or any kind of loud noise- make them scarper. This is a solution that our farmers have implemented. But the problem with this solution is obvious- It can be implemented on a very short scale. And if your drive away the locusts from one place then they are going to attack another..

But there's another unique and interesting solution which was tested out in Pakistan. This solution was tested out in a small scale in Pakistan's Okara district. Basically, the farmers were asked to trap these locusts and collect them and submit them in bags. They would be paid in return for this and then these locusts would be milled and used as chicken feed. That is, they would basically become food for chicken and help in feeding them because locusts are an extremely great source of protein. Now, this solution is extremely innovative.

Think about it- The farmers are also making profit in the form of money given to collect them and it is also generating profit when it is being used as a chicken feed. The credit of implementing this solution goes to Muhammad Khurshid. He is a civil servant in the Ministry of national food security and research in Pakistan and Johar Ali- a bio-technologist of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council. It was his idea. And he says that when he first broke this idea to the people, then everyone laughed. Nobody thought that this idea could seriously be implemented in real.

So what is the math behind this idea?

The math is that he believes that first of all, the farmers can trap them easily with and these locusts do not fly in the air at night time. So they can be trapped very easily at night. They say that when the farmers collect these locusts and deliver them in bags, then they are paid 20 Pakistani rupees per kg

In India, this would amount to be around Rs 9 per kilo. The farmers are being this amount when they collect them in bags and submit them and he also believes that the number of locusts a farmer can trap overnight.

He can earn 20,000 Pakistani rupees, (that is, around 9,000 Indian rupees) in exchange for that. He also claimed that these locusts are a source of profit for the animal feeding industry as well because when these locusts would be used as chicken feed, they have 70% proteins. As compared to soybeans which are presently used in chicken feed and have only 50% protein content. Such a high level of protein (becomes available) when Pakistan imports soybean from the other countries. So this is profitable for even Pakistan as a country. Since, it would not import then it could save up on its foreign exchange. Animal feeding industry can also save up as well by using locusts. So this idea was tested out in a small village of a district and it was extremely successful. Now talks are in progress for its implementation on a large scale. And I believe that the Indian farmers can learn a lot from this too.And please do not brand me an anti national for bringing forth Pakistan's idea. I'd like to point out even the RSS members are exhorting to take inspiration from this idea if its successful. So this is not a matter of being anti national.

They say that a successful idea should be taken inspiration from, no matter which country it comes from. I adhere to the same belief. That if an idea is so great, interesting, innovative and is successful, then we must try it out as well.

Content Credit: YouTuber Dhruv Rathee

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIJMVPpXnDo

#locust attack #solution #fightplague #dhruvrathee #india flights

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bhandarimarblekishangarh · 4 years

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Granite is a common type of felsic intrusive igneous rock that is granular and phaneritic in texture. Granites can be predominantly white, pink, green, black, brown, gray, Red, blue, cream, etc.

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Granite is a kind of igneous rock, found on Earth but nowhere else in the … The crystals can be seen easily if the granite is cut and polished. Granite is a light-colored igneous rock with grains large enough to be visible with the unaided eye. Granite is composed mainly of quartz and feldspar with minor amounts of mica, amphiboles, and other minerals. This mineral composition usually gives granite a red, pink, gray, or black color.

Our premium surface granite selection offers over 250 color patterns. We have the perfect granite countertop for your project whether your requirement. Granite natural stone slabs and tiles for kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, and mudrooms from Bhandari marble group.

Granite countertops are the kitchen work surfaces that all others measure themselves against and for good reason when you consider how it very useful. All granite And Marble Bhandari is the largest fabricator and installer of stone countertops. Granite, Marble, and Quartz countertops: Oregon. Free Estimates. Types: Granite, Marble, Quartz, Soapstone, Travertine.

COLLECTION OF GRANITE AT BHANDARI MARBLE STORE

Black Galaxy Granite

BHANDARI MARBLE GROUP is quarried Near Chimakurthi, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, South India; this is a fine to medium-grained, black gabbros with golden-yellow. We have a superior quality range of Black Galaxy Granite. The Black Galaxy Granite offered by us is widely demanded its elegant finishing and stain free.

We carry Black Galaxy Granite Countertops for Kitchen and Bathroom. We deliver and install your countertops anywhere in quantity with Quality. Create a custom granite countertop or give walls and floors a dramatic update with the 12 in. x 12 in. Black Galaxy Polished Granite Tile from BHANDARI MARBLE GROUP

We have a superior quality range of Black Galaxy Granite. The Black Galaxy Granite offered by us is widely demanded its elegant finishing and stain free. Black galaxy granite kitchen countertop sample in the kitchen countertop.

It’s no wonder why this black granite tile is our best selling product, Star Galaxy tiles contain small gold flecks on a black background allowing you to create a new wonderful look.

The elegance of a neutral granite countertop lends itself to a palette composed of black-brown, beige, gold, tan, and cream colors. This countertop style is often the most popular amongst granite choices because of its ability to complement a wide range of kitchen designs.

Granite is a dark and light-colored igneous rock with grains large enough to be visible with the unaided eye. It forms from the slow crystallization of magma below the Earth’s surface. Granite is composed mainly of quartz and feldspar with minor amounts of mica, amphiboles, and other minerals.

Overall, you will find that the most expensive types of stone are blue granite. Various types of blue granite, like Azul Aran and Blue Bahia granite, are in the high-end of the price range. The most expensive type of granite is Van Gogh granite.

The Unique and Beautiful Granite Stones By Bhandari Marble Group

Granite can be found the world over; however, specific regions will sometimes offer their own unique granite with colors and captivating patterns that are native to those areas. The difference is due to the mineral make-up of the region. Granite is made up of quartz, feldspar, and micas. The color and quantity of these components determine the color, pattern, and even strength of each specific type of granite. The mineral feldspar is the primary influence of the color and pattern of a slab. The characteristics of Indian geology result in uniquely colored stones, typically with dark green or yellowish tones.

The stone mining industry in India can be traced back to the first half of the 16th century; however, it was in the 1631s, when Italian immigrants discovered deposits of white marble near the town of Kishangarh which would become the center of the stone mining industry that solidified India place in the global granite marker. The Italians brought the knowledge of mining techniques, the equipment, as well as the experience and craftsmanship. Soon after, entrepreneurs began the search for new stone deposits. Explorers traveled from south to north. This eventually ended with the discovery of what we know as granite. Today, there are hundreds of colors of granite mined in India from quarries across the country.

Granite Kitchen Countertops By Bhandari Marble Group

Recognized for its wide diversity, BHANDARI MARBLE GROUP INDIA RAJASTHAN KISHANGARH produces an array of natural stones, including granites, quartzite, and marble. Indian granite accounts for approximately 70% of all the granite countertops in the world. The country exports between 60 and 70 percent of the world’s granite.

Given that India landscape and climate are highly varied, including everything from mountains and rainforests to semi-arid deserts and hills, the conditions for mining granite in India …

Alaska White Granite

With Alaska White granite, you can create stunning countertops or backsplashes, perfect for both indoors, and out! BHANDARI granite is considered higher quality and more durable than thin granite. Quality countertops should be around 15 to 30 mm thick in order to provide the necessary durability associated with natural stone. Take a close look at granite to see if you notice any dings, dents, scratches, or uneven surfaces.

The first way to match granite to your counters is to choose granite that’s the same color as your cabinets but with darker veining. For example, white cabinets look gorgeous with White Spring granite, which has veins of grey, black, and brown.

Granite Countertops became popular lately. It is because granite is one of the most functional building materials in the world. The processing of this material has been revolutionized in the last years with improvements in diamond cutting tools.

In the late ’80s, granite technology improved and made granite an affordable raw slab material. Granite is abundant in India, Brazil, Norway, and India as well as the island of Sardinia. Black, blue pearl, and green pearl granites were some of the few varieties.

Granite is very resistant to heat and stains

Due to its ability to absorb heat and resist scratching and staining, granite is the most popular material in most kitchen and bath countertops and vanity tops, both residential and commercial. In addition to most residential granite countertops, it is also popular among hotel owners in bathroom vanity tops.

Kitchen interior with granite tabletop, wooden furniture, and oven open to the staircase

Most granite countertops come in sizes up to your requirements. These sizes make it quite functional to use as a seamless piece of material in kitchens for countertops and kitchen islands.

Popular Granite Colors

Some of the most popular granite colors include absolute black, tan brown, chestnut brown, blue pearl, and marina pearl. Recent discoveries in India brought a lot of unusual granite colors to the market that looks like marble with the big broad open veins. These granites such as the Taj Mahal and the various quartzites’ from India are very popular among kitchen designers.

Granite Rocks

Installing granite countertops must be done by a professional fabricator. Fabricators are qualified and licensed stone cutting companies. In order to cut granite, one has to have a wet saw with diamond blades as well as skilled craftsmen to finish the edges. Cutting and polishing granite countertops are extremely hard and you must have proper tools.

Installing Granite Countertops

Installing granite countertops in residential applications is relatively easy as qualified companies can do it usually in 1 week. First, existing countertops are removed, then, a template of the new material is taken and fabricated, and finally, the granite countertop is installed.

You can also choose various forms of granite for the kitchen backsplash to go on top of the granite countertops. You can use leftover pieces of granite, if so desired, by putting your backsplash on top of the countertop. Another option is using a different type of water jet mosaics and/or different types of ceramic tiles to go in between the space between the kitchen countertop and the cabinets. This space is called backsplash.

How to select granite countertops

Step one is to have your kitchen cabinet samples.

Step two is to go to a slab yard, or slab wholesaler, that carries a wide variety of granite countertops.

Step three is to try to coordinate your granite countertop along with your kitchen cabinet sample and flooring material.

Most granite countertop materials or slabs are displayed vertically on what’s called a frame. It may be difficult to visualize a horizontal surface-displayed vertically. It is recommended to have your kitchen layout in order to coordinate the available slabs along with your available sizes and matching the veins if there are any. We recommend visiting the slab yard shortly before your kitchen cabinets go in.

Most slab yards will not hold slabs for long periods of time; therefore do not make your final selection months ahead of time. You may have to pay a separate visit to your fabricator and have your firm kitchen layout face taped on the actual slab to visualize how the piece will look in your kitchen. You should also have some idea about the type of edgework and sink cut out you desire.

Granite Countertops

There are two types of kitchen sink cutouts. The first option is dropped in and the second is under-mount. Under-mount is more expensive but easier to use. Most wholesalers will not quote you an actual price. You will have to get a price from your fabricator. Slab yards will tell you a price range in terms of low, medium, high, exotic, and high exotic. To most consumers, these are meaningless. However, your fabricator will be able to translate this into an actual quote depending on your kitchen. There are risks involved by the fabricator in carrying the slab and they will have to absorb the waste of cutting. You may also have some leftover pieces from your kitchen countertops. You can use these leftover pieces as a cutting board and/or depending on the piece, you may frame it and use it as an art piece in your kitchen.

How to seal granite countertops

Step one is to clean the granite with a soft sponge and the natural stone cleaner.

Step two is to apply the granite countertop sealer evenly and throughout the surface. Wait for it to dry a little bit and, if necessary, apply a second coat of sealer until the stone absorbs it. We recommend using a good quality sealer like Fila.

Step three is to clean the surface with a good, dry cloth and remove all debris and the excess sealer.

What are some of the advantages of granite countertops?

Ability to observe heat

Unlike other building materials or countertop materials, you can put most hot plates or pans on top of a granite countertop without damaging the stone.

Ability to resist scratching

Granite is one of the hardest materials in the world and, therefore, it is extremely difficult to scratch it, particularly darker colors which are extremely hard. In most typical kitchen applications, such as using a knife on your countertop or cutting and using other pots and pans, it is difficult to scratch most granite countertops. Please check with a licensed fabricator in order to warrant the uses of Granite countertops.

Ability to resist staining

One must caution that some of the lighter color countertops may absorb water and look wet immediately after use. However, it will dry after a small period of time. We recommend sealing all-natural surface materials, including granite, after installation, and throughout its life from time to time to prevent staining. Darker color granites are almost impossible to stay in everyday use.

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS

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BHANDARI MARBLE GROUP has been rated the 5-star MARBLE GRANITE AND NATURAL STONES Company by JUST DIAL and Google review.

We topped all other World marble companies with respect to Customer Satisfaction.

Our brand continues to resonate is evident from the fact that BHANDARI MARBLE GROUP has been rated the best company in terms of customer satisfaction.

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onlinemarketinghelp · 4 years

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Finding Recession-Resistant Investments In The Face Of The Coronavirus https://ift.tt/2w14Ney

The coronavirus has presented investors with unprecedented uncertainty.

The global financial markets are still reeling from what WHO has called a pandemic, and the White House has declared a national emergency. Last month, the Dow Jones dropped 10 percent in one day, its largest one-day fall since 1987. The Federal Reserve Bank has even stepped in, injecting $1.5 trillion into the economy. In one month alone, the stock market lost well over 20%.

In light of these events, we thought it was interesting to see impact of the coronavirus on the fine wine market with a great deep-dive with our partners Vinovest. With more people looking for alternative investments, especially recession-resistant investments, let's look into this relatively unknown asset.

If you want to skip the details and learn more, check out Vinovest and see how you can invest in fine wine >>

Quick Navigation

How Does The Coronavirus Affect Fine Wine?

What Makes Fine Wine A Recession-Resistant Investment?

The Economics Of Fine Wine

Fine Wine vs. Gold In Recessions

Long-Term Appreciation In The Face Of Panic

Historical Performance Of Fine Wine

What To Expect From Here

How Does The Coronavirus Affect Fine Wine?

It is natural to wonder how the coronavirus will affect the value of fine wine. After all, equities are cratering under recent financial pressure. With that in mind, it's important to know that fine wine has almost no correlation with the stock market. Even in the most turbulent economic periods, fine wine manages to march on unscathed. Take the Great Recession in 2008. Stock prices plummeted 52 percent as people created a run on the money market funds. The price of fine wine, though? It had a single digit dip of nine percent.

What Makes Fine Wine A Recession-Resistant Investment?

Fine wine is not susceptible to the same market forces as traditional investments, like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. While supply and demand impact both assets, the similarities disappear quickly after that. The separate sphere of influence is the key to the recession-resistance.

Factors That Influence The Price Of Wine:

Annual Harvest Yield

Consumer Tastes

Reputation

Tariffs

Vintage

Weather

Factors That Influence The Price Of Equities:

Company Earnings

Corporate Management

Dividends

Interest Rates

Political Climate

Barring a cataclysmic natural disaster or shift in consumer tastes, fine wine will remain a reliable investment. Outside factors, like the coronavirus or stock prices, are highly unlikely to influence whether or not someone wants to buy and consume wine. In an interview with Forbes, Silicon Valley Bank Wine Division founder Rob McMillian articulated the sentiment best, saying:

“We have to start the conversation by recognizing that people enjoy wine in good times and stressful times. Wine is not recession-proof, but it is recession-resistant. In the same way, it might not be virus-proof, but it will prove virus-resistant from an economic perspective. There is no chance we will see sweeping abstinence as a consequence of the virus.

Since the Great Recession, there have been several corrections in the stock market, the most recent being the coronavirus. While stock prices fluctuate during these times, the fine wine market tends to stay the same. Fine wine may experience a small decline. That said, there are precedents for price increases. We understand the coronavirus is creating a lot of concern. The cause for concern shouldn’t extend into investment-grade wine, though. It’s why fine wine is one of the few recession-resistant assets that can safeguard investors from the economic storm.

The Economics Of Fine Wine

Again, fine wine does not play by the same rules as traditional equities. For starters, wine has a fixed supply. Once the harvest is over, that is it. A winery cannot produce more wine for that vintage, even if it's a smashing success.

That supply will only decrease with time because investors will drink the wine. Even if the demand remains constant, the scarcity will drive up the price, barring a significant change in one of the factors mentioned above. The growth is buoyed by increasing interest in fine wine consumption from emerging markets, like India and China.

As Rob McMillian suggested, the coronavirus will not diminish people’s interest in wine. While the outbreak is far from ideal, people should not expect to see a meaningful change in consumption habits. The same cannot be said of the stock market.

The coronavirus has created a domino effect through fear, panic, and uncertainty, all things that investors want to avoid. As a result, many people are selling their stocks to minimize their losses or get their money into "safer" investments. As a result, American investors have lost roughly $3 trillion in wealth.

Fine Wine vs. Gold In Recessions

It's worth taking a moment to talk about gold. The odds are that when investors think of "safer" physical assets, they think of gold. That inclination is not without merit. Gold handily outperformed the S&P 500 from December 2007 to June 2009.

Historically, gold has had an inverse relation with the equity market during times of crisis. That correlation, though, is not stagnant. Gold’s recent performance suggests a positive correlation with the stocks, thus weakening its reputation as a risk-hedging investment.

The coronavirus-induced recession is a perfect example. The United States saw the first COVID-19 death on February 29. In the following days, Florida and California declared states of emergency, public and privates closed, and major corporations-imposed travel restrictions on employees. Gold, which had traded at $1,697 per ounce on March 2, fell 11 percent in a week.

There are other examples of gold’s increasing correlation with the stock market. During the 2018 US-China trade war, gold showed a 0.69 correlation, which means almost 50 percent of the variance between two is correlated. Mathematicians would call this value statistically significant. Fine wine, however, had a negative correlation, coming in at -0.55.

Gold is losing its luster as a portfolio diversifier. Its increasing correlation with the equity market fails to protect investors, despite its “safe haven” reputation. Additionally, the price of gold has more than quadrupled since 2000, far outpacing the reasonable demand for the physical product.

Long-Term Appreciation In The Face Of Panic

It is unclear how long the coronavirus will last. China is returning to its new normal after roughly 50 days. All countries, though, are not as well-equipped or proactive when it comes to treating COVID-19.

While the immediate financial world is in upheaval, fine wine is a long-term investment. It is not something people day trade, like stocks, to make marginal capital gains. Investors do not have the pressure of time when selling wine.

That is, in part, because wine gets better with age. All grapes have a compound called tannins. The organic substance is in the seeds, skin, roots, and leaves of the grape. While the quantity of tannins varies based on the grape varietal, they are present in every wine, to some extent.

Tannins have a bitter and astringent taste. Over time, though, they break down, which makes a wine smoother and more balanced. It is one of the reasons why wine producers put so much emphasis on proper and extended aging. To reap the benefits of aging, investors will likely need enough patience to outlast the 2020 flu season.

Historical Performance Of Fine Wine

Predictions are challenging, and the coronavirus only adds more uncertainty to the equation. The best way to understand what the future holds is to look at the past. From 2008 to 2010, in the throes of the global recession, the Liv-ex 1000, which tracks 1,000 wines from across the world, returned a little less than zero.

The same recession-resistant applied abroad. The March Gestion Vini Catana fund, which started in December 2009, invests in wine production and vineyards. Within a year after opening, it was up nine percent compared to a 3.7 percent decline for the FTSE 100. Meanwhile, the average hedge fund at this time was down 0.2 percent.

The question here is, why? During economic struggles, investor’s preferences do not change in a meaningful way when it comes to fine wine. It is one of the reasons why annual wine consumption has grown for the past 20 years. By the same token, people who purchase investment-grade wine can often afford to hold on to their collections during recessions, mitigating the risk of fire sales.

Wine Business Monthly published a study about which wineries performed the best during the recession in 2008. One of its conclusions was that large wineries had the resources to deal with the downturn. They have well-established consumer bases and can leverage economies of scale.

The second conclusion was that wineries that owned the means of production thrived. Translation: wineries like Château Lafite Rothschild, Screaming Eagle, and many more are in good shape. These estates control their land, grapes, and production, all the way through to distribution. Therefore, they do not have the same concerns as boutique producers that rely on purchasing grapes.

Unsurprisingly, sub-indices, like the Bordeaux 500 and Burgundy 150, performed well during the Great Recession. The former saw a 50 percent increase in value from 2009 to 2011. As for the Burgundy 150, its growth was closer to 60 percent.

The best case for fine wine’s recession-resistant is its history. While it is not impervious, it has stood up against the Great Depression, Dot Com bubble, and more. Researchers found the long-term investment performance of young-maturing wines from high-quality vintages provided the strongest financial return. Not only did it demonstrate remarkable recession-resistance, but it has also outpaced competitors, like fine stamps, arts, and bills, during the same time.

What To Expect From Here

As Managing Director of Cult Wines Ltd. Tom Gearing put it, “fine wine can act as a defensive asset class in times of economic crisis but also benefit from periods of economic growth.” It is why many people use fine wine as a way to round out their long-term investment strategy. The investment reduces overall risk while adding diversification and stability.

While clouds are darkening over Wall St, fine wine is a silver lining. The short-term volatility resistant and long-term appreciation will counteract the chaotic snapshot of the world today.

If you have any additional questions about wine investment, check out Vinovest today.

The post Finding Recession-Resistant Investments In The Face Of The Coronavirus appeared first on The College Investor.

from The College Investor

The coronavirus has presented investors with unprecedented uncertainty.

If you want to skip the details and learn more, check out Vinovest and see how you can invest in fine wine >>

Quick Navigation

How Does The Coronavirus Affect Fine Wine?

What Makes Fine Wine A Recession-Resistant Investment?

The Economics Of Fine Wine

Fine Wine vs. Gold In Recessions

Long-Term Appreciation In The Face Of Panic

Historical Performance Of Fine Wine

What To Expect From Here

How Does The Coronavirus Affect Fine Wine?

What Makes Fine Wine A Recession-Resistant Investment?

Factors That Influence The Price Of Wine:

Annual Harvest Yield

Consumer Tastes

Reputation

Tariffs

Vintage

Weather

Factors That Influence The Price Of Equities:

Company Earnings

Corporate Management

Dividends

Interest Rates

Political Climate

The Economics Of Fine Wine

Fine Wine vs. Gold In Recessions

Long-Term Appreciation In The Face Of Panic

Historical Performance Of Fine Wine

What To Expect From Here

While clouds are darkening over Wall St, fine wine is a silver lining. The short-term volatility resistant and long-term appreciation will counteract the chaotic snapshot of the world today.

If you have any additional questions about wine investment, check out Vinovest today.

The post Finding Recession-Resistant Investments In The Face Of The Coronavirus appeared first on The College Investor.

https://ift.tt/39s5Ku4 April 01, 2020 at 10:15AM https://ift.tt/39uZORf

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kramlabs · 5 years

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400,000 year look at climate change above

15,000 year look at climate change above

Miles Mathis on what causes the ice ages http://milesmathis.com/ice.html

“The right answer had been missed not because it was so complex and esoteric, but because the current physicists had preferred to bury their heads up their own black holes one more time. As I will show in just a moment, the answer depends only upon seeing influences from outside the Solar System, and we should know of those influences. We are not ignorant of the galactic core and its incredible power. So an impartial observer will ask why physicists are so blindered when it comes to admitting input from beyond the Solar System. The math and mechanics I will show you are hardly revolutionary. But physicists don't want to go there because this input must come in on the charge field, and present physicists are allergic to the charge field in celestial mechanics. They don't want to even consider it, because it will mess up all their work, all the way back to Laplace. Yes, they will have to re-do centuries worth of math, and they don't want to do that, the truth be damned. But the mechanics is fairly simple. It takes about 240 million years for us to circle the galactic core. If we divide that by 100,000, the time between ice ages, we get 2400. So the Earth does something 2400 times in every galactic orbit, and that something causes either cooling or heating. What could it be? I suggest a Solar System alignment with the galactic core, which would align the galactic charge field with the Solar charge field. For the galactic core to augment the Solar field like this, the ecliptic either has to be in the same plane as the galactic plane, or the nodes have to be perpendicular to the galactic core. Since the ecliptic is now at a large angle [60o] to the celestial equator, those planes don't match. Instead, we must study the nodes. Some will think this is astrology, due to the terminology, but it isn't. It is straight mechanics. The nodes I am talking about are just the two points on the circles where the ecliptic meets the galactic plane, as in this illustration.

This illustration is from the Wiki page on the ecliptic, not from an astrology site, so stay calm, please. It is showing the plane of the Solar System relative to the Earth's equator, but we can pretend "celestial equator" means galactic plane if we like (since I couldn't find a diagram of that, this will do). We just change the angle from 23 to 60. To be even more precise, we would change the ecliptic plane to the equator of the Sun, since there is a 3o difference, but the angle doesn't actually matter in this problem so I will skip all that. All we need to know for now is that there is an angle and that the nodes travel. It also doesn't matter if the Sun is actually in the main galactic plane or not. All we need for this theory is the actual plane between the galactic core and the Sun, since points outside the main plane receive charge just as do points in the main plane. They don't receive as much, but they receive plenty. We are told that the Sun travels from below the plane to above it over very long time scales, but that also doesn't matter here. It won't affect this paper. It may answer even longer timescale problems, but it doesn't affect this one. As it turns out, the nodes move in the same sort of precession that the precession of the equinoxes does, since this precession causes that precession. That is why I can use this diagram. It is currently believed that so-called lunisolar precession is caused "by the gravitational forces of the Moon and Sun on Earth's equatorial bulge, causing Earth's axis to move with respect to inertial space," but that is false. Since I have shown elsewhere that gravity is a motion, not a force, precession cannot be caused that way. Einstein showed that gravity was not a force, and although current physicists accept that, they haven't let it sink in too far. They browbeat us with that fact when it suits them, and then flagrantly ignore it the next moment when it suits them, as you see. If gravity is not a force, it cannot cause precession in this way. But this probably deserves another paper, since I haven't addressed it yet. You may simply notice for now that if I am correct, this motion of the Solar plane relative to the galactic would cause a precession of the equinoxes with no real motion of the Earth's tilt. To decide the question, we only have to study the Solar precession of other planets. If I am right, they should all precess on the same timescale. I found data on other sorts of precession for the other planets, but none on this. Either it isn't known or it isn't widely publicized. Now, go back to the diagram. We will use their nodes, as a convenience. As you can see, one of the nodes I am talking about used to point at Aries, hence the name. It now points at Pisces. It travels through the zodiac, taking about 23,000 years to do so, we are told. When I say that the Solar System should be perpendicular with the galaxy, in order to cause a charge conjunction, I mean that the line running through the two nodes is perpendicular to the galactic core. Since the galactic core is in Sagittarius, this means the nodes would be pointing roughly at Pisces and Virgo (right angles to Sagittarius). Since the nodes are pointing at Pisces right now, we are in an interglacial period. In other words, I will show now that we are in an interglacial period because the nodes are pointing at Pisces. It is actually very simple, and completely mechanical, but to explain it simply and visually is a bit tricky. I suggest you grab two CD's or DVD's or other small disks. Hold one in one hand and one in the other. Hold the one in your left hand horizontal, or flat to the ground. That will stand for the galaxy. The one in your right hand is now the Solar System. The Sun is at the center of the disk and the Earth is part of the way out, orbiting. Now, the Solar disk is not flat to the ground. It is at an angle. Over time, we will let this angle stay the same, but we will move the high point. Start out with the high point of the disk pointing toward the galaxy disk. When that is the case, the nodes are not pointing at the galaxy disk. You can see this if you bring the disks together. If you could superimpose them, as in the diagram above, the nodes would be pointing to the sides. Now let the high end of your Solar disk go ¼ turn either way. In that case, the nodes are now pointing at the galaxy disk. I will show that when the nodes are perpendicular the charge conjunction is at a maximum. Over time, the high end of the Solar disk makes a full revolution, returning to its original position. This is one cycle, and it is this cycle that takes about 23,000 years. But the nodes will be in line with the galactic core in two positions: when the high end is at ¼ and ¾. Or, if the galactic core is north, the nodes will line up with it when the high end is east or west. And so we get an alignment every 11,500 years or so. Alarms should be going off in your head now, because that number is already an important one in the history of ice ages. According to the math of many, interglacials have lasted about 11 thousands years. This is where that number comes from. 11.5 is half of 23. If that were all there were to it, then we would get a warming from this alignment every 11,000 years. Actually, we do. If you study the ice core chart from Vostok in the Antarctic, there are, yes, 9 little peaks in each of the longer periods, and the peaks are an average of about 11,000 years apart. All of those peaks indicate a warming period. We aren't usually told this. We are told the interglacial periods are 11,000 years long, but we aren't told that there are 8 other (sub)interglacial periods, all of them also about 11,000 years long.

If you want to confirm this yourself, just take your ruler to the chart. You will find a very clear 3/16 inch gap between many of the adjacent minipeaks. This corresponds to about 11,000 years. But we still have the longer period to explain. There must be another variation, because some of these warming periods are a lot larger than the others. Only one in nine of the warming periods is large enough to melt the glaciers and be called interglacial. And this 1 in 9 comes (almost) like clockwork. What causes it? Jupiter. Jupiter causes a wobble in this cycle, sort of like the wobble in the tilt of the Earth, due to nutation. Jupiter provides what is called a libration to the motions above. Because of Jupiter, one of the nine conjunctions is cleaner than the other eight, and this causes a greater maximum in the charge field. Remember that even mainstream physicists have pointed out that our system is almost a two-star system. Jupiter is nearly as large as many red dwarf stars, and he recycles nearly as much charge as a small star. Since we are studying charge here, not fusion, it doesn't matter that Jupiter is not fusing. Only the charge matters. Therefore a charge alignment must include Jupiter. The important fact here is that Jupiter is not precisely on the Solar plane or the ecliptic or the invariant plane or the Solar equator. Once again, we have a small angle. This angle causes the wobble. It causes it because it now matters where Jupiter is in his inclination cycle when the galactic alignment occurs. In other words, at each 11,000 year alignment, Jupiter is in a different place. When Jupiter is nearest the Solar plane, he most augments the charge maximum. When he is most off the plane, he least augments it. But because of the way his inclination matches up with the larger cycle, he is only at his nearest point about every 100,000 years. “

#climate change #miles mathis #fundamental photon charge field underlying observed electro magnetic phenomena

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billehrman · 5 years

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Running Toward Daylight

Since markets bottom on extreme pessimism, rise on a wall of worry, and peak on over-exuberance, we were pleased to read in Barron’s yesterday that their fall 2019 Big Money Poll showed that only 27% of money managers were bullish, the lowest reading in more than 20 years.

According to Morningstar, the net outflow in stock funds in the third quarter of 2019 was the largest since 2009. How amazing that our market is within 1% of an all-time high with such pessimism. No surprise to us as the key data points we have been watching are only getting more positive. While we have recently gotten even more confident that the stock market will rise to new highs, we have changed the composition of our holdings as we expect the next leg to be led by more economically sensitive stocks rather than those considered defensive which are now selling near record valuations.

Let’s look at the key issues that are really influencing the markets:

Monetary Indicators: Global monetary conditions continue to be extremely accommodative and clearly more money is being created by all monetary authorities than needed by the real economy pushing investors further out on the risk curve. While we are not sure whether the Fed will cut rates again this week or wait until December misses the point that the Fed has been accommodative since December lowering rates a few times and is now also buying Treasuries adding liquidity to the system which is also favorable for financial asset valuation. Mario Draghi, at his farewell conference call as the head of the ECB, talked about the virtues of his past policies and the need for governments to pick up the torch to stimulate their economies by easing fiscal policy. Lagarde, the incoming head of the ECB, was not hesitant to point the finger at Germany’s need to lead here and also the importance in China/U. S reaching a trade deal. We respect her!

Trade: It was announced Friday that the U.S and China were close to finalizing key parts of the Phase 1 trade pact and that it appears almost certain that both leaders will sign the agreement next month when they meet. We expect Trump to formally back off from additional tariffs in December as China formally begins buying agricultural products and agrees to additional deals on currency manipulation and IP protection.

Brexit: It appears more likely than ever that a deal will be reached over the next few months preventing a hard Brexit. We don’t even think that Britain will have to go to an election in December to get it done. Clearly the ECB, including Macron, wants a deal as the economic risks of a hard Brexit would be too much to fathom as Europe skates near a recession.

The markets have not been blind to these events and despite continued global economic weakness, we appear to have reached an inflection point. Finally, there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel and investors have begun to run towards daylight. Isn’t it ironic as the polls show excessive bearishness with markets so close to new highs? What happens if money finally flows out of bond funds into stocks which is highly likely? Could there be an upside blow off?

Let’s take a look at the most recent data points that confirm/detract from our view that the U.S economy is still the best house on the block and that bad new will turn into good news forcing other industrialized nations to add substantial fiscal stimulus and make regulatory reforms as well as to make trade deals:

U.S.

We were pleased that the UAW ratified the new labor pact with GM on Friday as the economy really would have suffered if the strike continued much longer. Expect next week’s employment numbers to be reduced by around 40,000 jobs because of the strike. Consumer spending and large/growing fiscal stimulus will remain the main drivers supporting U.S growth around 2% for the foreseeable future. The Federal government’s gap has increased by 26% in the last twelve months to $984 billion and will continue to widen over the next several years based on the recent reconciliation bill approved by both parties and signed by the President. That’s a huge amount of added stimulus on top of strong consumer spending.

We were surprised that the manufacturing PMI rose to 51.5 in October, the Service PMI increased to 51 and the composite PMI ticked up to 51.2. Residential single-family house sales fell slightly last month but were still up over 15% from a year ago. New orders/shipments for manufacturers durable goods continue to soften which is no surprise at all.

We are not certain whether the Fed will cut rates again next week or wait a while longer to see the impact on our economy from the trade ceasefire with China. Clearly the Fed can justify cutting again as the global economy is weak and inflation is continuing to run well beneath their 2% threshold. We can make a case for pausing too as our economy is doing just fine, the GM strike was settled, rates have begun to lift and the dollar has finally weakened. Will Powell decide on cutting to keep the positive momentum going in the marketplace? Probably! Remember that the Fed has begun injecting over $60 billion/month into our financial system. That may be enough added stimulus at this time.

Finally, no one is watching our economic stats and markets closer than Trump. Clearly, he knows all too well that he needs both moving up for him to have any chance of winning next year’s election. Never underestimate the power of the Presidency.

China

We were bemused by Pence’s comments about China last week and their rebuttal on October 25. Both were talking to their bases more than anything else. Watch what is done rather than what is said. It was far more important to us that both sides have apparently agreed to the text on many parts of Phase 1 trade deal and China has publicly agreed to buy over $20 billion of agricultural goods over the next year. We believe that Trump will postpone the proposed December tariffs for additional trade concessions.

Eurozone

The Eurozone economy remains on the cusp of a recession. While there were some positive indicators last week like a slight uptick in German business expectations, both business climate and current assessment indicators continued to fall. The IHS Markit Composite PMI held at just 50.2 in October.

It is clear that both England and the Eurozone want a deal on Brexit. A deal will add some certainty to business which is a clear positive and a no deal, hard Brexit could lead to another leg down in both the economies of England and Europe.

It’s time for Germany to stand up and lead Europe by adding some real fiscal stimulus, beside spending on clean air, and free other countries throughout Europe to do the same. Europe needs regulatory reforms and a trade deal too. Hopefully more bad news will turn into good news as governments act rather than falling deeper into the abyss. We expect so!

Japan

Japan’s economy continues to wither on the vine as evidenced by a drop-in export for the tenth straight month. Shipments abroad fell 5.2% in September to the lowest level in over 3 years. The Composite PMI fell to 49.8 from 51.8 the previous month which included a 3-point decline even in the Services PMI. We really don’t know what the BOJ can do more when it meets this week. Japan’s economy relies on an improvement in global growth which we do expect to begin sometime next year.

Investment Conclusions

We expect continued growth in the U.S and an improvement in growth in China once trade deals are signed to lead to an improvement in global growth next year. We are pleased that most all of the monetary bodies are acknowledging that monetary policy has done about all it can do to stimulate growth and it’s time for governments to step up to the plate by finally adding fiscal stimulus, regulatory reforms and trade deals to the formula. We expect that to happen over the next year as the failure to do so has dire consequences to growth and a rise in deflationary forces.

We are growing more confident by the week that we have reached an inflection point and that global growth will improve next year after a very disappointing 2019. We finally are seeing some daylight. It is time to look at investing in those companies that will directly and indirectly benefit from fiscal stimulus as most of them are selling at recession valuations without any upside expectations. On the other hand, the defensive stocks are all selling at valuations not seen in generations. Technology continues to be the wave of the future and needs to be a core part of any portfolio.

The bottom line is that we are gaining more confidence in the global economy and markets when investors have gotten more cautious as evidenced by the lowest levels of bulls in 20 years along with record liquidations in stock funds over the last three months. The key to outperformance will be proper asset allocation and stock selection.

Our portfolios are concentrated in technology; financials; global capital goods/industrials/machinery; retail with a housing bent; cable with content; industrial commodities; healthcare with new products and many special situations including ag related. We now expect the yield curve to steepen, the dollar to weaken and industrial commodity prices to rise over the foreseeable future.

The weekly Investment Committee webinar will be held on Monday morning October 28th at 8;30 am Eastern Standard Time. You can join the webinar by typing https://zoom.us/j/9179217852 into your browser,

Remember to review all the facts; pause, reflect and consider mindset shifts; analyze your asset mix with risk controls; do independent research which includes listening to company earnings calls and …

Invest Accordingly!

Bill Ehrman

Paix et Prospérité LLC

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somotwrench · 3 years

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Tesla Model 3 Review: Great Car, Ridiculous Claimed Range

My chief, Finn, gave me a decent Christmas present this year. A Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle…

… rental.

For two days, I drove Tesla's most moderate vehicle around South Australia's grape crushing locale. I would now be able to say, of every one of the EVs I've attempted, the Model 3 is my top choice.

Longer than a year prior I looked into the Tesla S. That is quite a games vehicle. It has everything the Model 3 does yet more. Sadly, that incorporates more cost, and I was unable to manage the cost of a vehicle like that in a month of paydays. Regardless of whether I had the cash, I couldn't in great inner voice purchase a vehicle that costs more than one-eighth however much a commonplace Sydney house. Not when there are still individuals on the planet without one-eighth of a Sydney house. Yet, the Model 3 is something I could see myself possessing in a couple of years, given:

I can get it second-hand and

I endure moderate harm to the spending habitats of my cerebrum.

I've likewise determined an Electric Mini. That was loads of fun and more moderate yet — in my not in the least modest assessment — the Model 3's bigger size and longer reach put it ahead.

I leased through a site called Evee, a helpful method to give an electric vehicle in case you're a shot the fence about getting one.

Before I disclose to you the subtleties of my excursion, I'll present a portion of the Tesla Model 3's noteworthy specialized specs…

Tech Specs

Subsequent to getting back from my epic excursion, the main thing I did was hurry to the web to check the Tesla Australia webpage to perceive how much a Model 3 would hinder me. The appropriate response was… to an extreme:

This is with the most minimal expense choices. It's a white Model 3 Standard Range Plus, which I'll call a Model 3 SR+ to save time. Aside from some minor contrasts that don't actually influence execution, this is the vehicle I drove.

Be that as it may, this specific form of the Model 3 SR+ is not, at this point accessible. Only two days prior, Tesla changed what shows up on their site. The Model 3 SR+ now on offer is made in China instead of the US, and they guarantee its reach is marginally better:

Different figures they give are by and large something similar, including the cost.

Chinese Tesla Model 3 SR+ Battery

The US-made Model 3 SR+ had a 54 kilowatt-hour battery. The Chinese adaptation might be marginally bigger, giving it an additional 18 km of guaranteed range. It's additionally conceivable the made in China one is marginally more proficient.

The new form has a lithium iron phosphate battery, which is less expensive than the NCA one utilized in the US rendition. As per this, it doesn't proceed too in chilly climate. This might be the reason they're beating it in Australia. Ideally, helpless chilly climate execution will not be a critical issue here.

Presently, the Model 3 SR+ is the lone Tesla vehicle with a lithium iron phosphate battery.

Cost

Enrollment expenses can be a little higher in different states, so most would agree Australians can get a Tesla Model 3 for around $72,000. This is sufficiently low to keep away from the Luxury Car Tax, which presently kicks in above $77,565 for electric vehicles and eco-friendly half breeds.

The Model 3 isn't what I call modest, however there are a lot of stacked individuals glad to burn through $60,000 or more on another vehicle, and I'm glad to prescribe the Model 3 to them as a result of its elite and low working expense. The reality electric vehicles can help safeguard a planet where cash keeps on having significance is a significant reward.

Maximum velocity

I didn't see whether the Model 3 SR+ could arrive at its maximum velocity of 225 km/h since I am ethically against getting lives in danger through close to home ineptitude. Luckily, maniacs on German autobahns are glad to get a move on and post recordings showing it experiences no difficulty arriving at its maximum velocity regardless of whether the guiding wheel is on some unacceptable side:

Speed increase

The Tesla Model 3 SR+ takes off like a rocket. Honestly, similar to a rocket that is more slow than most, doesn't fly, and goes on wheels. However, it actually has incredible speed increase contrasted with most vehicles out and about.

At the point when I inspected the Tesla S, I had the option to genuinely say nothing in its value range comes anyplace near its presentation. All things considered, there are petroleum fueled vehicles with comparative speed increase to the Model 3 SR+ accessible for generally a similar cost. This doesn't mean you ought to get one of them in the event that you need elite. Because of the manner in which electric engines work, the speed increase from 0-60 is exceptional, and that is the reach generally imperative to revheads who actually have a permit. Likewise, a portion of those high speed increase petroleum fueled vehicles cheat by being half breeds that additionally have electric engines.

After you trample the Model 3 gas pedal, there's a short pause, and afterward it takes off with amazing speed increase that is smooth on the grounds that there are no pinion wheels to change.

Reach

The reach is fine. At the point when I investigated the a lot more limited scope of Electric Mini, I attempted to call attention to that regardless of whether an absolute dolt takes off on a taxing roadtrip without knowing where public chargers are or even how to utilize them, it's actually fine. Be that as it may, a few group misinterpreted it and thought I was saying its reach wasn't almost enough. The Model 3 SR+ has substantially more reach than the Electric Mini and can charge quicker so — for most of drivers — range will not be an issue.

Sadly, the 490 km range Tesla was giving for the Model 3 SR+ on their Australian site until a couple of days prior is outright bologna.

They say it's a gauge, yet that will not shield them from my fierceness. They know precisely how far the normal Model 3 SR+ goes on a full charge. Each and every Tesla vehicle is a nark that reports back to base camp what you're doing. The idea that Tesla can just give a gauge of how far they go is over the top.

At the point when I drove the Model 3 SR+, it disclosed to me my normal energy utilization was 145 watt-hours per kilometer. Since it has a 54 kilowatt-hour battery, that would go to a limit of 372 km of reach. Yet, when I got in, and its battery was at 95%, the vehicle's screen showed it had 320 km of reach. So as indicated by the actual vehicle, it's most extreme reach would be around 337 km with 100% charge.

The vehicle was a little under a year old, so battery limit misfortune ought to have just been a couple of percent. They may have changed the plan since it was made to get some additional mileage, however they're not going to change an extra 100+ km without utilizing a lot bigger battery.

The Chinese made Model 3 SR+ currently being sold may have a marginally bigger battery, yet its precise limit stays not yet clear. Evidently, the Chinese variant will tell individuals in China it can travel 420 km on a full charge, however that is still well shy of the 508 km Tesla presently states on its Australian site. There have likewise been grumblings from China its reach in chilly climate is undeniably less.

Other Model 3s Go Faster and Further.

In the event that you are totally stacked there are adaptations of the Model 3 with more reach and surprisingly better speed increase that bulldoze any absolutely inside ignition motor vehicle that is anyplace near their cost:

While these two renditions aren't modest, they are less expensive than the Tesla S sportscar what starts near $142,000 and goes to $266,000. Their reach figures for these two Model 3s are additionally misrepresented.

Leasing The Model 3 From Evee

Evee empowers private proprietors to give their electric vehicles for lease online as a trade off for a 25% commission. That appears to be steep to me, so perhaps there's space for rivalry on the lookout. In any case, note I'm a bonehead who couldn't maintain a business in the event that it accompanied legs and a whip and I have no clue about what it expenses to work an online vehicle rental organization.

To enroll with Evee I needed to supply a duplicate of my permit. It took around one business day to check it, so don't leave it until the last second in the event that you need to lease a vehicle.

At the point when I previously checked what they had accessible in Adelaide, I saw two Model 3s and chose to attempt the least expensive one. However, when I found time to rent, there had been an Adelaide Evee Model 3 value war and the other expense less. I immediately reserved it and delighted in the endorphin surge that comes from saving $20.

Fabricate Quality Is Good

At the point when I saw the Model 3, I nearly tumbled to my knees in stun. It was so wonderful! However, it wasn't the magnificence that astounded me — it was the reality it didn't look monstrous into close. I completely expected to feel an excruciating feeling in my eyes because of defects from Tesla's broadly terrible form quality.

At the point when Model 3s initially came out, new proprietors posted recordings of freak mobiles seeming as though they were rushed out by previous Trabant assembly line laborers fired for messiness. Other Tesla vehicles have had comparative issues. I was given a ride in one of the principal Model Xs to show up in Australia and — after a long period of driving Japanese and Korean vehicles — I had no issue recognizing different little blemishes that caused it to seem bent outsider calculations had been associated with its production. I was stunned at how modest the inside showed up in a particularly costly vehicle. In the event that you at any point need to snatch me, there's no compelling reason to take me out. Simply drive me into the boot of an early run Model X, and I'll pass out from the helpless weld quality in there.

In any case, subsequent to looking at this Model 3, I would now be able to say — in light of an example of one — that Tesla can assemble a vehicle just as anybody. I've even heard vehicles created in the new Chinese production line have superb form quality on the grounds that even American organizations can gain as a matter of fact and join enhancements into another industrial facility.

Inside and Styling Is Fine

At the point when I got in the Model 3, I thought the inside looked fine, aside from the reality somebody had taken every one of the dials from the scramble and covered up the wrongdoing with a wooden board. In any case, incidentally, that is the manner in which it's intended to be. All showcases and helper controls are on the huge, focal, contact delicate screen that resembles a goliath cell phone. There are no vents for cooling. All things considered, everything smothers from under the board.

I loved the straightforwardness, however it took me a little while to become accustomed to looking left to check my speed rather than through the guiding wheel, as you do in vehicles with dials there rather than termite feed. Because of the time it took me to change, I figure Tesla might be losing deals when individuals test drive it basically on the grounds that it feels odd from the start. Maybe they ought to have somewhat discretionary, removable, speedometer show they can stick before individuals stepping through it for an examination drive.

The Roof Is Glass

Something strange about the Tesla 3 is its rooftop is a major section of glass. Luckily, the rental vehicle proprietor was savvy enough to put a fabric covering over the rooftop inside to keep the goddamn sun out. A bay window with wheels might be decent in Norway, Newark, and Narnia yet I figure we can manage without the additional warmth here. The glass is blessed to receive block infrared, however 43% of daylight energy is noticeable, and that will come straight through and warm the inside. Particularly if the upholstery is dull, which the least expensive choice is.

Tesla Model 3 Comfort

The Model 3 is a vehicle made for Americans. There's a lot of room inside, and the seats are reasonable for enormous behinds. They can likewise be changed differently, and the vehicle recalls how you like it.

In contrast to the Tesla S, a games vehicle, you sit higher in the Model 3, which makes it a lot simpler to get in and out of. So in the event that you are versatility disabled or fat upgraded a Model 3 is probably going to be a superior decision.

The cooling is amazing, calm, and viable. Model 3s currently accompany a warmth siphon, keeping its reach from dropping as much in chilly climate. This is a valuable component for Australians, despite the fact that we don't have Norwegian style winters. The warmth siphon might be fundamental now the Model 3 SR+ will accompany a Chinese battery that dislike the virus.

Generally speaking, I'd say the Tesla Model 3 is an entirely agreeable vehicle particularly on the off chance that you don't drive it. At the point when I took it out and about, I found — actually like the Tesla S — the ride isn't exactly pretty much as smooth as I'd anticipate from a vehicle at its value point.

The Journey Begins

The vehicle's proprietor's name was Gottfried, and he was extremely useful when I got it. He clarified its highlights, responded to my inquiries, and took me for a little showing ride. He likewise revealed to me the rental time frame just started after the direction, which was valued.

I soon as I had the vehicle to myself, I went to get my companion, the charming and lively Vanessa. In any case, she is only a companion since we're both half-Dutch. We can never wed since we'd risk one fourth of our youngsters being conceived full Dutch and submitting unspeakable detestations like putting mayonnaise on chips, moving to Lake Eyre to live beneath ocean level, and eating bananas topsy turvy like chimpanzees.

Ride Could Be Smoother

Our first objective was Port Wakefield, which was named back a long time before TV, when an intriguing field was sufficient to keep individuals conscious. In transit, Vanessa concurred the ride wasn't just about as smooth as she expected for a $72,000 vehicle. There are a couple of reasons why we felt the knocks somewhat more than we suspected was reasonable:

Electric vehicles have high effectiveness, low moving obstruction tires and they will in general be hard.

It wasn't a test drive, so salesmen hadn't under-expanded the tires to make the ride smoother.

The battery weight implies Tesla couldn't just duplicate the suspension of customary vehicles.

Tesla essentially hasn't put however much work into calibrating the suspension that they could have.

The vehicle is stacked with sensors, so I'm a little astounded it doesn't see knocks coming and consequently changes the suspension to redress. Possibly that will be a future component.

In the event that I'd taken my Hyundai Getz, the ride would have been quite much bumpier, so I'm not saying the perfection of the Model 3's ride is awful. I'm trying to say it very well may be better.

Has a sense of security

The vehicle feels consistent, with a lot of footing. I generally had a sense of security while cornering, in any event, when I was being a thrill seeker and going quicker than the notice sign proposed. Because of its lighter battery pack and more modest size, it didn't have the equivalent totally stuck to the street sensation of the Tesla S, yet it actually felt better compared to any non-Tesla vehicle I've driven.

It Has "Autopilot"

In the wake of doing combating our way to the core of the Port Wakefield city, we halted for food — a serving of mixed greens move for me and a serving of mixed greens fixed for Vanessa — and afterward made a beeline for Snowtown. Since the vehicle had less reach than Tesla drove me to expect1. also, on the grounds that Gottfried had taken me for a little exhibit ride, I was careful about proceeding with my unique arrangement: going from Adelaide to Snowtown and afterward the Clare Supercharger. All things considered, as per both my computations and the actual vehicle, we would have sufficient battery charge to make it.

In transit, I played with the vehicle's voyage control. Tesla alludes to its high level voyage control as "Autopilot", however that is a bologna name.

To find out more and subscribe to Electric Singularity on YouTube for exclusive videos.

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#tesla #tesla model 3 #tesla motors #tesla model s convertible #tesla manufacturing unit #electric singularity

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spacetimewithstuartgary · 4 years

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Whatever Sea Level Rise Brings, NASA Will Be There Greenland and coastal Louisiana may not seem to have a lot in common. An autonomous territory of Denmark, Greenland is covered in snow most of the year and is home to about 56,000 people. On the other hand, more than 2 million people call coastal Louisiana home and the region rarely sees snow. But their economies, though 3,400 miles (5,400 kilometers) apart, share a dependence on the sea. The majority of Greenland's residents rely on the territory's robust Arctic fishing industry. And in Louisiana, the coasts, ports and wetlands provide the basis for everything from shipping to fishing to tourism. As a result, both locales and the people who live in them are linked by a common environmental thread: melting ice and consequent sea level rise. Thanks to altimetry missions, beginning with the U.S.-French TOPEX / Poseidon mission launched in 1992 and continuing through the present with the Jason series, we now have a nearly three-decade-long record of sea level change. Similarly, because of missions like the U.S.-German Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and its successor, GRACE Follow-On, we know a lot more about what the ice is doing than we used to, especially at the poles. For instance, we know that Greenland lost 600 billion tons of ice last summer alone. That's enough to raise global sea levels by a tenth of an inch (2.2 millimeters). We also know that both Greenland and Antarctica are losing ice six times faster than they were in the 1990s. These numbers matter because frozen within all of the glaciers and ice sheets is enough water to raise global sea levels by more than 195 feet (60 meters) - key word here being "global." Ice that melts in Greenland and Antarctica, for example, increases the volume of water in the ocean as a whole and can lead to flooding far from where the melting occurred, like in coastal communities half a world away. In addition to using satellite data to monitor sea levels and ice melt, NASA scientists are observing the seas from a closer vantage point. "The satellites tell us it's happening. But we want to know why - what's causing it?" said Josh Willis of the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "Generally speaking, it's global warming. But in a specific sense, how much is it the melting of polar ice sheets as opposed to glaciers? And how much is it ocean warming and thermal expansion?" he said, referring to how water expands as it warms. "Most importantly, what's going to happen in the future?" Willis is the principal investigator for NASA's Ocean's Melting Greenland (OMG), an air and ship-borne mission designed to answer some of these questions. OMG maps and measures the height of glaciers along Greenland's coast each year. It also measures the temperature and salinity of the ocean around the coastline and has developed precision maps of the ocean floor there. Combined, these datasets reveal to scientists how Greenland's glaciers are responding to changes both in the warming waters below them and in the warming air above them. "The satellites are telling us how much global sea level is rising, but the airborne and shipborne data are really telling us how much Greenland is contributing to it, and what's causing Greenland to contribute to it," Willis said. "It's a piece of a much bigger puzzle, but it's an important piece because Greenland alone has enough ice to raise global sea levels by 25 feet [7.6 meters]." Melting Here, Flooding There As the ice melts in one part of the world, elsewhere, coastal communities in particular wrangle with the consequences - the most common: flooding. High-tide flooding, where seawater spills onto land and into low-lying communities when the tide comes in, has doubled in the last 30 years. Other factors, such as ocean currents, the terrain and subsidence, or land sinking, also influence a region's susceptibility to flooding. In addition to measuring global sea level changes, NASA scientists are working with land and resource managers to help them understand and mitigate these regional flooding risks. "A lot of coastal communities are working to identify particular parts of their towns where there have been flooding issues, and they are trying to adopt strategies to lessen the impact of sea level rise and flooding in those areas," said JPL's Ben Hamlington, head of the Sea Level Change Science Team. "We're often able to provide the high-resolution information that they need to make important decisions, particularly in terms of subsidence, which can differ quite a bit over even short distances." Because subsidence is so variable - it can occur in measurements of less than an inch to feet, and over areas of a few acres to many miles - it is an important factor in assessing and responding to flood risk. For example, in a 2017 study of Hampton Roads, Virginia, an area prone to flooding, NASA scientists, including Hamlington (who was with Old Dominion University at the time), detected major differences in the rate of subsidence in areas just a few miles apart. "It highlights the fact that subsidence information should be incorporated into land use decisions and taken into consideration for future planning, including at the local level," Hamlington said. In order to get crucial information like this into the hands of stakeholders, Hamlington's team is working on a new, interactive sea level assessment tool. Available in coming weeks on the agency's sea level website, it will provide quantitative information, based on NASA observations, on sea level rise in the coastal U.S. and the processes driving it. Disaster Response One reason floods are among the most common natural disasters in the U.S., resulting in billions of dollars in damage each year, is that they can be caused by a number of factors, including excessive rainfall, snowmelt, levee or dam failures, or storm surges from hurricanes. In other words, flooding is a threat that effects nearly every region of the U.S. NASA's role continues even after a flood has occurred. The agency regularly provides relief groups and response agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with crucial satellite-derived data and decision-support maps when flooding events occur. "It can be difficult to assess the extent of flooding from the ground because flood waters can recede and flood extent can disappear in a matter of hours," said JPL's Sang-Ho Yun, Disaster Response lead on NASA's Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) team. "After an earthquake, damaged buildings stay damaged until they are repaired. But flood extent is like a ghost - it is there and then it disappears." Earth-observing satellites can fill in some of the blanks. Using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that penetrates clouds and rain, day and night, including data acquired by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1 and Japan's ALOS-2 satellites, Yun and the ARIA team can identify areas that are likely flooded. "In the satellite radar data, the bare ground has its own roughness, but when you cover the ground with smooth water, it becomes like a mirror," Yun said. "When the radar signal from the satellite hits the bare ground, it reflects back to the satellite. But when the signal hits water on the surface instead, it actually reflects away from the satellite, so flooded areas appear darker than normal." Yun's team processes the satellite data to produce flood maps (like this one) that FEMA and other agencies can use in their disaster response efforts. NASA's Disasters Program, in the agency's Earth Science Division, also provides extremely useful information on the use of Earth observations in the prediction of, preparation for, response to and recovery from natural disasters like flooding. The NASA Disasters Mapping Portal provides access to near real-time data products and maps of disaster areas. The flood dashboard, which brings together observations and products from NASA, the National Weather Service and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to provide a more complete picture of the extent of flooding, is also publicly accessible. In some way or other, the effects of sea level rise, whether direct or indirect, will touch us all. But from Greenland to Louisiana to coastal regions around the world, NASA continues to provide key insight into our rising seas and how to navigate the effects of sea level rise. TOP IMAGE....The Mississippi River Delta contains vast areas of marshes, swamps and barrier islands - important for wildlife and as protective buffers against storms and hurricanes. Rapid land subsidence due to sediment compaction and dewatering increases the rate of submergence in this system. Credit: K.L. McKee / U.S. Geological Survey LOWER IMAGE....Photo from a 2017 survey of Greenland conducted by NASA's Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

#space #science #environment #earth sciences #global warming #climate change

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sciencespies · 3 years

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The Amazon May Now Actually Be Making Climate Change Worse, Scientists Warn

https://sciencespies.com/environment/the-amazon-may-now-actually-be-making-climate-change-worse-scientists-warn/

The Amazon May Now Actually Be Making Climate Change Worse, Scientists Warn

It’s no secret that the world’s largest tropical rainforest, the Amazon, is under immense pressure, nearing an ecological tipping point and at risk of collapsing.

But the situation is much worse than perhaps we realize, according to new research that suggests the Amazon’s bleak future has arrived in the wake of rampant deforestation.

The new research – the most comprehensive assessment of the Amazon Basin’s influence on global climate to date – found that with fires, drought, and land clearing, the forest is releasing more heat-trapping gases than it stores in plants and soil.

This means the Amazon is most likely warming Earth’s atmosphere, not cooling it, and the worrisome effect is only expected to grow, says the group of over 30 scientists behind this work.

Moreover, the jungle can no longer be counted on to help offset greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, namely burning fossil fuels, that are squandering our remaining global carbon budget.

What sets this research apart is that unlike previous studies, this research tallies up all the climate-warming gases cycling through the Amazon Basin and into the atmosphere, and assesses the direct impacts of human activities on one of the largest carbon stores on Earth.

“Cutting [down] the forest is interfering with its carbon uptake; that’s a problem,” ecologist and lead author Kristofer Covey, at Skidmore College in New York, told National Geographic.

“But when you start to look at these other factors alongside CO2, it gets really hard to see how the net effect isn’t that the Amazon as a whole is really warming global climate.”

By and large, ecological studies and climate research on the Amazon Basin have focused squarely on the forest’s uptake and storage of CO2, and rightly so – CO2 makes up the bulk of humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions, which in the Amazon, are driven largely by forest degradation.

So severe is forest loss in the Amazon that some scientists have estimated the rainforest could flip from a carbon sink into a carbon source that releases more CO2 than it can hold as soon as 2035.

Researchers are also worried that with illegal land-clearing activities on the rise, the region is rapidly approaching a catastrophic ‘tipping point‘ where the Amazon is pushed to the brink and turns into a whole other, much drier ecosystem.

But CO2 is not the lone factor influencing Earth’s climate, and the Amazon Basin is not simple to study either, with its mountainous montane forests, mangrove wetlands, and river systems straddling nine countries in South America.

The two other big-name agents of climate change are nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). These gases don’t last nearly as long in the atmosphere as CO2, but they are far more potent as greenhouse gases – trapping 300 times more heat per molecule than CO2, in the case of N2O.

Globally, emissions of both methane and nitrous oxide have increased substantially in the past decade or two. And now, with this analysis and the graphic below, we can appreciate how these lesser-studied gases tip the scales in the Amazon, specifically.

(Covey et al., Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 2021)

Above: Greenhouse gases cycling through the Amazon.

Analyzing existing data on greenhouse gas emissions and the combined effects of human impacts across the Amazon Basin, the researchers showed how the Amazon is probably worsening climate change by emitting more gases than it naturally absorbs.

Never before has a study of the Amazon Basin assessed data in such a way to consider the full suite of forest-climate interactions, which the study authors called a “daunting task” and “the central challenge limiting our understanding of the Amazon’s global climate impact”.

The ecosystem-wide analysis also gets deep in the gritty details, because given how huge the Amazon Basin is, even seemingly small changes in the amount of greenhouse gases absorbed or released by the forest (and its microbe-rich soils) add up to massive upheavals across the entire ecosystem.

Prolonged droughts decrease the Amazon’s ability to absorb CO2, and increase the chance of wildfires – which in 2019 burned at a record rate. Just like the illegal fires lit to clear land, these wildfires turn trees into soot particles that absorb sunlight and turn up the dial on atmospheric temperatures.

Meanwhile, industry-driven deforestation, up 60 percent since 2012 in the Brazilian Amazon, clears thousands upon thousands of square kilometers of forest each year for mining and agriculture, churning up soils, changing rainfall patterns, and increasing how much sunlight the Amazon reflects back into the atmosphere where greenhouse gases await.

Add to this equation dam building, extractive mining practices, seasonal flooding, severe storms, soil compaction for farmlands and grazing cattle – all of which are changing the forest and its emissions – and it’s understandable how the researchers were able to come to such a calamitous conclusion.

The team does acknowledge a large degree of uncertainty in their results, which they put down to a lack of data from some parts of the Amazon, especially its snaking river systems, and the unique ecological features of a forest so big it creates its own climate.

Yet even so, with the data that are available, the resounding result from their analysis is that the Amazon is releasing more heat-trapping gases than it stores, creating a net warming effect in Earth’s atmosphere.

Protecting the Amazon is now more urgent than ever before and that includes curbing deforestation and restoring Indigenous lands rights.

The research was published in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change.

#Environment

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foodreceipe · 3 years

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Reviving America’s Forgotten Boozy, Fruity Election Cake

These cakes helped elections feel like a party.

by Anne Ewbank October 30, 2020

Election cake was meant to be dense, rich, and filling.

While paging through the first known cookbook written in the United States, Amelia Simmons’s 1796 American Cookery, you’ll find quite a few recipes that seem familiar. There’s the pumpkin pie, the roast turkey, and even the “cookey.” But one recipe stands out, both due to its name and its gargantuan proportions: the Election Cake.

American Cookery’s recipe calls for 14 pounds of sugar, 12 pounds of raisins, and oodles of spices, along with both wine and brandy for flavor. These rich ingredients, expensive and rare when the book was published, speak to how Election Day used to be celebrated. Early Americans, flocking to town from their rural homesteads to cast their ballots, treated the occasion like a party, with the alcohol and food to match. Women, who at the time were denied the vote, provided refreshments to voters in the form of a dense, buttery cake, flexing political power in the only way allowed to them.

There are a few elements that defined Election Cakes. Studded with dried fruits and flavored with booze, they evoked fruitcake, as they were based off of the “great cakes” that were once served in England for special occasions. These cakes were usually naturally leavened with yeast that the baker would have made herself—essentially, a sourdough starter. But the texture was definitely more dense and cakey, due to the addition of eggs, sugar, and lots of butter. The only way to bake such gargantuan cakes was in large communal ovens, the only ones that could accommodate their girth.

That’s all according to Maia Surdam, a historian who brought Election Cake back into the limelight during the presidential election in 2016. Surdam, whose research has focused on agriculture, labor, and women’s history, is the co-owner of OWL Bakery in Asheville, North Carolina. Four years ago, she and bakery founder Susannah Gebhart started baking their version of the old-school civic sweet, based on a recipe developed by bread expert Richard Miscovich.

They had been inspired, Surdam explains, by the cake’s history as a woman’s way of participating in the electoral process. Dense and rich, the cake provided fuel for weary voters, many of whom had traveled long distances to cast their ballot. Both the large numbers of people flooding into town and the special food and drink laid out for the occasion turned Election Day into a thrilling holiday.

Surdam also notes that, in 2016, it seemed poignant to revive the cake at a moment when the United States could have very well had its first female president. After all, explains Surdam, the Election Cake was an artifact from a time when women couldn’t vote at all, much less run for office. Nevertheless, “there were these informal channels and through which they influenced the culture around voting and democracy.”

The unexpected popularity of OWL Bakery’s Election Cake made for an exciting, if tiring year for the business. Interviewed by the BBC and All Things Considered, the bakery owners found themselves shipping cakes across the nation to eaters eager to try them, donating part of the profits to the League of Women Voters, while providing a free recipe for curious bakers to try at home. It was an Election Cake frenzy. “We pulled it off,” says Surdam. “But it was really difficult!” Even so, the bakery has since made Election Cake for every local and national election. Surdam sees it as a sort of mission, “in the spirit of promoting democracy, and trying to encourage people to bring back a sense of revelry and excitement around the voting process.”

But in 2020, Surdam found herself facing some doubts on whether to make Election Cake or not. It’s been a fantastically difficult year in the United States on all fronts, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and a national reckoning on racial justice. She hesitated to celebrate an election that, for many, feels like an extremely serious matter.

While yeast-raised cakes largely disappeared after the advent of artificial leavening, Surdam also notes that election-day rituals may have faded from the American consciousness for an ugly reason. “As more Americans have gained the right to vote, there has also been this decline of sorts of our celebration and our excitement around voting,” she says. “Early on, when the Election Cake was first made, it was during the time when it was mostly propertied white men who could vote.” But things changed, and that change was an affront to many who saw new voters as a threat.

“When we look at the history of women’s suffrage, and we look at the history of Black Americans and other racial minorities trying to get the right to vote, their voting was not met with revelry and excitement,” she says, with women jailed and Black Americans “beaten and killed” for attempting to cast a ballot. “It was a hard fight. And it’s still an ongoing fight,” she says. Such tension doesn’t exactly lend itself to celebration.

Similarly, under the cloud of 2020, it was hard for Surdam to think about making Election Cake. “This is a very stressful election for me, personally, and I think for a lot of people,” she says. However, she recently had a change of heart. “It became clear to me recently, again, that the point of the election is not to honor a specific candidate or to hope for a specific outcome of an election, but to honor the tradition of using food to celebrate democracy,” she says.

“And so,” she concludes, “we will make cake. We made it last weekend. I took it to the tailgate market and had such a great time talking to people about the history. And we raised money for the League of Women Voters and it felt so good. Now, I’m going back to the bakery today to make more.”

Election Cake

Recipe courtesy of OWL Bakery. Adapted by Susannah Gebhart for OWL Bakery from Richard Miscovich’s formula.

Day 1

Prepare Preferment

If using a sourdough starter: 240 milliliters whole milk ~70º F (280 grams) ¼ cup active starter, 100% hydrated (75 grams) 2 ¼ cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour (280 grams)

If using instant yeast: 275 milliliters milk ~70º F (320 grams) ¼ teaspoon instant yeast (1 gram) 2 ¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour (320 grams)

Combine the milk and sourdough starter or yeast and mix thoroughly until the starter or yeast is well dispersed in the milk mixture. Add the flour and mix vigorously until the starter is consistent and smooth. Scrape the sides of your bowl and cover it with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Allow your starter to ferment for 8-12 hours at room temperature. When your preferment has bubbles covering the surface, it’s ready to use.

Soak Dried Fruits

If you plan to use dried fruits in your cake, first soak them overnight or for several hours beforehand. Measure out around a cup and a half of dried fruit (think raisins, chopped dried apricots, or cranberries) and cover with liquor (such as brandy or sherry) or a nonalcoholic liquid of choice (try apple cider, juice, or steeped tea) in a small sauce pot. Warm the pan over a low heat for a few minutes, then remove it from the heat and allow the fruit to soak, covered, overnight or at least for several hours.

Before incorporating the fruit into your cake, strain the liquid off. You can use this liquid to make a simple glaze after the cake is baked.

Day 2

Prepare Final Dough, Proof, and Bake

1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams) ¾ cup unrefined sugar (155 grams) 2 eggs (100 grams) 1/3 cup whole-milk yogurt (85 grams) ¼ cup sorghum or honey (60 grams) Preferment (560 / 635 grams) 2 ¼ cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour (280 grams) 2 tablespoons spice blend of warm spices such as ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, clove, star anise, or mace (12 grams) ¼ teaspoon ground coriander (1 gram) ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (1 gram) 2 teaspoons salt (12 grams) 2 tablespoons sherry or another fortified wine, optional (30 grams) 2 cups rehydrated fruit (300 grams)

With a paddle attachment in a stand mixer, cream the butter very well, then add the sugar, mixing until it’s very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time on medium speed. Mix in the sorghum or honey and yogurt.

Exchange the paddle with a dough hook. Add the preferment (starter or sponge) and mix until just incorporated. Combine all of the dry ingredients before adding them to the liquid ingredients and mix until just incorporated, being careful not to over-mix. Gently fold in the sherry (optional) and rehydrated fruit.

Divide evenly into a bundt pan or cake rounds that have been buttered and lightly floured. OWL Bakery uses mini bundt pans, which yield 8–10 cakes. Proof for 2-4 hours, until the cake has risen by about ⅓ of its volume.

Bake at 375° F (190° C) for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350° F (177° C) and continue baking for about 25–30 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting and eating. You may enjoy this cake plain or topped with a simple glaze.

Gastro Obscura covers the world’s most wondrous food and drink. Sign up for our email, delivered twice a week.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-election-cake

#Election Cake

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johnboothus · 3 years

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Wine 101: Spain

This episode of Wine 101 is sponsored by Las Rocas Wines. Las Rocas Wines hail from Calatayud, an arid hilly region in the northeast of Spain, where the air is dry and the terrain is unforgiving. Against all odds, Garnacha vines thrive here on the steep, rocky slopes of Calatayud. Producing grapes with a signature palate of spice and minerality, these robust vines — some more than 100 years old — lend their lively spirit and character to all the Las Rocas wines. Sample the rich and full bodied flavors of Spain, Las Rocas Wine.

In this episode, VinePair tastings director Keith Beavers begins what will be a long, thorough journey into Spanish wine. He begins the episode by emphasizing that the country is a big topic to cover on a single episode of “Wine 101,” but insists regardless that “Spanish wine is fun.”

An influx of Spanish wine has hit American markets in the last few years, and a new generation of winemakers is constantly reimagining traditional Spanish grapes. Some grapes, like Tempranillo and Garnacha (called “Grenache” in France) are already very popular and simply seeing a renewed demand for their classic forms. Others, like Rioja, are being aged in new ways, so Beavers suggests that “Wine 101” fans try to get their hands on whatever new, interesting Spanish wines they can find.

Part of why it would be unfair to try to cover this country in just one episode is the fact that Spain is made up of 138 unique regions, each ranked within a seven-tier appellation system. Beavers runs through this entire system, which defines grapes both by where they are grown, as well as by any necessary aging requirements. He touches on the biggest grapes grown in Spain, and illustrates the country’s diverse terrain by tracing through its entire geography. Along the way, he links different areas to multiple grapes, wines, and more information to come.

Listen Online

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Or Check out the Conversation Here

My name is Keith Beavers, and I just want to buy a nice pair of sunglasses and not lose them. Once!

What’s going on, wine lovers? Welcome to Episode 31 of VinePair’s “Wine 101” podcast. My name is Keith Beavers. I am the tastings director of VinePair. And how you doin’? I’m going to talk about Spain, the entire country — all of it — in 20 minutes. That’s crazy. Right? Well, we’re crazy. Let’s just do this.

All right. So I think this is the first episode where we’re actually going to cover an entire country, not just one wine region. And it’s a lot, so we’re not going to be able to get to the entire thing, of course. But I feel like Spain is popular on the American market for a few things in wine. You have Cava — well, first you have Rioja ‘cause it’s Rioja. We all know about Rioja, and you have Cava, which is very popular. And then there are other wines that come out of Spain that are popular in certain areas of the country and not so much in others.

And you have some Spanish wine that you’d be like, “Wow, this is really affordable and it’s Spanish, but what is Calatayud?” So it’s a little bit confusing. The Spanish presence on our market has kind of been spotty, if you will. But down the road, we’re going to start talking about Spanish wine regions. So this is an opportunity to kind of just do a general overview of the country — not going to go too deep into craziness here. The history of this country is deep. Just as much as any other European wine-producing country, if not more so than others, because the Iberian peninsula has been the staging ground for a lot of political maneuvering throughout history, military maneuvering throughout history, its proximity to France and England. It’s just awesome.

In one day, as we go through different regions in the future, we can really get more of a sense of all that human maneuvering throughout history in Spain. This country has 17 autonomous regions with provinces within those regions, has 12 general wine regions with wine regions within those regions, totaling 138 wine regions.

There are 138 wine regions in Spain alone, and across all those 138 regions are vines that are mostly indigenous to Spain. Grapes like Tempranillo, Garnacha, Verdejo, Palomino, Pedro Ximenez, Graciano, Godello, all these beautiful names for all these awesome grapes. And aside from Tempranillo and Garnacha, which is “Grenache,” as they say it in France, you may not have heard of these varieties.

So there’s a lot in Spain, so to get to all of it in a small episode is just not going to do it. But if we talk about geography, that hasn’t changed. The human stuff has changed, but the geography is the same. So we’re going to talk about an overview from 30,000 feet, whatever that saying is, and show you what Spain is. So that when we get into it later on, you get an idea of it. So the way I understand Spain is that I look at the entire country, and I see sections. I see a northern coastal section, and that runs all the way from Galicia in the west, all the way to the Pyrenees in the east, which borders France. And it’s about the top third of the country. And this part of the country is heavily influenced by the Bay of Biscay. And this area is pretty rainy. Actually the annual rainfall is about 60 inches per year. And because just inland is a mountain range, the Spanish call these mountain ranges “cordilleras,” and the mountain range kind of keeps the rain and that kind of coastal influence in this area of the country.

It gets in and out, it kind of goes inland a little bit sometimes. And of course all this affects the vines that grow there. And then I see, just over those mountains going south, there’s another section, and this is basically called the — I call it the valley section. You have two main rivers. You have the Ebro River, which flows to the Mediterranean to the east. And then you have the Duero River, which flows West through Portugal to the Atlantic. And this is where the famous Rioja region is. But other great wine regions like Ribeiro are here. And this area is getting a little bit warmer. The mountains, the cordilleras, they actually protect this area from the rain over to the north that’s influenced by the Biscay Bay. And here, you only get 17 inches a year, whereas just north on the other side of the mountains, you get 60. So it’s a definite decrease, it’s warmer, and it’s mostly influenced by these rivers.

Then I look at the east coast of Spain, and actually run the east coast all the way through to the southern coast. And this is basically just all Mediterranean influence, just like southern France, just like Italy. It has a Mediterranean climate, so it has a nice, mild winter. Warm summers. It’s a great vacation spot, grapes gradually ripen. They love the area. There’s some awesome wines being made. This is where this is where Cava is made. This is where awesome red wines from the grape Monastrell come from.

And then down to the southern part of Spain is also Mediterranean, but it’s a lot hotter down here. And this is where this very famous wine called sherry is made, and we’re going to have an entire episode on sherry. It’s a very unique kind of wine that is fermented in a very unique kind of yeast called “flor” that results in something completely crazy.

So that’s a little area called Jerez, the name of this area is called Andalucia. But then after you see all that, what you have here in what takes up almost the entire center of this country is what is called the Meseta Central, which is just one big, massive plateau. And it rises up to like 3,000 feet above sea level.

And it’s blisteringly hot in the summers. And it’s extremely cold in the winters because it’s so high up there. And here, we have all different kinds of wine. One of the largest wine-producing regions in Spain, Castilla La Mancha, I got to say, I don’t know if I’m pronouncing this stuff right. I really hope I’m doing some of these names a little bit of justice.

The most planted grape across all of this is a grape called Airén, and it’s a white wine grape, and you’re not going to see a lot of it on the American market. But the most planted red grape is, of course, Tempranillo. And we all know Tempranillo because it’s part of the Rioja region’s wine. They also have a wine called Graciano. But Tempranillo grows all over Spain. After that, in a little bit less amount, is Garnacha. And then a little blending variety called Robal.

But it’s when we start getting into these geographic climatic uniquenesses that we start seeing these grapes that thrive in these areas alone. I mean, there are certain grapes that are grown in multiple regions, but there are grapes that are actually defined by a region. For example, in the extreme northwest of Spain in that top third I was talking about earlier is the province of Galicia. And in Galicia, there’s Tempranillo, there’s a grape called Palomino there which is also grown in the sherry region. There’s a really awesome white grape called Godello there. It’s really awesome. But this region is mostly defined by the grape Albariño. And even though you might see Albariño from other places in Spain, this is Albariño’s home. This is where there’s some of the best examples of that grape are.

If you go down the east coast or the southern part of the east coast of Spain is a place called Jumilla, and Jumilla has Garnacha, they have Tempranillo. But that place is really known for Monastrell. In France, they call this grape Mourvedre, but it is actually native to Spain, and they call it Monastrell. And Monastrell is awesome stuff. You can find this on the American market absolutely. And then you have just north of that on the same coast, but up in the north, in a province called Catalonia. This is where Cava is made. And the grapes that grow here are just awesome. And their names are great Chalello, Macabeo.

But in general, you can kind of get sense of this. The east coast is the Mediterranean climate. So the wines, even at the headquarters, have a good amount of acidity to them, they’re going to have some depth because of the sun. And then you have the northern region, which is going to be kind of rainy. And it’s going to have a lot of acidity in their wines. Then you’re going to have the valley wines and the Ebro and the Duero where you have the Riojas there and you have these intense, Tempranillo-based wines.

Sometimes, they have a nice acidity to them. Sometimes, they’re a little more powerful, just because it’s a river area. And that changes just depending on where the river is. Then you have that plain area, the Meseta Central, which is a little bit crazy, just because of the extremes. But you’ll have these big, full-bodied red wines and not really a lot of white wines. And again, in the future, as we get more into these specific individual regions, we’ll get into more details about that.

But one thing I wanted to convey to you guys is, one thing that’s confusing about Europe in general, is their appellation systems. Every country has their own appellation system, and it’s not as loose as the American Viticultural Area system that we have in the United States or any of the New World areas like New Zealand or South Africa, Argentina. The appellation system was sort of created in Europe and the French were the first to really kind of map out what an appellation system is and the rules and the laws that are in place to define an area that is demarcated for wine. And every time a country attempts to either copy or base their appellation system off the French appellation system, which everyone basically does, it gets a little bit complicated because it’s not France, it’s their own country. And they have their own things to take care of. I guess what I mean is every country is individual and they have their own issues to work through to create a system that’s cohesive and organized, and it doesn’t always work right away.

It’s happened in every country — it even happened in France. And in Spain, it’s very, very recent. In Spain, the appellation system was initially just called a “DO” denomination of origin, but in Spanish. And that was created early on in the 20th century. But then as the country is brought into the EU, things start to change. And the appellation system in Spain has been adjusted a few times. And there’s no reason to go into what that was. It will just be confusing. So we’ll talk about what the appellation system in Spain is now, so you understand what you’re looking at when you’re at a wine shop.

OK. So first you have a “DOP,” which is a larger wine region. It’s called a “Protected Denomination of Origin”. Within that DOP, you have a consortium that regulates all of the actions that happen within that wine region. From yield number to alcohol strengths, to all that kind of stuff. Then within the DOPs, you have a “DOCA,” which is a Denomination of Qualified Origin, which is a very strict area of wine-making that is holding onto a legacy like the Barolo region in Italy. It’s kind of on that level. And there are only two of those in all of Spain, which is, one is Priorat and one is Rioja. And then below that is just “DO” Denomination of Origin. This is the original idea for the Spanish appellation system, but now it’s incorporated into a lower tier to just define a specific region within a DOP.

I know this is a little bit confusing, but this is how it works. And within a “DOP” or “DOCA” or “DO,” there can be a “Vino de Pago.” And this is what’s called an estate wine, it’s a wine made from a single estate. It’s an indication of quality on the level of, “Hey, we control the entire production from growing the grapes to making the wine, to bottling it. We are in complete control. This is an estate wine.” And then below that you have something called a Vino de Calidad. And these are for wines that are in a “DO” but don’t meet the qualifications of the “DO,” but still giving them some sort of legitimacy. And it just means quality wine with a geographic indication, within the “DO”.

Then underneath there is the IGP or protected geographical indication, which is kind of like the Calidad, but it’s more within the region. Instead of making it within a DO and just not meeting the rules, it’s about making a wine within a protected area that may not be part of the DO rules. I know, this is insane. And then you have just the Vino de Mesa, which is just a general term for a wine made in Spain, we don’t know where the grapes are coming from, but it’s a wine and it’s in a bottle and it’s from Spain and you’re drinking.

That’s a lot, it’s like a six-tier system, not including the whole DOP general system. So it’s basically a seven-tier system. And what’s really kind of confusing is for example, the “DOCA” is called “DOCQ” in the Catalan. And sometimes, there are regions that could be a “DOCA”, which is like the strictest of the strict, but they don’t want to. They just want to be a DO. They’re fine with the old system.

So it’s still kind of in flux, still working. And within all of these regions and all of these levels, 138 regions, there are three aging levels of wine, and it’s across Spain, but not all regions use it. They’re really well known in Rioja and Ribera del Duero, but it’s just the aging requirements for a wine. First you have “joven,” which means young and this wine can be released immediately or it can see a few months in oak. Whatever you want to do. It’s just a very young, vibrant wine. Then you have “crianza,” which just means bringing up, which is sort of like bringing up the young wine into something else. And this is what’s very famous, like, for example, in Rioja where a wine needs to see at least one year in oak barrels for whites, it’s six months in oak barrels.

Then you have “reserva,” which is a wine that needs to see at least three years of aging. And then one of those years should be in barrel. For whites, it’s two years and at least six months in barrel, then you have “gran reserva,” which is wines that see at least five years of aging with two years in an oak barrel and a minimum of three years in the bottle and for white wines and rosés it’s four years and six months.

Now again, this is going to be a little bit more in-depth when we go into each region, we’ll talk about whether they do that or not, and what they actually do and what grapes they grow and which ones they age, which ones they don’t age. But that’s Spain. That’s Spain’s geography.

That is Spain’s crazy active wine laws. The thing with Spain is that we’re watching this country evolve in its wine industry before our eyes, and Spanish wine is on the American market more than it ever was before. And it’s a very exciting time in Spanish wine right now. We have these younger generations of winemakers that are going back to the old ways, finding older varieties that may not have had the love they had before. Changing their aging regimes and how they plant vines and everything.

It’s a very exciting time. And we’re really going to see in the next 10, 15, 20 years more and more wines from these 138 different regions being celebrated on the American market. So for now, just go and buy Spanish wine. Go to a wine shop, and if you already know Rioja or if you know a Spanish wine region very well, go into a wine shop and ask for something outside of what you know, and kind of get a sense of Spain.

It’s a good time to get into Spain now, so as these wines become more and more popular in the American market, you’ll be more informed. Pretty fun. I mean guys, Spanish wine is fun. I can’t wait to talk about all the individual stuff. It’s going to be fun.

If you’re digging what I’m doing, picking up what I’m putting down, go ahead and give me a rating on iTunes or tell your friends to subscribe. You can subscribe. If you like to type, go ahead and send a review or something like that, but let’s get this wine podcast out so that everybody can learn about wine.

Check me out on Instagram. It’s @vinepairkeith. I do all my stuff in stories. And also, you got to follow VinePair on Instagram, which is @vinepair. And don’t forget to listen to the VinePair Podcast, which is hosted by Adam and Zach. It’s a great deep dive into drinks culture every week.

Now, for some credits. How about that? Wine 101 is recorded and produced by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin. I also want to thank Danielle Grinberg for making the most legit Wine 101 logo. And I got to thank Darby Cicci for making this amazing song: Listen to this epic stuff. And finally, I want to thank the VinePair staff for helping me learn more every day. Thanks for listening. I’ll see you next week.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article Wine 101: Spain appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-101-spain/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/wine-101-spain

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wineanddinosaur · 3 years

Text

Wine 101: Spain

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or Check out the Conversation Here

My name is Keith Beavers, and I just want to buy a nice pair of sunglasses and not lose them. Once!

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article Wine 101: Spain appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-101-spain/

0 notes