Climate Change? Nahhh ...

It is clear, the War on Christmas is not going well for the Heathen Army.

 

Happy Holidays!

 

I'm all in favor of this push to get us off of fossil fuels, but our grid is crap. During our massive heatwave recently, the town to the north of me—including most of my family—kept losing power because transformers underground kept exploding. We have solar, but when the sun goes down, we don't have good means to store energy to keep us off of gas and coal plants. We can't rely on more hydroelectric because drought and conservation concerns unless we figure out a way to harness the ocean. We'd be great if we had 10 million fewer people, but the reality is we are the largest population with huge energy demands and a grid that is held together by duct tape and bubble gum.

 

No damn way I’d give up natural gas heat if I lived in an area that had actual winter weather. An ice storm takes out some limbs that pull down your power lines and you’ve got no heat. We lived through two big ice storms without electricity for more than 48 hours thanks to gas logs.

 

Depending on where you live, you might not have a choice eventually. A lot of cities are trying to ban the use of natural gas in new construction. California is moving to ban sales of natural gas heaters and furnaces by 2030, and 50 cities (including San Francisco and San Jose) have already banned those, as well as gas stoves and water heaters. New York City passed a ban in 2021, and Gov. Kathy Hochul is pushing for a statewide version.
It's a Progressive cause.

California Moves to Ban Natural Gas Furnaces and Heaters by 2030

Natural gas bans: 20 states have laws that prohibit cities from banning natural gas hookups - CNNPolitics

EDIT: I somehow missed Azrael's link to the NPR story. Not sure if that counts as a DB or not.

 

Speaking of California, and the awesome California Air Resources Board, they're moving to ban the use — the use, not just the sale — of diesel trucks by 2035.
The reason?
Racism, of course.

California seeks to ban sales of diesel big rigs in a bold bid to cut pollution

 

Best heat I ever had was baseboard heating fueled by the hot water heater.

 

That's a common form of heating in New England and has been for many many years. As an update, my daughter in France is looking at buying a home and 1. heat pumps are more common, 2. government subsidizes both installing them and gives a subsidy on the purchase price if you buy one. Of course, they still don't believe in window screens.

 

I’d bootleg one in. Sheesh, how do you tell somebody if the electric is out you can’t have another option for heat?

 

Friend who frequently questions hurricane science is stranded in St. Thomas for two weeks because he was dumb enough to travel to the Caribbean in September. /facepalm

 

When I was a kid, we had kerosene heat with floor vents. In the winter, I'd sit over a vent with a blanket over my shoulders, eating cereal, and watching cartoons.
It. Was. Heaven.

Not long ago, I uncovered a 55-gallon drum of kerosene my dad bootlegged from somewhere during oil embargo. I'm reasonably sure it's crap, and I have to get rid of it.