Feb 132017
 

So some would look at the forecast and say, this isn’t bad. Looks like 2 days of rain and 2 other days of sorta rain.

Problem one. Oroville is basically at sea level and will be drier than the mountains above it.

Problem two. Look at the temperature. A friend with training in Meteorology pointed this out to me. The temp of the first rainstorm is 61 degrees. That is quite warm.

The consequences of a warm storm mean early snow melting and thus will put even more pressure on the beleaguered Oroville Dam.

We will get a better idea of just how much rain we are looking at in the lowlands in a couple of days.

That said, let’s take a look at Quincy, which is at about 4000 feet at the top of the Feather River (dammed by Lake Oroville).

Here is a snapshot of the forecast around Quincy.

You should take note that the temperatures drop through to Sunday. This means that snow will re-appear by Sunday in the high country.

It would seem to me that the pressure will re-occur on the dam Late Friday to early Saturday as the main part of the early warm rain on Thursday will hit then.

All this said – keep asking the correct questions. What did the State of CA know and when? Why wasn’t maintenance done?

Feb 132017
 

Well, isn’t that special. The state about a day before 250K-ish people were evacuated said everything is ok.

In the meantime, they were evacuating the precious salmon (whose endangered status has been abused by Enviros and the Courts to hamstring infrastructure construction for years) starting 4 days ago.

The cover story is that because the main spillway of the dam broke and the auxiliary spillway was going to be used, all the silt and debris would kill the fish. It seems to me that those in charge knew more than they let on to anyone.

12 years ago Enviro Groups sued to have the Auxiliary spillway covered with Concrete. The suit / request was ignored because the Los Angeles water district and the State of CA did not want to pay the bill. Whoops.

Now, the earthen Auxiliary spillway is compromised and the severe erosion is preventing its’ use.

The main spillway has a 300 foot gash in it due to the failure of the concrete a few weeks ago. They are finally just unloading water at a huge rate down that spillway regardless of the damage. Oroville Dam is huge, and it is the tallest dam in America. It was built in 1968 and appears to have had little, if any maintenance done, explaining the breech of the main spillway.

There are pictures around from 2013 with maintenance crews working on the affected area of the main spillway. What did they know? Why didn’t they do more? Did they relax because of the drought of 2014-2016?

Environmental Groups are doing exactly what I predicted on my Facebook yesterday – on Queue, they are writing articles about how we need to “Re-Think” flood control. AKA, get rid of dams.

Given the absolutely insane way the state responded to the drought, by building no infrastructure, no plans to build any infrastructure and just insane demagogic water conservative edicts, you would expect that the discussion is going to turn to “Dams are Bad”.

I am also not expecting the Republican Leadership to push for investment or investigations. The pattern has been acquiescence and letting the party in charge cover everything up.  I hope I am proven wrong.

I do expect, however that Assemblymember James Gallagher (who lives in the evacuation zone) will indeed be loud about this issue. I am sure the state media will ignore him.

Lest you think that the Dam is out of the woods – think again, Part 2 coming up in a bit.

#Obama’s Green Boondoggles Billions Spent on Bankrupt Companies

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Feb 082014
 

Obama’s Clean Energy Investments Are “A Case Study Of What Can Go Wrong When A Rigid Government Bureaucracy Tries To Play Venture Capitalist.” “The Obama administration’s vaunted initiative to catalyze the U.S. clean-energy industry — under attack for betting half a billion dollars on the solar-panel manufacturer Solyndra, which closed last month — has become a case study of what can go wrong when a rigid government bureaucracy tries to play venture capitalist and jump-start a nascent, fast-changing market.” (Steven Mufson And Carol D. Leonning, “Some Clean-Energy Firms Found US Loan-Guarantee Program A Bad Bet,” The Washington Post, 9/26/11)

In August 2011, Solyndra Announced That It Would File For Bankruptcy, “Immediately Laying Off 1,100 Employees.”“Solyndra, a Fremont solar tech manufacturer, announced Wednesday it is suspending operations and immediately laying off 1,100 employees. The company said it will also file for bankruptcy.” (George Avalos, “Fremont Solar Tech Firm Solyndra To Shut Down, Lay Off 1,100 Workers,” The San Jose Mercury News, 8/31/11)

  • A Total Of 1,861 Workers Were Laid Off By Solyndra As It Went Bankrupt. “Since September 1, 2010 (impact date), an estimated 1,861 workers have been separated from the firm.” (Employment And Training Administration, “Investigative Report TA-W-80,410; Solyndra LLC,” Department Of Labor, 9/12/11)

In November, Fisker Automotive Filed For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. “Fisker Automotive, the moribund maker of the Karma plug-in hybrid sports cars that was backed with a loan by the U.S. government, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday after lengthy efforts by investors to salvage the company.” (Deepa Seetharaman And Timothy Gardner, “UPDATE 2-Fisker Files Chapter 11 As Investor Group Buys Company,” Reuters, 11/22/13)

  • Reuters’ Headline: “Fisker Automotive Failure Could Hit U.S. Taxpayers For Years To Come.” (Tom Hals, “Fisker Automotive Failure Could Hit U.S. Taxpayers For Years To Come,” Reuters, 11/25/13)

 

#Obama: Drive Up Gas Prices

 Barack Obama, Eco-Nazis  Comments Off on #Obama: Drive Up Gas Prices
Feb 072014
 

When Obama Became President, Gas Prices Were $1.89. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, Accessed 1/22/14)

Since Obama Became President, Gas Prices Have Increased By $1.49. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, Accessed 1/22/14)

Obama also is single-handedly shutting down the Keystone XL Pipeline – this will cause Canada to send its’ Oil Elsewhere.

The White House Has Failed “So Far To Approve The Keystone XL Pipeline From Alberta To Nebraska, Which Would Help Carry Crude From Canada To United States Refineries On The Gulf Coast.” “Officials say the White House’s failure so far to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline from Alberta to Nebraska, which would help carry crude from Canada to United States refineries on the Gulf coast, has dampened the faith of prime minister Stephen Harper in deeper North American integration: Canada is looking across the Pacific for oil markets.” (“Ready To Take Off Again?” The Economist, 1/4/14)

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper: Obama Has “Punted” On Keystone. “‘He’s punted,’ Harper said of Obama in an interview at an event today hosted by the Vancouver Board of Trade. ‘He said, ‘Maybe.’” (Andrew Mayeda And Christopher Donville, “Harper Says Obama Punting Won’t Stop Keystone XL,” Bloomberg, 1/6/14)

ABC’s Jon Karl To White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest: Is Obama Trying To “Run Out The Clock” On Keystone And Use A “Pocket Veto” By Delaying Approval? “ABC’s JON KARL: “Josh, I wasn’t even going to ask about Keystone, but what’s taking so long for this decision?” PRINCIPAL DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY JOSH EARNEST:  “Well, I mean –” KARL: “I mean, this has been going on for years.  Why are we still—” EARNEST:  “It has.  Well, there have been a couple of times where the process got upended because of concerns that were raised by the Republican governor of Nebraska and the route that had been proposed.” KARL: “Yes, that’s ancient history, too.” EARNEST: “Well, but you said it’s going on for years, and that’s one of the things that slowed down the process.  So I think that demonstrates the commitment of the administration to get this right.  It demonstrates that there are people in both parties who have a range of views on this topic.  And what the State Department is doing is they’re reaching a determination of national interest.” KARL: “Is this a pocket veto? Is this basically like run out the clock?” EARNEST:  “That’s not something that should be taken lightly.  It certainly isn’t taken lightly by the President or his administration.” KARL: “So you’re not running out the clock? Because if you delay and then you don’t make a decision, it doesn’t get built, you know?” EARNEST: “That’s not how I’d characterize the ongoing policy process.” (White House Press Briefing, Washington, DC, 12/11/13)

Former Obama National SecurityAdvisor Tom Donilon: I Would Recommend That Obama Approve Keystone Pipeline. WALTER ISAACSON: “I know you’re not in the administration anymore, so maybe you could answer. Would you recommend for the keystone pipeline if you were there?” DONILON: “You know, I would.” (Tom Donilon, Remarks At Aspen Institute Forum, Washington, D.C., 1/7/14)

 

 

#Obama: Drive Up Energy Costs and Shut Down Coal Plants

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Feb 062014
 

In September, The Obama Administration Announced The “First Federal Carbon Limits On The Nation’s Power Companies.” “The Obama administration on Friday announced that it was not backing down from a confrontation with the coal industry and would press ahead with enacting the first federal carbon limits on the nation’s power companies.” (Michael Shear, “Administration To Press Ahead With Carbon Limits,” The New York Times, 9/20/13)

  • The Regulations Are “An Aggressive Move By Mr. Obama” That Will Bypass Congress. “The proposed regulations, announced at the National Press Club by Gina McCarthy, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, are an aggressive move by Mr. Obama to bypass Congress on climate change with executive actions he promised in his inaugural address this year.” (Michael Shear, “Administration To Press Ahead With Carbon Limits,” The New York Times, 9/20/13)

As A Result Of New Environmental Regulations, Dozens Of Coal-Fired Plants Are Likely To Close Over The Next Decade.“Now the government and utilities are taking on what may be a stiffer challenge: reducing pollutants whose effects are harder to see, like mercury and greenhouse gases. As a result, dozens of coal-fired plants are likely to close over the next decade as utilities conclude it isn’t cost-effective to bring old coal generators into compliance with environmental rules.” (Rebecca Smith And John W. Miller, “The Future Of Coal: New Pollution Rules Choke Old Power Plants,”The Wall Street Journal, 1/7/14)

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Long-Awaited Guidelines Are Expected To Make It More Difficult For New Coal-Fired Power Plants To Be Built.” (Valerie Volcovici, “U.S. EPA Sets First-Ever Curbs On Power Plant Pollution,” Reuters, 9/20/13)

Harvard University’s Daniel P. Schrag, One Of Obama’s Advisers On Climate Change, Said “A War On Coal Is Exactly What’s Needed.” “Daniel P. Schrag, a geochemist who is the head of Harvard University’s Center for the Environment and a member of a presidential science panel that has helped advise the White House on climate change, said he hoped the presidential speech would mark a turning point in the national debate on climate change.  ‘Everybody is waiting for action,’ he said. ‘The one thing the president really needs to do now is to begin the process of shutting down the conventional coal plants. Politically, the White House is hesitant to say they’re having a war on coal. On the other hand, a war on coal is exactly what’s needed.’” (John M Broder, “Obama To Outline Ambitious Plan To Cut Greenhouse Gases,” The New York Times, 6/25/13)

  • Schrag: “The One Thing The President Really Needs To Do Now Is To Begin The Process Of Shutting Down The Conventional Coal Plants.” (John M Broder, “Obama To Outline Ambitious Plan To Cut Greenhouse Gases,” The New York Times, 6/25/13)