Texas internet connectivity declining due to blackouts

Wed Feb 24 00:58:00 UTC 2021

On Mon, Feb 22, 2021 at 08:44:32PM +0200, Saku Ytti wrote:
> On Mon, 22 Feb 2021 at 20:28, Rich Kulawiec <rsk at gsp.org> wrote:
> 
> > right: artificial sweeteners are safe, WMDs were in Iraq, and Anna Nicole
> 
> Hope you meant to write 'unsafe', as the conspiracy theory is that
> aspartame is unsafe, the science says it is safe.

Those last three points are a quote from a movie -- which is why I included
the shout-out to Levon Helm (warning, spoilers, the quote's at about 2:00):

	Shooter: Levon Helm as Mr Rate - YouTube
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVw8FPIvOZc

I included them as a joke because anyone who disputes AGW at this
point *is* a joke and should be laughed out of the room.

Less snarktastically, a very good starting point for people who want to
understand the science of global warming is this document:

	Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis
	https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/WG1AR5_all_final.pdf

It's exhaustive in its coverage (which is why it's 1500+ pages) and reading
it will require basic literacy in math/stat and physical science.  But it's
part of the required homework for anyone trying to understand this topic.
The 2021 version is now in preparation and if things go well, it should be
out mid-to-late summer.

Another highly useful document is:

	Fourth National Climate Assessment
	https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/downloads/NCA4_2018_FullReport.pdf

which also clocks in at 1500+ pages.  This document has both a broader focus
(for example, it discusses impacts and mitigation) and a narrower focus
(it's US-centric).  It's also written for a more general audience and
requires less math/science background for comprehension, so I recommend
that anybody who struggles to get through the one above try this instead.

Also: this one is arguably more useful for NANOG/operational/planning
purposes.  I think it'd be a good read for anyone who's trying to figure
out what's going to happen to their physical assets/locations, or for
anyone who's trying to plan where to put things and how to build them.

Additional resources:

	Climate Change and Infrastructure, Urban Systems, and Vulnerability
	Technical Report for the US DoE
	Thomas Wilbanks and Steven J. Fernandez

(This one is also useful for NANOG denizens.  Chapter 5 on risk mitigation
strategies is particularly interesting.)

	The Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change, 2ed 
	S. George Philander, editor

(A general reference.  Having this handy while reading the IPCC report
I mentioned above can be helpful.)

	Atmospheric Thermodynamics - Elementary Physics and Chemistry
	Gerald R. North and Tatiana L. Erukhimova

(You'll need integral and differential calculus for this one, and a previous
course in introductory thermodynamics will help.  This is not about climate
-- or weather -- per se, but it provides some of the fundamental science
necessary to understand both.)

	Attribution of Extreme Weather Events in the Context of Climate Change
	Committee of Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change Attribution

(Attribution science is relatively new but is making rapid progress.  The
ability to look back and demonstrate causal relationships is going to be
invaluable as we look forward.)

----rsk