The Ice Age bit is of course horseshit, but that does not mean that there is not some useful information here if you use discrimination.
RED ALERT: Food Supply
Chain Shutting Down as
Blackouts Spread
(Natural News) Things are looking pretty bleak across Texas and other Midwestern states where extreme winter weather conditions combined with record-breaking low temperatures left millions without power, while alsodamaging nearly half of the country’s winter wheat crop.
The Ice Age Farmer channel on YouTube put out a video revealing how minimal snow cover prior to the polar vortex that swept across the Midwest created a perfect storm scenario for the widespread destruction of wheat crops once the historic weather event arrived.
According to reports, about half of Texas’ wind turbines were frozen over in the winter storm, which severely limited energy output throughout the state. On top of that, temperatures in many areas reached well below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, which is highly unusual for the Lone Star State.
Up north in the Great Plains, temperature readings were clocked at or below -30 degrees Fahrenheit with not nearly as much snowfall as expected falling to the ground. This left wheat crops exposed to the elements rather than covered in their usual snow blanket, which damaged or killed many of them.
“Commodity Weather Group estimates 30% of HRW #wheat susceptible to significant damage & 15% spotty damage,” tweeted Arlan Suderman about the assessed crop damage thus far.
Others were quick to respond to this tweet with claims that winter wheat loves snow and freezing, however as pointed out by Ice Age Farmer, it was the lack of snow cover in many areas prior to the polar vortex that was the anomaly.
“As temperatures fell to -30 degrees Fahrenheit, there was lots of damage because we don’t have a lot of snow cover right now to insulate the winter wheat crop underneath that,” he says. “It’s just been very exposed to these extreme temperatures.”
There’s a global grain shortage right now
Interestingly, just a few days before the polar vortex hit the United States, Argentina announced plans to discuss strategies for avoiding a ban on wheat exports.
Because there is currently a global grain shortage, countries are scrambling to ensure they have enough of the crop for themselves before they agree to export what remains to places like the U.S.
Should a significant portion of America’s wheat crop end up being destroyed from the freezing temperatures, our nation will require imports from elsewhere in order to feed our own people. If those countries need it for themselves, however, then we could be in a lot of trouble in the coming months.
Back in September, Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, interviewed the Ice Age Farmer about what was described as engineered food scarcity to enslave the human race.
What appears to be happening is that food shortages are being engineered through social upheaval, weather events, and other catastrophes that little by little are chipping away at the available food supply.
In time, there could very well be not enough food for everyone, a scenario that was already seen on a much smaller scale with mile-long lines outside of HEB grocery stores in Texas as panicked shoppers rushed to stock up on necessities after the power outages had already begun.
Meanwhile, billionaire eugenicist Bill Gates has been buying up tens of thousands of acres of U.S. farmland to become the largest landowner in the country. These are truly ominous times, in other words.
“Bill Gates spent $171 million to buy 14,500 acres of farmland in Southern Washington, the most expensive U.S. land sale so far this year, according to the Land Report,” wrote one of our own commenters, citing Bloomberg.
“The purchase includes about 10,500 acres of irrigated farmland, 3,900 of rangeland and about 140 in an area known as Horse Heaven Hills.”
More related news about the polar vortex and the damage it caused can be found at Collapse.news.
Situation Update, Feb 18th, 2021 - Texas BLACKOUT report
TEXAS BLACKOUT UPDATE LIVE ON
THE GROUND IN AUSTIN
2021 Texas Snow & Power outages/homes destroyed. What the
news won’t show
(Natural News) The number of households and businesses in Texas that are still without power due to the state’s catastrophic power failure has dropped to around 2.5 million as of this writing, but this still means that at least 2.5 million people are having to sleep in frigid temperatures without heat. As a result, a number of North Texas cities are reportedly opening up warming centers in an effort to help.
According to reports, the Salvation Army has opened inclement weather shelters in Dallas, Garland, Arlington, Plano, McKinney, and Lewisville, which are among the many Texas population centers where people are suffering without utilities in record-breaking sub-freezing weather conditions.
Several YMCA locations in Dallas, Denton, Ellis, and Rockwall counties have also opened their doors to people in need between the hours of 10am and 5:30pm. In the event that electricity in these areas does not turn back on by midweek, area residents will be allowed to warm up at these locations through Thursday or Friday.
“We’ve had several calls of people needing a facility to come and get warm,” said Tricey Love of the Park South YMCA location in Dallas. “This particular YMCA in general is like the light of this community.”
Area resident Stephen Yarmak reportedly took advantage of the offer by heading to the YMCA in Park South to warm up and get his bearings.
“It’s tough, you know,” Yarmak is quoted as saying. “You have a nice place to come to stay warm and stay safe. It’s good. It makes you strong.”
Among the YMCA locations that have opened up as warming centers to help those in need are:
• Moorland Family YMCA at Oak Cliff • Park South YMCA • Waxahachie Family YMCA • White Rock Family YMCA • J.E.R. Chilton Family YMCA at Rockwall • Richardson Family YMCA • Cross Timbers Family YMCA • Semones Family YMCA
Texans are helping other Texans amid the power outage crisis
At each of these locations, hot coffee, charging stations, WiFi access, and water stations are available to those who need these things. Locker rooms have also been opened up so individuals and families can use them for hot showers.
Families are being allowed to stay at a location for up to three hours at a time, though they are being asked to wear a mask and stay with their family unit the entire time. If not at capacity, each location will allow a family in need to stay longer than three hours.
Families may also bring food to warm up in microwaves where available,” reports NBCDFW. “Spaces will be set up to maintain social distancing.”
Cities with additional warming centers and other options for people in need throughout the Dallas Metroplex area include (more details can be found at this link):
• Arlington, which has two warming centers and several hotel partners offering discounted rates • Dallas, which has a 24-hour warming center and several other warming locations • Denton, which has a new warming center at the MLK Jr. Recreation Center, as well as one at the Civic Center • DeSoto, which has an emergency shelter at Faith Bible Church • Euless, which opened a warming center at the Euless Family Life Rec Center • Fort Worth, which opened up its convention center as a warming location • Grand Prairie, which opened up the Ruthe Jackson Center as a warming location • Hurst / Eudless / Bedford, which opened a warming and overnight center
There are also warming centers in the cities of Irving, Kennedale, Mansfield, McKinney, Mesquite, North Richland Hills, Parker County, Plano, Richardson, Sachse, and Southlake.
More of the latest news about the weather situation and power outages in Texas can be found at Collapse.news.
Here are the key takeaways from Texas rolling blackouts:
The Weather Channel Warns Of "Dangerous" Cold Temperatures
Southwest Power Pool Says 17 States Limiting Energy Usage
3.368 million Texans Without Power
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Calls Up Texas Army National Guard
Oncor Electric Delivery Continues To Warn About Extended "Controlled Outages"
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott States Power Grid Not Compromised
Power Crisis Hits Texas And 13 Other States
Southwest Power Pool Declares Energy Emergency Alert Level 3
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner Warns Of More Blackouts
Houston Mayor Sylvester Suspends Air Travel In Houston
ERCOT Wholesale Electricity Prices Plunged From Cap Of $9k per megawatt-hour to around $2.5k
Oncor Electric Delivery Extends Rolling Blackouts
2.7 Million Texans Without Power
ERCOT Wholesale Electricity Prices Exceed $9k per megawatt-hour
* * *
Update ( 1755 ET): While millions of Texans are without power heading into Monday evening, the power grid may be strained once more as temperatures could reach "dangerous levels," according to The Weather Channel.
More record lows are expected for Tuesday morning across Texas. If ERCOT doesn't secure additional power generation - more blackouts may occur.
* * *
Update ( 1612 ET): The Southwest Power Pool (SSP), which manages the electric grid and wholesale power market for the central US, including Kansas, Oklahoma, portions of New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, Wyoming, and Nebraska, released an update Monday afternoon saying 17 states have "curtailed energy usage to balance supply and demand."
Frigid air continues to pour into the central US, overwhelming power grids, forcing operators to implement rolling blackouts like a third world country.
America's power grid is in shambles.
* * *
Update (1605 ET):CBS Austin's Melanie Torre reports Gov. Greg Abbott has called up the Texas Army National Guard "to conduct welfare checks and to assist local authorities in transitioning Texans in need to one of the 135 local warming centers across Texas."
While Abbott said earlier the "Texas power grid has not been compromised," we find that hard to believe as the number of customers without power has significantly jumped 3.368 million.
* * *
Update (1534 ET): Oncor Electric Delivery, Texas' largest transmission and electric distribution utility, published another statement on its Twitter account detailing how "unprecedented shortfall of electric generation" will continue to extend "controlled outages" due to "emergency grid conditions & severe cold weather."
Full statement:
The TX power system is currently facing an unprecedented shortfall of electric generation. @ERCOT_ISO has requested Oncor & utilities across TX to implement controlled power outages to reduce high demand & protect the integrity of the electric grid.
The length of these controlled outages have been significantly extended due to current emergency grid conditions & severe cold weather. These outages are taking place across the service territory & ERCOT has said they could be required through Tues
We are asking all Oncor customers to be prepared to be without power for an extended period of time.
* * *
Update (1500 ET): Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted around 1431 ET, indicating that he's been communicating with major power grid operators this afternoon and will provide an update "shortly."
"The Texas power grid has not been compromised. The ability of some companies that generate the power has been frozen. This includes the natural gas & coal generators. They are working to get generation back on line. ERCOT & PUC are prioritizing residential consumers," said Abbott.
* * *
Update (1453 ET):Bloomberg reports the power crisis in Texas has expanded to 13 other states.
* * *
Update (1425 ET): The Southwest Power Pool (SSP), which manages the electric grid and wholesale power market for the central US, including Kansas, Oklahoma, portions of New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, Wyoming, and Nebraska, declared an Energy Emergency Alert Level 3 on Monday after reserve energy was used to keep the grid online.
"In our history as a grid operator, this is an unprecedented event and marks the first time SPP has ever had to call for controlled interruptions of service," said EVP and Chief Operating Officer Lanny Nickell said.
Southwest Power Pool's full statement:
Meanwhile, Houston Sylvester Turner has just warned blackouts will increase in the coming hours as some emergency shelters have lost power. Due to the severity of the cold snap and winter weather, the mayor also said all travel in and out of Houston has been suspended.
... and a ZeroHedge reader down in Houston had this to say:
I live in Houston. I am lucky. I have never lost power...yet. For those who have lost power...these are definitely not "rolling blackouts." They are just flat out power outages. This is per Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and other public officials. Many people have been without power since the middle of the night. It is unknown when they will regain power.
* * *
Update (1259 ET): By noon, ERCOT wholesale electricity prices for delivery plunged from their cap of $9,000 per megawatt-hour to around $2,500. To remind readers, ERCOT prices are normally around $25/MWh.
Pricing across ERCOT still remains abnormally high.
* * *
Update (1110 ET): Oncor Electric Delivery, Texas's largest transmission and electric distribution utility, serving more than ten million customers, released a rather disturbing statement Monday morning warning about extended rolling blackouts as temperatures hover around zero.
Oncor asked people to prepare for the worse as the power grid experienced a systemwide failure due to historic winter conditions across the state.
Due to the severity of the electric generation shortfall, our expected outage length of 15 to 45 minutes has been significantly extended. Outages due to this electric emergency could last for hours & we ask you to be prepared.
In addition, we are responding to separate outages caused by the record-breaking winter storm that continues to impact our entire service territory. We are doing everything possible to respond to each of these power emergency events.
We remain in close coordination with ERCOT & we appreciate everyone's patience as we do all we can to protect the integrity of the Texas grid.
Grid managers declared an emergency after unprecedented demand spiked strained utilities beyond capacity. Blackouts could last until Tuesday.
As of 1110 ET, PowerOutage.US shows 2.7 million customers are without power.
'
Texas' grid failure could quickly morph into a public health crisis as millions freeze with temperatures near zero.
* * *
Rolling power outages are in effect across the state of Texas as the polar vortex split has poured some of the coldest air ever into the central US. There are nearly 2 million Texan customers without power as of Monday morning.
Texas power grid operator ERCOT warned Sunday of an "energy emergency" and threatened "rotating outages." By Monday morning (0125 local time), ERCOT began "rotating outages" to "reduce demand on the electric system." It continued: "Traffic lights and other infrastructure may be temporary without power."
As of 0700 ET, PowerOutage.US shows 1.834 million customers are without power across the state amid frigid temperatures.
ERCOT officials said outages are expected to last between 15 and 45 minutes. They say blackouts are "necessary to maintain the system's reliability." Power demand is expected to remain at record levels through Tuesday as record-low temperatures will stay in the region through the week.
"Every grid operator and every electric company is fighting to restore power right now," said Bill Magness President and Chief Executive Officer of ERCOT.
Temperatures across Texas and the central US are expected to be well below normal through the end of the week.
ERCOT's decision to implement rolling power outages comes after we first warned of an imminent grid crisis on Thursday, when we reported that natgas prices across the plains states had soared to never before seen levels as a result of a brutal polar vortex blast.
... which cut off natgas supply amid wellhead freeze-offs, cutting production receipts just when customers' demand for heating most needed them. By Friday, frigid temperatures caused equipment failures, temporarily shutdowns in at least four natgas plants.
Over the last 24 hours, hundreds of daily records for cold temperatures were broken as Arctic air pushed all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico.
"We would expect to be in emergency operations tomorrow through at least Tuesday morning," said Dan Woodfin, a senior director at ERCOT.
On Monday morning, ERCOT wholesale electricity prices for delivery surpassed the grid's price cap of $9,000 per megawatt-hour, many multiples over the average costs of $25/MWh.
Our trader contact at a Houston energy firm sums the situation up as eloquently and succinctly as ever:
"we've officially hit the 'Holy Fucking Shit Levels' here..."
Natgas supplies have been "limited" to some power plants, Ercot said. Cold temperatures restricted gas flow from wells to pipelines, helping to spark a jump in spot prices from below $3 to more than $100 per million British thermal units.
President Joe Biden signed an emergency disaster order for Texas on Sunday.
"The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 254 Texas counties," the statement from the White House said.
Late Sunday, ERCOT set a new winter peak demand record Sunday, reaching 69,150 MW it tweeted.
If you are a retailer, obligated to, lets just say, 25MW, and did not hedge (meaning you left it to get filled by ERCOT at market clearing price), you just incurred a $7.1M cost on an around the clock basis for a single day.
Thousands of businesses will be facing millions of dollars in electricity bills...
A very large storm system is moving northeastward toward New Jersey and New York City which forecasters say could bring bringing hours of ICE to the region.
As of 7:00 AM, the storm is mostly in Mississippi and Alabama. By 1:00 PM, it will have expanded into Kentucky, southern West Virginia, and will be making a bee-line toward New Jersey and New York City for late Monday into Tuesday.
Heavy bouts of icing will fall from the sky onto trees, power lines, and roadways.
Many trees may succumb to the weight of the ice, breaking off large branches or causing the trees to snap. This, in turn, may take down electric power lines, wiping out the ability to heat homes.
As ice begins developing on roads, operating a motor vehicle will becomes VERY DANGEROUS. No matter the tires, cars do not control well on ice. They slide into other vehicles along the road, slide off the road into light or utility poles, even go off embankments into ditches, sometimes overturning along the way. People are URGED to stay off the roads when possible, because car wrecks in an ice storm are highly likely.
Homeowners are urged to have alternate heating for their homes. While some homes have fire places, most do not anymore. However, almost anyone can have a kerosene heater. In some places, however, such heaters are UNLAWFUL. Check your local regulations to make certain you do not run afoul of the law.
For those who cannot have kerosene heaters, perhaps an emergency generator would be of value. This can supply your furnace with electric to run, even if power lines go down. Of course, DO NOT run an electric generator indoors. It's engine gives off Carbon Monoxide gas which can kill people if used indoors. Electric generators should be kept outside the home in a well ventilated area when being operated.
Those without alternate heat or emergency electric will just have to layer-up clothing and cuddle under heavy blankets to stay warm. Leave water faucets dripping fast to try to avoid rupturing pipes.
UPDATE 11:53 AM EST--
The storm is continuing to develop and expand. By 4:00 PM today, it will reach Pittsburgh, PA. ALL AREAS IN PURPLE on the map below will be hit with serious ice:
For a bit of context that does not interest those trying to persuade us that we are moving into a ice-age because the United States of America suffers some colder-than average temperatures.
Look at the map. The Arctic ice is melting and some of the cold is moving south.
See this. This is what was happening in the Siberian Arctic just a few days ago.
The flip side is the media telling you that a split vortex and a sudden stratospheric warming event is perfectly normal.
As the pole goes dark and freezes in the fall, winds begin to swirl and rise from west to east to balance the temperature gap between low latitudes and the poles. The vortex formed by that wind, which turns counterclockwise around the Pole, ends up much colder than the surrounding air.
But high-altitude heat waves called “sudden stratospheric warming events” can disrupt the vortex.
That’s what’s happening now. A wobble of the jet stream (the fast-moving wave of air that circles the Pole in the atmosphere below the polar vortex, has led to extreme warming in the stratosphere, disrupting the polar vortex. “Essentially that vortex is getting shoved off the Pole and into the mid-Atlantic,” says IBM meteorologist Michael Ventrice.
The
Arctic is on fire. Now, Antarctica is suddenly experiencing a
heatwave. And that means a looming rainfall apocalypse for Australia.
According
to a recent report by senior researchers from the Australian Bureau
of Meteorology, we're in for higher than normal spring temperatures.
And less rain.
It's
all because of record warm temperatures in the air swirling above
Antarctica.
It's
pushing stormy Southern Ocean wind streams over Tasmania, New
Zealand's South Island and South America's Patagonia. This is away
from its regular route over the Australian mainland.
And
that means NSW and southern Queensland - already in parts devastated
by bushfires so early in the season -
are set to face worsening conditions and an even more catastrophic
bushfire season.
SUDDEN
STRATOSPHERIC WARMING
"The
warming began in the last week of August when temperatures in the
stratosphere high above the South Pole began rapidly heating," the
article published in The
Conversationreads.
Four senior Bureau of Meteorology forecasters compiled it.
"Thanks
to improvements in modelling and the Bureau's new supercomputer,
these types of events can be forecast better than ever before."
It
foresees a shift in the typical wind temperatures and patterns coming
off the Antarctic continent.
"In
the coming weeks the warming is forecast to intensify, and its
effects will extend downward to earth's surface, affecting much of
eastern Australia over the coming months," the forecasters warn.
The
previous highest Antarctic air temperatures were in September 2002.
These resulted in Australia's fourth driest winter on record, with
spring-autumn mean-maximum temperatures the highest
"by considerable margins".
This
year is shaping up to be worse than 2002. Picture: BOM
WORLD
OF FIRE
This
year has been unprecedented in the northern hemisphere.
These
are regions packed full of fuel - from dense forests through to
ancient peat bogs.
Usually,
it doesn't burn because it's frozen or wet.
But
year after year of warming temperatures have dried out growing
patches.
"The
north is a big tinderbox, but it's been limited from burning by the
climate," Merritt Turetsky at the University
of Guelph in Canada told New
Scientist.
"If you remove those climatic constraints, all those fuels are
ready to go."
And
it's adding to a warming feedback loop. Fires are killing the
vegetation. That exposes the permafrost below to the sun's heat. And
that releases the carbon dioxide and methane within.
Both
gases then serve to trap even more heat in the atmosphere, further
accelerating the feedback loop.
Antarctica
has no such forests. But the extent of its sea ice determines the
temperature and course of ocean currents and winds. As the ice
retreats, those long-establish flows weaken and shift.
"It
is abundantly clear that climate disruption is happening now and
everywhere," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned
earlier this month. "Every week brings us news of more
climate-related devastation. And climate impacts are only going to
increase in severity and frequency."
POLAR
FALLOUT
The
Antarctic is the engine room of the southern hemisphere's climate.
Every
winter, westerly winds begin to swirl at speeds of up to 200km/h high
above the South Pole.
The
mechanics are relatively simple.
It's
cold above the pole, which is experiencing months of darkness. But
the Southern Ocean is still being warmed by the sun.
And,
as the sun begins its southward march with the onset of spring, the
polar vortex is gradually weakened.
"However,
in some years this breakdown can happen faster than usual," the
meteorologists write.
In
such instances, unusually hot air intrudes over Antarctica -
disrupting the temperature mix producing the high-speed westerly
winds.
"Very
rarely, if the waves are strong enough they can rapidly break down
the polar vortex, actually reversing the direction of the winds so
they become easterly," the article continues.
The
only time this has been seen to happen was September 2002.
It's
on the brink of happening again.
"Impacts
from this stratospheric warming are likely to reach earth's surface
in the next month and possibly extend through to January," the
meteorologists warn.
And
that means even less rainfall for much of southern and Central
Australia.
With
it will come clearer skies and higher temperatures.
"Past
stratospheric warming events and associated wind changes have had
their strongest effects in NSW and southern Queensland, where
springtime temperatures increased, rainfall decreased, and heatwaves
and fire risk rose," they say.
This
compounds an already disastrous winter for New South Wales and much
of Queensland. There, soil moisture levels actually decreased over
what should have been their wet season.
So
spring - and summer - will be starting from an already devastatingly
dry low.
Jamie
Seidel is a freelance writer. Continue the conversation @JamieSeidel
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