Links tagged “wacky”

Teslas use "wires that were insulated with soy rather than oil, which critics claim makes them more appealing to rodents." ... “Most auto manufacturers use the soybean vs. oil in their wire insulation for newer vehicles because it is less expensive and better for the environment,” Tesla service adviser Jose Solis wrote in an email to Williams that she shared with The Post. “The use of this material would not be considered a ‘defect’ in design or use … Considering there are too many factors outside of Tesla’s control we cannot cover this under a warranty or repair.” 

Automakers have been getting slammed for years with complaints of their allegedly rat-friendly soy-based wiring. And like Tesla, they have all refused to cover the damage, claiming that rats chewing on car innards is the result of nature and therefore not their problem....In addition to wiring damage, some Tesla owners had told him their brake cables were chewed by rodents “to the point of the car becoming unusable.”  

Other Tesla owners who have complained of rats include a user of the Tesla Motors Club forum who griped that his 5-month-old electric vehicle went “haywire” after a mouse chewed through the coolant hose, which may also be made from soy-based materials, although it’s unclear if this is the case for Tesla. “Apparently this is not uncommon, especially with electric cars,” the user lamented. 

ABC News: For Meg Keene, climate change is something that not only needs to be addressed but is also very difficult to cope with personally. "As someone with anxiety, I kind of try not to think too much about the future with regards to climate change, because it's so terrifying," Keene, 41, said. ... Keene says she has been struggling with anxiety since she was a kid and for her, talking about the uncertain and changing weather patterns is triggering. "I find it crippling with my anxiety and depression, but mostly with my anxiety," Keene told ABC News.

Some experts say that the mere discussion of climate change can contribute to that anxiety. "Climate change can affect mental health by just increasing people's stress and worry about the issue, the more they hear about it," said Dr. Susan Clayton, a professor in psychology and environmental studies in The College of Wooster, in Ohio. "It's been described as an existential threat, something that really challenges the way we think about the world. And I think it has the potential to really erode our sense of security," Clayton added.

CNN's Brian Stelter show Reliable Sources featured New York Magazine editor-at-large David Wallace-Wells. 

Wallace-Wells quoted estimates that "suggest burning of fossil fuels kills 10 million people every year, which is dying on the scale of the Holocaust -- in fact, larger than the Holocaust -- every single year. And yet we don't see many public health stories, we don't see many moral crises stories addressed to that issue." Wallace-Wells was referring to a 2012 Science Direct study, which indicated that pollution from fossil fuels caused in excess of 10 million (one crore) deaths every year across the globe.

Physicist Dr. Tom Sheahen: ‘Methane: The Irrelevant Greenhouse Gas’ – ‘Water vapor has already absorbed the very same infrared radiation that Methane might have absorbed’- 'The tiny increases in methane associated with cows may elicit a few giggles, but it absolutely cannot be the basis for sane regulations or national policy.'

Study: ‘Methane emissions have a negligible impact’ on climate

Princeton Physicist Dr. Will Happer has new study: Methane has ‘immeasurably small’ impact on climate

Scientists Dr. Richard Lindzen & Dr. Will Happer: 'The warming added each year from methane is about 10 times less than the small warming from carbon dioxide' 

Tony Heller of RealClimateScience.com: "The collapse of this building had nothing to do with sea-level rise."

"The base of the collapsed condo is seven feet above sea level.

At current rates of sea level rise, it will take nearly one thousand years for sea level to reach the base.

Sea level has been rising for 20,000 years, and there isn’t one shred of evidence to support the idea that humans have had any influence on it.

Ninety five years ago, South Florida was underwater and climate experts blamed it on sunspots."

Biden FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell: 'You can take simple steps to prepare for hurricanes, including getting the COVID-19 vaccine'

“There has been some concern from Aspen City Council and members of the community that there is too much reliance on fossil fuels for the parade (vehicle powered floats for instance) and there is an opportunity to reignite the event in a more environmentally friendly, less carbon-intensive manner."