The Off Topic Topic

[Malthus]

2700 tons sounds like way too much. That's like a small tactical nuke. I'd be surprised if those highrises could withstand an explosion like that.

2700 tons doesn't sound obviously unreasonable to me when I look at the explosion and its effects. Remember also that the TNT equivalent is lower if it's ammonium nitrate.

The figure I've heard being tossed around is that the explosion amounted to around 1 Kt, factoring in the conversion - though that was of course just an estimate. Wikipedia claims estimates range from 0.1 to 3 Kt. - though 3 Kt seems impossible to me.

[Razgovory]

2700 tons sounds like way too much. That's like a small tactical nuke. I'd be surprised if those highrises could withstand an explosion like that.

The damage looks like the yield from a small nuclear weapon.  Nukes are designed to blow up over the target, this explosion was at ground level so half the energy was directed into the ground.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Looking at pictures of the site post-explosion and there's a huge as crater at ground zero where the warehouse used to be. Lebanon's strategic grain reserve looks pretty fucked up with grain all over the place. No idea how salvageable it is.

[Josquius]

Sounds pretty messed up with the head of the port authority saying he asked for this to be moved 5 years ago but... Something.
Who knows if he is the honest one or just first on the hit list so first to make excuses.

[jimmy olsen]

Looking at pictures of the site post-explosion and there's a huge as crater at ground zero where the warehouse used to be. Lebanon's strategic grain reserve looks pretty fucked up with grain all over the place. No idea how salvageable it is.

They import 90% of their grain through that port. It's a catastrophe.

https://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2020/Aug-05/509878-lebanon-mourns-beirut-blast-toll-expected-to-rise.ashx#.XypEap_98Fk.twitter

Lebanon's government Wednesday declared a two-week state of emergency in Beirut, a day after a devastating explosion at Beirut's port turned the capital into a disaster zone, killing 135 people and injuring 5,000, according to Health Minister Hamad Hassan.

[Syt]

[Tonitrus]

Heard on the BBC this morning a gent saying that Britain "needs a national beaver strategy" so that "beavers can be rolled out all across England". 

[Richard Hakluyt]

Heard on the BBC this morning a gent saying that Britain "needs a national beaver strategy" so that "beavers can be rolled out all across England". 

Must be connected to the "eat out to help out" strategy 

[Josquius]

I didn't know beavers came in spools

[Sheilbh]

On the whole re-wilding issue I found this headline mildly alarming:

German Wolf Attacks 'Spiraling Out of Control,' Farm Lobby Warns

[The Larch]

Coming from a farming lobby, I'd gather several handfuls of salt to go with it.

[celedhring]

Farmers in northern Catalonia have been howling mad about released bear attacks for years. I remember meeting one once during a holiday there, "if you pixapins* like bears so much, let them run wild in your bedroom instead of stuffing them here".

*Catalan for "pine pisser", a rural slur for us city slickers 

[Sheilbh]

Wild beavers in England win right to remain at their homes in River Otter
England's first wild beavers in 400 years will now be allowed to stay at their homes in Devon following a five-year study on the animals' impact on the local environment.
Photo via @DevonWildlife

Incidentally if I was an Otter, I would be furious with my legal team about this

[Sheilbh]

Just had the boiler man round to check my gas. Making small talk I asked if everything was okay and he replied "Oh! It was very unusual. Anyway cheerio!"

Me rn:

[The Brain]