Climate Change/Mass Extinction Megathread

[PDH]

We have had orange skies for 5 straight days yet, dark looming smoke/fog with just a faint orange ball in the sky.  As I have said elsewhere I have been expecting two small gentlemen to go by looking for a volcano to chuck a ring into.

[Syt]

From the A's stadium yesterday. This looks to be pregame, so maybe around noon (first pitch was 12:40 pm)?

[The Brain]

You can't just play a game on the surface of Mars.

[merithyn]

It's smoky everywhere right now. My apartment isn't air conditioned, so we have to leave the windows open. They open sideways and are four-feet tall, so window air conditioners are out. Right now I have a box fan in the bottom with a furnace air filter taped to it, and another furnace air filter taped above it. That leaves only about 18" open with a screen. It's not ideal, but it's better than nothing. There are no air purifiers left. It's also 85f so closing the windows aren't an option.

The sky is a gray yellow. It looks like there's a perpetual eclipse. (I have a phobia of eclipses.) I try not to look outside. I try not to breathe too deeply. I was wearing a cloth mask inside until I was told it doesn't help with smoke particles. Now I just try not to breathe much. I'm using my inhaler every couple of hours, drinking hot coffee like crazy, and showering far too often. So far, no ER visits required for my asthma, but that's probably sheer stubbornness rather than good sense.

The fires are still spreading. People are optimistic that this will stop before it hits the suburbs, but I'm not sure why they think that. Rain isn't due until Tuesday, and that's a long way away. Air quality is "Very Hazardous" in my area, so even if I didn't have asthma, I'd be struggling, I think. It's supposed to stay that way until the rain comes. So, you know.

If I get COVID now, I am probably dead. Katmai, you get Kepler. Seedy gets Tycho.

[Grey Fox]

Their are vertical A/C units.

But that's a small comfort, stay safe.

[merithyn]

Peedy, they made a short about the Bay Area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_m9TUP_t_Y&feature=youtu.be

[PDH]

It looked like that here too last week.  Today there is more sun, but still the AQ is nasty.

[merithyn]

AQ here is 375 right now. Bad enough for those who are healthy. For folks like me, it's... yeah...

[PDH]

The only thing saving Santa Cruz is that the smoke creates weird weather patterns that leads to the coastal layer of cold fog coming in more - and the heavy mist brings down some of the ash and keeping it cold enough that we can keep the windows shut (64f/18c temps).

[Syt]

"This is fine."

[Tamas]

That's old pic though.

[Syt]

You're right

[celedhring]

I had a moment very much like that pic in the summer of '94, which was a record year for forest fires over here. The forested areas near my hometown were burning, my parents (and a lot of my friends' parents) had voluntereed to help the firefighting efforts, but me and my friends met at the football pitch like every afternoon. You could see the fires from the football pitch, but damn if we'd stop playing just for some fire 

[Maladict]

Seedy gets Tycho.

[merithyn]

Seedy gets Tycho.

My kitty.