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Discussion > Do Chandra, Replicant and Entropic man add value to BH?

replicant: "fracking hell" ?

What's that?
Mar 4, 2014 at 3:38 PM | Registered Commenter jferguson

Reasonable question. Deserves a straight answer.

Everything to with fracking from start to finish. Especially in the context of present day events, 'slickwater fracking'. Everything about slickwater fracking is fracking hell and should be stopped.

I apologize. Is that a straight answer?

Mar 4, 2014 at 4:43 PM | Unregistered Commenterreplicant

"sometimes they are genuine vapour trails and sometimes they are chemtrails
Likewise with clouds."

I do not believe you ever are looking vapour trails. Modern commercial aircraft jet engines preclude their formation. Chemtrails are chemtrails. They are never vapour trails. Like wise clouds. Clouds do not look like chemtrails and chemtrails do not look like clouds.

"But there is no visible difference between vapour trails and chemtrails - I have to perform a mental process - reflectionand then it will be apparent which are which"

So what are you trying to say? That chemtrails do exist and you distinguish them? If there's no visible difference, how do you distinguish them? Oh, you are trying to be funny. By cleverly assuming that I am distinguishing chemtrails a nd vapour trails. Ho, ho, ho. Good one.

Mar 4, 2014 at 4:53 PM | Unregistered Commenterreplicant

Pardon me for breathing. I didn't realise this was a private spat.

Mar 4, 2014 at 5:12 PM | Registered CommenterMike Jackson

Its not. We're just having a discussion about internet visualization

Mar 4, 2014 at 5:17 PM | Unregistered Commenterreplicant

I hesitate to interject in case this "chemtrail" thing is some sort of joke that I'm not getting. But I have not the slightest idea what this discussion of "chemtrails" is all about...

Mar 4, 2014 at 5:29 PM | Unregistered CommenterChandra

Replicant - I'll come back later on fracking.
"So what are you trying to say? That chemtrails do exist and you distinguish them? If there's no visible difference, how do you distinguish them? Oh, you are trying to be funny. By cleverly assuming that I am distinguishing chemtrails a nd vapour trails. Ho, ho, ho. Good one."

I'm not trying to be funny at all. I am just trying to understand. I have never heard of chemtrails until your posting in this thread.

"I do not believe you ever are looking vapour trails. Modern commercial aircraft jet engines preclude their formation. "
Jet engines - and piston - engines have always produced vapour trails - they eject hot water vapour from burning kerosene into super cold atmosphere - they've almost got to produce vapour trails.

I have not understood if your chemtrails look like vapour trails but are different in some way, or whether they acutally look different.. I'm asking for explanation, not trying to be funny.

You said: " Nothing of what you see are vapour trails and only portions are genuine clouds. But of course you do have to look up and you do have to reflect." Reflecting is a mental process, right? And if I do it, I'll recognise which are vapour trails and which are chemtrails?

You have said discussing here is not easy. I am trying to discuss but you seem to be dismissing me as a clown.

Mar 4, 2014 at 5:51 PM | Registered CommenterMartin A

sorry Mike - I;ll explain later

Mar 4, 2014 at 5:59 PM | Registered CommenterMartin A

"I do not believe you ever are looking vapour trails. Modern commercial aircraft jet engines preclude their formation. "
Jet engines - and piston - engines have always produced vapour trails - they eject hot water vapour from burning kerosene into super cold atmosphere - they've almost got to produce vapour trails.

I said "modern commercial jet engines" preclude the creation of chemtrails. While not extinguishing the creation of vapour trails completely, for our purposes one can say that there are no vapour trails in the sky. So that's your first argument that is incorrect.

If a person reflects that does not mean he must decide whether or not something exists. If I reflect on the sun I am not questioning the existence of the sun, I am reflecting on what it is, how it got there. So if I reflect on chemtrails I refer to the process of understanding. Not the process of trying to open someone's eyes. Or belabour the point to someone who for private reasons has ulterior purposes for ignoring what he sees.

Mar 4, 2014 at 6:20 PM | Unregistered Commenterreplicant

Martin A, I think you may be trying to converse with a Turing-bot.

Mar 4, 2014 at 6:57 PM | Unregistered Commentermichael hart

"sorry Mike - I;ll explain later"

"you seem to be dismissing me as a clown."

Not a clown, but some one who hides behind the pretense of something else. In that sense I have restricted patience. However it can only be noted what we see in the skies are being passed off as vapour trails and of no special interest or of any special consequence is, to put it in any colloquial parlance - playing it dumb. A position not befitting a grown man who spends his days connected to the web

Mar 4, 2014 at 7:19 PM | Unregistered Commenterreplicant

replicant - I'm not pretending. I'm not playing it dumb. I simply don't know what you are on about. I know in great depth about some subjects that quite likely you have never even heard of but I'm not ashamed, when I don't know something, to say so and ask what it is.

A big plane, if I remember, burns around a gallon of fuel a second. At 600mph (10 miles/minute) that means 6 gallons per mile. I think that burning a gallon of paraffin (much the same as jet fuel) produces about a gallon of water. So a big plane is chucking out around six gallons of water a mile. At 35,000 feet it's bloody cold - about -50°C?


If you are boiling off 6 gallons a mile and chucking it into air that would make your deep freeze seem warm, it'll condense into visible cloud - a.k.a. vapour trails (although misnamed as, in reality, they are droplets of liquid water or ice, not vapour which is invisible gas).

I don't 'spend my days' connected to the web - I acutally have a life. But between other things, when I come in for a coffee, I take a look on BH and one or two other sites. I assure you that I have never heard of 'chemtrails' before this thread. If you don't want to help me out, no problem. Your reaction makes me think that there is something dubious about the concept of 'chemtrails'. Otherwise, you'd have explained in a line or two what they are.

To you they seem very real. I have never heard of them. Perhaps Entropic Man can explain what they are if you are unwilling to do so.

Mar 4, 2014 at 7:58 PM | Registered CommenterMartin A

Well obviously 6 gallons of water per linear mile is not going to spread out until they stretch several degrees to each side of the flight path and at the same time still maintain horizon to horizon continuity. And most importantly even, last for days. What do you want me to say? Do you honestly believe I should pretend that you are taken by this argument? But not only by this argument. Crazy flight paths like u-turns. Chemtrail pilots writing in the sky? But anyways, I get caught in the loop of pretending people are unaware. I find that claim even more unbelievable than the chemtrails themselves. (Different kinds of unbelief)

Mar 4, 2014 at 8:11 PM | Unregistered Commenterreplicant

Martin, as you have been so helpful to me here, allow me to return the favor. I took this from WUWT, dated September 2, 2013.

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/09/02/chemtrails-or-contrails-another-alarmist-issue-without-scientific-context/

Mar 4, 2014 at 8:22 PM | Unregistered Commentermaestra2014

"Otherwise, you'd have explained in a line or two what they are."

I have explained in a line or two. And I haven't told you what they are because the definitive understanding is unfolding presently. However, I have told you what they aren't and I've told you where to look. But you don't accept these statements. And you create arguments like 6 gallons of water can now cover the sky and last for days when previously contrails lasted only a few seconds. It's an impossible argument. Naturally I can't help but be amused or bored depending on the inventiveness of your response.

Mar 4, 2014 at 8:28 PM | Unregistered Commenterreplicant

Thanks maestra. Looks interesting but it does not seem to actually say what a 'chemtrail' actually is. A previous commenter pointed me to a page saying that it's alleged that it's the US govt spraying the population with unspecified chemicals but I did not think that was what replicant is on about.

Mar 4, 2014 at 9:56 PM | Registered CommenterMartin A

"spraying the population with unspecified chemicals"

"...when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

Since we know they aren't vapour trails, what possibilities remain? You can certainly take your pick. It's just that vapour trails isn't one of them.

Mar 4, 2014 at 10:13 PM | Unregistered Commenterreplicant

replicant - please carefully re-read what I wrote.

You'll find I said nothing about "6 gallons of water can now cover the sky and last for days when previously contrails lasted only a few seconds". I was simply pointing out that it does not make sense to say that modern jet engines don't cause vapour trails.

How long the condensation lasts depends pretty much on the relative humidity of the air. If you think they always used to last for just seconds, you are simply mistaken. Where did you get that idea?

"Since we know they aren't vapour trails". If you don't know what they are and they look like vapour trails, doesn't Occam's razor suggest that's perhaps what they are?

I previously asked whether chemtrails were simply vapour trails. Instead of simply saying "we know they aren't vapour trails", you responded "The fact that you position your question about chemtrails as if there was a question about them says everything. Ludicrous."

I asked a straight question but instead of giving a straight answer, you mocked me.

Mar 4, 2014 at 10:52 PM | Registered CommenterMartin A

"You'll find I said nothing about "6 gallons of water can now cover the sky and last for days when previously contrails lasted only a few seconds". "

That's correct, I said that. You brought up the fact of 6 gallons of water. I used that statement to point out that this fact means chemtrails cannot be mistaken for contrails since chemtrails do in fact cover the sky and last for days. Ipso facto they cannot be contrails since this is not how contrails behave.

"How long the condensation lasts depends pretty much on the relative humidity of the air. If you think they always used to last for just seconds, you are simply mistaken. Where did you get that idea?"

From science. Contrails of modern commercial high by-pass jet engines very rarely produce any contrails, (ie: only in ideal conditions) and when they do they generally last only a few seconds. Yes, this is science. On some rare blue moon night you may get a contrail to last a bit longer. But your statement is completely irrelevant since what we are witnessing is a total onslaught of spraying far beyond any conceivable circumstances you imagined you thought you could explain. It is childish and preposterous for an educated and normally intelligent person to confuse the phenomena in question with contrails.

"Since we know they aren't vapour trails". If you don't know what they are and they look like vapour trails,"

They don't look like, act like, seem like, could be confused with, mistaken for or otherwise misinterpreted as contrails.

I keep telling you they aren't vapour trails and don't look like vapour trails and you come back with the claim that "they look like vapour trails...so maybe they are" Why shouldn't I mock you?

Just take this last bit of your post. "I asked a straight question but instead of giving a straight answer, you mocked me".

I have given you straight answers each and every time. But your responses and arguments are repetitive and so become inconsequential. They run from pretending to be a naïve waif, unfamiliar with the dirty possibilities of modern politics and warfare, to having no trouble at all in producing the calculations for the water vapour output of a jet engine. But nothing else seems to be handy. Just questions that you pretend to be pained to ask me. Why shouldn't I mock you? You feign some insult yet you steadfastly refuse to acknowledge past statements and continue on as if no discussion had taken place.

"...when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

We know they aren't contrails because we can see that they aren't.

Please, carefully reread my posts and you will find I have already stated my position several times. They cannot be mistaken for contrails or clouds and they come out of the rear of commercial aircraft. They are as obvious as the back of your hand. You don't even need me to answer your questions. Look up and you can see for yourself. And since you yourself understand that six gallons of water per mile dispersed at 40,000 ft. could not, under any circumstances produce aircraft trails extending the length and breadth of the sky.

But I understand. This crowd is the no-seeums crowd. This is as opposed to Bible thumpers see-ums. They tell you to see without any evidence, and you tell people to not see against all evidence. The see-ums vs. the no see-ums. Two sides of the same coin.

Mar 5, 2014 at 12:16 AM | Unregistered Commenterreplicant

"But your statement is completely irrelevant since what we are witnessing is a total onslaught of spraying far beyond any conceivable circumstances you imagined you thought you could explain. It is childish and preposterous for an educated and normally intelligent person to confuse the phenomena in question with contrails."

As you wish. Where I am, I look up and see jets on their way to the USA. They are still low enough that you hear the plane. You can sometimes even recognise the aircraft type. But they are high enough to be making vapour trails - which behave like normal vapour trails. Yesterday they remained in place as long as I watched and were still there when I got on with other things.

However, I think we have progressed as far as we are likely to get with 'chemtrails'.

In your posting you said "The fact is that with most of the people here it is not really possible to discuss anything since there is no understanding of common ground. For instance the complete denial of the existence of almost everything that everybody can see for themselves like chemtrails and fracking hell, (just to name two of the most obvious). "

Someone else asked "what is fracking hell" and eventually you answered: "Everything to with fracking from start to finish. Especially in the context of present day events, 'slickwater fracking'. Everything about slickwater fracking is fracking hell and should be stopped.
I apologize. Is that a straight answer? "

Well, it's an answer but I doubt that it will make much sense to readers of this blog. I'm not sure what 'slickwater fracking' is but I think there is probably wide agreement here that ordinary fracking for natural gas is almost wholly beneficial:

- It provides the prospect of cheap and plentiful energy, with all the benefits that brings, into the distant future.

- It avoids the environmental damage of coal mining (including subsidence for underground mining) and coal burning.

- It reduces CO2 production (if you think that is a benefit - some people, such as me, think that increased CO2 is entirely beneficial; it enhances plant growth and has a very small but entirely beneficial effect on climate.)

- It means the potential of freedom from reliance on unstable or unreliable countries for essential energy supplies.

In talking about "fracking hell" you seem to imply there are some downsides to fracking. I think that many readers here will be unaware of any downsides.

Mar 5, 2014 at 8:57 AM | Registered CommenterMartin A

Martin A:

In talking about "fracking hell" you seem to imply there are some downsides to fracking. I think that many readers here will be unaware of any downsides.

Me, for one.

Mar 5, 2014 at 12:37 PM | Registered Commenterjferguson

"making vapour trails - which behave like normal vapour trails. Yesterday they remained in place as long as I watched and were still there when I got on with other things."

Well then obviously they're not vapour trails are they since we both know that there is not nearly enough water vapour from combustion to create what you see. That's just a scientific fact.

"I'm not sure what 'slickwater fracking' is but I think there is probably wide agreement here that ordinary fracking for natural gas is almost wholly beneficial"

Well this is really your only position. You play dumb. You don't see anything but con trails and you haven't any idea of what slickwater fracking is. But stepping aside your impoverished acting we must ask to whom it is beneficial. That's the question. But that is only half the question. The other half is to whom is it harmful. Well both questions are easy. It is beneficial to wall street conmen, fracking companies, the military and the sleazy government officials who get to keep their paychecks. It is harmful to everybody else. But when in the playing dumb game, other peoples property and values aren't of much consideration now are they.

"It provides the prospect of cheap and plentiful energy, with all the benefits that brings, into the distant future."

It doesn't provide cheap energy by any means. It destroys ground water. Increases health costs, destroys peoples livelihood, destroys their life, endangers their health. It is ridiculous to assume we must continue with shale gas or we will come to dire straights. The truth is that continuing with shale gas drilling will decimate whole areas of countryside. I have another thread where I posted numerous links to the dangers of fracking. Those dangers aren't hard to find. But playing dumb is probably the only response you know.

"- It avoids the environmental damage of coal mining (including subsidence for underground mining) and coal burning."

At least coal mining is relatively local. Whereas with the case of fracking, once the ground water is ruined, it is ruined without any help of remediation for an indefinite period of time. Ground water also travels through not well known paths using less well known distances over time. Contaminated ground water moving underground to destroy other peoples drinking water...Bit what would that concern an educated man like yourself?

"It reduces CO2 production"

That is really just the biggest piece of bullshit there and of negligible import. Of far more importance are the myriad of chemicals being leaked continuously from old and/or damaged equipment. Toxic chemicals being released in evaporation ponds and on and on.

"- It means the potential of freedom from reliance on unstable or unreliable countries for essential energy supplies."

Don't be absurd. It will do nothing of the kind.

"In talking about "fracking hell" you seem to imply there are some downsides to fracking."

Duh-uh

Mar 5, 2014 at 12:46 PM | Unregistered Commenterreplicant

Here's my ha'peth worth for what it's worth. Entropic man clearly has a science base and in discussion attempts to push a stance based on the science which I personally don't understand but then many in this entire arena adopt similar behaviours.

I personally have a more philosophical viewpoint in that time will tell as it does with all things.

However, that is not to say any are necessarily wrong. My own field is medical and the better part of a decade in higher education has given me a sense of what scientific argument is about. I now just say that I have grave doubts about the narrative.

With respect to Chandra, I honestly get an impression of a decent enough sort who just happens to have very strident views. Chandra, for the record, until the last four or five years I also held views as vociferously as you still do. In fact, if we had ever found ourselves at the same meetings you would have voted to have me excluded as an extremist!!..I kid you not.

The facts changed though and so did my view.

Matters are clearly not as the likes of Greenpeace/IPCC etc would have us believe. This suggests to me at least that the real agenda lies elsewhere but that is an entire discussion in it's own right.

I don't think I have ever come across a field of scientific debate that has polarised attitudes to the degree that is seen with the climate debate. There are clear ideological boundaries which again seems curious, to my eye anyway.

Chandra, I have a sense (and apologies if I'm wrong) that you also don't feel the ground you have occupied for so long being quite as stable as it used to be. I want you to note that I very much know what that feels like and I (hope) would like to speak for many by saying that no-one here will attempt to make any "political" capital by saying "huh, we told you so" etc if you stated any doubt on any area of the climate debate.....

All are entitled to alter a viewpoint...In fact, it almost defines human activity.

It is a very uncomfortable transition though to be sure and one even loses friendships as a result.

In brief I certainly do not feel Chandra devalues the debates (slightly pejorative but not in the Zed category) and certainly not Entropic Man....I'm entitled to think he has it wrong but then so might I.

Ah well, that's my verbiage over with for the day.

Mar 5, 2014 at 12:55 PM | Unregistered Commenterjones

replicant - I'd assumed that the discussion of 'chemtrails' had pretty well finished. If you wish to continue, no problem.

"Well then obviously they're not vapour trails are they since we both know that there is not nearly enough water vapour from combustion to create what you see. That's just a scientific fact. "

No it is absolutely not 'a scientific fact'. Do you understand physics at any level whatever?

I pointed out that a big jet produces water vapour at the rate of around 1 gallon per second which is more than adequate to produce visible vapour trails. A big jet outputs far more water per unit time than a steam locomotive. That's a fact.

Planes at altitude have *always* produced vapour trails - just take a look at photos of the sky while the Battle of Britain was going on. That's a fact.

You keep on that I am 'playing dumb' 'impoverished acting' I don't know what more I can do than assure you that I am not. You can look at my previous comments on this website and you'll see pretty uniform consistency. I have nothing to gain by playing some sort of silly game pretending to think things different from what I really think.

So far as fracking is concerned, it seems you have two principle objections:
- it makes investors rich
- it can contaminate groundwater

I've three responses to that:

- if it makes investors rich, that benefits anyone who has a pension or other investments.

- so far as I can see, groundwater is a non-issue. The depths are completely distinct. My well doesn't give a toss about what goes on a few hundred feet down.

- you have missed out that, with cheap energy, everybody benefits: staying warm at home in cold weather, cheaper transport, cheaper and more plentiful manufactured goods, cheaper and better food with security of supply.

Mar 5, 2014 at 1:46 PM | Registered CommenterMartin A

""Well then obviously they're not vapour trails are they since we both know that there is not nearly enough water vapour from combustion to create what you see. That's just a scientific fact. "

No it is absolutely not 'a scientific fact'. Do you understand physics at any level whatever?"

There is no point in having a discussion. It is absolutely a scientific fact. The fact is that it is physically impossible for water vapour to create what you see. You like playing dumb because that is your only option.

"Planes at altitude have *always* produced vapour trails - just take a look at photos of the sky while the Battle of Britain was going on. That's a fact."

Here of course you are no longer just playing but have moved on to being dumb. Comparing what, piston driven engines notoriously difficult to tune to different altitudes with modern high bypass turbo fans. What don't compare jet engines with rocket engines. You might get some more mileage out of that. What do you care. An engine is an engine right? Wow, we are really, really impressed with your historical knowledge. Maybe if you expanded that knowledge just a bit to include engine type we could elevate this discussion above grade school. But doubt it.

"You keep on that I am 'playing dumb' 'impoverished acting' I don't know what more I can do than assure you that I am not"

What you can about that of course is to learn a little bit of science regarding vapour trails and how much water vapour could be expanded and still be visible and persistent. To pretend that what you see above is water vapour is a very good example of the moral and intellectual poverty of many of the posters on this site.

- so far as I can see, groundwater is a non-issue. The depths are completely distinct. My well doesn't give a toss about what goes on a few hundred feet down.

But that's as far as you can see. So now it is at least clear why I was suggesting at the beginning you couldn't see the contrails. You are myopic. Anybody who thinks that separation at depths and levels of a few hundred feet when it comes to the ground beneath their feet is in serious need of remedial education. Where do you think ground water comes from and where do you think ground water is draining to? Nevermind, That's probably a question that requires a little better eyesight.

Mar 5, 2014 at 2:11 PM | Unregistered Commenterreplicant

It doesn't even require any education to understand that what you see isn't water vapour. All it takes is common sense. 6 gallons of water per mile would never create water vapour trails of the kind you have now apparently witnessed. And most certainly it would never create vapour trails that are as low as you described that you witnessed. Low enough to recognize aircraft type. There is zero chance of any kind that what you see are water vapour trails.

This of course doesn't begin to address the myriad of other issues that show what an idiotic viewpoint that is that what you see are water vapour trails. But I wouldn't want to cloud your vision. You are having enough trouble as it is.

Mar 5, 2014 at 2:21 PM | Unregistered Commenterreplicant