13 ms·

Delhi suffers at 49°C as heatwave sweeps India

116 points by vanilla-almond 4y ago

Markoff 4y ago
"While heatwaves are common in India, especially in May and June, summer began early this year with high temperatures from March, when the first heatwave arrived." for anyone who thinks 49C in Delhi is some extreme temperature it's not really that far from usual maximum (2019 and 2020 both May max. 46C), I remember when I traveled during similar period all across India in non-AC bus (must been easily 50-60C inside) and when there was a bit of rain and temperature dropped to like 36C it felt so cool and refreshing, somewhere outside Delhi had to literally run to shadow in early afternoon with 40+ C temperatures "The temperature was recorded at 49.2°C in northwest Delhi’s Mungeshpur and 49.1°C in southwest Delhi’s Najafgarh. It was the first time any weather station in the national capital breached the 49°C mark. These two automatic weather stations became operational only this year, so no past data is available, but the previous high in Delhi was recorded at 48.4°C at the Palam station on May 26, 1998."[1] so not really a fair comparison, they should show current data from Palam station to see whether this is record ot not edit: Palam station highest temperature in last 24 hours 46.4C, so not beating Delhi record, typical BBC "quality" reporting[2] [1] https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/temperature-tops-49-c-in-parts-of-city-as-heatwave-soars-101652638349198.html https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/temperature-tops-4... [2] https://city.imd.gov.in/citywx/city_weather.php?id=42181 https://city.imd.gov.in/citywx/city_weather.php?id=42181
- eklavya 4y ago
  I don't know, definitely feels hotter this summer compared to the last two.
- hnbad 4y ago
  49C is hot, even if India has seen hotter temperatures. Heat must also be seen in combination with humidity, i.e. Wet Bulb Temperature[0]. Note that the human limit for WBT is extremely low when compared to dry heat (Wikipedia gives the theoretical limit as 35°C/95°F, equivalent to a heat index of 70°C/160°F) because this is the point where the human body is incapable of self-regulating body temperature because perspiration ceases to have any effect. If it really was 60°C inside, something like 15% relative humidity could have been enough to kill you without ventilation/isolation/cooling if you had been exposed to it long enough. The other problem that you seem to be missing is that the article states that this heatwave arrived very early, which means nobody was prepared for it and as the article also states, this could cause problems in agriculture which would compound on the existing shortages from Ukraine. This is as usual unlikely to cause direct problems for people living in most of Europe or North America but bad news for countries relying on Ukraine or India for food imports. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet-bulb_temperature https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet-bulb_temperature
  - samarthr1 4y ago
    Good thing we have about 4 years of reserves in godowns across India, and have banned exports then :)
    - hnbad 4y ago
      Good thing we used the IMF to make starving African countries self-sustaining and food secure instead of pressuring them to mass produce non-food crops for the international market then. Oh, wait.
- iknownothow 4y ago
  for anyone who thinks 49C in Delhi is some extreme temperature it's not really that far from usual maximum (2019 and 2020 both May max. 46C). That's a 3C increase! Sure that's only a 6.5% increase in temperature w.r.t. to 46C but that's an incorrect way of looking at it. If you were to set your air-conditioning to 32C, then the energy required to cool from 49C to 32C is 21% more than the energy required to cool from 46C to 32C. 32C is also the wet-bulb temperature, so when thinking about tolerability, at least use 32C as the baseline (and not 0C) when comparing temperatures. P.S. Humidity is a major factor. I'm assuming humidity is the same this year as it was the previous years. Edit: To clarify, my comment was about not giving into your insticts and underestimating the effects of 3C rise w.r.t. 46C. Thinking of 3C rise in terms of energy increase or comparing it to a baseline of wet-bulb temperature give you better intuitions.
  - makomk 4y ago
    Pretty sure that's well within the bounds of normal variation we'd expect between different locations within a major city. There's all kinds of weird microclimates in most cities, you really do have to compare like with like here - it's entirely likely that there were actually higher temperatures in Delhi in the past and there just weren't automated weather stations in those locations at the time.
    - jsjohnst 4y ago
      > it's entirely likely that there were actually higher temperatures in Delhi in the past and there just weren't automated weather stations in those locations at the time Ok, great, so maybe at some point in the past there was a hotter temp. It’s amazing how rather than focusing on the miserable experience nearly 50° weather is for those there, we get into a weird measuring fetish over who’s number is biggest.
    - thaway2839 4y ago
      Except the 49C here is not a weird microclimate of some small part of New Delhi, but rather is the average temp across the city. Which means that places with weird microclimates that were 49C when the overall temp was 46C are now 52C and above.
- Narretz 4y ago
  It's a big difference if it's already 45+ in March when it's usually only 45+ starting in May.
- imtringued 4y ago
  I'm not sure how true this is but I noticed that 1.1°C of warming has raised maximum temperatures by 4°C in Germany. Yes those 4°C aren't there all year but you do notice them.
andy_ppp 4y ago
And it's only going to get hotter. I wanted to build a visualisation to see how hot my current day was compared to other previous days at this time of year. Would be great to be able to look and see on Monday May 16th your nearest weather station has never been as hot as it is today before 1934. Other interesting statements about local temperature trends can be seen too. My only problem is I can't find the data for local weather temperatures!
- Markoff 4y ago
  It's not even Delhi record Previous high in Delhi was recorded at 48.4°C at the Palam station on May 26, 1998 (11 days later). Palam station highest temperature in last 24 hours = 46.4C https://city.imd.gov.in/citywx/city_weather.php?id=42181 https://city.imd.gov.in/citywx/city_weather.php?id=42181 this 49C is questionable record with never used automated stations with no previous data
  - WaxedChewbacca 4y ago
  - akrain 4y ago
    Actually, the record is correct but not for the city's main weather station. The temperature of 49C was recorded in two of the city's outer areas one of which was Najafgarh and other was Mungeshpur. You can select those from the left nav on IMD's website and see the results yourself. https://city.imd.gov.in/citywx/localwx.php https://city.imd.gov.in/citywx/localwx.php
    - Markoff 4y ago
      Where can I see data from these stations from hot years 2019 and 2020 to compare?
      - akrain 4y ago
        Apparently, IMD has released historical weather data last year and it is available here: https://www.imdpune.gov.in/Clim_Pred_LRF_New/Grided_Data_Download.html https://www.imdpune.gov.in/Clim_Pred_LRF_New/Grided_Data_Dow... However, it is in some weird binary format which I have no clue about. They have also shared some C and Fortran (yes Fortran) code to read the files.
12ian34 4y ago
I could not do it. I was born in Delhi but moved to the UK early on. Even the UK is too hot for me... I've been thinking about moving to Scandinavia.
- Y-bar 4y ago
  You're welcome, but it's getting worse here as well. The western part gets warmer and wetter and the eastern part warmer and drier. Currently advances in agricultural tech keeps grain output in check despite the problems arising from climate change, but at some time the threshold will be reached were no amount of improved planning/machinery/fertiliser/.. usage will make up for record drought after record drought on our farming belts. Edit for sources from Norway: - https://www.met.no/en/weather-and-climate/It-will-become-wetter https://www.met.no/en/weather-and-climate/It-will-become-wet... > Climate change will also increase the risk of summer drought, particularly in southern and south-eastern Norway. And this is where most of the agriculture is. - https://www.met.no/en/weather-and-climate/It-will-become-hotter https://www.met.no/en/weather-and-climate/It-will-become-hot...
- tintedfireglass 4y ago
  Bengaluru always has the best weather in India
  - ido 4y ago
    Might be best in India but still way too hot from a northern european prespective.
  - thematrixturtle 4y ago
    Not anymore, alas, it's gotten far hotter than it used to be. https://bengaluru.citizenmatters.in/urbanisation-high-land-surface-temperature-65541 https://bengaluru.citizenmatters.in/urbanisation-high-land-s...
    - tintedfireglass 4y ago
      Yep 38C is really hot for bangalore
Lammy 4y ago
I really wish humanity would get serious about exploring geoengineering options to prevent mass suffering and death while we collectively work toward lowered emissions. Freeman Dyson was talking about this even way back in 1979, echoed by Edward Teller (yes, that Edward Teller!) in 1997: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB877028953900981000 https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB877028953900981000 Or in USAF's 1996 presentation "Weather as a Force Multiplier: Owning the Weather in 2025": https://web.archive.org/web/19970429012543/http://www.au.af.mil/au/2025/volume3/chap15/vol3ch15.pdf#page=21 https://web.archive.org/web/19970429012543/http://www.au.af.... (PDF) There's probably no way for us to publicly know the extent of what all has been considered or tested in secret, but it's reassuring to me to see that there's historical interest from groups who would have the clout and the means to actually do something about it. Even if we haven't discovered a safe and workable sun-shielding technology that can be deployed widely, ruling out things that won't work is an important step toward getting there. Maybe this can be the Space Force's defining moment!
- nrp 4y ago
  Relevant to the current events in India, Ministry for the Future and Termination Shock are two very interesting speculative fiction takes on near-future climate geoengineering and the implications for India.
  - prepend 4y ago
    I thought of both when I saw the headline and checked to make sure this wasn’t in wet bulb event territory.
- sammalloy 4y ago
  The easiest first step is to start installing white roofs in urban areas. This should be national policy by now. It’s been four years since this policy was recommended and nothing has been done. https://e360.yale.edu/features/urban-heat-can-white-roofs-help-cool-the-worlds-warming-cities https://e360.yale.edu/features/urban-heat-can-white-roofs-he...
  - 4y ago
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
tintedfireglass 4y ago
- dpacmittal 4y ago
  What an ignorant comment. Least expected from Bengalurians.
  - tintedfireglass 4y ago
    It was just a joke. Bangalore is getting really really hot. 38C is no joke. We need AC in bengaluru these days. It's a problem I understand
- cute_boi 4y ago
  Well, you can enjoy today, but have you ever considered about future? What happens if there is influx of migration from Delhi? Are you going to enjoy that time too? I think as a human being we should try to empathize other's problem. Imagine if elites openly says "I am enjoying lavish life using the money \"stolen\" from the poors".
  - tintedfireglass 4y ago
    It was just a joke c'mon. I dindnt mean to shit on them
    - milkytron 4y ago
      I didn't see the original comment, but this is generally a place for curious discussion and thoughtful comments. Jokes frequently get misinterpreted.
      - cute_boi 4y ago
        The original comment was similar to "Meanwhile I am enjoying in Bangalore". It may be jokes, but making jokes on somebody's dire situation isn't helpful to anyone.
Schopenhauer01 4y ago
- tintedfireglass 4y ago
  It's best for everything except (ee Sala cup nammde)
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
mandmandam 4y ago
Gentle reminder that oil companies knew climate change was coming in the 70s, and their response was to use tobacco lobby tactics to spread misinformation. Media and politicians helped - and are still helping - them do it.
- captainmuon 4y ago
  This it totally weird. I was born in the 80s, and as a kid I learned about CO2 and climate change in school. In elementary school in the US. I even had a "ninja turtles save the environment" book. Nobody can claim we didn't know, or the oil industry kept the information secret. One of the reasons I believe our current political system is bankrupt. It can't do the right thing even when it is crystal clear.
  - wirthjason 4y ago
    As another 80’s kid we shouldn’t forget about Captain Planet!
  - Gigachad 4y ago
    Every political system around the world and across history has failed to address environmental problems. It’s probably one of the hardest problems ever.
  - em500 4y ago
    Yup. Here's a casual joke on global warming from Hot Shots! (1991), that's more than 30 years ago now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JkBKGttM_U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JkBKGttM_U
  - mandmandam 4y ago
    > Nobody can claim we didn't know, or the oil industry kept the information secret. Ya know, people said the same thing about tobacco. Their FUD tactics were effective though. They sewed enough doubt to squeeze a few extra decades of profit out of people, at the expense of millions of lives. This is that but worse. And it's so, so sad that people here are missing that point and carrying water for the fossil fuel mass murderers.
truthwhisperer 4y ago
pvsukale3 4y ago
India needs to move to homegrown manufacturing of cheap solar and green hydrogen for storage. Solar energy is something that India gets a lot of. Especially during summer solar energy could help with the extra demand in energy because of high heat.
- r0b05 4y ago
  That is a good point. They are perfectly situated to capitalize on the sun. They have the manpower as well. Unfortunately, politics often get in the way of progress.
  - llampx 4y ago
    India has funded solar panel research and development, but it is a small country for the number of people who need the power. As mentioned, hot and dusty too, both are bad for solar panel efficiency.
    - r0b05 4y ago
      Well we should be looking at ways to get around the dust and heat through innovation. Perhaps more durable materials would be a start. And it does not have to power the whole country - even 50% will provide a relief. People need to stop thinking in binary terms when it comes to energy.
- robinsoh 4y ago
  > India needs to move to homegrown manufacturing of cheap solar I doubt India could manufacture solar cheaper than China which already has all of the necessary ecosystems for massive scale solar panel manufacturing. > solar energy could help with the extra demand in energy because of high heat It may seem counter-intuitive, but solar panel efficiency is affected negatively by temperature increases. Most solar panels have a temperature coefficient of around -0.3% / °C to -0.5% / °C. So at 50C , you're expecting more than 10% loss. Most people don't realize a lot of electronics just isn't designed to operate in such extremes. Plastics start to lose rigidity, glues start to detach, liquid crystals start to behave slightly differently.
2143 4y ago
Does anybody else feel a tinge of guilt when turning on the air conditioner? (Because it supposedly releases CFC which contributes to global warming). It's a positive feedback infinite loop: so hot we have to turn on the AC, which inturn contributes to global warming :( Update: through comments here I learnt that this isn't as much of a problem anymore. No more guilt. Phew!
- tenebrisalietum 4y ago
  Depends on age of the air conditioner. Older refrigerants such as Freon were very bad but newer ones are not. https://www.cielowigle.com/blog/ac-refrigerants/ https://www.cielowigle.com/blog/ac-refrigerants/
- bcrosby95 4y ago
  No, because CFCs are not a problem anymore. Countries were able to move amazingly fast on that, at least compared to the whole climate change thing.
  - pengaru 4y ago
    This. It was relatively trivial to switch refrigerants to something that didn't trash the ozone, compared to something like replacing fossil fuels. We could still use the same basic evaporative heat pumps for cooling, it was a minor change.
- Denvercoder9 4y ago
  The refrigerants (that's what CFC's were used for) in AC's are not consumable, so their environmental impact isn't influenced by whether the AC is turned on. The CO2 released by electricity generation is a factor in climate change, though.
- gandalfian 4y ago
  I feel more guilty about the cars AC. A twenty year old variety of refrigerant that needs to be regassed every few years suggesting it is leaking out somewhere along with millions of others...
- 4y ago

"While heatwaves are common in India, especially in May and June, summer began early this year with high temperatures from March, when the first heatwave arrived." for anyone who thinks 49C in Delhi is some extreme temperature it's not really that far from usual maximum (2019 and 2020 both May max. 46C), I remember when I traveled during similar period all across India in non-AC bus (must been easily 50-60C inside) and when there was a bit of rain and temperature dropped to like 36C it felt so cool and refreshing, somewhere outside Delhi had to literally run to shadow in early afternoon with 40+ C temperatures "The temperature was recorded at 49.2°C in northwest Delhi’s Mungeshpur and 49.1°C in southwest Delhi’s Najafgarh. It was the first time any weather station in the national capital breached the 49°C mark. These two automatic weather stations became operational only this year, so no past data is available, but the previous high in Delhi was recorded at 48.4°C at the Palam station on May 26, 1998."[1] so not really a fair comparison, they should show current data from Palam station to see whether this is record ot not edit: Palam station highest temperature in last 24 hours 46.4C, so not beating Delhi record, typical BBC "quality" reporting[2] [1] https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/temperature-tops-49-c-in-parts-of-city-as-heatwave-soars-101652638349198.html https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/temperature-tops-4... [2] https://city.imd.gov.in/citywx/city_weather.php?id=42181 https://city.imd.gov.in/citywx/city_weather.php?id=42181

eklavya 4y ago
I don't know, definitely feels hotter this summer compared to the last two.
hnbad 4y ago
49C is hot, even if India has seen hotter temperatures. Heat must also be seen in combination with humidity, i.e. Wet Bulb Temperature[0]. Note that the human limit for WBT is extremely low when compared to dry heat (Wikipedia gives the theoretical limit as 35°C/95°F, equivalent to a heat index of 70°C/160°F) because this is the point where the human body is incapable of self-regulating body temperature because perspiration ceases to have any effect. If it really was 60°C inside, something like 15% relative humidity could have been enough to kill you without ventilation/isolation/cooling if you had been exposed to it long enough. The other problem that you seem to be missing is that the article states that this heatwave arrived very early, which means nobody was prepared for it and as the article also states, this could cause problems in agriculture which would compound on the existing shortages from Ukraine. This is as usual unlikely to cause direct problems for people living in most of Europe or North America but bad news for countries relying on Ukraine or India for food imports. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet-bulb_temperature https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet-bulb_temperature
- samarthr1 4y ago
  Good thing we have about 4 years of reserves in godowns across India, and have banned exports then :)
  - hnbad 4y ago
    Good thing we used the IMF to make starving African countries self-sustaining and food secure instead of pressuring them to mass produce non-food crops for the international market then. Oh, wait.
iknownothow 4y ago
for anyone who thinks 49C in Delhi is some extreme temperature it's not really that far from usual maximum (2019 and 2020 both May max. 46C). That's a 3C increase! Sure that's only a 6.5% increase in temperature w.r.t. to 46C but that's an incorrect way of looking at it. If you were to set your air-conditioning to 32C, then the energy required to cool from 49C to 32C is 21% more than the energy required to cool from 46C to 32C. 32C is also the wet-bulb temperature, so when thinking about tolerability, at least use 32C as the baseline (and not 0C) when comparing temperatures. P.S. Humidity is a major factor. I'm assuming humidity is the same this year as it was the previous years. Edit: To clarify, my comment was about not giving into your insticts and underestimating the effects of 3C rise w.r.t. 46C. Thinking of 3C rise in terms of energy increase or comparing it to a baseline of wet-bulb temperature give you better intuitions.
- makomk 4y ago
  Pretty sure that's well within the bounds of normal variation we'd expect between different locations within a major city. There's all kinds of weird microclimates in most cities, you really do have to compare like with like here - it's entirely likely that there were actually higher temperatures in Delhi in the past and there just weren't automated weather stations in those locations at the time.
  - jsjohnst 4y ago
    > it's entirely likely that there were actually higher temperatures in Delhi in the past and there just weren't automated weather stations in those locations at the time Ok, great, so maybe at some point in the past there was a hotter temp. It’s amazing how rather than focusing on the miserable experience nearly 50° weather is for those there, we get into a weird measuring fetish over who’s number is biggest.
  - thaway2839 4y ago
    Except the 49C here is not a weird microclimate of some small part of New Delhi, but rather is the average temp across the city. Which means that places with weird microclimates that were 49C when the overall temp was 46C are now 52C and above.
Narretz 4y ago
It's a big difference if it's already 45+ in March when it's usually only 45+ starting in May.
imtringued 4y ago
I'm not sure how true this is but I noticed that 1.1°C of warming has raised maximum temperatures by 4°C in Germany. Yes those 4°C aren't there all year but you do notice them.

andy_ppp 4y ago

And it's only going to get hotter. I wanted to build a visualisation to see how hot my current day was compared to other previous days at this time of year. Would be great to be able to look and see on Monday May 16th your nearest weather station has never been as hot as it is today before 1934. Other interesting statements about local temperature trends can be seen too. My only problem is I can't find the data for local weather temperatures!

Markoff 4y ago
It's not even Delhi record Previous high in Delhi was recorded at 48.4°C at the Palam station on May 26, 1998 (11 days later). Palam station highest temperature in last 24 hours = 46.4C https://city.imd.gov.in/citywx/city_weather.php?id=42181 https://city.imd.gov.in/citywx/city_weather.php?id=42181 this 49C is questionable record with never used automated stations with no previous data
- WaxedChewbacca 4y ago
- akrain 4y ago
  Actually, the record is correct but not for the city's main weather station. The temperature of 49C was recorded in two of the city's outer areas one of which was Najafgarh and other was Mungeshpur. You can select those from the left nav on IMD's website and see the results yourself. https://city.imd.gov.in/citywx/localwx.php https://city.imd.gov.in/citywx/localwx.php
  - Markoff 4y ago
    Where can I see data from these stations from hot years 2019 and 2020 to compare?
    - akrain 4y ago
      Apparently, IMD has released historical weather data last year and it is available here: https://www.imdpune.gov.in/Clim_Pred_LRF_New/Grided_Data_Download.html https://www.imdpune.gov.in/Clim_Pred_LRF_New/Grided_Data_Dow... However, it is in some weird binary format which I have no clue about. They have also shared some C and Fortran (yes Fortran) code to read the files.

12ian34 4y ago

I could not do it. I was born in Delhi but moved to the UK early on. Even the UK is too hot for me... I've been thinking about moving to Scandinavia.

Y-bar 4y ago
You're welcome, but it's getting worse here as well. The western part gets warmer and wetter and the eastern part warmer and drier. Currently advances in agricultural tech keeps grain output in check despite the problems arising from climate change, but at some time the threshold will be reached were no amount of improved planning/machinery/fertiliser/.. usage will make up for record drought after record drought on our farming belts. Edit for sources from Norway: - https://www.met.no/en/weather-and-climate/It-will-become-wetter https://www.met.no/en/weather-and-climate/It-will-become-wet... > Climate change will also increase the risk of summer drought, particularly in southern and south-eastern Norway. And this is where most of the agriculture is. - https://www.met.no/en/weather-and-climate/It-will-become-hotter https://www.met.no/en/weather-and-climate/It-will-become-hot...
tintedfireglass 4y ago
Bengaluru always has the best weather in India
- ido 4y ago
  Might be best in India but still way too hot from a northern european prespective.
- thematrixturtle 4y ago
  Not anymore, alas, it's gotten far hotter than it used to be. https://bengaluru.citizenmatters.in/urbanisation-high-land-surface-temperature-65541 https://bengaluru.citizenmatters.in/urbanisation-high-land-s...
  - tintedfireglass 4y ago
    Yep 38C is really hot for bangalore

Lammy 4y ago

I really wish humanity would get serious about exploring geoengineering options to prevent mass suffering and death while we collectively work toward lowered emissions. Freeman Dyson was talking about this even way back in 1979, echoed by Edward Teller (yes, that Edward Teller!) in 1997: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB877028953900981000 https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB877028953900981000 Or in USAF's 1996 presentation "Weather as a Force Multiplier: Owning the Weather in 2025": https://web.archive.org/web/19970429012543/http://www.au.af.mil/au/2025/volume3/chap15/vol3ch15.pdf#page=21 https://web.archive.org/web/19970429012543/http://www.au.af.... (PDF) There's probably no way for us to publicly know the extent of what all has been considered or tested in secret, but it's reassuring to me to see that there's historical interest from groups who would have the clout and the means to actually do something about it. Even if we haven't discovered a safe and workable sun-shielding technology that can be deployed widely, ruling out things that won't work is an important step toward getting there. Maybe this can be the Space Force's defining moment!

nrp 4y ago
Relevant to the current events in India, Ministry for the Future and Termination Shock are two very interesting speculative fiction takes on near-future climate geoengineering and the implications for India.
- prepend 4y ago
  I thought of both when I saw the headline and checked to make sure this wasn’t in wet bulb event territory.
sammalloy 4y ago
The easiest first step is to start installing white roofs in urban areas. This should be national policy by now. It’s been four years since this policy was recommended and nothing has been done. https://e360.yale.edu/features/urban-heat-can-white-roofs-help-cool-the-worlds-warming-cities https://e360.yale.edu/features/urban-heat-can-white-roofs-he...
- 4y ago

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

tintedfireglass 4y ago

dpacmittal 4y ago
What an ignorant comment. Least expected from Bengalurians.
- tintedfireglass 4y ago
  It was just a joke. Bangalore is getting really really hot. 38C is no joke. We need AC in bengaluru these days. It's a problem I understand
cute_boi 4y ago
Well, you can enjoy today, but have you ever considered about future? What happens if there is influx of migration from Delhi? Are you going to enjoy that time too? I think as a human being we should try to empathize other's problem. Imagine if elites openly says "I am enjoying lavish life using the money \"stolen\" from the poors".
- tintedfireglass 4y ago
  It was just a joke c'mon. I dindnt mean to shit on them
  - milkytron 4y ago
    I didn't see the original comment, but this is generally a place for curious discussion and thoughtful comments. Jokes frequently get misinterpreted.
    - cute_boi 4y ago
      The original comment was similar to "Meanwhile I am enjoying in Bangalore". It may be jokes, but making jokes on somebody's dire situation isn't helpful to anyone.

Schopenhauer01 4y ago

tintedfireglass 4y ago
It's best for everything except (ee Sala cup nammde)

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

mandmandam 4y ago

Gentle reminder that oil companies knew climate change was coming in the 70s, and their response was to use tobacco lobby tactics to spread misinformation. Media and politicians helped - and are still helping - them do it.

captainmuon 4y ago
This it totally weird. I was born in the 80s, and as a kid I learned about CO2 and climate change in school. In elementary school in the US. I even had a "ninja turtles save the environment" book. Nobody can claim we didn't know, or the oil industry kept the information secret. One of the reasons I believe our current political system is bankrupt. It can't do the right thing even when it is crystal clear.
- wirthjason 4y ago
  As another 80’s kid we shouldn’t forget about Captain Planet!
- Gigachad 4y ago
  Every political system around the world and across history has failed to address environmental problems. It’s probably one of the hardest problems ever.
- em500 4y ago
  Yup. Here's a casual joke on global warming from Hot Shots! (1991), that's more than 30 years ago now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JkBKGttM_U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JkBKGttM_U
- mandmandam 4y ago
  > Nobody can claim we didn't know, or the oil industry kept the information secret. Ya know, people said the same thing about tobacco. Their FUD tactics were effective though. They sewed enough doubt to squeeze a few extra decades of profit out of people, at the expense of millions of lives. This is that but worse. And it's so, so sad that people here are missing that point and carrying water for the fossil fuel mass murderers.

truthwhisperer 4y ago

pvsukale3 4y ago

India needs to move to homegrown manufacturing of cheap solar and green hydrogen for storage. Solar energy is something that India gets a lot of. Especially during summer solar energy could help with the extra demand in energy because of high heat.

r0b05 4y ago
That is a good point. They are perfectly situated to capitalize on the sun. They have the manpower as well. Unfortunately, politics often get in the way of progress.
- llampx 4y ago
  India has funded solar panel research and development, but it is a small country for the number of people who need the power. As mentioned, hot and dusty too, both are bad for solar panel efficiency.
  - r0b05 4y ago
    Well we should be looking at ways to get around the dust and heat through innovation. Perhaps more durable materials would be a start. And it does not have to power the whole country - even 50% will provide a relief. People need to stop thinking in binary terms when it comes to energy.
robinsoh 4y ago
> India needs to move to homegrown manufacturing of cheap solar I doubt India could manufacture solar cheaper than China which already has all of the necessary ecosystems for massive scale solar panel manufacturing. > solar energy could help with the extra demand in energy because of high heat It may seem counter-intuitive, but solar panel efficiency is affected negatively by temperature increases. Most solar panels have a temperature coefficient of around -0.3% / °C to -0.5% / °C. So at 50C , you're expecting more than 10% loss. Most people don't realize a lot of electronics just isn't designed to operate in such extremes. Plastics start to lose rigidity, glues start to detach, liquid crystals start to behave slightly differently.

2143 4y ago

Does anybody else feel a tinge of guilt when turning on the air conditioner? (Because it supposedly releases CFC which contributes to global warming). It's a positive feedback infinite loop: so hot we have to turn on the AC, which inturn contributes to global warming :( Update: through comments here I learnt that this isn't as much of a problem anymore. No more guilt. Phew!

tenebrisalietum 4y ago
Depends on age of the air conditioner. Older refrigerants such as Freon were very bad but newer ones are not. https://www.cielowigle.com/blog/ac-refrigerants/ https://www.cielowigle.com/blog/ac-refrigerants/
bcrosby95 4y ago
No, because CFCs are not a problem anymore. Countries were able to move amazingly fast on that, at least compared to the whole climate change thing.
- pengaru 4y ago
  This. It was relatively trivial to switch refrigerants to something that didn't trash the ozone, compared to something like replacing fossil fuels. We could still use the same basic evaporative heat pumps for cooling, it was a minor change.
Denvercoder9 4y ago
The refrigerants (that's what CFC's were used for) in AC's are not consumable, so their environmental impact isn't influenced by whether the AC is turned on. The CO2 released by electricity generation is a factor in climate change, though.
gandalfian 4y ago
I feel more guilty about the cars AC. A twenty year old variety of refrigerant that needs to be regassed every few years suggesting it is leaking out somewhere along with millions of others...
4y ago