Author Archives: Ernest Ricafort

It Would Take More Than a Foot of Rain to End California’s Drought

by Ernest Ricafort Posted on July 18, 2014

Mother Jones

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This story first appeared in CityLab and is republished here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

Every so often there comes an image that really brings home the West’s damnable dryness. There was that photo of California’s disappearing Folsom Lake, for instance, and now there’s this: a map showing how much rain must fall in one month to end the reigning drought.

NOAA

The map, tweeted out by NOAA, is an illustration in impossible outcomes. (It’s dated for June, though with practically no rainfall in California since then it’s safe to assume it still applies.) Though the northern and southeastern parts of the state would require a relatively modest-sounding 3 to 6 inches of rain to escape drought, the parched Central Valley (where so much of America’s food is grown) needs a biblical dousing of 12 to as much as 15 inches. To put that in perspective, 15 inches of liquid precipitation is equal to 12.5 feet of snow.

Now here’s the probability of that rain bomb happening: zero. Forecasters see drought in July not slacking off but persisting or intensifying, according to this outlook from the Climate Prediction Center:

NOAA

The government’s latest climate assessment paints a grim portrait of California’s arid landscape. Ninety percent of the state’s subsoil is “short or very short of moisture,” reflecting the intolerable duration of this dry spell. Three fourths of its pasture and rangeland is considered to be in “poor to very poor condition.” Meanwhile, many wells are at their lowest levels in 20 years and reservoirs are doing terribly, as shown in this depiction of their current capacities versus their historical averages:

NOAA

With harsh times looming, people are scrambling for any possible fix. Earlier this year, California Governor Jerry Brown asked that everyone reduce their water usage by 20 percent. That didn’t work out too well: Compared with the historical average, water use in urban areas actually went up 1 percent in May, reports the LA Times.

So on Tuesday, California approved a measure that slaps “water wasters” with a $500 fine. That means that beginning in August, folks will (hopefully) be looking over their shoulders any time they engage in activities that drain precious H2O, such as hosing down driveways or having runoff from their yard sprinklers.

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It Would Take More Than a Foot of Rain to End California’s Drought

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March Jobs Report Shows a Spring Pick-Up

by Ernest Ricafort Posted on April 4, 2014

Mother Jones

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The US economy added 192,000 jobs in March, according to new numbers released Friday by the Department of Labor (DoL). The unemployment rate remained steady at 6.7 percent.

The number of jobs created last month was an improvement on the more moderate job gains seen in recent months—113,000 in January, and 175,000 in February. And even those numbers were revised upwards in March by a total of 37,000 jobs.

There’s more good news. Six years after the financial crisis, private employers have finally regained all the jobs lost during the recession, and then some. The private sector lost 8.8 million jobs during the economic slump, and has since hired 8.9 million.

The portion of Americans who either had jobs or were looking for jobs—this is called the labor force participation rate—ticked up to 63.2 percent after a half-million Americans began looking for work again last month. And the number of long-term unemployed—those Americans who have been jobless for 27 weeks or more—has fallen by 837,000 since last year.

Economists predict that the positive March jobs numbers mean that the Federal Reserve, the US central bank that sets monetary policy, will likely continue to pull back on the massive economic stimulus measures it put into effect in September 2012.

Now for the sour news. The number of jobs added to the economy last month was still fewer than many economists had expected. “Everybody who said ‘ah we finally turned the corner, we’re going to be booming like crazy’—I think they’re going to have to hold off for a few months,” Austan Goolsbee, President Barack Obama’s former top economic adviser, said on CNBC Friday.

And the jobs gained last month are not necessarily good middle-class jobs. The professional services sector posted the largest gains in March, but of the 57,000 new jobs added, most were in temp work. Food services added 30,000 jobs. The healthcare sector took on 19,000 jobs, and construction added 19,000.

The disparities in unemployment by race changed little in March. The jobless rate was 5.8 percent for whites, 12.4 percent for blacks, 7.9 percent for Hispanics, and 5.4 percent for Asians.

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March Jobs Report Shows a Spring Pick-Up

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Thanksgiving Cat Blogging – 28 November 2013

by Ernest Ricafort Posted on November 28, 2013

Mother Jones

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Thanksgiving Cat Blogging – 28 November 2013

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Confused About Solar Energy? Read This Expert Advice And You’ll See The Light!

by Ernest Ricafort Posted on October 1, 2013

If you are looking for ways to save money on energy at home or the office, solar energy is a great way. Your utility bills will decrease dramatically, while you save the planet by going green. This article will provide you with all you need to know.

Panel efficiency and quantity of panels are huge factors in how much power you’ll be able to produce. You should figure out exactly how many panels you need. It might be more interesting to invest in the most performing panels if this means purchasing less panels.

You need a reliable method for storing energy that’s produced from the solar energy system. Buy a good quality battery which can store a large amount of power over a long period or contemplate selling the produced energy to the principal power grid in order to keep getting power from it.

When opting to lease a solar energy system, ensure that you can transfer the lease. This is vital since selling your home could mean you have to pay for a unit you can’t use. Transferring the lease give new homeowners a chance to use the solar energy while allowing you to break the contract.

If you’re leasing your solar energy system rather than buying it, ensure the contract you sign gives you the option of transferring the lease. This is very important because if you sell your home, you could be stuck paying for a lease on a solar unit that you cannot use. If you have the transfer option, you can transfer your lease to the new owners of the home.

With a lease, make sure that you are allowed to transfer midway. This means you don’t have to worry about ever paying for a solar energy system that you’re not using. Having the transfer of lease option can get you out of your contract and allow the new homeowners to enjoy the benefits.

A solar energy system is a great way to save money if you are ready to make a long-term investment. Installing solar panels requires a substantial investment, so years may pass before the panels generate sufficient savings to cover your cost. You should invest in solar energy only if you’re settling down.

You may wish to install your panels a few at a time to avoid a huge initial investment. Have an expert do an audit of what your energy usage is. Doing so allows you to carefully scrutinize your energy usage and identify areas for improvement. This means you will not need as many panels installed.

Preserve your solar panels by having twice yearly maintenance performed on them. A technician will look at the angle of your panels, all of your connections and the power inverter.

People who reside in the south-west area of the USA are in a prime area for using solar power. Exposure to the sun is ideal in these states and you could save a lot on your energy bills by investing in a solar energy system. If you haven’t crunched the number yet, you’d better get started.

Install solar photo-voltaic panels on the roof of your home or just add a solar water heater to save lots of money on the power you use. These work well in areas that are more exposed to the sun’s rays. People often see their pool’s heating bill decreased from solar water heating.

Solar energy has been the source of interest for many people for years. However, a majority of the population still has a lot to learn about it. The article above should have given you an excellent foundation that will help you get on the right path.

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