Friday, September 18, 2020
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Given urban heat island distortions of +1 to +7 degrees F, average temperature rise of less than 0.3 degrees F above the mean since 1898 in Grand Rapids, MI is suspect
Given urban heat island distortions of +1 to +7 degrees F, average temperature rise of less than 0.3 degrees F above the mean since 1898 in Grand Rapids, MI is suspect (image D).
US EPA Heat Islands page:
"A review of research studies and data found that in the United States, the heat island effect results in daytime temperatures in urban areas about 1–7°F higher than temperatures in outlying areas and nighttime temperatures about 2–5°F higher. Humid regions (primarily in the eastern United States) and cities with larger and denser populations experience the greatest temperature differences. Research predicts that the heat island effect will strengthen in the future as the structure, spatial extent, and population density of urban areas change and grow".
The US Historical Climatology Network station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, looks increasingly compromised by urban heat island effects. It is located at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (image A), where the main 8,500 foot runway did not become operational until 2001 and where 2 million passengers were not served for the first time until 2004.
The weather station is located in the northwest corner of the 3,000 plus acre airport grounds at 4899 Tim Dougherty Dr, Grand Rapids, MI 49512 (image B). One can see it is now surrounded by industrial development to the north and west, the airport to the south and east, and a busy county road commission facility right east of the measurement station, which is accessed by a little walkway leading from the National Weather Service building (image C).
The county population has doubled in the last sixty years.
One can observe from the history of maximum temperature at the station (image E) that the trend is clearly lower by nearly 1.5 degrees F from the mean maximum over the whole period. The trend for minimum temperature is even lower, by over 2.0 degrees F from the mean (image F).
Click any image to enlarge.
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
Sunday, September 13, 2020
US COVID-19 deaths update through 9/12/20
COVID-19 deaths per day in the entire USA, monthly through 9/12/20:
Mar 138
Apr 1,961
May 1,330
Jun 769
Jul 851
Aug 955
Sep 839 (12 days).
Assuming the current September rate per day through the end of September will mean ~208.6k dead by October 1. Assuming it through the end of the year puts us at ~285k dead by the end of the year.
Consider California as a proxy for the death distribution: 7% of deaths there are aged 0-49, 93% are aged 50+. 19% of deaths are aged 50-64, 74% are 65 or older.
In the 25 worst states for average daily new deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, the week ended 9/12 witnessed 877/day, which is a new low since I began tracking this on July 11, two months ago:
7/11 917
7/18 907
7/25 899
8/1 906
8/8 905
8/15 906
8/22 905
8/29 899
9/5 890
9/12 877.
In the 15 worst states for deaths measured this way, identified in June, the daily average is down 66 over the last two months. In the 10 second tier states for deaths, however, the average is up 26 per day.
One state which has not been in either list is Tennessee, which epitomizes the above noted change in the course of the pandemic. Tennessee started to become a data problem in August, competing with second tier states Missouri and Washington with nine average daily new deaths per day since the beginning of the pandemic.
Now Tennessee is up to eleven as of 9/12/20 whereas Missouri has been flat at nine since the beginning of July and Washington ticked up from eight to nine at the end of July and has been flat ever since. Here's the monthly COVID-19 deaths per day in Tennessee, which shows how August really piled up the numbers there:
Mar 0.41
Apr 6.23
May 5.16
Jun 7.90
Jul 14.51
Aug 21.93
Sep 26.08 (12 days).
Lest we get lost in the weeds, however, the overall picture for the US remains positive with a fourth consecutive week of decline in the compound daily growth rate of deaths measured weekly. It would be best if the deaths just stopped, but at least the growth rate continues to come down . . . for now.
Thursday, September 10, 2020
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
It's been a bumper crop of stupid lately from the PhDs, from Boston University to Hillsdale College
Ibram Kendi of Boston University for The Atlantic completely slaughters the meaning of the traditional Latin motto of the United States, perhaps the most basic thing everyone used to remember from civics classes, and Ben Winegard of Hillsdale College doesn't have the foggiest idea that "contingency" is a philosophical concept derived from Aristotle by way of St. Thomas Aquinas (contingent being), and that Gould is actually arguing against egalitarianism.
You don't have to be Rush Limbaugh to be a big fat idiot these days.
Could be just about anybody, and too often is.
Beware dumbasses . . . everywhere.
Monday, September 7, 2020
Climate update for KGRR August 2020
Climate update for KGRR August 2020
Max T 91, Mean 92
Min T 52, Mean 47 (tied for 5th warmest low on record with 2018, 2001 and 1938; 1900 and 1939 are tied for warmest minimum at 56)
Av T 72, Mean 70.3
Rain 2.6, Mean 3.07
CDD 228, Mean 189
Cooling Degree Days, season to date 793, Mean to date 615
BREAKING: AIRLINER WITH 167 ABOARD CRASHES IN ATLANTIC, KILLING ONLY 10 . . .
THE OTHER 94% DIED OF HEART DISEASE, CANCER, DIABETES, OBESITY, DROWNING, AND SHARK ATTACK. -- The New York Postmortem
Sunday, September 6, 2020
Despite having below average growth rates for Covid deaths over the summer, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania all made the top ten list for deaths contributed
Top US states for COVID-19 deaths added Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend:
TX 12,138
CA 9,940
FL 9,578
*NJ 4,904
AZ 4,408
GA 4,048
*NY 3,679
*IL 3,588
*MA 2,812
*PA 2,716
SC 2,452
*LA 2,352
OH 2,300
NC 2,150.
The compound daily growth rate for US COVID-19 deaths weekly has hit a new low
But don't be fooled.
Deaths per day measured on a monthly basis continues to rise after bottoming in June:
Mar 138
Apr 1,961
May 1,330
Jun 769
Jul 851
Aug 955
Sep 987 (5 days).
Total deaths added between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend from all states came to 91,350. That's equal to more than 94% of the deaths added until May 23.
Hard hit states NY and NJ from the beginning of the pandemic continue to feature prominently in the list of states adding the most deaths over the summer, if not in the headlines. While everyone was crowing about how bad Arizona was, New Jersey and New York were still in the top 10 contributing deaths, along with Illinois, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Georgia made headlines for political reasons (Republican governor) while California did not.
TX 12,138
CA 9,940
FL 9,578
NJ 4,904
AZ 4,408
GA 4,048
NY 3,679
IL 3,588
MA 2,812
PA 2,716
SC 2,452
LA 2,352
OH 2,300
NC 2,150.
We remain on track to post nearly 300k dead by the end of the year.
Friday, September 4, 2020
If summer death trends continue, expect 235,000 to 241,000 US COVID-19 deaths by the end of October 2020
COVID-19 deaths per day in the US averaged 769 in June, 851 in July, and 955 in August, per the New York Times data I track.
At the average of these, 858 per day, we'll be at 235,811 by the end of October, and 288,149 by the end of the year.
At the August rate we'll be at 241,728 by 10/31 and 299,983 by the end of the year.
Compound daily growth rates measured weekly over the three months show a decline, a rise, and a decline, producing these comparatively modest ascending results. Daily deaths in April averaged 1,961 and 1,330 in May.
Deaths from COVID-19 in the US in 2020 are already the third leading cause of death, ahead of unintentional injuries using 2017 data as a benchmark, and they will stay that way.
Top causes of 2,813,503 registered deaths in 2017:
Heart disease 647,457
Cancer 599,108
Unintentional injuries 169,936
COPD, other lung diseases 160,201
Stroke, other brain vascular disorders 146,383...
Flu 55,672
More.
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Monday, August 31, 2020
Hey Rush Limbaugh, you big fat idiot, cancer isn't the cause of death in the majority of lung cancer deaths! 94% died of contributing causes!
The autopsies from 100 patients who died of lung cancer between 1990 and February 2011 were analyzed.
Tumor burden was judged the immediate cause of death in 30 cases. ...
Infection was the immediate cause of death for 20 patients. ...
Complications of metastatic disease were the immediate causes of death in 18 cases ... 6 cases of hemopericardium from pericardial metastases, 3 from myocardial metastases, 3 from liver metastases, and 3 from brain metastases.
Other immediate causes of death were pulmonary hemorrhage (12 cases),
pulmonary embolism (10 cases, 2 tumor emboli),
and pulmonary diffuse alveolar damage (7 cases).
From a functional (pathophysiologic) perspective, respiratory failure could be regarded as the immediate cause of death (or mechanism of death) in 38 cases, usually because of a combination of lung conditions, including emphysema, airway obstruction, pneumonia, hemorrhage, embolism, resection, and lung injury in addition to the tumor.
For 94 of the 100 patients, there were contributing causes of death, with an average of 2.5 contributing causes and up to 6 contributing causes of death.
The numerous and complex ways lung cancer kills patients pose a challenge for efforts to extend and improve their lives. Lung cancer kills in many ways.
Bronchial obstruction from lung cancer can cause pneumonia, making pneumonia the immediate cause of death.
Lung cancer can invade and disrupt blood vessels with resulting fatal hemorrhage.
The hypercoagulable state of malignancy from lung cancer can cause fatal pulmonary thromboembolism.
The burden of tumor in the lungs or the liver can cause these organs to fail, resulting in a patient's demise.
The tumor burden of extensive widespread metastases can essentially starve to death a patient with lung cancer.
These are only some of the mechanisms of death from lung cancer.
Although lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, including more than 150 000 deaths/y in the United States, little is published identifying or quantifying the causes of death for patients with lung cancer.
But there you go today, still America's biggest dummy, having learned absolutely nothing about your own, pathetic situation and what the CDC is trying to tell you:
... the CDC. “For 6% of the deaths COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned. For deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19 on average, there were 2.6 additional conditions or causes.” These are called morbidities. In other words, folks, for 94% of deaths, the virus was there but didn’t cause the deaths.
No Rush, just the opposite. You always manage somehow to get these things totally ass-backwards.
Most of the things which will kill you because of your lung cancer wouldn't kill you if not for your cancer, same as most of the things which kill COVID-19 victims wouldn't kill them, and more importantly don't kill them, if not for the virus.
Sunday, August 30, 2020
Growth of COVID-19 deaths in the US continues to slow, hospitalizations have plummeted almost 20k in a month
trend looks good for possible re-test of Jul 4 low |
a new interim low of 763 was set on Wed Aug 26 |
WA & MO have been at 9 interminably, but TN just popped to 10 (not shown) |
For hospitalization metrics shown Texas is in pink in the graphs, California in blue, Florida in green and Georgia in brown. Click image to expand. Those are the states with the largest number hospitalized as of today. All are coping just fine.
A month ago nearly 20k more were hospitalized nationwide for coronavirus than now.
I will have to make some different charts for deaths in the near future to capture the evolving picture.
Saturday, August 29, 2020
Michael Anton, Publius Decius Mus, is back, and it's still Flight 93
After “Is 2020 another ‘Flight 93 election?’” the question I most often hear is “What happens if Trump loses?”
The answer to the first question, unfortunately, is yes, but more so.
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