Environmental News

Discussion in 'Environmental Discussion' started by tochatihu, Oct 22, 2015.

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  1. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Interesting observation. While only in my mid/early 40s at the time, this Summit was a Day hike. Trail has gotten pretty easy over the decades. That was in the late 80s. I understand there have even been a handful of people that have done it in the winter. And an equally small handful of the summer Summit folk have been wheelchair-bound. Not too shabby for 14k'.
    Nowadays one is lucky to hike to their mailbox ~km away - in their 70s come winter.

    Over 50 peeps/day - thousands per yr make it. So it's no wonder from 2 per day kick the bucket trying it.
     
    #3041 hill, Jan 28, 2026 at 7:59 PM
  2. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    "this Summit was a Day hike." Yes if one rides the ski tram instead of doing all that walking.
     
    #3042 tochatihu, Jan 29, 2026 at 9:28 PM
  3. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    #3043 tochatihu, Jan 29, 2026 at 10:06 PM
  4. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    #3044 tochatihu, Jan 29, 2026 at 10:16 PM
  5. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    #3045 tochatihu, Jan 29, 2026 at 10:31 PM
  6. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Our Sun has been kind to Earth over billions of years. Slowly increasing energy output, but not too many large coronal mass ejections (CME). CME flood protons into Earth atmosphere and converts 14N into 14C.

    Trees consume 14C along with plain old CO2, and to the extent that old wood persists, history of solar friskiness can be ‘read’. So now, this:

    https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1114502

    Media coverage emphasizes that trees can smear received 14C signals over some years of tree rings. I’m not sure that is a big deal, but using dead wood to observe how frisky sun has been over centuries is a big deal. Because Solar friskiness is somewhat at cross purposes to modern technological society.

    --
    More distant stars with more friskiness could convert 14N into 14C here with ‘cosmic rays’ (not a well defined term), but I am not aware that has been demonstrated in dead wood or any other way.

    Solar activity and extremes can be ‘read’ in other ways, but that would require talking about Beryllium. Possibly the least interesting light element :)
     
    #3046 tochatihu, Jan 29, 2026 at 11:02 PM
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