10 chapters across the catalog
Beef prices have reached historic highs due to Midwest droughts and shrinking cattle herd sizes. Texas Slim of the Beef Initiative delivered $10,000 worth of ground beef to Mercy Chefs in Kerrville, Texas, advocating for consumers to buy directly from local ranchers to avoid commodity price spikes.
Residents in the Texas Hill Country, specifically north of San Antonio in Bulverde and Kerrville, are facing a severe drought as residential wells run dry. Local water haulers from Canyon Lake have warned of impending Stage 3 restrictions that would halt water deliveries. In response to a listener's "SOS" request, a traditional "rain stick" ceremony is performed to symbolically encourage rainfall to replenish the regional aquifer.
The hosts discuss the "atmospheric river" weather phenomenon currently affecting Northern Silicon Valley and the West Coast. While one host expresses surprise at the terminology, the other notes it has been used recently to describe heavy rainfall following drought conditions. The conversation establishes the broadcasting locations in Texas and California.
Power Markets, ERCOT and Cattle Fire Sales
A donor from the capital markets provides insight into how power companies use debt and hedging to secure profits, comparing the Texas ERCOT system to Wall Street. Meanwhile, in Cisco, Texas, extreme drought has forced cattle ranchers into "fire sales," with cattle auctions increasing from 1,200 to over 3,000 head per week. The lack of hay and water is leading to a glut of cheap beef that processing plants are struggling to handle.
Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak open episode 1341 from Austin, Texas, and Northern Silicon Valley. They perform a ritual using a handmade "Rain 6" stick from Utah to encourage rainfall in California. The hosts briefly mock global warming predictions and poor fire management in the state.
Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak open the program from Austin, Texas, and Northern Silicon Valley. They contrast the non-stop rain in Texas with the returning drought conditions in California. Dvorak notes that while less rain reduces plant growth and fire fuel, water utility bills continue to rise in his region.
Weather Whiplash, Climate Change Variability Claims
Media outlets and scientists from the University of Texas are utilizing the term "weather whiplash" to describe the rapid transition from extreme drought to crippling floods in Texas. Claims suggest that climate change is "stretching out variability" to explain wild weather swings that do not fit traditional models. Critics argue this terminology is a way to attribute all weather events to man-made climate change.
Stormageddon 2014, Northern California Weather and Infrastructure Damage
A severe winter storm, dubbed Stormageddon 2014, impacted Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, causing significant wind damage and flooding. Infrastructure in Silicon Valley suffered as high winds ripped flashing from houses and threatened to topple trees. Despite the severity, the event received minimal national coverage outside the West Coast. The rainfall is expected to fill reservoirs following a two-year drought cycle, contradicting local climate change narratives.
West Nile Virus, Texas Drought, and Aerial Spraying
An outbreak of West Nile virus in Texas is linked paradoxically to the ongoing drought, which concentrates birds and mosquitoes at limited water sources. The hosts discuss the symptoms of West Nile encephalitis and the state's decision to begin aerial spraying of insecticides. They compare the current situation to historical spraying during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a report claiming that the 2011 Texas drought was made 20 times more likely due to man-made climate change. The hosts criticize the study for only using 50 years of data and ignoring historical events like the 1930s Dust Bowl. They argue that "extreme weather" is being conflated with climate to support a political agenda.
