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Bill Gates is suddenly skeptical: pivots away from climate doom and renewables

Sinking Ship
© joannenova.com.au
Yet another climate change heavyweight abandons ship

It's the beginning of the end of the renewables fantasy, but there will be no apology — no admission they were wrong, or that thousands upon millions of people have suffered because of climate sorcery.

Watch as the billionaire who lectured us from private jets, pivots into word salad. Now he says we still have to solve climate change (whatever that means), but the doomsday view is wrong, and it "will not be the end of civilization." He's suddenly turned into a kind of Bjorn Lomborg. Forget mitigation, say hello to Adaptation.

On the cusp of COP30 in Brazil, Bill Gates has launched a life raft for his reputation — a 17 page memo called Three tough truths about climate

Bill Gates can see what's coming (a reckoning for the renewables debacle), so he is repositioning himself so he doesn't go down with the ship. Indeed, he's almost writing an escape plan for the whole Blob. In a nutshell, he's admitting between the lines that wind and solar power are unaffordable, and since climate change won't actually be that catastrophic, everyone should calm down while we invent technologies, and in the mean time, get back to stopping people from starving. Wouldn't you know, he says "Health and prosperity are the best defense against climate change." (That's Truth #3 ).

What he's not saying is that he and his friends wasted untold billions (maybe trillions) of dollars of our money installing wind and solar panels which aren't very good. He is not joining those dots.

We still need that breakthrough mythical technology to save us from the climate monster.
Three tough truths about climate

...though climate change will have serious consequences — particularly for people in the poorest countries — it will not lead to humanity's demise. People will be able to live and thrive in most places on Earth for the foreseeable future. Emissions projections have gone down, and with the right policies and investments, innovation will allow us to drive emissions down much further.

Unfortunately, the doomsday outlook is causing much of the climate community to focus too much on near-term emissions goals, and it's diverting resources from the most effective things we should be doing to improve life in a warming world.
He's still painting himself as a savior, of course:
If given a choice between eradicating malaria and a tenth of a degree increase in warming, Gates told reporters, "I'll let the temperature go up 0.1 degree to get rid of malaria. People don't understand the suffering that exists today." -- AP News
Now, at long last, he says the first priority should be to prevent suffering in the here and now. Which is all very noble, but where were you Bill for the last ten years when people in Africa needed coal plants — you were telling them to invest in wind and solar.

Tsunami

Best of the Web: Up to 19 inches of rain in 12 hours brings flash-flooding to east-central Florida

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Water stands in low spots and rushes through roadside ditches this morning across central Florida. The air is thick, the sky leaden, and the storm drains are struggling to keep up. After a weekend of relentless rain, flash flooding remains the biggest threat today as a Flood Watch stays in effect for much of east-central Florida, including Orlando, Melbourne, Lake, Orange, and Seminole counties.

The National Weather Service in Melbourne reports that between 10 and 19 inches of rain have already fallen in parts of Lake and Orange counties, leaving roads washed out and some neighborhoods isolated. This morning's Flood Warning covers those hardest-hit zones until 7 a.m., but high water and saturated soils will keep travel hazardous well into Monday.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected through the early afternoon before drier air begins to edge in from the northwest. Commuters should use extreme caution, avoid flooded intersections, and allow extra travel time. Remember — turn around, don't drown.


Tsunami

Severe floods in Buenos Aires, Argentina -100 millimeters (4 inches) of rain fell in 2 hours

Major flooding in Tecnópolis in Villa Martelli, Buenos Aires Province
Major flooding in Tecnópolis in Villa Martelli, Buenos Aires Province
Shortly before 5:00 a.m. this Saturday, a deluge of rain fell on the city of Buenos Aires and its surrounding areas. 100 millimeters of water fell in two hours, flooding parts of General Paz Avenue, among other inconveniences.

According to the Buenos Aires Central Observatory, as of 9:00 a.m., there had been a cumulative rainfall of 115 millimeters . Visibility was reduced to just seven kilometers as a result of the heavy rains. Due to the flooding on General Paz Street, dramatic scenes could be seen of people wading through waist-deep water and some cars stranded on the pavement, half-covered by the water.


Cloud Lightning

Best of the Web: Slow-moving Tropical Storm Melissa, soon a hurricane, brings death, floods to Caribbean

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The slow-moving, but punishing, Tropical Storm Melissa that has already killed four people is threatening catastrophic flooding across the northern Caribbean as it strengthens towards Jamaica.

Melissa is expected to become a major hurricane, possibly by later Saturday or Sunday, before making landfall across central Jamaica on Tuesday, with forecasters warning the system could dump up to 89 centimetres of rain (35 inches) across Haiti.

The storm's crawling pace - moving at just 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) per hour on Friday - means Jamaica could endure hurricane conditions for more than 72 hours, while southwestern Haiti faces what forecasters describe as life-threatening flash flooding.

Three people have died in Haiti, including two killed in a landslide in Port-au-Prince and another struck by a falling tree in Marigot, officials said. A fourth person was killed in the Dominican Republic, where another remains missing.

Jamaica's Meteorological Service principal director Evan Thompson told The Gleaner that residents should brace for a "double effect" as the hurricane's eye passes over the island, with the strongest winds hitting from opposite directions on either side of the centre.


Tsunami

Flash floods hit Phang Nga, Thailand forcing hundreds to flee

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The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (Phang Nga Office) reported that on October 22 2025, continuous heavy rainfall hit Ban Bang Ha On in Khuk Khak subdistrict, Takua Pa district, Phang Nga province, triggering flash floods from the Khao Lak mountain range.

The sudden deluge inundated Khao Lak Centre, a popular shopping and leisure area, just as hundreds of Thai and foreign tourists were dining and shopping. Panic ensued as people rushed to safety.

Floodwaters, carrying red mud, overflowed from nearby canals and surged through the heart of Khao Lak's tourist zone for more than 800 metres, reaching one metre deep in some places. The strong current stalled several small cars and motorbikes, while Phetkasem Road became impassable on both sides, causing traffic jams over a kilometre long.


Tsunami

More than 4,000 flee floods in 3 states of Malaysia after 9.6 inches of rain - exceeding the October monthly average

Persistent heavy rain since Thursday (Oct 23) have caused floods in Perak. Residents have been urged to evacuate early.
© Saarani MohamadPersistent heavy rain since Thursday (Oct 23) have caused floods in Perak. Residents have been urged to evacuate early.
The number of flood victims in Perak, Kedah, and Penang has surged, with a total of 4,252 people relocated to temporary relief centres.

There were 2,496 victims from 857 families in Perak, with Kerian and Perak Tengah districts the latest to be flooded.

State officials said 24 relief centres were operational in the state.

In Kedah, the number of flood victims increased to 1,007 this evening, compared to 258 this morning. Four new relief centres were opened in the Kulim district, bringing the total to seven.

In Penang, eight relief centres have been set up to house 749 victims in Seberang Perai Utara, 121 victims in Seberang Perai Tengah, and 22 in Barat Daya district on the island.


Tsunami

Severe flooding in Foca, Türkiye after heavy rainfall

Heavy rainfall caused a creek to overflow, leading to flooding on several streets and avenues in the Foca district of Izmir, Türkiye, Oct. 23, 2025.
© AAHeavy rainfall caused a creek to overflow, leading to flooding on several streets and avenues in the Foca district of Izmir, Türkiye, Oct. 23, 2025.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) deployed 666 personnel and 277 vehicles to respond to severe flooding that struck Izmir's Foca district on Thursday, as rescue teams continued searching for a 70-year-old man swept away by floodwaters.

AFAD Head Ali Hamza Pehlivan said search and rescue operations remained ongoing in Yeni Foca's Bucak district, where the man's vehicle was swept into a stream during the flooding.

"We have not yet reached our citizen," Pehlivan said, noting that divers from AFAD, police, gendarmerie and coast guard units continued searching using coastal search methods.

"The emergency response came after approximately 144 kilograms of rain fell per square meter within 1.5 hours on Thursday afternoon in Foca," according to Pehlivan.

The 112 Emergency Call Center received 207 emergency reports related to flooding, water inundation and people trapped in vehicles or buildings.


Tsunami

Death toll from torrential rains in Honduras rises to 15

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At least 15 people have died due to the rains that have hit Honduras since late September, and the country's president, Xiomara Castro, called the National Risk Management System (Sinager) to address the national emergency.

The meeting, scheduled for 10 a.m. local time at the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, aims to "continue and prevent immediate emergency actions, rescue, and protection of the population and their property," the Honduran president said on social media.

" Torrential rains in Tegucigalpa, other departments, and municipalities have caused flooding, landslides , and I'm reporting the tragic death of a 23-year-old woman in a neighborhood of the Honduran capital," the Honduran president lamented.

The recent rainfall has caused serious damage in the capital, with flooded homes, landslides, and impassable roads, as well as damage in several municipalities in the country's interior.


Tsunami

Over 900,000 people affected as floods worsen South Sudan crises

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Heavy rains and rising Nile River levels continue to cause widespread flooding across South Sudan, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation marked by food insecurity, conflict, and disease outbreaks.

"As of 17 October, flooding has affected 927,182 people in 26 counties across six states, with Jonglei and Unity accounting for over 91 per cent," according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report.

The report said that nearly 301,000 people have been displaced in 16 counties, seeking higher ground after their homes were submerged. Floodwaters, which have persisted since July, continue to destroy homes, farmland, and infrastructure, disrupting health and education services.

"Of the people affected, 624,289 people are in Jonglei State, about 222,656 people are in Unity State, approximately 29,374 are in Upper Nile State, around 24,505 are in Central Equatoria State, 15,780 are in Western Equatoria, and 10,578 people are in Warrap State," the report said.


Cloud Lightning

Five dead, two missing as Tropical Storm Fengshen soaks Philippines

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Tropical storm kills family of five as it hits Philippines
At least five people have been killed and two reported missing as Tropical Storm Fengshen sweeps through the Philippines, triggering heavy flooding on the main island of Luzon and a vast landslide on the southern island of Mindanao.

In Quezon province in the north of the country, five members of one family, including two children, were crushed to death when a tree fell on their bamboo house early on Sunday, according to Philippine disaster agency officials in the town of Pitogo, where the incident took place.

Images posted on social media by officials showed the house destroyed under the weight of a large palm tree, as a rescue team worked to remove the bodies of the family.

According to a statement shared on social media, a teenage boy was the lone survivor of the accident in Pitogo, about 153km (95 miles) southeast of the capital Manila.


Translation: Raging floodwater inundated several areas of Calbayog City in Samar due to Tropical Storm Ramil [Fengshen] as of Sunday, October 19.