News blues
Two new Omicron sub variants, BA.4 and BA.5, are spreading and may dodge immunity, especially in unvaccinated people, possibly causing a spike in infections worldwide.New versions of Omicron are again causing a surge of COVID-19 cases in South Africa, and studies show that these new subvariants are so different from the original version of Omicron that immunity generated from a previous infection may not provide much protection.Read more >>
BA.4 and BA.5 are nearly identical to each other, and both are more transmissible than the Omicron BA.2 subvariant. In South Africa, they replaced the BA.2 strain in less than a month. They are now responsible for a spike in South Africa’s COVID-19 cases, which have tripled since mid-April.
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On war…
Ukraine – photo essay on Russia’s May 9 celebration of warHealthy planet, anyone?
According to a new five-year climate outlook from the World Meteorological Organization, greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase since the pact was signed, and the WMO found there is now a 50-50 chance that the world will temporarily cross the 1.5-degree threshold sometime in the next five years.Read more >>
Meanwhile, back at the ranch…
Parking? There isn't any easy on the street parking anymore. If one finds a spot, one must pay for it with a debit or credit card. If one's debit and credits cards were stolen, one is out of luck. Parking lots cost up to $16 - ZAR267 per day - and that's cheap! If one wants to park for just 20 minutes? Too bad. Pay the full amount. Anyway, I eventually found a spot - $2 for 15 minutes to purchase my card for public transportation. A win for womankind!
As for gas/petrol, the orange warning light blinked brightly as I sought “reasonably” priced gas/petrol. $5.99/gallon was too much, wasn't it?. Alas, many stations advertised $6.25 and more per gallon. I ended up putting $50 into the tank at $5.75/gallon. Sticker shock!
On the plus side, my vehicle can now rest comfortably in its parking spot with a 2/3 full tank, until needed. This, as I replaced the stolen card required for public transportation. As of tomorrow, I’ll ride the bus to and from work. Unlike the commute I faced last year, working in the Covid clinic – a 2-hour drive each way – this job is less than a half hour bus ride.
As for gas/petrol, the orange warning light blinked brightly as I sought “reasonably” priced gas/petrol. $5.99/gallon was too much, wasn't it?. Alas, many stations advertised $6.25 and more per gallon. I ended up putting $50 into the tank at $5.75/gallon. Sticker shock!
On the plus side, my vehicle can now rest comfortably in its parking spot with a 2/3 full tank, until needed. This, as I replaced the stolen card required for public transportation. As of tomorrow, I’ll ride the bus to and from work. Unlike the commute I faced last year, working in the Covid clinic – a 2-hour drive each way – this job is less than a half hour bus ride.
Riding public transportation also presents a good read on how “the public” deals with today’s realities: Covid (case numbers increasing), high gas/petrol and food prices (increasing), general inflation (increasing), and gross political infighting in the nation’s capital, (increasing).
California – the US in general – does not face the sorts of challenges that South Africa faces, but it is a mess of infighting, high prices, stress, stress, and more stress.
Moreover, there's always bicycling. Yes, on Sunday I rode my bike for the first time in several years. Accompanied by a friend who rides her bike everywhere - including from Anchorage, AK to Seattle, WA - I purchased groceries at the local Trader Joe's. It was a cold day, plus fat rain drops fell on us for 15 minutes, and my leg muscles complained after the first 20 minutes, but we did it. I intend to continue riding my bike, an inflation-and-high-price beater!
Not an anomaly: After recent floods in KZN destroyed infrastructure, roads, and railways, ACSA Airports Company South Africa, a state-owned enterprise that manages SA’s nine biggest airports, is trying to reassure the aviation industry that its stock of jet fuel at OR Tambo International Airport is stable and that ACSA has emergency contingency plans available if it faces severe fuel shortages.
Not to be cynical but… hmmm, good luck with that. These days, even the most diehard ANC supporter must be kinda sick-and-tired of having to cope with ANC government bungling and corruption.
Staying with this topic of energy, energy supplies, and bungling, Eskom’s head of generation, Phillip Dukashe shows the country his way of fixing the problems besetting the country: dump his job at the end of May “due to stress” and “the need to balance his health, family and work responsibilities.”
I’m 14,000 plus miles away and I feel the stress, too. How can a country continue in this way? I guess we’ll find out….
Sunrise: 6:02am
Sunset: 8:07pm
KZN, South Africa:
Sunrise: 6:33am
Sunset: 5:17pm
Not to be cynical but… hmmm, good luck with that. These days, even the most diehard ANC supporter must be kinda sick-and-tired of having to cope with ANC government bungling and corruption.
Since the floods damaged Transnet railway lines at the beginning of April, Acsa says there have been 14 flight cancellations by two airlines from April 24 to May 1, mostly at OR Tambo, affecting approximately 3,150 passengers. So far, international, domestic, and regional flights have been affected. Domestic and regional flight operators can plan around the fuel shortages because they can easily refuel at other SA airports.Read more about this unsettling circumstance >>
The cancellations have affected Acsa’s revenue, with the state-owned enterprise losing at least R1.5-million. Acsa generates fees by charging airlines when their aircraft lands at its nine airports across the country and when passengers go through its airports.
In a briefing with journalists on Monday, Acsa group CEO Mpumi Mpofu said OR Tambo is operating “lower than normal” in terms of its available jet fuel stock. But the supply “remains stable”. OR Tambo usually has six or seven days’ worth of fuel stock to meet the demands of airlines and for the airport to function without any disruptions. But at last count on Monday, OR Tambo had 3.5 days’ worth of fuel stock.
Staying with this topic of energy, energy supplies, and bungling, Eskom’s head of generation, Phillip Dukashe shows the country his way of fixing the problems besetting the country: dump his job at the end of May “due to stress” and “the need to balance his health, family and work responsibilities.”
Engineering News reported that Eskom expects a R20.9-billion diesel bill by April next year, while Fin24 said the utility is burning nine million litres of diesel a day to keep the lights on. Diesel prices are skyrocketing because of Russia’s war on Ukraine, and South Africa buys at spot costs.Read more >>
Eskom currently has almost one-tenth of its fleet capacity in essential maintenance and probably needs more due to the age of its fleet.
While President Cyril Ramaphosa lifted the licensing cap on power generation to 100MW for own generation and onward sales in June 2021, the regulator, Nersa, and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy have not cut the attendant red tape to get the power into the system.
I’m 14,000 plus miles away and I feel the stress, too. How can a country continue in this way? I guess we’ll find out….
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Sunny and crisp in the Bay Area… Sunrise: 6:02am
Sunset: 8:07pm
KZN, South Africa:
Sunrise: 6:33am
Sunset: 5:17pm
