Extremes Insights; Wind Power Below 1%; Two CMEs; + Trump Bans CBDCs—Or Does He?

The real winner here appears to be the private banking system, which has been lobbying for the adoption of dollar stablecoins as an alternative to CBDCs.

Extremes Insights

Contrary to alarmist tales, the flagship examples of the movement—hurricanes and wildfires—do not exhibit the worsening global trends often attributed to climate change. Instead, these patterns are driven by natural variability and regional factors.

Hurricanes

Metrics like the Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index assess Tropical cyclone and Hurricane intensity and duration:

The data show that global hurricane frequency has not increased since 1980 and has declined since 1990. Major hurricanes show no significant upward trend. Although the proportion of stronger storms has risen, this is due to a decline in overall hurricane numbers, not an increase in major hurricanes. Global Tropical Cyclone intensity, as measured by ACE, shows the same trend.

Tropical cyclones are warm-core cyclones with organized convection and closed wind circulation. Hurricanes, typhoons, and major hurricanes are categorized by increasing wind speeds—with the latter reaching at least 111 mph.

Wildfires

Wildfires are vital to ecosystems, clearing underbrush, recycling nutrients, and fostering regeneration. Saying that, human activity, such as urban planning, has indeed exacerbated wildfire risks in certain regions.