Global Warming

SaverSarah_2

Thanks feesh and Susan, well said.

It is easy to lose sight of how each of us making a few small adjustments to our normal lives (changes that don't have to mean sacrifice, and often simplify our lives and improve our quality of life anyway) can really make a difference but it all has a knock-on effect.

Like organic boxes, for example. They may not seem to make a huge difference in the scheme of things, but just think - if everyone subscribed to a local scheme (where they're available) imagine the reduction in CO2 and pollution from all the lorries and flights used to transport, say, apples from New Zealand...

Got to say though, I was wondering the other day how much CO2 could be saved if the government decided to switch off all lighting on motorways - certain stretches have no lighting anyway, and cars have headlights after all. Even if there was some way (and I've no doubt it's not this simple!) that only every third or fourth light stayed on, I'm sure that'd make a HUGE difference.

Maybe it's pie in the sky, but there seem to be so many potentially huge changes that could be made fairly simply...

gazhawkins

An excellent post Moonrakerz: as a fellow global warming sceptic I salute you.

You should be aware that most of the methane gas produced by sheep & cattle actually comes out of the front end - not the back! Scientists in New Zealand have experimented with nose trough like devices on cows to collect methane. Very funny if you see the pictures.

I'm really not too sure about all this focus on CO2 emissions. In terms of intensity, steam (a.k.a. clouds) and methane are the biggest greenhouse insulators. Nobody ever mentions heat itself - an obvious source of warming. This is worth bearing in mind when we all switch to hydrogen, biofuel or fuel cell powered vehicles. They still emit steam and heat.

Anyway, I'm enjoying watching the UK greenies squirm when they're faced with the option of switching the 70ish per cent of UK oil/gas/coal electric generation to nuclear, or turning out the lights.


PS The experiment with switching off road lighting has already been done in the UK during the World War II - accidents & road deaths soared. Think about the CO2 emssions produced in replacing all those damaged vehicles.

feesh

The amount of water vapour in the atmosphere is not anthropogenically controlled.

Ice core data shows a strong historical correlation between CO2 levels and global temperature. CO2, although a weaker 'greenhouse gas' than methane, has a much more significant forcing effect due to, basically, the sheer amount of it.

Furthermore, CO2 levels have been rising continually since industrialisation and should they reach an unprecedented 400ppm (which is possible unless things change pretty quickly) we could be looking at a 2 degree average global temperature rise.

I really don't understand why people still take such joy in ripping climate change theories to shreds. I was working in academia at a time when nearly all of the academics I knew were hardened 'climate change cynics' but were slowly coming round to identifying climate change in their models (I was working in a department which looked at long term ecosystem modelling). Trust me, academics are as cynical and reluctant to change their minds as you can get! I saw a real sea change in attitudes and tone of the papers published throughout those years.

At the end of the day, if you don't believe the research, then fine, but what's with the joy in greenie-bashing?!! I don't get it. They're not asking us all to commit murder or sell our grandmas or something! And at the end of the day lots of the things we can do to help are money-saving anyway!!!!! I just don't get it, it seems to be a pastime for some people!:D

(edited because I can't spell!)

Ken68

I don't suppose, Gaz, that scientist are above feathering their nests, like anyone else. If they see money/grants going to the greens, they adjust the research to fit.
Business people do it all the time, even now BP and Esso rather than quaking in their boots are pouring money into green energy, tho it won't be free after all the research.

Volcano

but what's with the joy in greenie-bashing?!!

I think this was fun during the flower-power 60s when the hippies were regarded as being a bit weird. Many modern greens are academics with university funded research behind them that dictates global government policies. It's far easier to ridicule these people than try to understand the complicated science they are involved in.

gazhawkins

Joy is probably too strong a word. You have to admit though, it's a delicious irony that after all that green lobbying - HM Govt. are embarking on a huge programme of nuclear power plant construction.

Be thankful you don't live in New Zealand (the most virilent anti-nuclear nation on Earth). In the years to come you'll all stop visiting the country (CO2 emissions) whilst refusing to buy their apples, kiwi fruit, lamb, wine, beef, dairy and forestry products (food miles, wood miles).

Which will leave them with.... an oil and gas industry.

I should add for the record that I recycle all I can, don't drive a humungous 4 x 4, turn lights off, drink water from the tap (how's that for radical?), wear a jumper when its chilly indoors and walk to the shops.

Cardew

Well I for one have no idea if the current prediction of doom and gloom(as endorsed by HM Government) is an exaggeration or not; and nobody else on this forum knows either.

I also fail to see why Al Gore has suddenly become the guru; he got many(most?) things wrong in his political career, so why not now? See http://www.gargaro.com/algore.html

One thing is for certain. Whilst we should do everything reasonable to get our house in order, unless we can get China, India, USA and most of the Pacific Rim countries to do the same, our efforts will be akin to using a water pistol to put out a forest fire.

Our chance of getting those countries to comply – about the same as me winning the lottery; and I don’t buy a ticket!

ailuro2

gazhawkins wrote:

I should add for the record that I recycle all I can, don't drive a humungous 4 x 4, turn lights off, drink water from the tap (how's that for radical?), wear a jumper when its chilly indoors and walk to the shops.

If we ALL just did that the world would be a nicer place to live:A

Yes, some of us take it further, have a Navy shower,let the yellow mellow etc. and good for us...but if everyone polluted just a little less I think the asthma rates in our kids would drop.

For anyone who watched the 'real story' programme last night about the Corby children born with hand deformities, and one baby that actually died, it is hard to imagine there is no link to the toxic waste that was driven through their town. If common sense had have been used in the first place i.e. we don't need Professors of Science to tell us this is nasty stuff we don't want dropping off the lorries into our streets- perhaps these kids would not have to endure the pain of surgery to put their little toes onto their deformed hand:mad:

SusanCarter

gazhawkins wrote:

I should add for the record that I recycle all I can, don't drive a humungous 4 x 4, turn lights off, drink water from the tap (how's that for radical?), wear a jumper when its chilly indoors and walk to the shops.

I've never come across that one before. Is it so that you don't waste soap and water washing up a glass?

gazhawkins

Reply to SusanCarter:-

How many folks out there are drinking bottled water? Water is the most absurd commodity to be putting in bottles and flown/shipped/driven thousands of miles across the globe?

Fiji Mineral Water anyone? Evian? Volvic? Water coolers at work?.

Can't remember how much water costs per litre from the tap - but it's a damn site less than in a bottle. Be interested to see some comparitive figures for energy consumption, CO2 emissions etc. bottled vs. tapwater.