Climate Change / Global Warming Discussion

[mspohr]

Delhi residents engulfed in pollution blame authorities for inaction

Delhi residents engulfed in pollution blame authorities for inaction

Living in the world’s most polluted city has taken a toll on almost every one of its 20 million citizens, especially since the Hindu festival of Diwali, which prompted a severe deterioration in air quality. As the air pollution levels reached catastrophic levels – almost 10 times above the healthy limit on the weekend – a public health emergency was declared and has remained in place for the past five days. The streets have emptied, schools remained closed and many did not go into work on Monday morning as the air quality index remained stubbornly in the category of “severe”.

 

[Dr. J]

I know, I live in the wrong part of the world to expect solar to ever be useful and though it can be very windy here, usually it's calm... but I guess you nice people in California will sympathetically provide the funds to install transmission lines from there to me.

Regarding wind, even a little bit of internet research will be enlightening: Wind power in North Dakota - Wikipedia

You get plenty of it:
"North Dakota is a leading U.S. state in wind power generation. Data from 2017 indicates that the state generates 26.8% of its electricity from wind, enough to power over one million homes[1]."

They're working on the transmission lines (though not from California):
"Additional capacity had been limited by transmission line constraints until the completion of a transmission line from Fargo to central Minnesota in 2015.[2] Additional wind farms are once again planned for the state.[3]"

So, apparently North Dakota will soon be exporting renewable energy to Minnesota. Congratulations! Welcome to the new energy economy.

 

[nwdiver]

Regarding wind, even a little bit of internet research will be enlightening: Wind power in North Dakota - Wikipedia

You get plenty of it:
"North Dakota is a leading U.S. state in wind power generation. Data from 2017 indicates that the state generates 26.8% of its electricity from wind, enough to power over one million homes[1]."

They're working on the transmission lines (though not from California):
"Additional capacity had been limited by transmission line constraints until the completion of a transmission line from Fargo to central Minnesota in 2015.[2] Additional wind farms are once again planned for the state.[3]"

So, apparently North Dakota will soon be exporting renewable energy to Minnesota. Congratulations! Welcome to the new energy economy.

Well... sure... but if you look at the 'alternative facts' wind makes no sense at all and it causes cancer and gives some people an orange hue....

 

[S'toon]

I'm new to this forum and after my brother-in-law in Denver bought a M3 I decided to check this car out. There is a lot of interesting info here but then I ran across this thread. All this talk about oil going away is simply ridiculous. I farm In N Dakota and usually burn between 10 and 12000 gallons of diesel fuel a year. How is wind/solar produced electricity going to replace that? I know Elon is planning an electric semi (and pickup) but will be outrageously expensive and farmers don't buy new trucks. Mine are at least 12 years old and average 600000 miles on their odometers. It's all I can afford and making a slim profit is kind of important. How are you going to power locomotives if you get rid of diesel fuel? What about aircraft? Ships? My big tractors produce 450+ hp and have to run 16-18 hours a day, how big a Duracell will they require?

I have a neighbor who went full on Mother Earth News a while back. Solar panels, a windmill to pump water into a cistern uphill from his house, a wind turbine to produce electricity, gardens everywhere and all the rest of it. He tore it all out three years later or his wife was leaving. Sure that was ten years ago and everything has supposedly gotten better but it will always get better and those payback times you folks are talking about for your solar panels and battery backups will coincide with the need to replace it all. Wind turbines are already coming down around Cheyenne and the cost to dispose of that stuff is staggering.

I know, I live in the wrong part of the world to expect solar to ever be useful and though it can be very windy here, usually it's calm... but I guess you nice people in California will sympathetically provide the funds to install transmission lines from there to me. All I am trying to say is oil is NOT going away. Maybe in your comfortable climate where your biggest concern is deciding what color tie to wear to work and maybe having to hire somebody to change a flat, electricity from the wall is great. It doesn't work for me.

I've driven through ND a few times on my way to visit my folks Down South. There are wind turbines all over the place in ND.

 

[mspohr]

Sea levels set to keep rising for centuries even if emissions targets met

Sea levels set to keep rising for centuries even if emissions targets met

Sea level rise is set to challenge human civilization for centuries to come, even if internationally agreed climate goals are met and planet-warming emissions are then immediately eliminated, researchers have found.

The lag time between rising global temperatures and the knock-on impact of coastal inundation means that the world will be dealing with ever-rising sea levels into the 2300s, regardless of prompt action to address the climate crisis, according to the new study.

 

[mspohr]

Scientists Study Sea Levels 125,000 Years Ago And It's a Terrifying Look at Our Future

Sea levels rose 10 metres above present levels during Earth's last warm period 125,000 years ago, according to new research that offers a glimpse of what may happen under our current climate change trajectory.

The Earth is presently in an interglacial period which began about 10,000 years ago. But greenhouse gas emissions over the past 200 years have caused climate changes that are faster and more extreme than experienced during the last interglacial.

Our paper, published today in Nature Communications, shows that melting ice from Antarctica was the main driver of sea level rise in the last interglacial period, which lasted about 10,000 years.
Rising sea levels are one of the biggest challenges to humanity posed by climate change, and sound predictions are crucial if we are to adapt.

 

[mspohr]

Ardern says New Zealand on 'right side of history' as MPs pass zero-carbon bill

Ardern says New Zealand on 'right side of history' as MPs pass zero-carbon bill

Jacinda Ardern’s landmark climate legislation has passed in New Zealand parliament, with historic cross-party support, committing the nation to reduce its carbon emissions to zero by 2050 and meet its commitments under the Paris climate accords.

 

[ggies07]

Greta was on the Ellen show. This is awesome exposure to all the day time viewers.

And Ellen has given $100,000 to create a site just for Greta to help spread the info.

Join Greta Thunberg & the Climate Crisis Movement

 

[mspohr]

'Greta Thunberg effect' driving growth in carbon offsetting

'Greta Thunberg effect' driving growth in carbon offsetting

Growing concern about the climate crisis and the “Greta Thunberg effect” are driving huge increases in individuals and businesses choosing to offset their emissions by investing in carbon-reducing projects in developing countries.

 

[SageBrush]

'Greta Thunberg effect' driving growth in carbon offsetting

'Greta Thunberg effect' driving growth in carbon offsetting

Growing concern about the climate crisis and the “Greta Thunberg effect” are driving huge increases in individuals and businesses choosing to offset their emissions by investing in carbon-reducing projects in developing countries.

I suspect that Greta would point out that does *nothing* to reduce global carbon emissions. Does she use the term 'green-washing' ?

 

[mspohr]

Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, said Africa had a “unique opportunity” to leapfrog the fossil fuel dependency of other industrialised regions and host the first economic transformation that did not contribute to the climate crisis.

Africa poised to lead way in global green revolution, says report

Africa poised to lead way in global green revolution, says report

Birol said: “Africa’s total contribution to cumulative global emissions from energy over the last 100 years is only 2%, which is half the emissions of Germany today. If everyone in Africa had access to energy this 2% will rise to just 3% – it’s still nothing. It’s peanuts compared to other countries in the world which are using fossil fuels such as coal for energy.

But while Africa does not contribute to climate change the continent is on the frontline of its potential effects, including droughts. Africa is perhaps the most innocent continent in terms of its contributions to climate change, but they will be the victims.”

 

[mspohr]

I suspect that Greta would point out that does *nothing* to reduce global carbon emissions. Does she use the term 'green-washing' ?

For those who believe in the power of the market, this would be an example of a "tax" or fee on carbon which is then used to reduce carbon emissions by subsidizing renewables, etc. As long as the subsidized avoided emissions are greater than the purchased emissions, it does reduce global carbon emissions.
Greenwashing is used to describe activities which look good for PR but don't have any effect on global emissions.

 

[mspohr]

Silvopasture: The Benefits of Integrating Livestock and trees - Resilience

We are now starting to learn from other countries – and from an increasing body of research – the numerous benefits of silvopastoral systems. There is also an urgency that climate change brings for an uptake of these systems. Project Drawdown, a climate mitigation project, identified silvopasture as one of the top ten climate solutions.

 

[Chopr147]

Oh, look at that Wookiee !

Spoiler: wookiee defense

Chewbacca defense - Wikipedia

It's still science. 2 genders Male and female. Anything else is just made up, kinda like Global Warming

 

[nwdiver]

It's still science. 2 genders Male and female. Anything else is just made up, kinda like Global Warming

..... ok boomer.....

 

[mspohr]

Climate change deniers’ new battle front attacked

Climate change deniers’ new battle front attacked

“First of all, there is an attempt being made by them to deflect attention away from finding policy solutions to global warming towards promoting individual behaviour changes that affect people’s diets, travel choices and other personal behaviour,” said Mann. “This is a deflection campaign and a lot of well-meaning people have been taken in by it.”

We should also be aware how the forces of denial are exploiting the lifestyle change movement to get their supporters to argue with each other. It takes pressure off attempts to regulate the fossil fuel industry. This approach is a softer form of denial and in many ways it is more pernicious.”

 

[S'toon]

OK. This is absolutely the stupidest climate change denier argument ever. I just had to share it.

<snip>

“Remember nuclear winter? Of course you don’t. That’s because it didn’t happen. Yet it was all the rage on the Left in the 1980s,” he argued.

A generation from now, no one will recall climate change either, and for the same reason. The apocalypse has become a political racket!” he argued.

Nuclear winter is an outcome from global nuclear war. The world did not suffer nuclear winter because there never was nuclear war between the United States and the former Soviet Union.

<snip>

Conservative pardoned by Trump has released the ‘dumbest’ argument yet against climate change

 

[S'toon]

It's still science. 2 genders Male and female. Anything else is just made up, kinda like Global Warming

Scientifically, not actually true. Just as you haven't looked into the most basic science of global warming you haven't looked at even the most basic science with respect to gender.

 

[Norbert]

Science says everyone who can read this is a human being.

 

[JRP3]

Obviously you can't trust science