Carbon myths

Gegerty

Carbon myths

Interesting article on the myths of carbon emissions. "we should fly less, go vegan and insulate the loft"

Is there any tax incentive in Ireland for properly insulating your house? My house is 4 years old and suppose to be built to new insulation standards. I made the mistake of not bothering to look in the attic until about 6 months after moving in. Shocking job done!

cavedave

Not very related but here is the best explanation I have seen of the
"Does carbon emissions cause climate change" question

http://tqe.quaker.org/2007/TQE158-EN-GlobalWarming.html

Gegerty

It's hard to doubt the facts. The carbon myths article is suggesting that there are better things we can do to stop global warming and banning the light bulb and recycling our plastic bottles are totally out weighed by the latest plasma TV's, increased air travel etc etc. We can be the best recyclists in the world but until people make lifestyle sacrifices its not going to make any difference. Personally I think Bush may have got it right in that it will be technology that will save the planet, because I don't see people making sacrifices beyond using eco light bulbs and separating their rubbish.

fits

I think that buying local would make a big difference. I dont see why people need to get beef from brazil, potatoes from Israel, strawberries from the US and clothes from china.

Recycling really doesnt do much imo for carbon emissions, its more of a waste and resource management issue (especially when said recyclables are being transported around the world)

probe

cavedave wrote: »

Not very related but here is the best explanation I have seen of the
"Does carbon emissions cause climate change" question

http://tqe.quaker.org/2007/TQE158-EN-GlobalWarming.html

I'd agree, this is a good summary analysis - I've had similar feelings for the past year or so, but this is the first overview to put the key issues together in one page.

Most of the stuff one comes across is either selling the CO2 story exclusively and a minority of the stuff covers solar activity exclusively. One needs to put the two together (as in figure 5) to get closer to the real picture.

.probe

Lennoxschips

Recycling is addressing a symptom of a bigger problem really, I think.

If we didn't produce so much rubbish and packaging in the first place, then we wouldn't need to recycle it all.

Akrasia

Gegerty wrote: »

It's hard to doubt the facts. The carbon myths article is suggesting that there are better things we can do to stop global warming and banning the light bulb and recycling our plastic bottles are totally out weighed by the latest plasma TV's, increased air travel etc etc. We can be the best recyclists in the world but until people make lifestyle sacrifices its not going to make any difference. Personally I think Bush may have got it right in that it will be technology that will save the planet, because I don't see people making sacrifices beyond using eco light bulbs and separating their rubbish.

We have a lot of the technology right now, it takes regulations to force corporations to be more environmentally sustainable.

Here are 2 concrete proposals that would reduce consumption without harming the consumer.

1. Force all electronic device and motor vehicle manufacturers to offer a minimum of a 10 year comprehensive warranty, (fully transferrable)
This might make new products more expensive, but ensure that they are better quality so even if people can't afford new products, they can buy high quality second hand products.
There is too much cheap useless crap out there.

2. Regulate the amount of electricity appliances are allowed to use while on standby. There is no need for stereos to have demonstration modes, Flash memory is dirt cheap now. Settings could be stored in this format allowing people to shut off their appliances completely without having to reconfigure their appliances later.

inishindie

Reduce the carbon footprint...Grow your own house!!

http://www.localplanet.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=53

Cheers

Ian

http://inishindie.blogspot.com/

ircoha

The planet is faced with a shortage of energy, food and water over which there will be wars.
For those of you too young to remember it google for Rwanda Genocide.

That was about food and the shortage of arable land.

The scary thing about that is now the population is 8.5 m, up from 6.4 after the slaughter, and with average families of 6 kids, the pop is projected to grow to 16m by 2025.

And that is just Rwanda!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_African_countries_by_population
Current total about 800m.

Its time perhaps to screw that low energy, carbon neutral, non-standby, solar powered, (but no sun spots), light bulb where 'the sun dont shine' as that seems to be where most of the thinking is being done.

cavedave

For those of you too young to remember it google for Rwanda Genocide.

That was about food and the shortage of arable land.

Really what is your evidence for this? All the books I have read have said the Rwandan genocide was caused by tribalism.

Bassman

I love to fly, I eat steak and I do intend to insulate the loft!

Gegerty wrote: »

Carbon myths

Interesting article on the myths of carbon emissions. "we should fly less, go vegan and insulate the loft"

Is there any tax incentive in Ireland for properly insulating your house? My house is 4 years old and suppose to be built to new insulation standards. I made the mistake of not bothering to look in the attic until about 6 months after moving in. Shocking job done!

brianthebard

Whatever happened to reduce reuse recycle? Everyone's just gone for the last one, when all it really achieves is presorting our rubbish before it goes in the bin.

Bassman

What if you put your rubbish in the attic? Would that satisfy two of the Green demands?

bonkey

(Regarding the Rwandan genocide)

cavedave wrote: »

Really what is your evidence for this? All the books I have read have said the Rwandan genocide was caused by tribalism.

I'm guessing the OP has read Collapse, by Jared Diamond.

cavedave

(Regarding the Rwandan genocide)

I'm guessing the OP has read Collapse, by Jared Diamond.

My contention is this book was wrong to say that easter Island underwent and ecocide (or at least for the reasons he gives.

Here is one other explanation http://www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/53200?fulltext=true&print=yes
http://www.anthropology.hawaii.edu/faculty/hunt/2007_JAS.pdf
And another
http://www.staff.livjm.ac.uk/spsbpeis/EE%2016-34_Peiser.pdf

My knowledge of this genocide comes from mainly the book "We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda " it does point out that Rwanda had the highest population density in Africa but other then that it does not give details on the genocide being caused by lack of food. What evidence of food shortages etc does Collapse give? If these did occur were they caused by blockades by the invading forces, or by incompetence by the reigning government, and so were a political rather then an ecological event?

bonkey

cavedave wrote: »

What evidence of food shortages etc does Collapse give? If these did occur were they caused by blockades by the invading forces, or by incompetence by the reigning government, and so were a political rather then an ecological event?

From memory, Diamond mentions that mass killings occurred even in regions where there weren't any Tutsi. He also drew reference to the amount of arable land per person, which was down to something tiny (.01 hectare per person per year or something horrific like that) which was a common factor pretty-much everywhere that mass killings occurred.

He doesn't say that these were the only factors, merely that his position is that it was a confluence of events among which these played a role which he feels is often overlooked.

cavedave

He doesn't say that these were the only factors, merely that his position is that it was a confluence of events among which these played a role which he feels is often overlooked.

Fair enough I could see how it could be a factor in an agricultural economy.

If you look at the list of densely populated countries some are micro states that do not engage in agriculture. But there are some very poor contries as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_density

casey212

ircoha wrote: »

The planet is faced with a shortage of energy, food and water over which there will be wars.
For those of you too young to remember it google for Rwanda Genocide.

That was about food and the shortage of arable land.

The scary thing about that is now the population is 8.5 m, up from 6.4 after the slaughter, and with average families of 6 kids, the pop is projected to grow to 16m by 2025.

And that is just Rwanda!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_African_countries_by_population
Current total about 800m.

Its time perhaps to screw that low energy, carbon neutral, non-standby, solar powered, (but no sun spots), light bulb where 'the sun dont shine' as that seems to be where most of the thinking is being done.

The Rwandan Genocide was not about food or shortage of land. You won't find the truth on BBC News. The Rwandan affair was about resource grab. Just like this violence in Kenya. Ordinary people do not just suddently slaughter eachother. There are unseen forces at work.

There is no shortage of food, do your know that the EU dump thousands of tonnes of food into the north sea every year, and they also pay farmers not to produce.