Are you concerned about the destruction of the natural world and climate change?

RandomViewer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117729171#Comment_117729171

But it's pointless telling the hardline Greens, the prepared food and packaging industry is a huge employer in Ireland but jobs and decent living standards are everything they hate

myfreespirit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117729730#Comment_117729730

This has to be one of the most idiotic posts *ever* posted on boards.ie.... and that's some achievement 🙂

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117729607#Comment_117729607

yes it is but that is what has happened in the face of scarce resources.

RandomViewer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117729753#Comment_117729753

Really, I suggest you read Theo's posts and show me where they aren't looking for a lower standard of living and less jobs

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117730031#Comment_117730031

I think a lot of jobs aren't necessary yes, less jobs is probably something that would go hand in hand with UBI.

If standard of living is marked by how much we consume then yes, needs to lower dramatically.

The alternative is catastrophic climate change, war, famine etc.

The_Kew_Tour

Climate change is real but we are all in it together or not.

Lot of people are now telling others how to live but not changing themselves

Everyone will have make sacrifice that includes the rich.

I don't see it being the way and I don't see much change happening either. Everyone wants their cake and nothing less.

briany

You have to feel a bit pessimistic about the whole thing when there are still people who are finding big audiences or political opportunities from saying that climate change is either a hoax, overblown, or is happening but is a natural part of the earth's cycle so carry on as normal.

PokeHerKing

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117730078#Comment_117730078

War, famine... half the world experience this regularly already, no need for a global climatic catastrophe.

MightyMunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117730188#Comment_117730188

Now imagine if the other half experience it too at the same time. You probably don't believe in Small pox or Polio either

TXPTGR1

I firmly believe The only way we are getting out of this is some hail Mary miracle that allows us to keep living comfortable lifestyles (contact with aliens and using their clean technology- Jesus’s second coming etc)

the level of sacrifice and reduction in comfort and convenience required to mitigate this is just not palatable to most people and political suicide for political parties .

we are going down hard unless the aliens show up

PokeHerKing

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117730449#Comment_117730449

No I just find it odd that people want to be part of a "movement" to stop this happening when it's already happening to half the world and yet, they don't seem to be part of any movement to help.

Almost like people want some pie in the sky cause that they can soap box about and never actually have to do anything.

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117730124#Comment_117730124

Yeah... We really need a big systemic change, but then disagreements about political ideology will mean no agreement. Technology has got us into this mess, and has to be a part of the solution, along with lots of other big changes.

But really, this debate should have been happening decades ago. We knew then, pretty much what we know now. We waited.

RandomViewer

Basically folks it's the 14th century again and the new dark ages are upon us as the quasi-religious fundamentalist Greens impose their inquisition, IPCC lost all credibility in 2009 ,any one believing some sledgehammer railway mechanic and his sponsored chums needs to get real

TonyMaloney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117730667#Comment_117730667

You're centuries off with your dark ages mumbo jumbo.

You've little to no understanding of the past or present.

igCorcaigh

I remember reading Six Degrees by Mark Lynas back in the late 2000's.

Probably worth a re-read. The steps of how runaway climate change might happen beyond our control (a series of tipping points) are scary.

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117730667#Comment_117730667

You need to get over your dislike of the Greens. The whole world knows the **** has hit the fan not just south county Dublin luvvies or whatever.

PopePalpatine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117730775#Comment_117730775

But you don't understand, RV needs a PCP-bought VW Toerag!

RandomViewer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117731434#Comment_117731434

Don't do credit

DrumSteve

Part of me would like to think we can work together as a species to sort this out, but the realist in my realises that won't happen and that nothing will be done until we are well and truly fucked.

There is too much money to be made from the climate crises to let it go to waste.

PalLimerick

Travel could be restricted even after the pandemic due to climate change. We'd get a certain amount of air miles or something yearly and that's it or flights will cost thousands like 5 times now making it non viable for most. I hope not.

The_Kew_Tour

The Greens are happy enough to see the Population grow by another 20-25% in coming 20 years too.

But still want people on a bike. Backwards thinking.

Things are going get far worse before they get better and even the Greens can't see it(or don't want to). Just blame the poor man for everything.

DrumSteve

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732050#Comment_117732050

More than likely will be the 2nd option

There is absolutely no imagination from the government when dealing with this, its always just up the tax.

They should slap a special tax on data centres for operating here considering we will one of the few countries able to host them the way things are going

namloc1980

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732050#Comment_117732050

That would destroy economies like Spain, Portugal, Greece etc that depend on tourist money and cause even more problems than it solves. 20% of Portugal's GDP is from the tourist industry. How would you propose replacing that economic activity with tourism effectively curtailed or banned.

Ekerot

The answer is Nuclear

Heraclius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732111#Comment_117732111

I really doubt it. It is too expensive and slow to roll out. I suspect the answer to electricity generation is solar, wind and battery storage.

namloc1980

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732127#Comment_117732127

Batteries are huge and cumbersome as well as very intensive on the environment. Massive mining operations to get the various rare earth materials and other minerals needed to make them. Wind and solar have a part to play but are far from a panacea and in most cases need redundancy and backup from the likes of gas fired generators etc when they don't produce what is needed.

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732059#Comment_117732059

The Green party are irrelevant, every one needs to take action on this regardless of affiliations.

But what are we doing about mindless consumerism? Why can't politicians come out and ask us not to buy tonnes of crap at Christmas? Imagine how much stick they'd get if they dared suggest focusing on spending time with loved ones instead of filling trolleys which cheap Chinese tat. Our mindsets need to completely change.

Heraclius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732157#Comment_117732157

Uranium also has to be mined and nuclear reactors require vast amount of high grade concrete and other materials. The concrete itself produces CO2 during its manufacture.

If batteries aren't suitable I'd say producing hydrogen from surplus wind / solar energy to use at other times of high demand and low renewable output would probably be cheaper than nuclear.

I'm not anti nuclear. It's fascinating technology. It's just not reasonable to invest in in Ireland.

namloc1980

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732241#Comment_117732241

A small amount of uranium has infinitely more energy producing capacity than tonnes and tonnes of toxic batteries. In fact batteries can't produce energy at all - they just store it. You still have to produce it somehow so it is a flawed comparison.

Hydrogen is interesting but very challenging to create (requires a lot of electricity for the electrolysis process which is sort of self defeating - using energy to create energy) with significant safety concerns around storage and very costly. Reading this article it is also very inefficient:

Producing hydrogen, storing it and then using it to generate electricity, a process known as “power-to-gas-to-power,” is inefficient and expensive.

Energy is lost both in breaking the molecular bond between hydrogen and oxygen in water and in burning the resulting hydrogen in turbines. The round trip returns less than 40 per cent of the electricity put in at the start, according to Dharik Mallapragada, research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative. 

“Using power to make hydrogen to make power is in most cases really dumb, because there are so many losses involved in the cycle,” said Thomas Koch Blank, senior principal at Rocky Mountain Institute, a clean energy think-tank.

https://www.ft.com/content/c3526a2e-cdc5-444f-940c-0b3376f38069

Heraclius

I know batteries don't product energy. I clearly meant they would be used to store energy from wind/solar (and other) sources from when it is plentiful basically the same reason I suggested hydrogen as an energy store.