Global warming worse than expected

A

aUTfan

2,500+ Posts
Link

I've always been in the camp that listened to these guys but wondered what I could do to help and if given an alternative method of commuting to work etc would do so. But there are just too many people who are naive or don't care to change if mankind could help keep the temp. more stable.
 
0784455.jpg

Its Sunday!
yippee.gif
 
Darn, how could China and India build all those coal burning electric plants? Surely, they would be leading the charge in curbing emissions. I guess all that we can do is hope for a worldwide depression so demand for electricity drops like a rock. (sarcasm)

Here in the US, hopefully we will start building 3rd and 4th generation nuclear power plants that are safe and can't be used for weapons generation. Further, we should improve the infrastructure to allow for electric or fuel cell-based cars and find commercial solutions for power storage such as better batteries and more robust capacitor technology.
 
It isn't just China & India - we're increasing our coal fired energy production too.

The Link

Take a look at Figure 2. The burning of coal in the US will increase dramatically.

I agree with you about the need to increase our nuclear capacity. Those environmentalists who oppose nuclear power have their heads stuck up their butts.

texasflag.gif
 
While I remain personally ambivalent about nuclear energy, I suggest that it is worthwhile to consider the concerns of those who are characterized here to be "environmentalists."

First, there is the very real fear of Chernobyl-type disasters. The US had its own Three Mile Island that happily was able to be contained. Can you imagine the havoc if Three Mile Island turned out to be as bad as Chernobyl? A 19-mile "zone of alienation" in a heavily populated part of Pennsylvania? Move everyone out of Harrisburg, along with the capitol?

Second, there is the problem of spent fuel storage. Even now, society is ripped over what to do with the very dangerous spent fuel.

Third, there are very real utility questions: Cost to construct and store versus potential disasters versus time of use versus electrical output obtained.

The bottom line is perhaps the tremendous costs could be better spent in solar, wind, wave generation of electricity?

As I understand it -- and I understand it incompletely -- these are some of the concerns of the "environmentalists." And as resources continue to deplete (read: oil), we really don't have the luxury to get it wrong.
 
We've discussed this before, Coelacanth. We each have histories which define concepts such as 'bad'. The world predicted by the climate change models is worse, from my perspective and apparently most others, than the world we currently share. Thus those changes are 'bad' and are to be avoided if possible.

Now, why in God's name would you believe that a world without penguins is a better place?

texasflag.gif
 
We cannot expect other countries to do better when we are very much behind. Our entire energy policy is part of the problem. Our country uses dirty fuels and does not recycle the carbon. Waste is produced and this is destroying the surrounding environment. Ask those that live in West Virginia for example.

This is very similar to our role as the Democratic leader in the world. We don't practice what we preach and thus have a hard time convincing other countries to improve. We need to take care of our own house 1st and lead by example. Sorry if that sounds old school, but I just saw Gran Torino this weekend.
 
this article sounds like more of the same......a ranting fear based worst case scenario in the midst of cooling temperatures. i couldn't help but laugh at the fact that the article specifically mentions how much CO2 rose from 2000 to 2007......but the article fails to mention that, contrary to the theory and the implied point of the article, temperatures have dropped during the same timeframe.....
 
Don't fish thrive in warm waters like the gulf? Why wouldn't warmer seas overall be a boon to the fish? Not that I want global warming, just has there been a real analysis of the impact? Russia seems to like global warming for what it does to Siberia. There are winners and losers in this deal. Countries near the equator are likely the big loser.
 
Battleship is right. There will be winners and there will be losers. Overall, however, the equation isn't in our favor. Siberia will be warmer but European and central Asian Russia is expected to be colder and more extreme. Deserts are expected to rapidly expand. The cost will outweigh the benefits by a considerable ammount.

As for fisheries, a huge percentage of our fisheries are already overfished or have collapsed. The last thing fisheries need is the added stress of climate change. It's true, you may be able to catch a tarpon off Maine soon, but that's poor compensation for the loss of the cod fishery.

texasflag.gif
 
Uninformed is on the right track, it's not just over fishing in fact I really didn't think we could overfish except that if the ocean temp continues to rise=less fish and it becomes a vicious cycle. I may be wrong but if the life in the sea all but disappears our life will eventually disappear with it.

Coelecenth- You give me a headache, it's like you are dissecting every word for sake of argument. I know this won't help but I'll say it any way, if it is bad like a lot of people think it is whether it's intelligible (?) or not we do know one fact! We can live and thrive in the current environment that the world has for us and we aren't real sure we can if we sit back and allow global warming to run it's course....let me add this, species of life die off permanently every day, they aren't multiplying nor have there been any additions that we know of. These are signs not to be ignored.
Additionally, some one every now and then keeps bringing up something about the average temp is actually going down over the last whatever years...... All i can say is that where I live (northeast Texas) I haven't seen a cold winter in years and we steadily hit all time highs in the winter and I would be that OUR average has gone up. Stats have always been manipulated for agendas, i'm looking at the world around me to help ascertain who is telling me correct info or not.
Last thing and then I'll shut up....calm before the storm! Just because one indicator (average temp drop) isn't in line with many others doesn't mean there isn't something bad coming.
 
Who is this Skippy that you speak of, and why should we damn him?
 
Coelacanth, let's try approaching this from a different direction. What would you consider 'bad' consequences of climate change?

texasflag.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top