The most aggravating thing about this for me is that 60 years from now, when the end of human civilization is a certainty, the bullies (people with daddy issues who comprise the right wing) will be blaming the meek.
"....when the end of human civilization is a certainty," No, not the end from Global warming, but much less ability to support 7 billion people. There won't be runaway Venus like warming, thanks to Stefan/Boltzmann: Radiation varies by absolute temperature to the fourth power.
The climate issues will get worse- that’s a given. We in California just had record storms and here in the S. California mountain areas we had hurricane-like rain, hail blowing sideways. I’ve never seen the torrential rain we just experienced. Scientists have been sounding the alarms for decades and we as humans are ineffectually trying to put a bandaid on a major and deadly force. In the meanwhile trying to mitigate the escalation of the climate disasters coming our way is, as always, blocked by special interest corporations that most likely have the technology already to alter the inevitable course but that would mean changing their price gouging and profit margins. It’s eerie to think that the climate disaster movies of twenty or so years ago (Day After Tomorrow comes to mind) are more real than fiction. I don’t understand where the 1% rich people think they are going to hide out when these climate disasters nail us? Private bunkers? Do they not care about the future of their children or grandchildren? I don’t really understand their blasé indifference to reality.
Great analogy however, the problem with electric cars is that the electricity still comes from coal-fired and NG power plants. Natural gas is proving to be a horrible contributor to Greenhouse Gases; methane is just really, really bad. We need to get to the core; no more fossil fuels, period.
Geothermal from Yellowstone and below 10,000 ft looks very promising. Tidal energy could be developed also, while waiting a couple more decades for fusion power.
Yes! Especially Geothermal. I don't like Tidal because it will affect oceans. We need to stay out of the water. Our oceans need to be left completely alone so that they can heal. We would have fusion by now if we hadn't been obsessed with nukes instead of energy. I also think we all need to be vegan. Animal agriculture is killing us and the animals. I know I sound extreme but, we are out of time.
The majority of greenhouse gases, more than half, is the result of industrial animal production, both the livestock and growing feedstocks for cows, pigs, and chickens. I have cut my meat consumption by 90% with no pain involved or major sacrifice. Beef one meal per month and no pork products and minimal chicken. Our primary source of animal protein is chicken eggs. Healthier bodies and a healthier planet is a win win.
Central power plants that burn coal or natural gas have scrubbers to minimize pollution. The same is not true for gas or diesel powered cars or trucks. Air pollution from motor vehicles is a major source of asthma health issues which cost the US more than $81.9 billion each year in direct costs for treatment.
Wonderfully detailed report. However, one of your analogies is unfortunate...because Trump (he whose ranting voice never ceases) was replayed on TV yesterday arguing about hairspray being a bogus cause of greenhouse gases. We don't care, but he does know a great deal about hairspray in the interest of his orange coiffure. One of my personal mentors was a pioneer in solar energy. Stella Andrassy, a Hungarian Countess, while her husband was kept out of our country for 9 years, worked with Maria Telkes, a professor at MIT and then NYU, to find ways that all people could cook with, heat water with, etc... simple solar inventions. They presented their ideas to the UN, and India was ready to devote time and resources to a solar project. But, other voices in the Indian government decided that putting their energy into getting nuclear weapons instead. Just think what India could have done with a different choice.
It's good to keep track of what is new in the battle to get emissions controlled and hopefully eliminated some day. Electrification is what it's about. That electricity could be fully supplied by solar, wind, wave, and geothermal in conjunction with "battery" back-up. The term battery no longer has the narrow meaning we're accustomed to.
The changes, new materials, and kinds of construction needed will be so much cheaper than the cost of the destruction from climate chaos, not to mention the terror and loss to humans.
There are articles about real projects underway and inventions being tested on these sites:
Suppose you built a satellite that you place in orbit. The satellite must spin with respect to the sun to survive temperature wise. If it does not spin, one side would heat way to much and the other would become extremely cold which is a bad idea engineering wise. The spin averages out the heat distribution. Suppose the engineer who designed the coating on the satellite to cut cost by making it so it would absorb heat easily but would not radiate heat back out equally. I think I would fire the coating designer.
Carter wasn't talking about climate change in 1977, but about conservation of fossil fuels and energy efficiency. Republicans are against conserving for any reason, even though they were once known as conservatives.
Time for pitchforks & torches ….drag the Monsters of Death (Repukers) from their high castles , celebrating the Fire of New Dawn…Thanks Thom for the hairdryer comparison.
Love this - How many hairdryers does it take to run a Tesla?
The most aggravating thing about this for me is that 60 years from now, when the end of human civilization is a certainty, the bullies (people with daddy issues who comprise the right wing) will be blaming the meek.
"....when the end of human civilization is a certainty," No, not the end from Global warming, but much less ability to support 7 billion people. There won't be runaway Venus like warming, thanks to Stefan/Boltzmann: Radiation varies by absolute temperature to the fourth power.
The climate issues will get worse- that’s a given. We in California just had record storms and here in the S. California mountain areas we had hurricane-like rain, hail blowing sideways. I’ve never seen the torrential rain we just experienced. Scientists have been sounding the alarms for decades and we as humans are ineffectually trying to put a bandaid on a major and deadly force. In the meanwhile trying to mitigate the escalation of the climate disasters coming our way is, as always, blocked by special interest corporations that most likely have the technology already to alter the inevitable course but that would mean changing their price gouging and profit margins. It’s eerie to think that the climate disaster movies of twenty or so years ago (Day After Tomorrow comes to mind) are more real than fiction. I don’t understand where the 1% rich people think they are going to hide out when these climate disasters nail us? Private bunkers? Do they not care about the future of their children or grandchildren? I don’t really understand their blasé indifference to reality.
Great analogy however, the problem with electric cars is that the electricity still comes from coal-fired and NG power plants. Natural gas is proving to be a horrible contributor to Greenhouse Gases; methane is just really, really bad. We need to get to the core; no more fossil fuels, period.
Geothermal from Yellowstone and below 10,000 ft looks very promising. Tidal energy could be developed also, while waiting a couple more decades for fusion power.
Yes! Especially Geothermal. I don't like Tidal because it will affect oceans. We need to stay out of the water. Our oceans need to be left completely alone so that they can heal. We would have fusion by now if we hadn't been obsessed with nukes instead of energy. I also think we all need to be vegan. Animal agriculture is killing us and the animals. I know I sound extreme but, we are out of time.
The majority of greenhouse gases, more than half, is the result of industrial animal production, both the livestock and growing feedstocks for cows, pigs, and chickens. I have cut my meat consumption by 90% with no pain involved or major sacrifice. Beef one meal per month and no pork products and minimal chicken. Our primary source of animal protein is chicken eggs. Healthier bodies and a healthier planet is a win win.
Central power plants that burn coal or natural gas have scrubbers to minimize pollution. The same is not true for gas or diesel powered cars or trucks. Air pollution from motor vehicles is a major source of asthma health issues which cost the US more than $81.9 billion each year in direct costs for treatment.
And you don't even need any animal protein, will have lower healthcare costs with no cholesterol laden foods.
Wonderfully detailed report. However, one of your analogies is unfortunate...because Trump (he whose ranting voice never ceases) was replayed on TV yesterday arguing about hairspray being a bogus cause of greenhouse gases. We don't care, but he does know a great deal about hairspray in the interest of his orange coiffure. One of my personal mentors was a pioneer in solar energy. Stella Andrassy, a Hungarian Countess, while her husband was kept out of our country for 9 years, worked with Maria Telkes, a professor at MIT and then NYU, to find ways that all people could cook with, heat water with, etc... simple solar inventions. They presented their ideas to the UN, and India was ready to devote time and resources to a solar project. But, other voices in the Indian government decided that putting their energy into getting nuclear weapons instead. Just think what India could have done with a different choice.
Very inventive comparison, Thom.
It's good to keep track of what is new in the battle to get emissions controlled and hopefully eliminated some day. Electrification is what it's about. That electricity could be fully supplied by solar, wind, wave, and geothermal in conjunction with "battery" back-up. The term battery no longer has the narrow meaning we're accustomed to.
The changes, new materials, and kinds of construction needed will be so much cheaper than the cost of the destruction from climate chaos, not to mention the terror and loss to humans.
There are articles about real projects underway and inventions being tested on these sites:
https://electrek.co
https://cleantechnica.com
https://phys.org
Suppose you built a satellite that you place in orbit. The satellite must spin with respect to the sun to survive temperature wise. If it does not spin, one side would heat way to much and the other would become extremely cold which is a bad idea engineering wise. The spin averages out the heat distribution. Suppose the engineer who designed the coating on the satellite to cut cost by making it so it would absorb heat easily but would not radiate heat back out equally. I think I would fire the coating designer.
Carter wasn't talking about climate change in 1977, but about conservation of fossil fuels and energy efficiency. Republicans are against conserving for any reason, even though they were once known as conservatives.
Time for pitchforks & torches ….drag the Monsters of Death (Repukers) from their high castles , celebrating the Fire of New Dawn…Thanks Thom for the hairdryer comparison.
Never vote Republican