Things are Starting to Warm Up. 21

[dik]

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-...mothers-bear-brunt-climate-change-2022-06-14/

a sign of things to come... hold on to your hats, folks.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Do you feel any better?

-Dik

 

[dik]

Lionel, rb1957:

It’s all part of the same problem.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."

 

[rb1957]

with respect, no it isn't. We are being told the the single thing we need to fix is our CO2 emissions. Sure, some activists champion their own specific interest but generally don't get the wide repetition, nor the massive publications in peer reviewed journals, nor the significant government interest.

another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?

 

[Tomfh]

So, what's the solution? Massive upheaval based on not knowing what will happen?

That seems to be the general strategy. What is Net Zero by 2050 if not a plan for massive upheaval? Net Zero requires us to stop burning fossil fuels. 80% of our current energy coming from those fossil fuels. There is nothing available to replace that 80%. If we cut that 80% what other result could there be aside from massive upheaval?

Here in Australia we’ve only just started shutting down our fossil fuel infrastructure, and already the #%^* is starting to hit the fan. The very same politicians who have been arranging for years to shut down our coal power stations are now scrambling to extend their lives in the face of the energy shortages.

Few seem willing to address just how dependent we are on fossil fuels. Instead we see these childish demands to just shut it all down.

 

[dik]

Tomfh,
That position is just so old, tired, and unimaginative.

You are parroting yesterday’s politicians who are compelled to keep telling us we can have our cake and eat it too.

I don’t know what the solution is (or if there is an adequate one), but I do know that carrying on the way we have has a 100% probability of compound failure. Humans didn’t always burn coal, spread forever chemicals, walk the streets with loaded guns or elect psychopaths you know.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."

 

[dik]

rb1957,
If you’re responding to my post of 15:56 I humbly suggest you read it first.

The current crisis has multiple prongs, of which warming (sorry, enthalpying) is just one. In my amateur estimation it is not the one that will get us first, just because there is more scope for mitigation by adaption, and because it is in itself not poisonous. Other threats warrant equal attention.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."

 

[dik]

It's not just fix... it's a matter of seriously reducing... and that is nowhere on the horizon.

So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[Tomfh]

That position is just so old, tired, and unimaginative.

There are no wholesale alternatives to fossil fuels on the horizon. That remains the truth regardless of how boring you find it. If you have facts that prove otherwise then present them. I've been looking long and hard for them.

Any plan that ignores the hard reality of where our energy comes from is doomed to failure. Nature cannot be fooled. We cannot stop using fossil fuels and conjure up a replacement within a few decades. It won't happen.

We're going backwards even in terms of our grasp on reality. It's like everyone has committed to pretending. During Kyoto days we at least had vaguely achievable targets - e.g. a 20% cut by 2020. And now, having failed that target entirely, we've decided a better target is a number that is entirely divorced from reality - a 100% cut. Here in Australia we're off to a good start in the BS olympics - formally committing to a 43% cut within 8 years.

 

[dik]

You’re saying you (we) are hooked on fossil fuels. I agree.

The first step on the road to recovery is admitting there’s a problem.

I have observed that your Aussie politics are extremely nasty, with misogynistic coal crusaders and climate deniers for leaders, evidently hand picked by Rupert Murdoch, who makes a tidy profit out of poisoning the well. Tony Abbott was a real piece of work, up there with our own vile Stephen Harper. I only mention this because it seems relevant to your perspective.

 

[GregLocock]

There is no real plan for Net Zero. Politicians in some rich countries have claimed they will get to Net Zero by 2050. Any 'plan' they have is uncosted. The nearest they have to a plan is Field of Dreams. The rest of the world doesn't even notice. The Maldives claim to be affected by climate change and have just built a big new concrete runway so that more jetplanes full of tourists can arrive.

Cheers

Greg Locock


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[Tomfh]

You’re saying you (we) are hooked on fossil fuels.

100%.

The first step on the road to recovery is admitting there’s a problem.

Agree. I don't see much admission of that though. I see a lot of claims that amount to "I can quit any time I want". That's all that these stupid climate targets amount to.

I have observed that your Aussie politics are extremely nasty, with misogynistic coal crusaders and climate deniers for leaders, evidently hand picked by Rupert Murdoch, who makes a tidy profit out of poisoning the well. Tony Abbott was a real piece of work, up there with our own vile Stephen Harper. I only mention this because it seems relevant to your perspective.

A new wave is on the scene. The new government just signed onto 43% cut within 8 years. Our parliament has a stack of greens and climate 200 candidates (the greens and the teals). Even the Murdoch press is flying the climate flags nowadays. But it'll all amount to nothing of course. Because no-one is actually prepared to admit to the issue. Everyone prefers to blame "coal barons" and "boomers" and "big polluters" and "climate deniers" and "government". They caused the problem?, right? So they need to go fix it.

 

[dik]

That's just so much horsesh*t... why not a 5% cut for next year?

So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[Tomfh]

why not a 5% cut for next year?

Because 43% sounds much better than 5%, and 8 years is easier than right now.

 

[hokie66]

Because that too is horseshit.

 

[GregLocock]

"The new government just signed onto 43% cut within 8 years"

I'm pretty pleased with that. The outright failure to meet that will force them to accept that the Field of Dreams approach won't work.

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

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[hokie66]

And hopefully, it will cause the new government to become the old government.

 

[dik]

...and in 7 years time, you'll have over 40% to go...

So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[GregLocock]

"That's just so much horsesh*t... why not a 5% cut for next year?"

Because you have to build stuff to make the CO2 reductions happen. First of all you have to send the coal to China so they can make the aluminium so they can build the turbines. I'd estimate even the simplest large scale renewables will take 2-3 years to come on line, in fact I know windfarms that haven't generated any power 5 years after they got approval.

Cheers

Greg Locock


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[hokie66]

Yes, that’s the way targets work. But then again, we may have 45% to go.

 

[Tomfh]

The outright failure to meet that will force them to accept that the Field of Dreams approach won't work.

You reckon? No-one seems to have learned from the failure to meet the Kyoto targets. They just put forward a bunch of new targets that are even harder to meet.

It's like if I targeted running 100m in under 10 seconds by the time I'm 50, and when that fails to happen, I set myself a new target of running running 100m in 8 seconds by the age of 60. And when that fails, I get my lawyer to draw up a contract instructing me to do it in 5 seconds by the time I'm 70.

 

[GregLocock]

This is interesting, excluding forestry and land use changes, Australia's CO2 emissions have increased since 2009.

https://www.climatescorecard.org/20...house-gas-levels-have-decreased-15-from-1990/

Other government policies include increasing tourism (are they going to get here by kayak?) and increasing immigration. Presumably we'll only allow migrants who promise not to buy a car or use any electricity.

Cheers

Greg Locock


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