No, there's no fossil-fuel induced global warning. Absolutely not. The 100 degree Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) temperatures in Moscow (25 F higher than normal, hottest since record-keeping began 130 years ago) is a direct consequence of sunspots, the tilting of the Earth's axis, too much vodka on the air and cow farting.
Well, OK.. there is some fire where the smoke is coming from and it is making life difficult for Muscovites.
The Kremlin Shrouded In Smoke
The record heat and drought are threatening Russia's wheat production, prompting the government to suspend all wheat exports for a short period of time and setting off gyrations in futures markets.
But, hey, Muscovites should enjoy the haze since it protects them from sunburn; as for the rest of us, we can all eat cake.
But, hey, Muscovites should enjoy the haze since it protects them from sunburn; as for the rest of us, we can all eat cake.
I still don't really see the problem in the same way as you do.
ReplyDeleteThere doesn't seem to be any chance that this problem is going to be solved in the sense of not burning fossil fuels before the fossil fuels run out.
They. Are. All. Going. To. Be. Burnt. For. Energy.
And we are going to run out of really cheap energy (oil, natural gas, coal, uranium).
My question is:
"How do we best colonize Antarctica without cheap energy?"
Fossil fuels (and uranium) are just condensed sunlight and/or products of stellar explosions. If you really want to get the carbon dioxide out of the air, grow trees and then bury the trees deep underground.
"At the end of 2006 the recoverable coal reserves amounted to around 800 or 900 gigatons." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of freakin coal. Another world war might be better than burning through even a quarter of that.
The existential threat is right in front of our noses and the the "leaders" keep talking about the "terrorists". Pathetic.
Maybe we should look forward to the post-human era. Plants are relatively peaceful life forms.
@JP:
ReplyDeleteWhat I remember from college is that the oceans produce 50% of the world's oxygen. The plankton (which are dying off due to pollution and global warming.
@Crito:
Would the calculation be the same if Energy Returned on Energy Invested (ERoEI) were taken into account?
And how many BTUs will all of that coal produce (asking this with the fact that there are different levels of coal in terms of its purity and ability to produce BTU power.
I worked up there in Pennsylvania and West Virginia in coal country and remember learning this fact while I was there. I genuinely don't know the answer.
Sorry, JP, I forgot how I was going to finish that second sentence. I had a train of thought before I got all of those links.
ReplyDeletenice comment....
ReplyDeleteThere doesn't seem to be any chance that this problem is going to be solved in the sense of not burning fossil fuels before the fossil fuels run out.
OkieLawyer,
ReplyDeleteAll of the information on coal is readily available, e.g. average BTU per pound (I believe it is about half the BTU of refined oil). Difficulty of extraction? Most of it can be strip mined (in the US)which means low BTU input per weight. And most mines are set up near rail spurs for easy/cheap shipment.
"No, there's no fossil-fuel induced global warning. Absolutely not. The 100 degree Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) temperatures in Moscow..."
ReplyDeleteIf the weather in Russia were any kind of "proof" of human-caused global warming, then snow in Brazil would disprove it. Don't fall into the media trap.
Let's say it again, weather is not climate.
Off topic for this thread:
ReplyDeleteStudent loans have surpassed credit cards as biggest debt
Re :
ReplyDeleteAll of the fossil fuels are going to be burnt for energy. (By the way, I am NOT criticizing or attacking you in this comment, JP.)
Cut to Doctor Seuss's "The Lorax".
Juxtapose. Observe.
Understand.
How long does it take to say nine words ?
How long does it take to translate those nine words into practice ?
How long does it take to repair all the ugliness and destruction after those nine words ?
You get my point.
We (including me..) shoot our mouths off too much.
We should collectively go on a linguistic diet.
Talk LESS. Write LESS. (all those books. and the web too. What next ??)
Maybe... feel more ? AND differently ?
OT:
ReplyDeleteHell:
Here are two very interesting links I picked up at Zero Hedge, both by the same contributor. Just something to keep in the back burner. In case you missed them....
http://gonzalolira.blogspot.com/2010/08/fuck-deficit-or-will-deficit-end-up.html
http://gonzalolira.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-hyperinflation-will-happen.html
Best regards,
Econolicious
nice post
ReplyDelete