I was thinking about current efforts to halt global warming, and frankly see them as somewhat pathetic, perhaps this is based on the idea that people have all the time in world to dicker about whether or not its a fact or not. Thus people don't really realize the gravity of the situation.
Given current environmental conditions such as the polar ice caps melting, glacier retreat and current evidence of possible nonlinear climate change such as during the Younger Dryas, plus significant weather fluctuations such as droughts, floods, stronger hurricanes, and in general effects which are violating past precedents of weather patterns, I think its safe to say global warming isn't going to happen its already happening, again the degree could still be argued.
This is also coupled with the fact of human population expansion into regions that historically have never had them thus increasing the probability of weather events affecting people.
So lets remove the issue of whether or not humans are causing it or not, because that just amounts to more bickering and instead just accept it is happening, never mind the fact that most of the conscensus is that humans are causing it, or perhaps there is still a argument that it is even happening?
But this would be a thread for strategies for dealing with global warming as it is. This would be divided into two classes, passive and active; the passive side involves strategies for coping with global warming living with the effects and so forth. And example for the passive side would involve say a rapid disaster force for dealing with effects like say Katrina, evacuation plans, insurance reform etc.
The active side involves attempts to slow and perhaps eventually halt global warming, this could be emissions control, carbon sequesteration, solar mirrors, aersol injection into upper atmosphere, iron accelerated plankton growth, increased reflectivity over polar ice caps through a variety of methods, essentially terraforming the earth.
So anyway thoughts, strategies, expansion of your own ideas, whatever you think is applicable.
Global Warming Strategies
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CoyoteNature
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Global Warming Strategies
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity and I'm sure about the latter.
Albert Einstein
Brains, brains, brainsssssssssssssssss uggggg, brains.
Brains
Albert Einstein
Brains, brains, brainsssssssssssssssss uggggg, brains.
Brains
This is what I'd like to do to curb greenhouse emissions. It's not politically or socially feasible at all, just what I would do.
1. Mass decommissioning of coal fired power plants. The newest and most efficient plants in a given geographic area are kept open to act as buffers for nuclear power.
2. Mass commissioning of nuclear power. Greenpeace, hippies, et al, are rounded up and bused to concentration camps run by Shep. Nuclear power is supplemented with the remaining coal/natural gas plants, and on a local scale with alternative energy and microgeneration.
3. Strict fuel efficiency requirements for new vehicles. Begin enforcing mandatory phase outs of older, less efficient vehicles, with government credits for exchanging old cars for newer ones. Petroleum industry subsidies revoked. Gas taxes raised. Big oil lobbyists, SUV drivers, et al, are rounded up and bused to concentration camps run by Shep.
4. Reasonably pursue research and development of technology such as...
- Nuclear fusion (widespread implementation of fission may help in the development of or transition to fusion).
- An alternative fuel economy, be it hydrogen fuel cell, all electric, whatever, as a long term replace for current gasoline powered cars.
- Technology that will increase conservation on an individual scale, like more energy efficient homes. Also ways to make microgeneration more effective and available, like cheaper, more powerful, and more environmentally clean solar cells.
- Improved recycling technology and infrastructure, and increase public initiative for recycling*. (*Means round them up and bus them to re-education camps run by Shep.)
Some of these will naturally come more easily than others. The key here is to not expect miracles that will solve all our problems to come overnight (fusion), but to progress reasonably and balance our efforts in all fields, reaping minor benefits as we advance. A relatively small breakthrough (compared to nuclear fusion) in solar cells can mean great savings if the technology can be applied on a wide scale.
This is only to reduce emissions, and doesn't cover active methods to lower existing greenhouse levels. I don't know how effective any of the proposed methods might be.
1. Mass decommissioning of coal fired power plants. The newest and most efficient plants in a given geographic area are kept open to act as buffers for nuclear power.
2. Mass commissioning of nuclear power. Greenpeace, hippies, et al, are rounded up and bused to concentration camps run by Shep. Nuclear power is supplemented with the remaining coal/natural gas plants, and on a local scale with alternative energy and microgeneration.
3. Strict fuel efficiency requirements for new vehicles. Begin enforcing mandatory phase outs of older, less efficient vehicles, with government credits for exchanging old cars for newer ones. Petroleum industry subsidies revoked. Gas taxes raised. Big oil lobbyists, SUV drivers, et al, are rounded up and bused to concentration camps run by Shep.
4. Reasonably pursue research and development of technology such as...
- Nuclear fusion (widespread implementation of fission may help in the development of or transition to fusion).
- An alternative fuel economy, be it hydrogen fuel cell, all electric, whatever, as a long term replace for current gasoline powered cars.
- Technology that will increase conservation on an individual scale, like more energy efficient homes. Also ways to make microgeneration more effective and available, like cheaper, more powerful, and more environmentally clean solar cells.
- Improved recycling technology and infrastructure, and increase public initiative for recycling*. (*Means round them up and bus them to re-education camps run by Shep.)
Some of these will naturally come more easily than others. The key here is to not expect miracles that will solve all our problems to come overnight (fusion), but to progress reasonably and balance our efforts in all fields, reaping minor benefits as we advance. A relatively small breakthrough (compared to nuclear fusion) in solar cells can mean great savings if the technology can be applied on a wide scale.
This is only to reduce emissions, and doesn't cover active methods to lower existing greenhouse levels. I don't know how effective any of the proposed methods might be.