mistermack wrote:klr wrote:mistermack wrote:
This climate change is taking it's fucking time. Or it's been wildly exaggerated.

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We're talking about changes that are happening very fast in geological terms, but slow in human terms. Especially for the instant gratification junkies that have been sent to plague us.
That's perfectly fair comment.
BUT, we have been fed a diet of doom laden prophecies of what will happen in this century. Not geological time scales. It's obviously not going to happen. Or at least, it's not behaving as if it will happen.
There is a very long way to go in this century.
mistermack wrote:
And the time scale is absolutely vital. If we don't get global catastrophe by the end of this century, it's not going to happen at all. Because technology will overtake the predictions of CO2 emissions.
So, just let the next generations sort things out. We'll be long gone by then. The problems that we have now - and some of what we are anticipating - are the results of past actions, not what is happening right now.
Actually, there is already a lot of technology out there that is either not being used, or being used to its full potential, because there are a lot of vested interests and nay-sayers out there.
mistermack wrote:
By the middle of this century, we will have solar energy at far lower cost than today. We could well have nuclear fusion providing carbon-free electricity, and a majority of cars running with electric motors.
The lead time for developing reliable and efficient fusion power is measured in decades, and there is very little political will on the global scale to do this at present. As for electric cars: Great, I'm all in favour of them - but the energy has to come from somewhere, and right now much of it ultimately comes from fossil fuels or bio-fuels, which are nearly as bad.
mistermack wrote:
And the world population will be falling.
It will have stabilised, maybe fallen slightly at best. But there's a catch-22 here: A slowdown/halt to population growth implies a huge growth in average living standards worldwide - the two go hand in hand. And better living standards go with higher energy demands on a
per capita basis. This is not just a climate change/energy consumption issue: It's about every conceivable resource. The planet can't support 9 billion people living at (say) the level of an average Western European, never mind a US citizen. Note even with drastic improvements in efficiencies - production, consumption, recycling, lifestyle ... everything.
mistermack wrote:
If you combine all that with global warming of just a fraction of the levels promised by today's ''experts'' it will be a non-runner.
In fact, it's beginning to be a non-runner today. People who were passionate about it, just ten years ago, are now keeping quiet. It's gradually leaving centre stage, and dying in the wings.
It's not really centre stage at the moment because we have what we regard (rightly or wrongly) as more pressing concerns on the international/global scale, and those dominate the news and public discourse. But that does not mean that the problem has gone away.
God has no place within these walls, just like facts have no place within organized religion. - Superintendent Chalmers
It's not up to us to choose which laws we want to obey. If it were, I'd kill everyone who looked at me cock-eyed! - Rex Banner
The Bluebird of Happiness long absent from his life, Ned is visited by the Chicken of Depression. - Gary Larson
