Global Warming's Terrifying New Math

[Phximiev]

Ban on ICE cars?

https://thinkprogress.org/norway-germany-india-ban-fuel-burning-cars-3c410801ef35#.7halmrk7q

Nice pic of the 'Miev also.

 

[PV1]

Awesome.

 

[Phximiev]

With any luck: http://www.businessinsider.com/electric-vehicles-a-problem-for-big-oil-2016-10

 

[PV1]

Info-packed talk with President Obama, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Katherine Hayhoe before the premiere of Leo's documentary Before the Flood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxHKsaG6Guc

 

[Phximiev]

An optimistic effort: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1106813_scotland-shows-path-toward-boosting-renewable-energy-in-a-big-way

 

[Phximiev]

Info-packed talk with President Obama, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Katherine Hayhoe before the premiere of Leo's documentary Before the Flood. . .

Liked it.

 

[JoeS]

I cannot believe the number of climate skeptics I ran across during our cross-country trip and am always looking for something to present off my iPad as we're talking... still haven't found a single in-your-face graphic or statement that would leave such a skeptic speechless.

Some more food for thought (mostly graphics) from a respected source:

Carbon Dioxide
http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/

Global Temperature
http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/global-temperature/

Arctic Sea Ice
http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/arctic-sea-ice/

Antarctic and Greenland Land Ice Mass
http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/land-ice/

Sea Level
http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/sea-level/
One-minute video: https://sealevel.nasa.gov/resources/83/rising-seas-by-decade

As far as what to do about it, I'm afraid that I consider it imperative that we globally institute dramatic changes NOW to halt greenhouse-gas emissions. I (thankfully?) won't be around to see the consequences of such present-day inaction. In this TED Talk, Michael Shellenberger presents a compelling case for nuclear power:

https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_s..._power_is_hurting_the_environment?language=en

 

[Phximiev]

. . .

As far as what to do about it, I'm afraid that I consider it imperative that we globally institute dramatic changes NOW to halt greenhouse-gas emissions. I (thankfully?) won't be around to see the consequences of such present-day inaction. In this TED Talk, Michael Shellenberger presents a compelling case for nuclear power:

I couldn't agree more except that nuclear politics tend to kill the projects and while I won't be around either, my kids, nephews, and nieces will be. Its a grim scenario that we put them into.

 

[wmcbrine]

still haven't found a single in-your-face graphic or statement that would leave such a skeptic speechless.

Not the XKCD thing?

 

[dniemeyer99]

The attached chart is interesting. As in it explains why it will be hard to move to a carbon free future.

http://www.ecofys.com/files/files/world-ghg-emission-flow-chart-2012_v9-c-asn-ecofys-2016_02.pdf


There is a whole lot of industries that use carbon fuels and therefore have invested capital in there use. What I find interesting in the graph is the amount of carbon is used just to extract the carbon in the first place. If we did not use the carbon, we would not need to extract and therefore driving an electric car not only de-carbon because of your driving but also because of the less extraction required. This would be true with any other green technology.

Dave

 

[Don]

EV's will lower health care costs??

http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/electric-cars-could-save-america-tens-of-billions-a-year-in-health-care/ar-AAjtX83?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

Don

 

[Phximiev]

Grim: http://yahoonewsdigest-us.tumblr.com/post/152393863919/humanity-is-decimating-earths-wildlife-with-a

 

[NeilBlanchard]

We can sequester carbon in the soil with the right farming methods, and ranching on grasslands. Another way to is make biochar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgmssrVInP0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxIyKfWf9kU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svNg5w7WY0k

 

[Phximiev]

Maps representing types of power plants in the US:

https://imgur.com/gallery/LjYIH

The problem is self-evident.

 

[jray3]

Natural Gas has received a lot of greenwashing and there was a failure of assumptions on the part of the scientific community regarding fugitive emissions. It was generally assumed that due to the 12 year half-life of methane emissions, they weren't a very big deal. However, by the 20 year mark, Methane (Ch4) has delivered 84 times the global warming of Carbon Dioxide. This kick-starts all sorts of other self-reinforcing feedback loops, from methane burps out of the thawing "permafrost" to off-gassing from seabed formations of methane hydrates. Methane delivers a knockout blow early, and then tapers off. Even at the statistically diluted 100 year mark, methane emissions have delivered 20 times the greenhouse effect that an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide has. This is why fugitive emissions from oil and gas operations are such a big deal, and may be largely responsible for the faster-than-expected climate change observed to date, and also explains why waste gas flares at landfills and refineries are a big improvement over unburnt emissions.

The following presentation is a first attempt at explaining this by some friends. Not professional quality, but a good effort.
http://nw-climate-methane-task-force.org/downloads/TheMethaneStory.mp4

Bottom line: natural gas is a false solution, and a dangerous distraction on our way to a sustainable economy.

 

[PV1]

Jay, I moved your post here as it deals more with climate change than EVs directly.

It would make my year if the gas industry packed up and left town. From the (IMO) over-sized drilling pads to fracking to pipelines zig-zagging all over the place, I've had enough (and that doesn't even include the doubling of road traffic and resulting road destruction).

I found a study on fugitive emissions a while back (even including vehicle emissions to drill and support wells), but I feel its figures are too low. Whenever they frack a well, there is a steady stream of tanker trucks going past my work for two weeks straight...for ONE well! That doesn't include the thousands of pickup trucks driving around, nearly all from out-of-state.

One only has to look at this year's CO2 cycle to see some de-stabilization. Concentrations were noticeably above the usual increase and were inconsistent (normally follows a relatively smooth sine wave).

https://scripps.ucsd.edu/programs/keelingcurve/wp-content/plugins/sio-bluemoon/graphs/mlo_two_years.png

 

[jray3]

Thanks, and yes, that Mauna Loa data is great (as long as the old gal doesn't wake up again and start adding her own emissions). The magnitude of the methane issue just hit me recently. I had thought that the Pickens Plan (as in T Boone) to shift heavy vehicles to natural gas and recharge the rest with wind was a good step, but am now coming around to the position that we should just leave it all in the ground.

 

[PV1]

The more left in the ground (across the board), the better. Although I did see my first CNG tractor trailer on Monday. Still just as noisy as a diesel, so minimal efficiency improvement if any.

Last year while driving around one evening, almost every valley I drove through smelled like gas. Talk about leaks.

Here's a good one. Sunoco is putting in a pipeline to carry LNG from Ohio to Philadelphia, likely to export it. It goes right past my work, through some heavily populated areas, and under/through Raystown Lake. Yeah, seems like a bridge fuel all right :roll: .

 

[Phximiev]

Some optimism on the battery front reported by the ultimate source for news and commentary!

https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/16/11/23/2255256/scientists-create-battery-that-charges-in-seconds-and-lasts-for-days

 

[PV1]

Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines one step closer. So, how can we make oil worthless?

https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-01-24/trump-advances-keystone-and-dakota-pipelines-fulfilling-pledge