Tired of hearing about how the only way of dealing with climate change is to turn off the lights. Last night, Eli heard a rapping on the window, rapping on the window, only to find Ethon who entered the dreary room where LED candles fed by the local wind turbine burnt, Eli being very carbon conscious. Eli he said, one of the bunnies has asked me to deliver a message before the Paris COP21 opens. He dropped a missive on the table and flew off. Eli bent down to read. . .
Teleconferencing? But that uses electricity...!But Eli has a plan.
Perhaps scientists should stop using computers, calculators, paper,any tools of the modern era. Or anything manufactured using fossil fuel, - or wood harvested from forests, --- or living and working in buildings and houses, -- how much energy does it take to put an earth observing satellite up? and for God's sake stop eating meat.. (well, there might be something to that..)
Bunnies, tired of"...if you're against climate change/oil drilling/pollution/urban sprawl/wars for oil... why do you have a car?"
We have a car because we've built a bassakwards transportation system that keeps most people from participating in society, having a job, even getting food - if they don't have one.
It's part of what we've been screaming about since the seventies, dammit.
We aren't in trouble because scientists are doing research and going to meetings, we are in trouble because we have been burning coal and cutting down forests for 250 years.
We're in trouble because we've allowed those made wealthy by fossil extraction to dominate our political process.
If, by not going to a meeting, a scientist or a policy maker could stop the plane from taking off, then this line of argument would make sense. By all means, telecommute. A huge share of what we do now happens on line. Skype works great - better all the time. But irreplaceable things happen when people meet face to face.
So let's push for less unnecessary travel, and new types of aircraft fuel - but that is decades away.
The replacements for coal and gas fired electricity are here now, and only being held up by a dishonest political system and media, and the bullshitters who bring up these kinds of "there is no climate change because Al Gore flies in planes" distractions.
I'd love to hear it.
ReplyDeleteMy latest plan calls for Higgs - Axion simulations in layered topological superconductors. The infamous Higgs - Axion simulator.
Shock them into change I say. Hit them with some dark matter.
And this is the kind of thing that really pisses me off, big time. People say inane things to me, like: "So if you believe in climate change, why do you still drive a car?"
ReplyDeleteYeah, so the little things that individuals can do to conserve energy... sure, that helps. On a small scale. But collectively, we have to change the way we generate electricity - to use renewable sources of energy instead of fossil fuels. And then we have to power all our ground transportation off that cleanly generated electricity. That's the only way we're going to beat this AGW thing.
So yeah, let's have us a carbon tax, to give us the incentive to do that, and to fund the transition to renewables. Amen.
Unexaggerated reports that Maurice Strong has expired recalls Metternich’s response to rumours his arch rival had died en route to the Congress of Vienna:
ReplyDelete” Tallyrand dead ! What can he mean by dying at a time like this?”
And those who don't use electricity, don't drive cars, don't use the internet are held in such high regard that they are listened to and taken very seriously? It's an infrastructure problem, one that cannot be solved - even if perhaps mitigated to a small, but insufficient degree - by personal energy choices. Those choices will remain limited, insufficent and inappropriate as long as the infrastructure remains inappropriate.
ReplyDeleteThis article will make you feel better http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/04/130423-reshaping-flight-for-fuel-efficiency/
ReplyDeleteThis article will show why it's important to know who knows better (this guy is wrong) http://www.wired.com/2012/10/can-we-build-a-more-efficient-airplane-not-really-says-physics/
Eli as a bunny was a great fan of Popular Mechanics which also published a lot of science fiction. OTOH, the shoe phone is with us.
ReplyDelete"OTOH, the shoe phone is with us."
ReplyDeleteSure, but is it too late to get smart about emissions, or will we miss 2 degrees by THAT much?
It's not just the warming. Look at Beijing.
ReplyDeleteThat's great Eli, but what's your plan? I don't think any of you are following this, but the topological magneto electric effect has just been verified by electromagnetic transport measurements in the lab.
http://arxiv.org/abs/1408.3614
What this means is that while formerly electromagnetism has been in principle easily capable of solving our energy related problems in two dimensions, this has now moved into a entirely new realm of the Higgs mechanism and gravitoelectromagnetic coupling to axion fields.
We are about to take complete control over spacetime and energy. That should go over real well with the culturally indoctrinated religious nutjobs now running wild over the surface of the planet with weapons.
So the plan, Eli. Don't keep me waiting.
I want a Toyota Xia gravitoelectromagnetic belt and a Heckler & Koch axion gun for Xmas.
ReplyDeleteFernando again demonstrates he is the king of Dunning Kruger comedy, just as Russell is the king of obscure Victorian era references.
ReplyDeleteAgain, Eli, the plan ... the plan.
Mine is shock and awe. The esoteric is about to hit the table top.
I don't think any of you are following this, but the topological magneto electric effect has just been verified by electromagnetic transport measurements in the lab.
ReplyDeleteHas 8c7793aa-15b2-11e5-898a-67ca934bd1df considered joining The Cooler Helmet Coalition?
No, Russell, I'm a member of the reality based club, not the lame Victorian euphemism club. The way I figure it, since high energy physics colliders and experiments still manage to bring in billions of dollars worth of international investment capital year after year, then there must be something to it. Otherwise it's just another vast conspiracy. So what is it, Russell, tin foil hats, or physics and mathematics. Oops, too late, you already made your choice. Me, I just like to bring these kinds of results right into your living room.
ReplyDeleteA sad case of toupee' lexical Dogsberry phase confoundation.
ReplyDeleteAll mathematics and physics is wrong in your world, I get that.
ReplyDeleteBut what is your 'plan'. Thanks in advance.
See the title for Eli's plan
ReplyDeleteYour plan lacks details. Investors are interested in the details.
ReplyDeleteThere is no argument that a significant part of our problem is caused "by a dishonest political system."
ReplyDeleteHowever, if "the plan" is "pay the tax," who receives the tax?
Of course, it goes to the very same "dishonest political system."
Why would any thinking bunny assume that said dishonest system would apply the tax fairly and effectively?
John Puma
John Puma,
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that Eli is thinking along the lines of a revenue-neutral tax, like this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fee_and_dividend
That the politicos can't get their hands on.
Now would Eli be that obvious?
ReplyDeleteThe "dishonest political system" is composed of government and corporate components.
ReplyDeleteThe fee and dividend system, described at the at the wiki site, above, includes both of these components.
John Puma