observer Posted December 1, 2008 Report Share Posted December 1, 2008 Seems we've got to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 40% by 2020 - anyone know how they actually calculate emmissions - a guy with some kind of meter behind every vehicle, plane, industrial chimney and cows backside? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted December 2, 2008 Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 having heard the significant contribution that cows make to the carbon emissions i say BAN FARMERS!!!!! strange that they are now advocating nuclear power stations as a more green option. wonder how that sits with the campaigners. a sort of conflict of interests i would think. and a last thought the youth of today are the ones who will be responsible for running and maintaining them( brief thoughts of dozens of homer simpson clones) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kennedy Posted December 2, 2008 Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 Not sure we are training enough nuclear engineers. Guess we'll have to leave it to the French to supply our energy needs. I understand there is even talk of banning coal fired power stations....and that in a country sitting on several hundreds of years supply. Talk of increases to domestic energy bills of ?500 per year to pay for CO2 reductions. Just wondering if other countries have got the same fervour for CO2 reductions as our Government has. Regarding cows, farmers are being encouraged to use feeds that don't give them wind, bit like us laying off the beans....and being seasonal...the sprouts. On a serious note, meat eating is highly energy inefficient, so maybe there will be a move to cereals and vegetables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kennedy Posted December 2, 2008 Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 Seems we've got to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 40% by 2020 - anyone know how they actually calculate emmissions - a guy with some kind of meter behind every vehicle, plane, industrial chimney and cows backside? No not quite, it can be calculated...energy inputs - outputs - emissions, the marvels of science and a University education. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 Well the "green" zealots are calling for even tougher targets, probably without a thought as to how the low paid are going to afford the increased energy prices. BTW, saw an item on burning wood, saying it was carbon neutral - errm, isn't wood, like coal, captured carbon; and if burned, won't that carbon be released into the atmosphere? And while we are making all these expensive sacrifices for the planet, wonder what the Indians and Chinese will be doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted December 2, 2008 Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 Carbon neutrality all depends on the timescales your looking at. A cow is carbon neutral if you look at a timescale which includes growing its feed. The feed crops remove carbon dioxide from the air when growing, and the cows then - erm, release - it. Using wood as a fuel is likewise carbon neutral over the timescale of the lifespan of a tree, and continues to be so if the burnt trees are replanted. Burning coal or oil, on the other hand, releases carbon dioxide which has not been present in the atmosphere for hundreds of thousands of years. On those sort of timescales these fuels become technically carbon neutral - but that's not going to help much when we're all underwater!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 So why don't they plant more trees? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kennedy Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Competition for the land. In Brazil the rain forest is being destroyed to make way for cattle ranching. One man's CO2 reduction is another man's steak.....or tin of corned beef Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Wasn't that a pop star investment a few years back? I have a feeling that it became taxable and thus lost its appeal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Well; having started watching the Tony Robinson series on "catastrophes"; where not enough CO2 caused "snowball" earth, a 25 billion year ice age, that was finally rescued by a period of volcanic activity spewing out green house gases; it would seem the answer is about balance between animal and volcanic activity on the one hand, and vegetation on the other - so more trees would seem to be the answer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 CO2 is plant food. It does not cause global warming. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has already passed the point where it had its maximum so called "greenhouse" effect. Any attempt to control the climate of the globe is bound to fail because it's not possible and the people who are shouting the loudest to convince us of this are charlatans. What could be more ridiculous than the members of our national talking shop passing legislation designed to stop global warming on the same day that snow fell in London in October for decades?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
safeway56 Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 May I suggest the green zealots take a look at a world map..The UK is but a tiny spot on it. Should the UK become totally carbon neutral it won't make a scrap of difference in the grand scheme of things. Once again the little Englanders have a completely wrong estimation of this tiny island on a worldwide basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Hope your not trying to convince me, I'm with you and Asp on this: in fact the more I watch that Tony Robinson prog, the more I'm convinced of the futility of Man's believe he can control nature. Having said that, I think it's of interest to draw out the "green" arguements and subject them to some scrutiny.; one point is well made, with the majority of greenhouse gases being produces by the US, China and now India; what impact, if any, will we on this tiny Island have globally? Bit like someone on a full smoking shelter, saying they're packing the fags in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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