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Jesus loving Christ. This is the second time today SedanChair has corrected my post with something utterly depressing.
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Jul 21, 2014 22:54
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Radbot posted:Jesus loving Christ. This is the second time today SedanChair has corrected my post with something utterly depressing. It's one of the really common pro-carbon lines that completely ignores critical things like soil quality, access to freshwater, farming infrastructure, temperatures required for germination, etc.
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Jul 21, 2014 23:16
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That site's one of my favorite examples of denialist spin. The bio there:quote:Leighton Steward is a geologist, environmentalist, author, and retired energy industry executive. He has written about the reasons for the loss of much of the Mississippi River delta (Louisiana's National Treasure) and has given advice on how the nation can achieve "no net loss" of wetlands in the future; advice that has been accepted by the EPA and U. S. Corps of Engineers. Leighton was lead author on a book about nutrition and health (Sugar Busters) that gave advice on how to lose weight and prevent and or treat diabetes. The book became a #1 New York Times Best seller for sixteen weeks and made a significant contribution to the changes that have occurred regarding the availability of no-sugar-added, higher fiber, and low-glycemic products in the super markets. More recently, he has written a book (Fire, Ice and Paradise) that is an endeavor to educate the non-scientist about the many causes of global climate change so that the reader will be better prepared to understand what they hear, see, and read about in the media and from the politicians. In recognition of his many environmental efforts, Leighton has received numerous environmental awards, including the regional EPA Administrator's Award for environmental excellence. He is Chairman of the Board of The Institute for the Study of Earth and Man at SMU, was Chairman of the National Wetlands Coalition, and was twice Chairman of the Audubon Nature Institute. Leighton currently serves on the boards or boards of visitors of the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, EOG Resources, The Buffalo Bill Historical Center, the Southwest Research Institute, and is an emeritus member of the Tulane University board. Meanwhile, the Forbes bio: quote:Mr. Steward has extensive experience in the oil and gas exploration and production industry, having served in various senior management roles with The Louisiana Land and Exploration Company, a publicly traded oil and gas exploration and production company, including President, Chief Operating Officer and, from 1989 until its acquisition by Burlington Resources Inc. in 1997, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Steward subsequently served as Vice Chairman of Burlington Resources, a publicly traded oil and gas exploration, production and development company, until his retirement in 2000. Mr. Steward is former Chairman of the U.S. Oil and Gas Association and the Natural Gas Supply Association, and is currently an honorary director of the American Petroleum Institute. Mr. Steward is also currently an author-partner of Sugar Busters, LLC, a provider of seminars, books and products related to helping people follow a healthy and nutritious lifestyle, and Chairman of the non-profit corporations Plants Need CO2 and CO2 Is Green, providers of information related to carbon dioxide's impact on the global climate and the plant and animal kingdoms.
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Jul 22, 2014 07:13
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Vermain posted:It's one of the really common pro-carbon lines that completely ignores critical things like soil quality, access to freshwater, farming infrastructure, temperatures required for germination, etc. My favorite variation is "Greenland will be covered in endless wheatfields  , chill (lol) "
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Jul 22, 2014 08:12
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http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/07/22/scientists-finally-get-a-close-up-view-of-that-mysterious-siberian-crater-spoiler-its-real/ Read this for the pictures of what happens when scientists think that permafrost explodes out of the ground.
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Jul 23, 2014 03:51
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So I was just wondering, is it already too late? If so, I plan to spend the rest of my days reading GBS, watching LP's, and reading bad fanfiction.
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Jul 25, 2014 01:53
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Two depressing news stories today related to drought and loss of fresh water in the U.S. One relating to loss of groundwater. quote:Since 2004, researchers said, the Colorado River basin — the largest in the Southwest — has lost 53 million acre feet, or 17 trillion gallons, of water. That's enough to supply more than 50 million households for a year, or nearly fill Lake Mead — the nation's largest water reservoir — twice. Next proves that stupid states continue to be stupid quote:A national survey on water use in the U.S. showed that residents in states that get less precipitation use a lot of water in their homes -- western states use an average of 138 gallons per capita every day, compared to 82 gallons in the midwest. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, this is mostly because of the higher amount of landscape irrigation in the west. In other words, people striving for green lawns and lush plants in dry states have to water more often that people in places with lots of rain, or risk fines in some communities.  Yes, its confirmed, watering golf courses and filling pools really will intensify the effects of a drought. My new personal favorite waste of water is watering graveyards. Every time I pass one here in Texas, it seems like they're watering the grass covering dead people. radical meme fucked around with this message at 16:03 on Jul 25, 2014 |
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Jul 25, 2014 16:00
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I loving hate grass. It's so frustrating to see. I live in California, and I look at all the hills covered in dead wild grass, which makes sense, and then turn around and look at where people live and see all these green lawns and poo poo. Great. What a loving waste. It would be huge if everyone could stop getting so horny over grass.
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Jul 25, 2014 19:26
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terrordactle posted:So I was just wondering, is it already too late? If so, I plan to spend the rest of my days reading GBS, watching LP's, and reading bad fanfiction. No, it requires massive systemic change to how we think about economic growth and social responsibility, but we're not screwed just yet. The longer things stall, though, the more it's going to cost to address the issue, and the more potential damage that might happen before things get back under control. Geopolitics are going to get more unstable as the countries affected by climate change are hit hard.
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Jul 25, 2014 23:32
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It's not looking good, though, given that the rate of change in worldwide fossil fuel use is still increasing, and the single largest effort undertaken by a nation to reduce GHG output, Australia's carbon tax, was repealed earlier this month.
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Jul 25, 2014 23:35
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If residential only accounts for 1 percent of usage, maybe there's more important places to make an effort first?
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Jul 25, 2014 23:35
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Dreylad posted:No, it requires massive systemic change to how we think about economic growth and social responsibility, but we're not screwed just yet. The longer things stall, though, the more it's going to cost to address the issue, and the more potential damage that might happen before things get back under control. Geopolitics are going to get more unstable as the countries affected by climate change are hit hard. Aka, it's too late.
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Jul 25, 2014 23:38
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Struensee posted:If residential only accounts for 1 percent of usage, maybe there's more important places to make an effort first? Yep, shifting agriculture out of formerly desert areas (or even just making those systems twice as efficient which is definitely possible) would literally give you 20 times the effect as mandating lower residential use.
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Jul 25, 2014 23:43
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Radbot posted:Aka, it's too late. Nah, we can buy time if we have to, but that carries all sorts of unknown risks!
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Jul 25, 2014 23:45
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Unknown unknowns.
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Jul 25, 2014 23:46
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computer parts posted:Yep, shifting agriculture out of formerly desert areas (or even just making those systems twice as efficient which is definitely possible) would literally give you 20 times the effect as mandating lower residential use. Well then let's hope the current drought facing the midwest murders all our problems with forest fires. That's the lovely thing about nature; if we gently caress up too badly, it fixes our problems for us. Of course the body count is a lot higher than if we stopped being lazy idiots.
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Jul 26, 2014 00:21
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Dreylad posted:Nah, we can buy time if we have to, but that carries all sorts of unknown risks! Face it we're hosed. We've created a system that makes all humankind dependent upon the the continued destruction of the environment, and even if we had the power to completely stop the ecological desolation we've put in motion, that would be massive calamity itself. We need fossil fuels to produce, harvest and transport our food and goods. We need fossil fuels to enable us to employ ourselves in order to afford to survive. We need fossil fuels as an engine of commerce; and it is killing us, and we know it, but cannot or will not stop because the consequences of trying to save our planet are as bad as letting it burn. Like Exxon Mobil's CEO Rex Tillerson succinctly put it: "What good is it to save the planet if humanity suffers?"
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Jul 26, 2014 15:14
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I've been catching up on that Cosmos series, and just watched the episode that covers global warming and how/why is happening as well as the information about how Venus (was it Venus?) is basically our future at the rate we're going. A planet where the co2 levels became so bad that the sky is basically acid. I was aware that climate change was bad and happening, but finding out another planet in our solar system is undergoing a more advanced stage of it and is basically an uninhabitable murder ball was a bit eye opening.
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Jul 26, 2014 17:01
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Kin posted:I've been catching up on that Cosmos series, and just watched the episode that covers global warming and how/why is happening as well as the information about how Venus (was it Venus?) is basically our future at the rate we're going. Our oceans are becoming more acidic due to CO2 as well, and it's starting to affect sea life by dissolving the shells of mollusks: http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-acidification 
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Jul 26, 2014 17:21
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Kin posted:I've been catching up on that Cosmos series, and just watched the episode that covers global warming and how/why is happening as well as the information about how Venus (was it Venus?) is basically our future at the rate we're going. You obviously weren't paying attention. It can't get as bad as Venus on Earth. Neil even says so during the episode.
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Jul 26, 2014 22:45
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Struensee posted:You obviously weren't paying attention. It can't get as bad as Venus on Earth. Neil even says so during the episode. I think he means the original Cosmos episode, where Sagan does indeed make that claim. Though if I recall he later said he exaggerated in the hopes it would scare people into action.
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Jul 27, 2014 00:07
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Kumo posted:Our oceans are becoming more acidic due to CO2 as well, and it's starting to affect sea life by dissolving the shells of mollusks: Whats the problem, it goes from 8 to 8.
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Jul 27, 2014 00:16
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Rhjamiz posted:I think he means the original Cosmos episode, where Sagan does indeed make that claim. Though if I recall he later said he exaggerated in the hopes it would scare people into action. In my experience scare tactics tend to make people less inclined to act because usually those tactics sound absurd and even if people believe them they conclude "Well if there's nothing we can do to stop it why bother?" And no, reverting to agrarianism is not a viable solution.
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Jul 27, 2014 01:42
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So I'm working up a really short blurb on the Carbon Bubble and I need some help! Basically I'm rendering this article from Rolling Stone down to ~150 words, and I'm wondering if any of the figures here have changed significantly in the last 5 years:The Carbon Bubble in a Nutshell posted:• The consensus is that 2 degrees of global warming would have catastrophic impacts on the climate.
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Jul 27, 2014 02:37
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Lemming posted:I loving hate grass. It's so frustrating to see. I live in California, and I look at all the hills covered in dead wild grass, which makes sense, and then turn around and look at where people live and see all these green lawns and poo poo. Great. What a loving waste. It would be huge if everyone could stop getting so horny over grass. The average golf course in a arid climate uses as much water in a day as an average family uses in four years to put it in perspective. Although it's a bit mysterious to me why you would want to plant something that adds work when desert landscaping can look very nice and requires little maintenance.
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Jul 27, 2014 02:54
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tsa posted:The average golf course in a arid climate uses as much water in a day as an average family uses in four years to put it in perspective. Although it's a bit mysterious to me why you would want to plant something that adds work when desert landscaping can look very nice and requires little maintenance. America Inc. fucked around with this message at 04:46 on Jul 27, 2014 |
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Jul 27, 2014 04:41
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Negative Entropy posted:Because a pretty critical component of capitalism is homogenization and memes. Transnational corporations converge towards producing similar products and different areas and cultures converge as a result. Green, lush suburbs have been a symbol of affluence for decades and local areas usually prefer to follow trends to attract affluent, middle class people. That's why you see suburbs in Las Vegas, Arizona, China, loving everywhere. That actually hasn't been true for a while. Take the epitome of capitalism in food, McDonald's - they've severely regionalized their food so that while you can probably get a Big Mac everywhere (except like India) you're also going to get food that resembles food that you're used to (like sweet tea in the South).
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Jul 27, 2014 04:46
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computer parts posted:That actually hasn't been true for a while. Take the epitome of capitalism in food, McDonald's - they've severely regionalized their food so that while you can probably get a Big Mac everywhere (except like India) you're also going to get food that resembles food that you're used to (like sweet tea in the South). America Inc. fucked around with this message at 05:00 on Jul 27, 2014 |
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Jul 27, 2014 04:58
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Negative Entropy posted:I guess you can get wine at a French McDonalds but that doesn't change the fact that global capitalism favors homogenization of government trade policy and developing nations try their damnedest to imitate Western memes, like regularly eating large quantities of red meat (which has environmental impacts), car culture, suburbs. fashion, English, etc. The trend has definiteky been towards homogenization. Capitalism allows small variation in the same general product, much in the same way that similar species either evolve into different niches or one wipes the other out. It's like George Carlin's joke that the onky freedom of choice most people possess nowadays is Pepsi or Coke. People want to eat red meat because it's historically been a luxury good, not because they're forced to by the forces of capitalism. Trade languages have *always* been a thing, it's not a modern invention, and you're blind if you think fashion is remotely similar other than "is not literally rags".
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Jul 27, 2014 05:09
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McDonalds is an interesting example. They instituted and practice Total Quality Control or Management.They very uniformly produce more or less the same poo poo product to the same poo poo standards all over the world. It is a triumph in quality control.
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Jul 27, 2014 05:09
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Or it would be, if McDonalds ever stood for quality.
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Jul 27, 2014 05:35
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computer parts posted:People want to eat red meat because it's historically been a luxury good, not because they're forced to by the forces of capitalism. Trade languages have *always* been a thing, it's not a modern invention, and you're blind if you think fashion is remotely similar other than "is not literally rags". I''ll.concede that memetic cultural evolution and technological darwinism are not unique to capitalism. Do as the Romans do. It's just that global capitalism puts memetic evolution on overdrive with transnational corporations, free trade, and mass media.
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Jul 27, 2014 05:39
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Negative Entropy posted:I''ll.concede that memetic cultural evolution and technological darwinism are not unique to capitalism. Do as the Romans do. It's just that global capitalism puts memetic evolution on overdrive with transnational corporations, free trade, and mass media. No, I'm pretty sure that was a thing in modern non-capitalistic systems too. It's a function of being modern, not a function unique to capitalism.
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Jul 27, 2014 06:55
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Bigup DJ posted:So I'm working up a really short blurb on the Carbon Bubble and I need some help! Basically I'm rendering this article from Rolling Stone down to ~150 words, and I'm wondering if any of the figures here have changed significantly in the last 5 years: Well, those figures blithely ignore that we're going to get 2°C of warming pretty much regardless of what we do now. The trick will be taking sufficient action for it not to become 4-10°.
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Jul 27, 2014 07:29
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Am I missing something or wasn't product homogenization even more endemic in Soviet Russia?
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Jul 27, 2014 12:36
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shrike82 posted:Am I missing something or wasn't product homogenization even more endemic in Soviet Russia? In (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Jul 27, 2014 13:25
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I CANNOT EJACULATE WITHOUT SEEING NATIVE AMERICANS BRUTALISED!
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SedanChair posted:Ha ha you thought they didn't. I'd always hoped this site was fake, ever since one of my climatology profs showed it in class as a 'this is what wrong people think' example  They even link to climatechangereconsidered.org, run by the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (hurr hurr). E: To tie this into the drought discussion, these people are holding their conference this year in Las Vegas of all places. You know, where this is happening. Hollow Gaunt fucked around with this message at 16:59 on Jul 27, 2014 |
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Jul 27, 2014 16:49
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Hawaii is about to get slammed with 2 hurricanes in the same week. That seems like a pretty significant climate event that doesn't ever usually happen
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Aug 7, 2014 00:14
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Welp looks like we got a new thread titl- ah never mind close enough If We Release a Small Fraction of Arctic Carbon, 'We're hosed': Climatologist quote:This week, scientists made a disturbing discovery in the Arctic Ocean: They saw "vast methane plumes escaping from the seafloor," as the Stockholm University put it in a release disclosing the observations. The plume of methane—a potent greenhouse gas that traps heat more powerfully than carbon dioxide, the chief driver of climate change—was unsettling to the scientists. quote:First of all, I asked Box if he stood by that tweet. He did. He'd revise it a bit, to include surface carbon—methane locked in the permafrost that's also beginning to leak out—because if we loose enough of either, we're in trouble.
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Aug 7, 2014 05:19
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At this point there's nothing really that's gonna stop that from happening, is there? Between the Arctic, Siberia and all the Fracking leaks there's a whole lot of Methane getting out there.
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Aug 7, 2014 05:33
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