"Just stop oil"

[bigmike20vt]

It doesn’t really matter what you think. If you’re a consumer, you’re part of the problem.

Capitalist society = consumerism = climate change.

We are all guilty tbh

That is dangerously close to using it as an excuse to do nothing... i agree ultimately our very existence adds to the problem.... I also agree that not many people would be prepared to put themselves back to the pre industrial age.

But that does not mean that there are not ways to reduce our individual as well as our societies detrimental effect on the planet without having to completely kill our quality of life.

 

[Tech_Boss]

That is dangerously close to using it as an excuse to do nothing... i agree ultimately our very existence adds to the problem.... I also agree that not many people would be prepared to put themselves back to the pre industrial age.

But that does not mean that there are not ways to reduce our individual as well as our societies detrimental effect on the planet without having to completely kill our quality of life.

I agree, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

 

[Mr Jack]

But that does not mean that there are not ways to reduce our individual as well as our societies detrimental effect on the planet without having to completely kill our quality of life.

This is your regular reminder that the whole notion of a "carbon footprint" was invented by the Fossil Fuel industry so that they could get people to think about climate change as a personal problem instead of a problem for states, governments, and regulation.

 

[bigmike20vt]

This is your regular reminder that the whole notion of a "carbon footprint" was invented by the Fossil Fuel industry so that they could get people to think about climate change as a personal problem instead of a problem for states, governments, and regulation.

can it not be a problem and a responsibility for both?
There are numerous ways many of us as individuals can help, and without any downsides as well.

I dont think we should wait for governments to force us to do things, or tell us what to do in some instances we can help ourselves.

Also things like getting an EV, with solar panels and home battery is absolutely giving fossil fuel companies the middle finger imo, and when my gas boiler gets end of life, i shall get rid of my gas supply as well.

 

[MadMossy]

Watched a video with Dr David Kipping (astrophysicist) the other day and one of the questions was about climate change and if its even possible to reduce our carbon footprint. He suggested that even if we spent every last penny on the planet to try and reduce carbon levels in the atmosphere to pre-industrial levels, it would be impossible, the only viable option is reduce the carbon produced globally now in the hope it's enough for the future. Problem then is that most of the world doesn't really care about reducing it, specially the biggest contributors.

 

[bigmike20vt]

Watched a video with Dr David Kipping (astrophysicist) the other day and one of the questions was about climate change and if its even possible to reduce our carbon footprint. He suggested that even if we spent every last penny on the planet to try and reduce carbon levels in the atmosphere to pre-industrial levels, it would be impossible, the only viable option is reduce the carbon produced globally now in the hope it's enough for the future. Problem then is that most of the world doesn't really care about reducing it, specially the biggest contributors.

which is precisely why i think we are ultimately knackered. i am just hoping we delay the inevitable to allow my lad to have a decent existence.....

had the fossil fuel companies acted back in the late 1970s when they 1st knew about the problem, imo they could still have made huge sums of profit and let the renewable charge, and the whole transition could have been so much easier.

instead they hid the truth, spread /funded disinformation (and still are) and bought up / paid off companies who looked to develop cleaner tech and squashed them.

 

[Game]

they had a 300 year drought at the end of the bronze age that decimated the med and babylon the world does go in cycles

 

[JonRGV250]

which is precisely why i think we are ultimately knackered. i am just hoping we delay the inevitable to allow my lad to have a decent existence.....

You really think the world is going to end or be in such state to stop your young lad living out his life to a decent standard, or in fact existing?
Give your head a wobble mate (no insult intended, but c'mon).
There's like a billion things to be concerned about before worrying about climate nonsense.

 

[MadMossy]

I think the bigger concern is what exactly will he even do in 20-30 years time, when AI has overtaken entire industries. That of course assumes WW3+ hasn't happened and wiped out half the globes population.

 

[Nasher]

I think the bigger concern is what exactly will he even do in 20-30 years time, when AI has overtaken entire industries. That of course assumes WW3+ hasn't happened and wiped out half the globes population.

We won't have the energy to run all that AI. It's extremely power hungry.

 

[bigmike20vt]

You really think the world is going to end or be in such state to stop your young lad living out his life to a decent standard, or in fact existing?
Give your head a wobble mate (no insult intended, but c'mon).
There's like a billion things to be concerned about before worrying about climate nonsense.

of course he will still exist! but you are the one ignoring things around you if you think man made climate change is nonsense........ but next 80 years, the way things are going yes i think things will go downhill fast, largely due to climate change.

IF you think boat people risking their lives to come to the uk now are a problem, then you are in for a shock if the sea levels rise much more...... and if you live in a even a remotely slight risk of flood area now then make sure you have a canoe handy!.

BTW the world wont end.... but large parts of it could end up being very inhospitable places to live at least for significant parts of the year

 

[MadMossy]

We won't have the energy to run all that AI. It's extremely power hungry.

What do you mean, we have an almost unlimited source of energy right above us. Did you not watch the matrix? 100 square miles of solar with batteries would be enough to power the entire United States.

 

[Tech_Boss]

What do you mean, we have an almost unlimited source of energy right above us. Did you not watch the matrix? 100 square miles of solar with batteries would be enough to power the entire United States.

How are all these batteries going to be made? Earth has approximately 88 million tonnes of lithium, but only one-quarter is economically viable to mine.

Also when they get to end of life, more will have to be mined and manufactured.

Earth simply doesn’t have enough resources for battery storage and EV’s.

Mining of the moon / mars may be a possibility if Elon pulls his finger out

 

[bigmike20vt]

How are all these batteries going to be made? Earth has approximately 88 million tonnes of lithium, but only one-quarter is economically viable to mine.

Also when they get to end of life, more will have to be mined and manufactured.

Earth simply doesn’t have enough resources for battery storage and EV’s.

Mining of the moon / mars may be a possibility if Elon pulls his finger out

lithium isnt the only solution to batteries, its a little less dense but sodium ion batteries can also be a thing (we have no shortage of salt...... there is plenty of that on these forums ).

But aside from that, when people use the term battery, most of us think of traditional batteries, but hot rocks / sand can be a battery, pumped water storage can be a battery, splitting water into hydrogen can be a good energy storage as well (but is too precious to use as fuel for cars imo).

When batteries get to end of life, they are also recyclable as well, so most of that lithium or what ever can be reclaimed.

(I am not sure how viable this is - it may be more fantasy than reality at the moment) but at least 1 company is looking at putting solar panels in space and then beaming the energy down to collection points on the ground.

the idea is then they could work at close to 100% of the time and be reliable. The down side is transmission loss and also what happens if something goes wrong and the concentrated beam of energy goes off piste.

its way above my pay grade but like i said, at least 1 company is working on this. if you get close to 100% 24/7 solar from space then storage is less of a problem.

 

[MadMossy]

How are all these batteries going to be made? Earth has approximately 88 million tonnes of lithium, but only one-quarter is economically viable to mine.

Also when they get to end of life, more will have to be mined and manufactured.

Earth simply doesn’t have enough resources for battery storage and EV’s.

Mining of the moon / mars may be a possibility if Elon pulls his finger out

You're basing that assumption on future technology still relying on lithium, surely AI will figure out alternatives, there are plenty of alternatives being researched now, something that will be accelerated by using AI. Like for example, sodium-ion batteries which for large scale solar farms are ideal.