Saving energy is flawed

[semi-pro waster]

Do they tax CO2 emmitting cars in Africa? or every other country?

Probably not but that doesn't necessarily excuse us from doing what we can. I'm one of those people who thinks you should keep your own affairs in order before you start criticising others as a general point of principle.

 

[Booner!]

I believe that the world will still spin if I drive a mustang for a daily commute.

 

[semi-pro waster]

I believe that the world will still spin if I drive a mustang for a daily commute.

I'm sure it will, it'll probably still spin if you choose to drive an road train for your daily commute too - parking in town might be an issue mind.

I'm not sure what that has to do with taxing CO2 emitting cars though.

 

[Mp4]

With or without helping the climate we are screwed anyway, all good things come to an end.

Until I went to Google I never knew it was Energy Saving day!

I do recycle bottles, cans, card etc.

 

[Slinwagh]

How much energy could be saved if we didn't recycle?

Think about it, ban all the unnecessary food/product packaging in the first place. The domino effect of this is that energy will be saved by not producing it in the first place and another lump of energy saved by not having to recycle it.

Common Sense?

 

[Mp4]

We do need another 100% form of new energy; I think we have relied on fossil fuels for long enough imo

 

[AGD]

We do need another 100% form of new energy; I think we have relied on fossil fuels for long enough imo

Nuclear fusion is coming but still about 50 years away.

I just like recycling and reducing energy usage for efficiency reasons. It will save us money in the long term to become more efficient.

 

[LordSplodge]

We do need another 100% form of new energy; I think we have relied on fossil fuels for long enough imo

There is a clean power source that could (according to current estimates) power the whole of the Earth for the next 5,000 years.

It is called Helium-3 and the only problem is that it is on the Moon.

 

[neocon]

Recycling shouldn't be confused with saving energy/global warming

The real reason the govern wants to promote recycling is lack of landfill sites

 

[CossackNoodle]

Im all for less pollution and a cleaner enviroment but the climate is always going to change. No amount of taxing/forcing the 3rd world to use inferior forms of energy production is going to change that. Maybe totally wrong but all I see is profiteering and the west holding on to its power that little bit longer

 

[Pumpkinstew]

How about this for a wacky notion.... You save energy and pay the small premium for energy from a renewable source but because you're using less your bill doesn't increase.

 

[Tefal]

How about this for a wacky notion.... You save energy and pay the small premium for energy from a renewable source but because you're using less your bill doesn't increase.

You realise all the windmills in Britain haven't saved a gram of carbon?

The whole time they are being used a gas turbine plant has to be running on stand by burning gas, waiting for the load from the windmills to drop so it can power up and prevent black outs.

 

[Tefal]

Recycling shouldn't be confused with saving energy/global warming

The real reason the govern wants to promote recycling is lack of landfill sites

It's massively easier to recycle aluminium than to purify it from it's ore which saves masses of energy.

 

[pitchfork]

my mate down the pub was saying about everyone turning their lights off between 8 and 9.
I laughed.

I'll do a bit but i won't be incovinienced by it you know.

 

[Geffen]

I have to agree the whole energy efficient debate is getting daft. The government is now trying to tax all the 4x4 drivers into getting rid of their cars to buy more fuel efficient ones. This sounds great in theory, however it does not take into account how much C02 was taken to produce the 4x4 in the first place or how much C02 the manufacture of new efficient cars will take. So while the UK C02 emission may go down the worlds will generally increase.

The other problem is that the 4x4 won't disappear overnight if people do trade them in someone else will be driving them so the pollution will still be produced. What we should be doing in encouraging people to keep their old car until it falls to pieces before you replace it. Rather then current view that you should buy the latest most energy efficient car, fridge, boiler etc. every 2 to 3 years. This will generally end up with less C02 being produced.

The other problems is that I don't really believe the current environmental debate as it been spun at the moment with everyone twisting it to their own views. I'm going to carry on buying energy efficient items when I need to cut down my energy bills and recycle and compost stuff as if I didn't i'd have to buy a bigger bin.

 

[benjo plz.]

how much CO2 does this put into the atmosphere compared to what we do?

About 1/150th, the other 149 is from humans.

 

[Kanifee]

its stupid... its been the same for years in one form or another, i remember my dad telling me that the gvernment was trying to ban all cars over 5 years old, completly impracticle and never going to happen but they have been trying fo many years. to boot its a complete contradiction to there need for funds, the money they would loose from car tax/petrol sales is amaizing so they wouldnt allow such a drop in income but just so they can get elected they will make these promises or try to push these policies because they know the average joe cant put 2 and 2 together and come up with 4 so by the time they are in power and raking in there wages they have forgotton about all these revolutionary things they had in mind and have gotton back to the daily grind of getting richer and living an almost celebrity life style. 6 years later and they are still in power doing what they do, saying what they say and it never changes!

 

[Pumpkinstew]

You realise all the windmills in Britain haven't saved a gram of carbon?

The whole time they are being used a gas turbine plant has to be running on stand by burning gas, waiting for the load from the windmills to drop so it can power up and prevent black outs.

This is half true. Or retrospectively true.

In future the power source on stand by could just as easily be hydroelectric or nuclear, although I realise these methods have there own problems.

 

[Adrianr]

we wont really change our habits until it's in our face

Exactly. We're all far too comftable with "If it doesn't affect me.."

Energy Saving will be just the same as any other 'world wide disaster'. AIDS, Poverty, Starvation. The majority simply won't give a **** unless it's right there on their doorstep.

And frankly, why would they? Think of your average daily life. You ever run into anything that seriously makes you think "Hmm, i should really turn off my lights more often", or "Hmm, i should really give £2 a month to Oxfam to help those poor people".. We're desensitized to adverts like those. I'm afraid the only advert that will get through now is if all our lights go out for a sustained period, whereby everyone actually realises and appreciates how hard it is to live without leccy.

 

[AS_Platinum]

How many active volcanos are there in the world and how much CO2 does this put into the atmosphere compared to what we do?

And if those went off, the worlds temp would drop slightly. IIRC when Krakatoa blew its top, the worlds temp dropped due to the amount of sulphar that was spewed into the atmosphere. So all we need to do is somehow get these volcanos to go pop, nevermind the local inhabitants because the world will be a cooler place