Some facts for tree hugging carbon hippies

[[TW]Fox]

All this talking about carbon being bad, mmmkay, meaning that once again the British motorist is public enemy number one, and that we absolutely must encourage everyone to drive rubbish cars and take the bus to reduce the fact carbon will kill the entire planet.

Here are some facts to put the governments ridiculous carbon obsession into context:

Global Contributors of C02 Emissions:

Power Generation: 24%
Transport (including air, rail, car, ships) 14%
Industry: 14%
Heating: 8%
'Rotting waste': 3%

Cars account for just 11% of the UK's C02 output.

If every single SUV owner changed their car for a Toyota Prius Hybrid, the UK's total C02 emissions would decrease by just 0.3%

UK motorists contribute just 0.2% of world carbon emissions

Since 1990, UK Carbon emissions have gone up by just under 6%. Chinese Carbon emissions have gone up by just under 90%.

China plans to build nearly 600 coal fired power stations in the next 8 years. 18 of these power stations will emit, per year, the equivilent C02 of the ENTIRE UK motoring population.

If every single driver in the UK changed their car for a V8 powered Range Rover, world carbon emissions would increase by just 0.2%.

These figures, from this months Evo Magazine (I recommend you subscribe, its awesome), show several key things:

a) People whinging about carbon emissions should be quiet, becuase in the grand scheme of things, its no big deal
b) Changing say, a BMW 540i to a Smart Car becuase you want to be Carbon Neutral is totally pointless
c) All this eco claptrap from the government is hot air to deflect the attention from the fact it's just more tax.

Comments from clv101 gratefully received.

 

[Amps]

Well said fox.

 

[Ricochet J]

What's your source?

Edit: I'm not being a smarty arse, i'm just asking.

Edit2: Already answered

 

[Fr0dders]

c) All this eco claptrap from the government is hot air to deflect the attention from the fact it's just more tax.

agreed 100 %

yes we all have to do our bit, but whilst the 3rd east continues to expand at an alarming rate catching the west, theres little point in worrying about the tiny output that little old GB makes.

Thats assuming that the increase in c02 is causing the climate change, and its not a natural cycle. How on earth did the earth warm up after an ice age without co2 to cause global warming

What's your source?

he's already said, this months evo. And i dont see the need for scepticism, allthough one of the worlds strongest economies, we're still a tiny country. Sheer scale of the rest of the world compared to us should be an indicator as to how much Co2 british cars produce.

 

[excaliborg]

You can also factor in that increased CO2 in the atmosphere increases growth (therefore photosynthesis) rate of plant life, so CO2 consumption isn't always uniform.

 

[Lashout_UK]

I guess you might have to be careful here - a motoring magazine is likely to swing it so the motorists look good - but I agree with you wholeheartedly, the figures sound much like those I've heard from other sources and tally quite nicely

D'ya know, I do a lot for tree huggers - by maintaining classic cars that return good MPG, confirm to any emissions testings for the MOT test and have so far lasted 30 years.

That's a hell of a lot of savings from not having manufactured several new cars to take it's place over the years, along with all the other nasty emissions and wastage from manufacturing new vehicles

 

[MrMatteh]

s'what I like to see..

that and global warming. "hotest since 1930"... well.. it was hotter then, so no big deal

and "running low on petrol reserves" o rly?

 

[davidstone28]

The US also has something like 5% of the world population but produces 25% of the world's total pollution which is HUGE for just one country. And of course, they've rejected all attempts to sign up to the Kyoto treaty.

The UK could make it mandatory for the particulate filters to be fitted on all buses though. Those diesel engines are bloody filthy pumping soot for men/women/children to breathe in.

In terms of the UK, I'm more concerned about pollution and congestion rather than CO2 emissions per se. London is absolutely filthy for the sheer volume of traffic, and the tube is no alternative, because its even filthier. And the roads are grinding to a halt for the sheer volume of traffic.

 

[ramirez]

10 mpg + fuel card for the bloomin win.

 

[Dolph]

The US also has something like 5% of the world population but produces 25% of the world's total pollution which is HUGE for just one country. And of course, they've rejected all attempts to sign up to the Kyoto treaty.

The main reason they've rejected the Kyoto treaty is that it's totally pointless to cripple your economy for feelgood points but no real benefits...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol#Position_of_the_United_States

I actually agree with their reasoning entirely. It has to be applied to all or none, not a half assed attempt to shaft yourselves while the competition is exempt from it.

 

[davidstone28]

I don't agree with Bush's reasoning at all - that man has the IQ, intelligence and reasoning of a mentally retarded chimpanzee. Do you really believe the utter nonsense and propaganda produced by the Bush administration? God help you if you do.

 

[agw_01]

Interesting figures

Now if only the government bodies would actually absorb the information and attack the real source of pollution. Can't see that happening anytime in the near future though

 

[[TW]Fox]

attack the real source of pollution

War on China isn't a good idea.

 

[Sagalout]

There are 2 issues here. Global warming and the effects cars have on it. Anyone disputing global warming and its effects that are happening now should watch an inconvenient truth. Just watch it start to finish. If, after that, you cant see a problem, or you think this is part of natures cycle then theres no hope.

Cars - well, its a small part of the problem, but it is a contributory factor. This problem wont be solved just by individual govenrments etc taking action, becuase at the end of the day governments take action for 5 years at a time to keep themseleves in power. it requires each and every person to examine their concience and look at the planet we are leaving for our kids. Changing your car will have no tangible effect on the environment. The whole country changing its cars will have a small effect. The world changing its entire habits will have a huge effect. Thing is, you have to start somewhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61y6EoYFSzA

The trailer is cheasy but the film is amazing

Good exerpt from the movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnfe7Cnwfm4

Other stuff

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6098362.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6171053.stm

10 years ago I wouldnt (and didnt) care about this stuff. Now I have kids I really worry for the future we are leaving them.

 

[agw_01]

War on China isn't a good idea.

I didn't mean attack as to starting a war

Although, if China won't listen to us and the USA have their heads so far up their backside to help us out, there's no point even trying to negotiate.

 

[6thElement]

So just because your neighbour craps on the pavement outside his house, does that mean you should ignore the good of the neighbourhood and crap outside there too? After all, what's just one more crap going to do?

Whilst I don't agree with being taxed into oblivion I do believe the planet is ******.

 

[cdcopyman]

mmmmmmm V12 's here i come

 

[mattpc]

yep absolutely fox I've been arguing this for some time with people who slate me for driving large old barges. It's utter claptrap. At least I use old 2nd hand vehicles, recycled if you will rather than constantly buying brand new Vauxhalls every two years. It could be argued that we should try to keep servicable vehicles in service for longer rather than constantly manufacturing new vehicles.

 

[Stonedofmoo]

War on China isn't a good idea.

Seconded. China is a scary country, in our life times I fully believe they will become the worlds biggest superpower.

 

[Dogbreath]

There are 2 issues here. Global warming and the effects cars have on it. Anyone disputing global warming and its effects that are happening now should watch an inconvenient truth. Just watch it start to finish. If, after that, you cant see a problem, or you think this is part of natures cycle then theres no hope.

Hardly an unbiased report though, it's so tainted by political motivation that it's difficult to separate fact from spin.

Cars - well, its a small part of the problem, but it is a contributory factor. This problem wont be solved just by individual govenrments etc taking action, becuase at the end of the day governments take action for 5 years at a time to keep themseleves in power. it requires each and every person to examine their concience and look at the planet we are leaving for our kids. Changing your car will have no tangible effect on the environment. The whole country changing its cars will have a small effect. The world changing its entire habits will have a huge effect. Thing is, you have to start somewhere.

I totaly understand your sentiments regarding your children. I feel the same way, though global warming issues are not at the top of my "What's going to screw the planet" list. Realisticly what can be done? A handfull of people driving (environmentaly unfriendly) hybrid cars really isn't going to acheive anything, as much as car manufacturers would like us to believe it. Any concerted efforts to considerably reduce the 11% contribution from road transport would financialy cripple the country. And after the economy is dead, we will have to start looking at the other 89%. And then China, the USA and the other major global contributors.

Hyping minor issues to deflect attention from major ones is probably the number one top skill of our current government. They bandy figures around and tell us how bad we are are being, safe in the knowledge that we won't stop doing it, and that they can gain extra tax revenue from the situation.