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Sorry about all that alarmist climate change stuff

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  • BR14
    replied
    oh, the unrelenting tedium.

    Leave a comment:


  • rogerfederer
    replied
    Originally posted by original PM View Post
    The main issue is that climate change has become monetised.

    And so it's now about making money and the truth will be bent to support that goal.

    It's just another example of why it is so important to do your own research and not just believe one point if view or another.

    Although if you all don't agree with me you're racist or something!

    [emoji849]

    Fossil fuel companies have monetised anti-climate change production to make profit, by efinition of their respective businesses.

    For decades they have also engaged tactics once used by tobacco companies to question obviously true science that climate change is man made accelerated and is contributing to increasing temperatures across the planet as a general trend. An extreme cold snap doesn't affect this overall temperature progression upwards.

    It's clearly the biggest thing to affect our lives and those of our children but is so gigantic that it's difficult for people to comprehend it.

    What's the plan, OriginalPM and LadyMuck? Just continue to increase use of fossil fuels, further increase the acceleration of climate change, ignore the fact it is blatantly occurring? If 99.99% of scientists - who have dedicated their lives to robust research - state what we are seeing is accelerated by manmade use of fossil fuels, why should I listen to the 0.0.1% (who perhaps have their own interests at heart, in that they may be being paid by PR companies or directly by fossil fuel companies, as has been shown in many instances) who disagree with them?

    The 'old guard' industries are being protected, for now. They'll be dismantled soon enough and our use of fossil fuel looked at as a utility, rather than as a love of fossil fuel. I don't care how I do my 300Km trip, as I see it as a trip from A to B. Once we get sensible governments back in power who see the urgency we'll make some progression in developed countries towards new technologies and, most importantly, infrastructure developments that make electric vehicles viable for the masses: medium to long distance ranges, easy charging, reliable. I don't doubt that in twenty to fifty years another technology will replace electric vehicles, but in the mean time we don't have much choice if we wish to limit the rise in temperature and stop it increasing year by year.

    I'm ignoring the money side and tax implications, instead purely focusing on the science: it's sound science that man made fossil fuel use has enormously accelerated climate change and we should be coordinating worldwide to end its use and implement alternatives for each sector that utilises fossil fuels in some way: most sectors.

    Leave a comment:


  • NotAllThere
    replied
    Originally posted by ladymuck View Post
    Let me know what it's like. I wasn't sure if there'd be much more to it than the article.
    So, I've finished Apocalypse Never by Michael Shellenberger. It's a survey of environmentalist streams over the years.

    He's essentially saying that the Malthusian philosophy behind much environmentalism has caused enormous damage - to people and the environment - and seems to have morphed into an apocalyptic environmentalism, founded in irrational unscientific ideology, which cherry picks the science that appears to back them up, and is motivated largely by hatred of humanity. It's like a death-cult religion.

    On the other hand there is hope, as a counter movement is developing of humanistic environmentalism, which favours high-density energy sources over low-density, since the former are more consistent with improving the human condition and have a much lower environmental impact per MwH. So, nuclear to be favoured over gas, to be favoured over coal, to be favoured over biofuels, to be favoured over wood, to be favoured over wind and solar.

    Of course it's possible to disagree with his conclusions, but I think it's worth a read as a counter to more extreme rhetoric expressed in some circles. A bit of a slog though...

    Leave a comment:


  • DealorNoDeal
    replied
    Originally posted by DealorNoDeal View Post
    The OH counted 9 today, although she thinks he was still putting them out. I may have to go down a bit later and double check.
    Yep, he put another 2 out. Total 11. That's 25 bin bags in 2 weeks.

    Leave a comment:


  • ladymuck
    replied
    Originally posted by NotAllThere View Post

    Funnily enough, the night I was at the police station, was also the night that the local jewellers was burgled. Unfortunately, police couldn't attend as they were dealing with a serious littering incident.
    And you had the perfect alibi, nice one!

    Leave a comment:


  • NotAllThere
    replied
    I suspect paying a fixed price for "all you can muster" waste collection does drive one to be less careful as there's no penalty. However, I bet that if refuse collection was chargeable on a PAYG basis, rather than in with council tax, fly tipping would increase massively.
    Does happen, but it's quite rare here. Socially it would be a very serious crime. There are huge fines for fly tipping. And it is policed.

    I had to go an make a statement at the police station, when some neighbours complained about me putting out my cardboard for recycling three days early (I was moving house, this was at the old place). I was accused of not just putting the cardboard out, but dumping some other stuff as well. I accepted I'd put the cardboard out early, but the rest I flat out denied, and stated the witness was lying. I offered to go and load the cardboard back into my car, and if I did that, would it be ok to put it back the following evening (the correct day). The police were great, very good humoured, and thought this was a very funny solution, and said I probably wouldn't even be fined (which is rare for Switzerland). I loaded the stuff into my car, and the local supergrass watched me, sneering. He found it less amusing when I came back the next day and put it all back again!

    Funnily enough, the night I was at the police station, was also the night that the local jewellers was burgled. Unfortunately, police couldn't attend as they were dealing with a serious littering incident.

    Originally posted by ladymuck View Post
    Let me know what it's like. I wasn't sure if there'd be much more to it than the article.
    I'm reading the sample on my kindle. I'm inclined to buy it.

    Leave a comment:


  • DoctorStrangelove
    replied
    It's 3 bin bags or one wheely bin here, no side waste allowed.

    Certainly not 14 bin bags.

    Leave a comment:


  • Mordac
    replied
    Originally posted by ladymuck View Post
    I suspect paying a fixed price for "all you can muster" waste collection does drive one to be less careful as there's no penalty. However, I bet that if refuse collection was chargeable on a PAYG basis, rather than in with council tax, fly tipping would increase massively.

    Recycling in the UK is so very hit and miss. Different councils will accept different things. I'd love to be able to compost food waste but can't because RBKC only offer food waste collection to properties that aren't blocks of flats (i.e. the majority of the borough).
    This.

    Leave a comment:


  • Mordac
    replied
    Originally posted by darmstadt View Post
    Commissioning editor for The Spectator: Mary Wakefield (journalist) - Wikipedia
    Wife of..ah, I see what you did there...

    Leave a comment:


  • DealorNoDeal
    replied
    Originally posted by DealorNoDeal View Post
    It's bin collection day today so I'm off to see what contribution the couple down the road are making to screwing the planet. Last Monday was a record 14 bin bags.
    The OH counted 9 today, although she thinks he was still putting them out. I may have to go down a bit later and double check.

    I've started a spreadsheet.

    Leave a comment:

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