Global Warming - Tories plan to "de-carbonise" Britain

[RichardCranium]

Do you have any idea of how much power a couple of 50" plasma Tv's consume?

None when you're out shopping.

I should have said "some of the time".

[Paddy]

Imagine how much tax revenue will be lost if we convert from burning hydrocarbons in engines to electrically powered cars. Where would the tax revenue come from?

It was government policy in the 80s that forced cars to produce Co2. Cars used to produce carbon monoxide and there was a choice of either developing lean burn engines or the catalytic converter. The catalytic converter is the most inefficient method and it turns carbon monoxide into Co

Next point. Currently the EU pays farmers to not to produce crops on about 10% of their Land (set aside) . Why not pay farmers to grow bio fuel plants on the offset land instead?

[RichardCranium]

Currently the EU pays farmers to not to produce crops on about 10% of their Land (set aside) . Why not pay farmers to grow bio fuel plants on the offset land instead?

Because then it would not be set aside?

[meridian]

In a well designed, energy efficient home, it will produce a surplus of energy...

Agreed - but the cost of designing and building such homes (and not just monetary cost but cost in time for retraining in new methods) tend to be outweighed by the builders' desire to make as much money as possible by banging up a row of concrete boxes.

(Sure, there are a few exceptions amongst builders, but these merely prove the rule)

[VectraMan]

It was government policy in the 80s that forced cars to produce Co2. Cars used to produce carbon monoxide and there was a choice of either developing lean burn engines or the catalytic converter. The catalytic converter is the most inefficient method and it turns carbon monoxide into Co2

Carbon monoxide is a bigger greenhouse gas than CO2 IIRC. Not that that matters because everybody's forgotten about the greenhouse gas bit and become obsessed with CO2. In fact everybody's largely forgotten about the O2 part and become obsessed with carbon, meaning that they should really be taxing pencils and diamonds rather than motorists.

But you're right: all cars would be more effficient if you threw away the catalytic converters. They'd produce more nasty stuff in general, give more children lung disease, make cities worse places to live, cause acid rain, AND contribute more to global warming*, but as long as you're reducing your carbon footprint you get 5 green stars.


*Assuming that it's true, which it isn't. Possibly.