Comments on: ‘The End of the World as You Know It’ — or not http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/ The Latest on Climate Science, Solutions, and Politics Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:00:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: tidal http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11765 tidal Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:42:27 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11765 Klare writes: > Actually, to a *MUCH* larger degree, they are investing those mega-profits into share buybacks... which presumably signals something about how valuable - and 'relatively' cheap - they presumably think their *existing* reserves are... Klare writes: >

Actually, to a *MUCH* larger degree, they are investing those mega-profits into share buybacks… which presumably signals something about how valuable - and ‘relatively’ cheap - they presumably think their *existing* reserves are…

]]> By: tidal http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11766 tidal Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:03:39 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11766 Ooops, I guess my Klare quote got eaten by the html editor... Previous post should read in full: Klare writes: "Instead, the major energy firms... are putting their mega-windfall profits from rising energy prices into vastly expensive (and environmentally questionable) schemes to extract oil and gas from Alaska and the Arctic, or to drill in the deep and difficult waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean." Actually, to a *MUCH* larger degree, they are investing those mega-profits into share buybacks… which presumably signals something about how valuable - and ‘relatively’ cheap - they presumably think their *existing* reserves are… Ooops, I guess my Klare quote got eaten by the html editor… Previous post should read in full:

Klare writes: “Instead, the major energy firms… are putting their mega-windfall profits from rising energy prices into vastly expensive (and environmentally questionable) schemes to extract oil and gas from Alaska and the Arctic, or to drill in the deep and difficult waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.”

Actually, to a *MUCH* larger degree, they are investing those mega-profits into share buybacks… which presumably signals something about how valuable - and ‘relatively’ cheap - they presumably think their *existing* reserves are…

]]> By: paulm http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11768 paulm Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:56:13 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11768 How quickly could electric transport replace the existing petrol model? Can solar support the manufacturing energy requirements in the near future? What about all the other cheap products we get from oil - manufacturing cost will sky rocket. How quickly could electric transport replace the existing petrol model? Can solar support the manufacturing energy requirements in the near future? What about all the other cheap products we get from oil - manufacturing cost will sky rocket.

]]> By: David B. Benson http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11769 David B. Benson Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:58:40 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11769 paulm --- Bioplastics, both biodegradable and permanent, are already at the pilot plant stage. Expect demonstration plant stage within a year. paulm — Bioplastics, both biodegradable and permanent, are already at the pilot plant stage. Expect demonstration plant stage within a year.

]]> By: Steve Salmony http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11773 Steve Salmony Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:47:27 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11773 Become a CLIMATE HERO by simply speaking out! A failure of unimaginable proportions is bound up in the the willful blindness, hysterical deafness and elective mutism of so many opinion leaders, economic powerbrokers, politicians and business tycoons who do not speak out openly, loudly and clearly about the world we inhabit as bounded and limited in space with finite resources. Their idolatry of the endless expansion of the global political economy is not only selfish, arrogant and unrealistic; they are also perversely choosing to espouse a “primrose path” of unbridled economic globalization to our children, a path to the future that a relatively small planet with the size and make-up of Earth cannot possibly sustain much longer, much less to the year 2050. At least to me, this failure by my not-so-great generation of leading elders is a “sin of omission” and tantamount to a passive criminal act against the family of humanity, life as we know it and the Earth God blesses us to inhabit….and not ruin, I suppose. Steven Earl Salmony AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population, established 2001 http://sustainabilitysoutheast.org/index.php Become a CLIMATE HERO by simply speaking out!

A failure of unimaginable proportions is bound up in the the willful blindness, hysterical deafness and elective mutism of so many opinion leaders, economic powerbrokers, politicians and business tycoons who do not speak out openly, loudly and clearly about the world we inhabit as bounded and limited in space with finite resources. Their idolatry of the endless expansion of the global political economy is not only selfish, arrogant and unrealistic; they are also perversely choosing to espouse a “primrose path” of unbridled economic globalization to our children, a path to the future that a relatively small planet with the size and make-up of Earth cannot possibly sustain much longer, much less to the year 2050.

At least to me, this failure by my not-so-great generation of leading elders is a “sin of omission” and tantamount to a passive criminal act against the family of humanity, life as we know it and the Earth God blesses us to inhabit….and not ruin, I suppose.

Steven Earl Salmony
AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population,
established 2001
http://sustainabilitysoutheast.org/index.php

]]> By: hapa http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11798 hapa Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:15:02 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11798 @paulm <i>How quickly could electric transport replace the existing petrol model?</i> pretty fast. the electric grid is big and universal; "idling" overnight fossil fuel plants would fill the batteries with very low additional fuel consumption; and far as i can tell, all the wind capacity one could ask for needs can come online in a matter of years if steel is diverted from things like, oh, i dunno, heavy cars, maybe. @paulm

How quickly could electric transport replace the existing petrol model?

pretty fast. the electric grid is big and universal; “idling” overnight fossil fuel plants would fill the batteries with very low additional fuel consumption; and far as i can tell, all the wind capacity one could ask for needs can come online in a matter of years if steel is diverted from things like, oh, i dunno, heavy cars, maybe.

]]> By: Earl Killian http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11806 Earl Killian Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:19:02 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11806 paulm, hapa: I'm an EV advocate, but I don't see the transition being that fast. Take a look at the two graphs at the bottom of http://climateprogress.org/2008/03/13/killing-the-electric-car-again-part-1/ to see what I consider to be a fast transition to new technology for (1) new sales, and (2) the vehicle fleet. Click on the small pictures to see them at readable size. The problem is that it takes a long time for new vehicle sales to change the vehicle fleet (e.g. 15-20 years). paulm, hapa: I’m an EV advocate, but I don’t see the transition being that fast. Take a look at the two graphs at the bottom of
http://climateprogress.org/ 2008/ 03/ 13/ killing-the-electric-car-again-part-1/
to see what I consider to be a fast transition to new technology for (1) new sales, and (2) the vehicle fleet. Click on the small pictures to see them at readable size.

The problem is that it takes a long time for new vehicle sales to change the vehicle fleet (e.g. 15-20 years).

]]> By: Robert http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11817 Robert Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:00:07 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11817 "While I have been a fan of Klare’s writing on security, I think that he, like Kuntsler, ..." Unfortunate spelling mistake! “While I have been a fan of Klare’s writing on security, I think that he, like Kuntsler, …”

Unfortunate spelling mistake!

]]> By: hapa http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11830 hapa Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:35:02 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/29/the-end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it-or-not/#comment-11830 @earlk: ...and it can take millions of years for the ocean to erode a cliff and shell oil's thrilling "blueprints" scenario has 40% of energy in 2050 generated by fossil fuels -- mostly coal, a near tripling. but that is not <em>our</em> situation. @earlk: …and it can take millions of years for the ocean to erode a cliff and shell oil’s thrilling “blueprints” scenario has 40% of energy in 2050 generated by fossil fuels — mostly coal, a near tripling.

but that is not our situation.

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