Comments on: Energy and Global Warming News for June 19th: CO2 currently at highest level in 2.1 million years, Summer ‘dead zone’ could be largest on record, Are Macbooks “the world’s greenest family of notebooks”?

By: Gail

Gail — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:57:12 +0000

http://www.marketskeptics.com/ 2009/ 02/ videos-of-droughts-around-world.html

By: David B. Benson

David B. Benson — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:07:01 +0000

Asteroid Miner — Regarding your last question, I don’t think so. Comparee the differences between the Gulf of Mexico and the Black Sea.

But check the corresponding zone of the coast of Namibia.

By: Asteroid Miner

Asteroid Miner — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 19:25:22 +0000

“If Apple can get called for their claims, ”
There used to be a law against false advertising. Does it still exist? If it does, why are the electric utilities and coal industry not being prosecuted for their advertisements against H.R. 2454?

Could “The Gulf of Mexico’s oxygen-depleted “dead zone” ” be taken over by those anaerobic sulfur bacteria that make H2S gas? Recall that H2S is a poisonous gas.

By: David B. Benson

David B. Benson — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:50:17 +0000

Michael — Do a study comparing CO2 impact of computers + internet versus paper + postal service.

By: hapa

hapa — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:24:53 +0000

hmm. “main question of interest” is wrong. definitely the main question is whether blended fuel would work. the second question, outside the scope of the study, is whether reducing the petroleum component maintains the current business model. obviously not. without subsidies or creative/risky financing, cheap flying is a goner.

for the US it might be cheaper and more effective to subsidize lower-carbon air travel than to build fast passenger trains everywhere, assuming the fuel supply is practical. or to subsidize planes in a mix of modes. probably have to go corridor-by-corridor. the problem with that is the distance from airports to train stations makes intermodal transfers inconvenient by rich world standards.

yes, air travel is economically helpful and important. the world isn’t “flat” but making a living is definitely now geographically dispersed — is that what i mean — i’m trying to say that there’s no such thing as a pure local economy, at modern city scale, and if only the rich and powerful can afford to move around freely, guess what happens to income inequality.

i don’t see enough greens talking about how to maintain mobility and fairness. you can correct it with subsidies, with better telecom, with revenue sharing and better economic development policy, things like that, but it still seems like gluing people in place or “slowing most people down” is a recipe for economic disaster because it increases rigidity and inequality. see: michigan.

put another way, “if you can’t go where the money is…”

By: paulm

paulm — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:18:02 +0000

Greenpeace UK, urged the government to make all existing coal plants fit CCS: “If we fail to act, Drax will remain one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide in the world for decades,” he said. “The government’s own advisors on climate change have stated that all emissions from coal must cease by the early 2020s.

“That’s all coal, not just new coal,

By: paulm

paulm — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:57:28 +0000

Could this really happen?

Carbon capture plans threaten shutdown of all UK coal-fired power stations
http://www.guardian.co.uk/ business/ 2009/ jun/ 17/ coal-power-stations-face-shutdown
Radical proposals to require existing plants, including Drax, to fit the technology would force their closure, government admits

Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, is proposing to extend his plans to force companies to fit carbon capture and storage technology (CCS) onto new coal plants – as revealed by the Guardian – to cover a dozen existing coal plants.

The consultation published by his Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) conceded that if this happened “we could expect them to close”.

By: hapa

hapa — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:51:54 +0000

for the jet fuel testing, the blend was 50/50.

direct link to boeing report summary:
http://www.boeing.com/ commercial/ environment/ pdf/ PAS_biofuel_Exec_Summary.pdf

DARPA was involved. as a citizen of a country that ambitiously plans ahead for large “invasions of choice,” let me say that our military’s operational interest in energy independence is disturbing. it’s not far from there to talking about the militarization of dwindling north american fresh water to ensure “wartime” crop supply.

the mission needs scaling down.

also the study doesn’t answer the main question of interest to civilian aviation, which is cost per mile, at scale.

By: Andy

Andy — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 10:35:08 +0000

Doug, I spent several years with the FS and the money they make from logging is very little and it goes back into the forests by supporting many of the recreational opportunities that we all use. It’s not like anyone is getting rich off FS logging. I’ve been part of the fire crews in the Rockies and you’ve obviously never seen how beetle killed trees ignite. The majority of fires in the area start from lightning strikes, not the fuels on the forest floor. They are quickly carried down and throughout the forest via embers carried on the wind. Beetle killed trees burn VERY hot and fast and do leave the forest floor coated with a near resin like finish that allows water to runoff quickly…hence the numerous flash floods after fires. Erosion is a HUGE problem for years afterwards and requires millions in efforts to offset it. Check out effects of fires in the South Platte Ranger District such as the Hayman Fire or the Yellowstone fire etc.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:56:25 +0000

In order to reduce one’s carbon footprint it’s better not to use any computers at all.

The CO2 they produce is actually killing us RIGHT NOW.

And Joe’s considering buying a NEW ONE?!?! I cannot grasp the hypocrisy!