Climate Change, 'Greenhouse' effects: Solutions #3

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Message 1992199 - Posted: 1 May 2019, 20:59:10 UTC
Last modified: 1 May 2019, 21:14:22 UTC

The story continues on from:


So... What has happened since?...


Here in the UK and in other cities around the world, we have just seen:

Extinction Rebellion Protests: What happened?

Ten days of marches, arrests and widespread disruption have finished in London as the Extinction Rebellion group has ended its protests across the city.

As the sites the group occupied return to normal, we look at the impact the action had...



We are seeing an increasing move away from the dirty polluting use of fossil fuels to greatly expand taking advantage of:


  • improved energy efficiency,
  • wind power,
  • solar power,
  • and the use of large scale batteries for electricity storage and power grid supply smoothing.


There is also the more controversial adoption of expanding hydro-electric sources using large scale dams.

Better education and better living conditions for all has been shown to reduce and even reverse population growth... But how quickly can progress be made to help that?

The question for progress to 'decarbonise' our electricity is: How quickly can that be done? All despite the negative influence of the entrenched big business of the fossil fuels industries?

Other improvements yet need to be made for how polluting we are for running our transport and buildings.


A further aspect that at last is gaining greater prominence is that of land use and that of farming especially...

How wonderful would this be, if true?

YouTube: How to green the world's deserts and reverse climate change | Allan Savory

"Desertification is a fancy word for land that is turning to desert," begins Allan Savory in this quietly powerful talk. And terrifyingly, it's happening to about two-thirds of the world's grasslands, accelerating climate change and causing traditional grazing societies to descend into social chaos. Savory has devoted his life to stopping it.

He now believes -- and his work so far shows -- that a surprising factor can protect grasslands and even reclaim degraded land that was once desert.



However, where is the science for such beautiful claims?

Eat more meat and save the world: the latest implausible farming miracle

Allan Savory tells us that increasing livestock can reduce desertification and reverse climate change – but where is the scientific evidence?


However again, something for those ideas is certainly working well:

YouTube: Rotational grazing to improve pastures

Cameron Laurie has seen good increases in stocking capacity on his paddocks since setting up a rotational grazing plan...

And there are lots of other positive examples...


Going high-tech to green the deserts, we have this example:

YouTube: Greening the desert: Joakim Hauge

'Farming with salt water'...


More low-tech and perhaps better suited for a far greater swathe of our planet, we have:

YouTube: How to Green The Desert With Geoff Lawton

We're off to the Middle East to grow vegetables! How? Geoff Lawton is taking us on a tour through his pioneer plants that can Green the Desert!


And, it is amazing to see the positive effects from a mere 15km wide swathe of trees that is to stretch across the whole of Africa!

YouTube: Why is Africa building a Great Green Wall?

Eleven countries are planting a wall of trees from east to west across Africa, just under the southern edge of the Sahara desert. The goal is to fight the effects of climate change by reversing desertification.


And going very low tech:

YouTube: China's Greening Of Vast Kubuqi Desert Is A Model For Land Restoration Projects Everywhere

In the Kubuqi Desert of Inner Mongolia, China, where centuries of grazing had rid land of all vegetation, Elion Resources Group partnered with local people and the Beijing government to combat desertification and greened one third of the land.


In a very positive direction for what has already been done, we have:

YouTube: This country isn't just carbon neutral — it's carbon negative | Tshering Tobgay

Deep in the Himalayas, on the border between China and India, lies the Kingdom of Bhutan, which has pledged to remain carbon neutral for all time. In this illuminating talk, Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay shares his country's mission to put happiness before economic growth and set a world standard for environmental preservation.

Very humbling.

So... How do we undo the corruption and environmental damage of the politics of the rest of the world?


A start is to make an immediate start, at home, now:

YouTube: The disarming case to act right now on climate change - Greta Thunberg

... "wake up and change."



Note: This is all completely real, in our real world.

Completely compelling stuff.

How can we deny immediate positive action must be taken, immediately?


All on our only one planet,
Martin


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Message 1992201 - Posted: 1 May 2019, 21:11:45 UTC - in response to Message 1992199.  

YouTube: How to Green The Desert With Geoff Lawton
We're off to the Middle East to grow vegetables! How? Geoff Lawton is taking us on a tour through his pioneer plants that can Green the Desert!
Nothing new. Started over 50 years ago:1966 Turning the desert green
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Message 1992210 - Posted: 1 May 2019, 21:47:45 UTC

Meaningful political movement (for the UK at least)?


UK Parliament declares climate change emergency

MPs have approved a motion to declare an environment and climate emergency.

This proposal, which demonstrates the will of the House on the issue but does not legally compel the government to act, was approved without a vote. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who tabled the motion, said it was "a huge step forward". Environment Secretary Michael Gove acknowledged there was a climate "emergency" but did not back Labour's demands to declare one.

The declaration of an emergency was one of the key demands put to the government by environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion, in a series of protests over recent weeks.

Addressing climate protesters from the top of a fire engine in Parliament Square earlier, Mr Corbyn said: "This can set off a wave of action from parliaments and governments around the globe.

"We pledge to work as closely as possible with countries that are serious about ending the climate catastrophe and make clear to US President Donald Trump that he cannot ignore international agreements and action on the climate crisis."...



What next? What positive action??

All on our only one planet,
Martin
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Message 1992221 - Posted: 1 May 2019, 22:39:50 UTC - in response to Message 1992199.  
Last modified: 1 May 2019, 22:40:19 UTC

For now, just one comment and that's on
and the use of large scale batteries for electricity storage and power grid supply smoothing.

Unless there are other battery designs in the development stage* then there is a problem with that, as there isn't even enough Colbalt to make enough batteries required for cars to be all electric by 2030.

A German friend of mine, also an electronics engineer, who works Varta, the battery subsidiary of the VW group, who I saw in March, has no knowledge new tests for Colbalt free batteries.
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Message 1992224 - Posted: 1 May 2019, 22:45:40 UTC - in response to Message 1992221.  

For now, just one comment and that's on
and the use of large scale batteries for electricity storage and power grid supply smoothing.

Unless there are other battery designs in the development stage* then there is a problem with that, as there isn't even enough Colbalt to make enough batteries required for cars to be all electric by 2030.

A German friend of mine, also an electronics engineer, who works Varta, the battery subsidiary of the VW group, who I saw in March, has no knowledge new tests for Colbalt free batteries.

More of the hand wave and make it so crowd, see it is fixed, we said so.

The answer is on the Georgia Guidestones. People simply won't face up to it.
Georgia Guidestone wrote:
Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature; Guide reproduction wisely – improving fitness and diversity;
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Message 1992241 - Posted: 2 May 2019, 0:37:25 UTC

There are other ways to store electricity, think hydrogen made by electrolysis, or Pumped-storage hydroelectricity, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumped-storage_hydroelectricity
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Message 1993048 - Posted: 8 May 2019, 0:29:03 UTC
Last modified: 8 May 2019, 0:31:07 UTC

One small positive step:


Biodiversity heroes: The teenagers saving Madagascar's wildlife

The island nation of Madagascar has a dubious accolade: it is the world-leader in deforestation. Now, some of the island's teenagers have started a farming revolution - working to stop food production from destroying the island's rich rainforest...

... Traditionally, Voahirana explains, forest destruction and farming go hand in hand. "The old method is often called 'slash and burn' - cutting down a patch of forest and setting fire to it. Ash makes a good fertiliser."

But when the nutrients in the ash are used up, that cycle of slash and burn starts again. "It causes a great deal of deforestation here in Madagascar," says Voahirana. ...

... That training consists of how to make compost as a fertiliser and how to rotate the crops you grow to produce a better yield. These modern farming techniques may not appear revolutionary, but they provide life-changing benefits. They enable the same plot to be farmed each season, eliminating the need to move into the forest. And they produce higher yields. ...



Back to the good old ways of crop rotation. No burning needed, no slashing, no denuding expensive artificial fertilizers. Just simple crop rotation.

We should not be needing to remediate or protect our forests in the first place!


So how do we educate enough people quickly enough to do away with destructive farming practices and destructive "agribusiness" greedy destructive methods?...


All on our only one planet,
Martin
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Message 1993123 - Posted: 8 May 2019, 15:07:24 UTC

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Message 1993125 - Posted: 8 May 2019, 15:25:44 UTC - in response to Message 1993123.  

Solution or denial?
Wow that's 37c here and we do 10c per bottle/can.

Cheers.
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Message 1993127 - Posted: 8 May 2019, 15:49:21 UTC
Last modified: 8 May 2019, 15:49:56 UTC

Hopefully this will turn into a big kick-start soon enough?


Proposal to spend 25% of EU budget on climate change

Eight European countries have called for an ambitious strategy to tackle climate change – and to spend a quarter of the entire EU budget on fighting it.

The joint statement says the EU should have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 "at the latest". It was signed by France, Belgium, Denmark, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

The group says their plan can "go hand in hand with prosperity" and "set an example for other countries to follow."...




Hopefully that is just one of further meaningful positive turns!

All soon enough?

All on our only one planet,
Martin
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Message 1993128 - Posted: 8 May 2019, 15:50:20 UTC - in response to Message 1993125.  

Solution or denial?
Wow that's 37c here and we do 10c per bottle/can.

Cheers.

Personally I think it would be a good idea to go back to glass bottles and deposits and returned to the maker to be used again.
I remember the state of the coke bottles from the vending machine before cans and plastic, all pitted and scratched, must have gone round the cycle 100's of times.

Also gives kids a chance to increase their spending money.
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Message 1993138 - Posted: 8 May 2019, 16:43:53 UTC - in response to Message 1993128.  

Solution or denial?
Wow that's 37c here and we do 10c per bottle/can.

Cheers.

Personally I think it would be a good idea to go back to glass bottles and deposits and returned to the maker to be used again.
I remember the state of the coke bottles from the vending machine before cans and plastic, all pitted and scratched, must have gone round the cycle 100's of times.

Also gives kids a chance to increase their spending money.

Glass bottles weigh more than plastic. Which is worse, more CO2 from transporting heavier loads or recycling plastic and cans?
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Message 1993886 - Posted: 15 May 2019, 18:37:47 UTC

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Message 1993888 - Posted: 15 May 2019, 18:50:51 UTC - in response to Message 1993886.  
Last modified: 15 May 2019, 18:52:03 UTC

Another solution or further denial?

Unfortunately, there is more expensive disruptive politics that will cause delay and procrastination rather than any useful effect in that one.


In my view, we really need a positive change over the present bunch of overly selfish MPs that appear to ignore the realities of the rest of their country and the world. Destructively shameful.

Some positive cooperation would go a long way very quickly for the good of all.

Or is politics nothing but a game of the bickering of the few for the profitable sake of the very few?...


Meanwhile... All on our only one planet,
Martin
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Message 1994997 - Posted: 24 May 2019, 11:42:55 UTC
Last modified: 24 May 2019, 11:43:38 UTC

Why is it that it has to be our children that are pushing the positivity?


School students walk out in global climate strike

School students around the world have gone on strike to demand action on climate change.

Organisers expect more than one million young people to join the protests in at least 110 countries on Friday.

They are calling on politicians and businesses to take urgent action to slow global warming...



Climate change: Answers to your most asked questions

... Below are some of the topics that came up many times - with some answers from science and our climate team...


All on our only one planet,
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Message 1996659 - Posted: 3 Jun 2019, 23:24:45 UTC

One small oasis of positivity, built on outside help and enthusiasm and dirty water:


YouTube: Egypt - The Amazing Forest in the Desert | Global 3000

Fertile land is scarce in Egypt. All of life depends on water from the Nile River. 85 million Eyptians are settled along its banks. The rest of the country is desert. Egyptian and German scientists have now found a way of cultivating forests in the desert sand. It looks like a fata morgana. But the forests in the Egyptian desert are real...



What a difference a tree can make!

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Message 1996761 - Posted: 4 Jun 2019, 14:33:17 UTC
Last modified: 4 Jun 2019, 14:34:25 UTC

Slowly, at least here in the UK, we are changing our electrical energy mix:


Beatrice wind farm in Scottish milestone power output

The operators of a wind farm in the Moray Firth say it has generated the most electricity of any single renewable source in Scotland.

The Beatrice offshore wind farm achieved 587.9MW of electricity - enough to power 450,000 homes. The scheme, which involves 84 turbines off the Caithness coast, reached the milestone earlier this week.

It came online after installing the last of its turbines earlier this month...



Britain in two-week coal-free record

Britain has not used coal to generate electricity for two weeks - the longest period since the 1880s.

The body which manages the way electricity is generated said coal was last used at 15:12 on 17 May.

... the British record for solar power had also been broken this month...

... The world's first centralised public coal-fired generator opened in 1882 at Holborn Viaduct in London...

... During the two-week period, on average gas made up nearly 40% of Britain's suppliers, nuclear 20%, wind 13% and other sources making up the rest [with coal power at 0%]...




We have a long way to go yet... And we need to go much more quickly to going fully clean...

All on our only one planet,
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Message 1996766 - Posted: 4 Jun 2019, 14:39:43 UTC
Last modified: 4 Jun 2019, 14:40:46 UTC

And for another small step against fossil fuels pollution with packaging and plastics:


Bring your own containers, says Waitrose

Waitrose is starting a trial aimed at reducing packaging by removing plastic from flowers and plants and offering more loose fruit and vegetables. Customers will be able to use their own containers to buy and refill produce such as pasta, rice and cereals.

The supermarket chain, part of John Lewis & Partners, also says it will be the first to offer "pick and mix" frozen fruit. It says it wants to find out how people might shop in the future.

The trial is taking place at a store in Oxford where Waitrose says hundreds of products have been taken out of their packaging...




Reminder: Oil is used to make plastics, and our present range of plastics do not readily biodegrade and so accumulate to ever more pollute our world for a very long time.

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Message 1997048 - Posted: 6 Jun 2019, 15:48:00 UTC
Last modified: 6 Jun 2019, 15:48:42 UTC

One small first political step for the UK:


Climate change: Emissions target could cost UK £1tn, warns Hammond

The chancellor has warned Theresa May that reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 could cost the UK more than £1tn.

The Financial Times reports that the PM wants to introduce the legislation to Parliament next week as "one of her most important legacies". ...

... The tussle over whether Britain should set a carbon target of net zero is being watched closely far beyond these shores...

... The CCC said England can eliminate emissions by 2050, while Scotland could go carbon-free sooner - by 2045. Wales can only cut 95% of its emissions by 2050 because of its farm industry, and Northern Ireland will follow England's targets. The BBC's environment analyst, Roger Harrabin, said Scotland had exceptional potential for planting trees (which absorb carbon dioxide) and is more suited for carbon capture and storage...

... The Committee on Climate Change puts the cost of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at between 1% and 2% of GDP - the total output of the UK economy - a year. [UK] GDP is currently about £2tn a year, so, at the moment, that amount would be between £20bn and £40bn...

... The CCC reckons the cost will be about £50bn a year in 2050, but will be less in the early years of the transition. Still, you can see how those figures could reach a total of £1tn over 30 years...




Note how what isn't mentioned in those figures are the cost benefits of reduced pollution, greater efficiency, and the knock-on benefits of cleaner better technology and better farming...


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Message 1997059 - Posted: 6 Jun 2019, 17:02:00 UTC

Martin, think you missed this: (may be behind a GDPR wall)
https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solar-batteries-renewable-energy-california-20190605-story.html
California set two renewable energy records last week: the most solar power ever flowing on the state’s main electric grid, and the most solar power ever taken offline because it wasn’t needed.

There’s no contradiction: As California utilities buy more and more solar power as part of the state’s quest to confront climate change, supply and demand are increasingly out of sync. The state’s fleet of solar farms and rooftop panels frequently generate more electricity than Californians use during the middle of the day — a phenomenon that has sent lawmakers and some climate advocates scrambling to find ways to save the extra sunlight rather than let it go to waste.
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Message boards : Politics : Climate Change, 'Greenhouse' effects: Solutions #3


 
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