Trump wants us to roast

Discuss environmental matters here, and compare notes on what renewable energy systems might be best for you.
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Devil
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Trump wants us to roast

Post by Devil »

Trump has stated that he will resuscitate the US coal industry. If he does, there is no way that the US could respect their commitment which forms a part of the Paris agreement (probably couldn't anyway, but that's another story) but he cannot rescind the verbal agreement in less than three years. That does not mean he will respect it, either. This is why the agreement is toothless.

Cyprus, as part of the EU, also should respect the letter of the Paris agreement, but is totally unable to contribute to a reduction in CO2 levels (yes, we did reduce emissions slightly during the recession, but they are rising in trumps again now). Our baseline electricity is still 95% carbon-emitting and consumption is increasing. Our Renewable electricity is a joke that adds to our electricity bills. More and more large cars and SUVs are on the roads (and even hybrid cars are still very rare). The number of houses with liquid- or LPG-fuelled central heating is increasing. Government policy on waste-to-energy is non-existent, yet smaller countries like Luxembourg and Andorra have at least one each (see attachment). We could generate about 9% of our electricity 24/7 with this established technology.

Can Cyprus really condemn Trump's policy when we do no better?
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Devil
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Re: Trump wants us to roast

Post by Devil »

2 new pipelines to bring more CO2-producing oil to the US.

Worse, one of them crosses Native-American sacred land, which will be desecrated.

What is Trump playing at?
geoffreys

Re: Trump wants us to roast

Post by geoffreys »

Devil wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2017 2:27 pm 2 new pipelines to bring more CO2-producing oil to the US.

Worse, one of them crosses Native-American sacred land, which will be desecrated.

What is Trump playing at?
1. Climate change was taking place anyway, it is cyclic, and has been since the earth was formed.
2. The pipelines are much needed and will also create many jobs. Nuts to a few soux extremists who are just
anti-Trump trouble makers. What is "sacred" about any of that land?
Geoff.
P.S. Bric bracs only by postcard please with a $10 note donation :lol:
keving
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Re: Trump wants us to roast

Post by keving »

Pit pit pit pit pit for Geoff for being obtuse
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Devil
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Re: Trump wants us to roast

Post by Devil »

geoffreys wrote: Fri Jan 27, 2017 11:02 am 1. Climate change was taking place anyway, it is cyclic, and has been since the earth was formed.
2. The pipelines are much needed and will also create many jobs. Nuts to a few soux extremists who are just
anti-Trump trouble makers. What is "sacred" about any of that land?
Geoff.
Are you as really Luddite as you pretend?
FYI, before I retired, I worked with the Swiss Office of the Environment and the United Nations Environment Programme as an engineer and scientist, for decades. I've published over a hundred technical papers world-wide on environmental matters, some peer-reviewed, and written two books on problems in the atmosphere. I've chaired UNEP committees. So, I am pulling rank on you :) :)

1. Climate HAS changed over millions of years. However, over the last 10,000 years or so, the earth's climate has been fairly stable up to the start of the Industrial Revolution and the CO2 level has also been stable at 280 ppm ±15 ppm. Between 1800 and 2017, it has risen from 280 ppm to about 400 ppm, due entirely to human activities. Worse, methane (aka natural gas) levels have decupled. Worse still, man-made gases such as various fluorocarbon gases have increased from zero and these are amongst the worst greenhouse gases. I state unequivocally that human activities have been responsible for >10 times as much climate change as natural phenomena and this statement is in line with what 99% of qualified climate scientists have stated.

2. The pipelines are not needed, because increased fracking in continental USA is supplying a surplus of gas and oil on the world markets, which is why the prices of fuels have dropped on the world market. Furthermore, if the USA keep to their commitments, the extra carbon-based fuels will not be needed. The USA has 3 years to conform to their commitment under the Paris agreement (whether they will is moot).
As for the Standing Rock Sioux protests, these are on two levels: the acknowledged risk of polluting the tribe's only source of drinking water and, worse, the destruction and desecration of the tribe's main burial ground. How would you like it if they built a nuclear power station and respectlessly dug up the cemetery where your grandparents and their parents are buried with their remains just placed on a scrap heap?
PeteandSylvi
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Re: Trump wants us to roast

Post by PeteandSylvi »

Also do not forget that the Sioux are the natives and Trump is from a line of immigrants.

Pete
OhSusana
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Re: Trump wants us to roast

Post by OhSusana »

To paraphrase a famous quote -
Of all the threads, in all the forums, in all the world....
I think this one for me is the most amazing.

Imagine, in a billion years' time - a group of travellers from a distant galaxy landing on planet earth, and wondering what happened.
And the only thing they could find was a memory chip belonging to some life form called Dominic. And on it they found this thread.
They were able to decipher the language, and from this thread they would then understand everything that happened.
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