RuneScape Forum Archive | Climate Change: Not Just CO2

Aug

2023

mustard fart

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did you know al gore owns a 8.8 million dollar beach house

17-Feb-2014 03:30:36

Awesome041

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Climate Change

Honestly, I have generally opposed the chemical industry, but it is good to know they are at least making some strides in a better direction.

I agree prevention is the best solution. I also keep in mind the steps in a production process for being more eco-friendly--reduce, reuse, then recycle. It seems most can't keep it straight. The idea is to reduce your impact first, then reuse whatever you have for as long as possible, and then finally recycle. Some seem to remember the recycling part and forget the rest.

While I tend to see less of a problem learning from nature or natural processes, when it comes to biology and messing with the genome, I think playing God or with our humanity or nature is something we shouldn't do for a myriad of reasons, a single molecule out of place can wreck havoc the same way a misplaced bit could destroy a whole computer and the whole picture is often not seen by narrow-mindedness, false assumptions, etc.

Now onto the subject of climate change. I will briefly go into the idea of global warming, which seems to consume a lot of the attention of the media. The truth is a lot is unknown. Technological breakthroughs in observation, data collection, instrumentation, and the like have changed so much that it is really hard to say how much temperatures are and have been changing, even a decade means a lot of technological change from computers to satellites to meteorological devices, making it hard to extrapolate the previous data. (There does seem to be a general consensus that temperatures are at least slightly increasing, but how much and whether it continues in that direction leaves a lot of questions remaining.)

19-Feb-2014 01:14:11

Awesome041

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People say nothing good can come out of bad situations, like 9-11. Unknown to a lot of people was a window of opportunity for some who collected data during the (three?) days when the planes were grounded. I recall a show where studies looked at the data afterword and noted a phenomena termed "Global Dimming." Why does it matter? Apart from the rainfall and normal weather patterns which do not bring rain because of these atmospheric and rainfall changes, global dimming means it would be harder for plants to photosynthesize with less light. This matters because food cannot be grown if there is too little light. Also, if we understand solar cycles, and I have the right information, we have hit a solar peak or maximum; thus, light will be on a slow and continual decline. On top of that, if you assume global temperatures are steady, it is because the earth's surface is continually receiving less light ... And it's not just airplanes, but particulates of pollution, satellites, etc. Keep in mind that automobiles and such probably run much cleaner today than in the early 1900s. So, it is not just something that happens in one day (usually). The cumulative effects are of greater concern.

One thing is certain, we are on the verge of global climate change. That doesn't mean everything is all bad, and we should be running for our lives, but something as simple as a change of a few degrees in global temperatures can lead to radical changes in the environment and society. (A few degrees warmer can mean crops can be grown further north for example, but also would mean coastal areas would be flooded or more prone to flooding as sea levels rise. A few degrees colder could lead to longer winters or changing climates too.)

19-Feb-2014 01:18:07

Awesome041

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Forget about what corporations and governments can do for you. It's the little things that add up; like switching off televisions or lights when you aren't using them, and not repeatedly overproducing or wasting money because you neglected to take care of your things, like a phone or computer. I once read somewhere that a person keep the same motherboard running for over 16 years!! *shockface* Sadly, most of the computers and parts are so small, weak, and unreliable, that you would be lucky to have it last ten years, heaven forbid you ever tap it or a spec of dust lands on a microchip ... Again, little things add up. Don't waste food and wisely use all that you can. Preserve what you have.

19-Feb-2014 01:20:13

Awesome041

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mustard fart said :
did you know al gore owns a 8.8 million dollar beach house

For all the extreme greenness he was promoting, I hope that is one really green house!

In all seriousness though, if it weren't, then that would be a really bad sign and very two-faced to expect others do what they can about global warming and such. For 8.8 million, so much more could have been done.

As for the rest of us who can't afford something like that, it just goes to show that money is not everything! Other, simpler solutions can work so much better and be so much more affordable!

P.S. I don't know if I should say this, but I remember writing a long, probably rant-filled, message once. Wonder if it really had an impact?

Edited.

19-Feb-2014 01:38:39 - Last edited on 19-Feb-2014 01:39:41 by Awesome041

Awesome041

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Kale100 said :
How to reduce climate change.

1) Look at 90% of the things we buy
2) Ask why the hell we buy it
3) Realize it has no purpose
4) Stop buying it
5) People stop making it

I agree, much of our society has become a junk-filled or "throw-away" society.

19-Feb-2014 01:42:53

Awesome041

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lian209 said :
Climate change is ********. The Earth has natural cycles of warm and cold, hence why we had ice ages and the Poles used to be tropical. Yes, humans may be speeding up the process but the amount of green house gases we produce compared to nature is tiny. If I remember seeing somewhere that nature produced something like 50 billion tons of green house gases a year and humans create around 6 billion tons, these figures may be wrong though of course as I don't have the best of memories.

I kind of agree that those are some worthwhile points. However, I think there is a big difference between natural processes and artificial ones. First, in nature, natural feedback mechanisms exist. Secondly, many artificial things do not break down or are harmful. Leaded gasoline, mercury, and plastics can be harmful, and even things like rubber duckies contain plasticizers. Other things are not really harmful per se, maybe glass for example, but that takes a long time to break down.

19-Feb-2014 02:00:27