Losing Earth:The Decade We Almost .......

[aerohead]

Losing Earth:The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change,by Nathanial Rich,THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE,available online today.
This was mentioned by Hari Sreenivasen,on PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND,last Sunday.
I just took a look.The whole issue is dedicated to this report.
It's packed with prima facie,bonfides from sources,some of which I never knew existed,drawing from as far back as 1859.
It's very dense with data,dates,people,and organizations which are part of the ever-changing climate-change landscape.
This weekend,I'll purchase a hard copy to add to my reference materials.
Without this new material,it will be impossible for an individual to intelligently discuss the issue.

[California98Civic]

I saw this too, but too much work for me to take the time and read yet. Thanks for the reminder!

[oil pan 4]

We didn't almost do anything.
The US CO2 emissions have been declining since 2004 to 2006, thanks largely to hydraulic fracturing allowing cheap natural gas to displace coal as a power generation source.

China on the other had has exploded their CO2 production during that time blowing way past what the US makes.

[Stubby79]

This ship is going down. Smoke 'em if you've got 'em!

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

We didn't almost do anything.
The US CO2 emissions have been declining since 2004 to 2006, thanks largely to hydraulic fracturing allowing cheap natural gas to displace coal as a power generation source.

China on the other had has exploded their CO2 production during that time blowing way past what the US makes.

China is pursuing a diversified portfolio of energy technologies and is already a world leader in alternate energy, renewables,and grid-scale power storage.
It's not unrealistic to believe that the United States will simply be left behind in the dust as the rest of the industrialized world races away from us technologically.
Scott Pruitt wouldn't appologise for our filth.
I don't expect the Chinese to appologise for theirs.

[oil pan 4]

China is the world leader in CO2 production.

The US has had a diverse energy portfolio since the 1930s.
Large scale wind power generation may not have been invented here but this is where it was perfected.
Nasa inverted solar panels.
I don't know if the US invented geothermal power generation but we brought it up to grid scale.
Same with hydroelectric.
Nuclear power originated here.

Most of the country was built on and around cheap fossil fuel power because that's all there was at the time. Most of China was built long after these things were invented and perfected. So yeah they are going to see a little more wide spread use.

[redpoint5]

Yeah, there are advantages to being late to the development game in that it's easier to build new infrastructure on new technology than to retrofit old infrastructure with new technology.

China invented gunpowder, china (pottery), and big walls. It then took everything the world had invented and is just now applying it. China isn't leaving anyone behind, rather they are being pushed forward.

That isn't to say the US isn't in danger of being left behind. If the trend of attacking meritocracy continues, we'll slowly lose the spirit of innovation.

[NeilBlanchard]

Fracking natural gas is not going to help - a large amount leaks at the fracking site, and in the area around it. Also, pipelines leak a lot. Methane is a far stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. It is barely better than coal, and may even be worse, because of all the possible leaks.

And in a short period of time, methane breaks down, and we get more carbon dioxide. The climate doesn't "care" who or where greenhouse gases are produced. Most of what has already been emitted - came from the USA.

If we want to avoid 2C warming, then we have to leave 4/5ths of the known fossil fuel reserves - IN THE GROUND.

https://informationisbeautiful.net/v...gatons-of-co2/

[NeilBlanchard]

If you think that nuclear power is going to be needed going forward - let's see how well we handle the decommissioning of the plants we already have.

Vermont Yankee and Pilgrim are both owned by Entergy, and they are going to be the first commercial nuclear plants to be decommissioned. Entergy wants to sell both to other companies, and let them do the dirty work.

Here's a radio report on the Pilgrim plant, which is located in Plymouth MA - where the Pilgrims are supposed to have landed:

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant Is Up For Sale | Bostonomix

If the original "plan" was to take up to 60 years, and cost up to $1 Billion, and the waste was going to be stored at Yucca Mountain - then how is it possible it will be done in 9-10 years, and all the nuclear waste will be stored in New Mexico?

Do the people living in New Mexico know about this? How will all the nuclear waste GET to New Mexico? How can the total decommissioning be done safely in such a short period of time?

[oil pan 4]

Not leaving most of the fossil fuels in the ground.

Bring the nuclear waste to new Mexico this state really isn't good for much. In 100 years it will probably be part of Mexico again anyway.

The department of energy developed how to move nuclear waste in the 1960s and 1970s. Lots of spectacular rocket sled crash testing down in Holloman air force base on the test range.
This problem was solved before most of us were born.

Well 6 more years of trump there is 0 chance fracking is going to stop. Obama didn't even really try to stop fracking in his second term, he said they would talk about it. Obama saying it would be talked about was the extent it was talked about.