Climate Crisis: Are we doing enough?

[Wobblers]

Compare Hinkley Point, which they're attempting to rebrand as 'green energy' - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinkley_Point_C_nuclear_power_station

Errr... given that the greenhouse gas emissions from nuclear are far lower than any fossil fuel fired source, and similar to renewables, describing nuclear as green is quite justiifed. The baseload generation that nuclear is suited to produce is absolutely necessary - and in fact will become more so as EVs and heat pumps become more prevalent. Renewable sources, no matter how cheap they may be cannot fufill that role - they are intermittent sources. Nor is there any energy storage solution that can make any meaningful difference: even for the UK alone, we'd need more than 10 TWhr of storage to cope with 2 weeks of calm, cloudy conditions (which happens most winters). It's not a feasible proposition, and unlikely to become so in the near future.

And before anyone mentions "Chernobyl", or any of the other "nuclear is scary" tedia, the wildlife around Chernobyl is doing just fine - in fact rather better than before the explosion. It's almost as if humans are the problem, not nuclear power plants....

The biggest issue about Hinkley Point C is its outrageously scandalous costs - which in large part is thanks to how the government insisted that it should be financed.

 

[matticus]

Has anyone seen the "JSO are funded by Getty oil millions!!!" Gotcha? It comes up in many JSO-related threads on Popular Social Media sites.

I really don't understand it ... and it turns out the Gotchers don't either. Whenever I query this, I get stunned silence. No-one actually knows WHY it's relevant that (some) oil-money is (partly) funding JSO; but somehow they get all excited and think they've found another brilliant GOTCHA!!!

(This is different from trying to discuss the hypocrisy of using internet/biros/roads/cars; they've got endless whatabouts for that stuff ... )

 

[the snail]

Meanwhile in France...

...

And before anyone mentions "Chernobyl", or any of the other "nuclear is scary" tedia, the wildlife around Chernobyl is doing just fine - in fact rather better than before the explosion. It's almost as if humans are the problem, not nuclear power plants....
...

By that logic we shouldn't worry about the environment, the world will get by just fine without humans, or indeed any life forms at all.

 

[albion]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9w1rg9z3gro

At 6% of the 'car cost' it looks a no brainer.
However, is expecting a joined up transport policy asking too much?

 

[albion]

https://amp.theguardian.com/environ...nce-model-of-radical-climate-protest-catch-on

There is a lot correct there. Personally I view the Torygraph as a bigger terrorist, the long term damage the Telegraph has have done being horrific.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

These things just piss people off and allow bad actors to create a them and us mentality - exactly as they have with motorists and cyclists.

Educate don't lecture.

The sustainability measures being enacted in companies across the UK are filtering down to the shop floor and being noticed. Lots of small impacts like these are more likely to change long term behaviours.

 

[the snail]

Educate don't lecture.

I think that is a bit naive. There are too many powerful vested interests, and people will just ignore the message and take the easiest path left to their own devices.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

As to vested interests, it is now a legal requirement for Company Directors to exercise a duty to making their companies more sustainable. Not doing so is now interpreted as acting against the best interests of the company - Companies Act 2006 Section 172. Previously this was a tick box exercise but companies now have to explain what they are doing to meet the requirements of this section -

172 Duty to promote the success of the company
(1)A director of a company must act in the way he considers, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole, and in doing so have regard (amongst other matters) to—
(a)the likely consequences of any decision in the long term,
(b)the interests of the company's employees,
(c)the need to foster the company's business relationships with suppliers, customers and others,
(d)the impact of the company's operations on the community and the environment,
(e)the desirability of the company maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct, and
(f)the need to act fairly as between members of the company.

 

[Rusty Nails]

I think that is a bit naive. There are too many powerful vested interests, and people will just ignore the message and take the easiest path left to their own devices.

So we'll ram the message down the bastards' throats until they see sense?

 

[matticus]

So we'll ram the message down the bastards' throats until they see sense?

Remind me: how long have scientists been politely pointing out the problem? How is that going?

 

[Rusty Nails]

Remind me: how long have scientists been politely pointing out the problem? How is that going?

Are the only alternatives scientists politely pointing out the problem or committed climate activists causing disruption?

Action is being taken by governments across the world, but arguably/clearly not fast enough, similarly for individuals. Whether increasing the disruption caused by activist demonstrations has a positive or negative effect on the actions of governments, individuals or companies is unclear.

 

[matticus]

Are the only alternatives scientists politely pointing out the problem or committed climate activists causing disruption?

That's a daft statement, because all sorts of peaceful protests are happening. Take the soup/gallery protest, just for one.

Meanwhile, you say <blah blah .. unclear> ; well that's very helpful, well done. There isn't unlimited time to fix this. At least some folks are actually trying SOMETHING.

But anyway, I'm listening; what is YOUR answer to this:

Are the only alternatives scientists politely pointing out the problem or committed climate activists causing disruption?

And how is it working out?

 

[matticus]

https://amp.theguardian.com/environ...nce-model-of-radical-climate-protest-catch-on

There is a lot correct there. Personally I view the Torygraph as a bigger terrorist, the long term damage the Telegraph has have done being horrific.

Love it!!!

"In protest at plans for a new motorway, which critics say will devastate agricultural land and accelerate climate breakdown, the coalition of organic farmers, environmentalists, communists and anarchists danced to techno and raced soapboxes along the carriageway. Then they used breeze blocks and concrete to block one side of the carriageway, while on the other they piled haystacks and tyres and set them ablaze."

 

[Rusty Nails]

That's a daft statement, because all sorts of peaceful protests are happening. Take the soup/gallery protest, just for one.

Meanwhile, you say <blah blah .. unclear> ; well that's very helpful, well done. There isn't unlimited time to fix this. At least some folks are actually trying SOMETHING.

But anyway, I'm listening; what is YOUR answer to this:

And how is it working out?

It was a deliberately daft question, and I don't have the answer, that is why I asked the question, which is usually the purpose of questions.

What has happened so far is not working out very well to improve the situation, and that probably includes the demonstrations plus soup/gallery and snooker table protests.

If there was any evidence that increasing the disruption caused by demonstrations will have a positive effect then I support that, but I have yet to see it does.

 

[matticus]

I don't have the answer, that is why I asked the question, which is usually the purpose of questions.

What has happened so far is not working out very well to improve the situation, and that probably includes the demonstrations plus soup/gallery and snooker table protests.

If there was any evidence that increasing the disruption caused by demonstrations will have a positive effect then I support that, but I have yet to see it does.

OK, cool; so let's look at the main historical success story. Suffragettes.

Do you want to join my letter-bomb club?