Global Warming: Technology vs. Choice
source: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/05/global-warming-technology-vs-choice.php
-
-
- pjacobs51
- added this
The Technology Behind a Global Warming Solution
Right now some of the worlds most gifted minds are working on ideas to reduce the effects of global warming. So far there has been some pretty unique ideas on how to reverse its effects. I say creative, but many people might prefer the words crazy, such as Bentley University Associate Professor, Eric (Rick) Oches.
“There are number of ways to approach the question of global warming,” says Oches. “Some scientists have suggested injecting sulfur dioxide aerosols into the atmosphere.” The idea behind this would be to reflect the incoming sunlight, thus cooling the atmosphere to offset warming, much like the gases emitted from a volcanic eruption.
“Another plan, is sometimes called the Geritol Solution,” says Oches. “(The idea) is to fertilize the open oceans with iron, an essential nutrient, to stimulate phytoplankton production.” The populations of these photosynthetic algae would then rapidly expand and theoretically lead to the minimization of atmospheric CO2.
“Other crazy things have been suggested like launching giant reflective helium balloons or putting sunshades above the Earth to reflect sunlight,” says Oches. “None of them are actually feasible from a cost and engineering perspective, and all carry significant risks of ecosystem disruption or other unintended consequences.”
A Real Solution to Global Warming
In many ways the crutch of technology would appear to be risky indeed in terms of a global warming solution. The unknown consequences of many of these ideas could be even more disastrous than the situation we are currently facing.
“From my perspective this is the wrong direction,” says Oches. “The excess C02 in the atmosphere is already there—we are going to have to let natural processes reach an equilibrium with the excess C02 that we've already added.”
-
-
Gravity_Man
-
NO MORE STANDING AT A FUEL PUMP EVER?
Read the CloudSeeder's thread posts and find out:
http://tinyurl.com/NoMoreFuelPumpsEver
CloudSeeder,
Bringin' the Spring rain to Mankind
- 2 years ago
-
Gravity_Man
-
-
Gravity_Man
-
Quite frankly I do not believe all the people who do have keys have a valid ticket.
The only way for a world wide plan like that to work is to convince a lot of WORKER BEES they do have the keys and their ticket is valid who will later discover their key doesn't work, or the locks have been changed, and the ticket is printed on something that says IN GOD WE TRUST.
I pray to one God and I am sure He listens because I call Him "the one true God" and He has to hear me. You may not like His Bible Name Jehovah, or maybe in your language His Name is spelled Geova or Jihova or some other variation of because over the centuries the Name took many spellings, but He knows He is the only true God and I believe when crunch time comes we better be calling him, not the State Capital.
The majority of us have no other card to play.
- 2 years ago
-
Gravity_Man
-
-
Gravity_Man
-
Real scientists know all that stuff I posted. They know the near utter hopelessness of humanity's current situation. That seed repository they set up where?, in Sweden somewhere? I imagine it contains more than plant seeds.
Does anybody have a key to get in? I don't.
I would postulate they have stored more than just plant seeds. They have put animal seeds, sperm & egg for every possible animal they could. And all these new terrabyte hard drives were made to hold all the Knowledge of Mankind not just power up your lousy iPods and desktops.
They built a Noah's Ark up there because they know Crunch Time is coming soon. Whether they are planning to cause it or it just happens who knows? Does it matter? What matters is who has keys to the place and who does not.
Are these World Class philanthropists doing all that with our tax dollars to save us or reconstitute a New World only for them? Tell ya what, when they use these catch phrases like "there is no one solution", that just keeps everybody punching the clock.
Til they punch our clock. I am certain of just one thing folks, that whatever their next moves are they will look like they are delivering us SALVATION FROM GOD when in fact it will be the last few days of our lives.
We are watching the biggest Turn Key operation in the History of the World. Industrialists and crude oil company execs hold the keys and we are locked out of the executive wash rooms, as has always been the case it is no different now.
- 2 years ago
-
Gravity_Man
-
-
Gravity_Man
-
A Red Flag rises over my head whenever someone mouths => "There is going to be no grand scheme to save the planet. " because that can only come from someone who is trying to funnel the Masses toward the solution that will put money in their pocket.
Over the past 40 years week in and week out we have heard the world's rain forests are disappearing X number of football fields a day and yet somehow WE STILL HAVE RAIN FORESTS. Have you ever wondered WHY?!
More people breathing out CO2 has made the planet a plant paradise. Scientists have noted this phenomenon just last year when they reported on superpowered poison ivy plants. Super plants of poison because we give them so much Carbon Dioxide to breathe!
So if we cut back with all these super breathing machine plants and rain forests we could kill off 70% of our food yields in 1-2 years time. WHY IS THAT? Because the poison ivy and kudzu and trees are hardier plants than corn and green bean plants. The stronger plants can survive of lower amount of CO2 than food supply plants.
Doping the oceans with extra iron increasing the amount of phytoplanktons would initiate the same disaster. Killing off 4 billion humans ditto. We have painted ourselves into a corner only a God can save us from. Or learn to cook kudzu and poison ivy pie.
My preference for a new energy source that would not effect any changes to the environment or ecology of this planet is to use energies we already have => lightning and gravity followed at a distance by solar, tides and lastly Wind. But the power brokers who control Crude Oil fortunes they recently extracted $300,000,000,000.00 from our collective pockets by jacking the prices up well, they wish to take that fortune and roll it over into the next energy source fortune so they stay on top.
Lightning and Gravity can be easily harnessed.
Lightning and Gravity do not change the CO2 level
from what they already are. That would be the intelligent way to proceed.No Red Flags required.
- 2 years ago
-
Gravity_Man
-
-
pjacobs51
-
Three Steps to Relief:
Steps One & Two
Oches breaks down a solution to global warming into three important steps. Step one, burn less fossil fuels. “This is going to require energy conservation in addition to finding renewable energy sources,” says Oches. Step two, develop the technologies that are more efficient and increase our ability to rely on renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels.
Once again we are not talking about balloons or giant mirrors, but rather putting more high gas-mileage hybrids and electric vehicles on the market, focus on battery technology to solve some consumer concerns about charging time and travel speed and distance, and taking a closer look at some other alternative fuel technology on the horizon, such as hydrogen.
“There are still significant limitations to the hydrogen cell,” says Oches. “Such as the need to develop a national network of filling stations and an energy efficient way of generating, transporting, and storing adequate supplies of hydrogen.”
Presently generating hydrogen requires significant energy, typically from fossil-fueled electric plants. Expanding nuclear power has been proposed as a clean method of generating hydrogen as a transportation fuel. “Some creative engineers should find a way to create an on-board, solar-powered, H2O splitting system to generate hydrogen fuel from water— (this would) all be contained within the vehicle,” says Oches.
Step Three, and Possibly the Most Important
“Third, we must promote behavioral changes,” says Oches. “We need to be able to rely on people to make more responsible choices in their personal habits, personal consumption, and business decisions.” But this is already happening, thanks to increased information being offered to the consumer, parent, student, business owner, etc.
“We’re seeing people pay more attention to the fuel efficiency of the car they buy, the type of transportation they take to work, the way they build, power, light, and insulate their homes. These are all personal choices, yet they make such a huge difference and impact over the amount of fossil fuels consumed and greenhouse gases emitted.
If we can follow these guidelines to decreasing the amount of CO2 each of us is personally responsible for each year, we won't need any crazy technological devices. “Over centuries those elevated levels can be brought down through natural biological processes,” says Oches.
There is going to be no grand scheme to save the planet. We talk a lot about various technologies being introduced here on Treehugger and Planet Green, and while they too are important, one of the most important messages we strive to deliver is the importance of personal choice.
No smoke and mirrors here folks, just a community of concerned folks trying to make a difference. Thanks for being a part of the solution rather than the problem!
- 2 years ago
-
pjacobs51
