You know how much I love 'em:)
Britain admits it is not green enough, reveals poll
Oddly, I do not recall being asked.
Especially such gems as this: 20%, even claim they would not mind a nuclear plant being built in sight of their house.
A rather clear sign this was conducted amongst those who have a fairly good notion that such a thing would never happen in their neck 'o the woods.
Beyond the presumption, there is more than a danger of some out there over-parodying themselves.
Britain is not green enough. But those who see themselves as the ones to do it with soem truly bonkers ideas are coming across as total numpties. And now, of all times, we need messengers who can convey the messages beyond the comfort zone of a very small readership.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
CATEGORY - ALT ENERGY/GEO-ENGINEERING
A comment to a posting has inspired me to create this new category.
I will give pride of place to Dave of Solarventi, who had this to say:
Re: The BBC bit on the apparent failure of the iron filings experiment in the southern ocean (Under Geo-Engineering).
So the iron filings successfully caused a phytoplankton bloom. But, the phytoplankton were rapidly eaten up by voracious copepods, which were themselves then eaten by larger amphipods.
Now, please will someone correct me if I'm wrong here. I know that the CO2 sequestered by the phytoplankton was supposed to go to the bottom of the ocean as they died, but as all the CO2 that they took on board has been reused (digested!) higher up the food chain, and will either be sequestered to the ocean floor sediments as dead exoskeletons (the amphipods and copepods) or as their faeces, surely this is going to tie up the carbon in the ocean sediments just as well?
Hasn't the carbon sequestered by the phytoplankton actually gone into the food chain to be locked up elsewhere? Or am I missing something blindingly obvious here?
...about this:
ARTICLES
BBC - Setback for climate technical fix - I think Dave has a point! I still caution on these macro-manipulations, but a bunch of dead stuff heading ocean floorwards, taking carbon with it, seems a lot better than many ideas I've seen and heard.
Guardian - Obama climate adviser open to geo-engineering to tackle global warming
Guardian - The climate engineers - Can't say finding out is such a bad thing. But the comments so far are less than stellar. Hence I bailed.
BBC - Climate fixes 'pose drought risk' - Erk. Die of climate change, or lack of water? Mess with Mother with caution...
BBC - NEW - Plan B for Planet Earth - With a very scary graph. I had to look up Afforestation just to be sure. Or... don't cut down in swathes those that currently exist and do a pretty good job. Just a thought.
I will give pride of place to Dave of Solarventi, who had this to say:
Re: The BBC bit on the apparent failure of the iron filings experiment in the southern ocean (Under Geo-Engineering).
So the iron filings successfully caused a phytoplankton bloom. But, the phytoplankton were rapidly eaten up by voracious copepods, which were themselves then eaten by larger amphipods.
Now, please will someone correct me if I'm wrong here. I know that the CO2 sequestered by the phytoplankton was supposed to go to the bottom of the ocean as they died, but as all the CO2 that they took on board has been reused (digested!) higher up the food chain, and will either be sequestered to the ocean floor sediments as dead exoskeletons (the amphipods and copepods) or as their faeces, surely this is going to tie up the carbon in the ocean sediments just as well?
Hasn't the carbon sequestered by the phytoplankton actually gone into the food chain to be locked up elsewhere? Or am I missing something blindingly obvious here?
...about this:
ARTICLES
BBC - Setback for climate technical fix - I think Dave has a point! I still caution on these macro-manipulations, but a bunch of dead stuff heading ocean floorwards, taking carbon with it, seems a lot better than many ideas I've seen and heard.
Guardian - Obama climate adviser open to geo-engineering to tackle global warming
Guardian - The climate engineers - Can't say finding out is such a bad thing. But the comments so far are less than stellar. Hence I bailed.
BBC - Climate fixes 'pose drought risk' - Erk. Die of climate change, or lack of water? Mess with Mother with caution...
BBC - NEW - Plan B for Planet Earth - With a very scary graph. I had to look up Afforestation just to be sure. Or... don't cut down in swathes those that currently exist and do a pretty good job. Just a thought.
CATEGORY - WATER
I think until now I'd stuck this under Utilities. It's bigger than washing your car of a Sunday. So here's a dedicated category.
To kick off:
ARTICLES
Nature - Water special
Indy - Forget carbon: you should be checking your water footprint
Indy - The big turn off: Could you drink, bathe and clean using just 20 litres a day? - usual stuff, but with some interesting stats
Guardian - What's in your tap water? - When it comes to a fairly fundamental aspect of what keeps me & mine ticking, I don't really feel a healthy interest (or, if you prefer, 'worrying') constitutes an unreasonable notion, and certainly a worthy, if not more necessary action , rather than diversion versus the latest chatterati cause-mongering. But it is true that I do find myself 'worrying' a lot, and more often than not it is down to the media. So rack up another rating point. Now, where the heck do I find out what is in my Ross-on-Wye Springs via the blue tap? That's the trouble with just turning something on and leaving it open. There can be a lot wasted as a consequence.
Gaurdian - Forecast: dry, becoming drier -
Nature - Hydrology: India running on empty - Groundwater in northwestern India is being depleted at an unsustainable rate, which could lead to severe water shortages and reduced agricultural productivity. The reduction in groundwater cannot be attributed to natural climate variability, but is probably caused by excessive consumption from irrigation and other human uses. Satellite-based estimates of groundwater depletion in India -
I have accepted that 'we' are not helping nature (as in Mother, and trying to do what I can to help/mitigate), and nature is certainly not helping the climate. However, I think this highlights why we need to look across all aspects 'man's' endeavours before hanging all our hopes on 'solving' climate change with certain high-profile, low enviROI quick fixes. Especially to the exclusion (though climate does play a major role) of other pretty hefty aspects, water being high on the list.
BBC - India's unsustainable lesson -
WATER METERING
I think this deserves it's own slot, too. I do have a few references already, coinciding with our meter installation, but this will serve for other archiving.
Telegraph - NEW - Hang on Boris: who would be penalised by compulsory water meters? - Not the best of starts, mind.
INFORMATION
waterfootprint.org
DirectGov - Saving water in the garden
SUPPLIERS
freewateruk.co.uk -
To kick off:
ARTICLES
Nature - Water special
Indy - Forget carbon: you should be checking your water footprint
Indy - The big turn off: Could you drink, bathe and clean using just 20 litres a day? - usual stuff, but with some interesting stats
Guardian - What's in your tap water? - When it comes to a fairly fundamental aspect of what keeps me & mine ticking, I don't really feel a healthy interest (or, if you prefer, 'worrying') constitutes an unreasonable notion, and certainly a worthy, if not more necessary action , rather than diversion versus the latest chatterati cause-mongering. But it is true that I do find myself 'worrying' a lot, and more often than not it is down to the media. So rack up another rating point. Now, where the heck do I find out what is in my Ross-on-Wye Springs via the blue tap? That's the trouble with just turning something on and leaving it open. There can be a lot wasted as a consequence.
Gaurdian - Forecast: dry, becoming drier -
Nature - Hydrology: India running on empty - Groundwater in northwestern India is being depleted at an unsustainable rate, which could lead to severe water shortages and reduced agricultural productivity. The reduction in groundwater cannot be attributed to natural climate variability, but is probably caused by excessive consumption from irrigation and other human uses. Satellite-based estimates of groundwater depletion in India -
I have accepted that 'we' are not helping nature (as in Mother, and trying to do what I can to help/mitigate), and nature is certainly not helping the climate. However, I think this highlights why we need to look across all aspects 'man's' endeavours before hanging all our hopes on 'solving' climate change with certain high-profile, low enviROI quick fixes. Especially to the exclusion (though climate does play a major role) of other pretty hefty aspects, water being high on the list.
BBC - India's unsustainable lesson -
WATER METERING
I think this deserves it's own slot, too. I do have a few references already, coinciding with our meter installation, but this will serve for other archiving.
Telegraph - NEW - Hang on Boris: who would be penalised by compulsory water meters? - Not the best of starts, mind.
INFORMATION
waterfootprint.org
DirectGov - Saving water in the garden
SUPPLIERS
freewateruk.co.uk -
O....k
Is it just me, or does this headline kinda state the obvious?
I am also intrigued that, in porting this over, blogger has imported a typeface for the first time.
Let's also see how it deals with his gem:
Are you concerned about the spread of the fire?
All those not concerned about the spread of killer wildfires being?
Superb reporting and editorial. Just superb.
Let's also see how it deals with his gem:
Are you concerned about the spread of the fire?
All those not concerned about the spread of killer wildfires being?
Superb reporting and editorial. Just superb.
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