The solutions won't be hydrogen planes or whatever bullshit Johnson can dream up next, it will be not flying. It wont be electric cars it will be not having a car at all.
Quote from: TobyD on August 07, 2021, 09:34:00 amThe solutions won't be hydrogen planes or whatever bullshit Johnson can dream up next, it will be not flying. It wont be electric cars it will be not having a car at all.The trouble is everyone seems to be focused on the future of EV cars or the evils of travel at the moment. But we all live in shockingly inefficient homes heated mainly by gas boilers at the moment. I read recently that assuming we started building incredibly low energy buildings tomorrow (passive house standard - including air source heat pumps, heat recovery ventilation etc), and retrofitted every existing home in the country to the same standard, which is basically impossible, then by 2050 we still wouldn't have enough energy from renewables or nuclear to power them (based on national grid projections). We're so far off hitting the govt's target of net zero by 2050 it's just a joke.And is it any wonder that the govt continues to allow the volume house-builders to throw up the shite they do when the Tory party is funded by property developers? Is this going to change any time soon? Doesn't look like it. But equally - are we all going to spend £100k on retrofitting our own homes with masses of insulation, triple glazed windows, or heat recovery systems - even if that were possible? Probably not.Basically we're fucked. That's my conclusion. Smiley face.
Basically we're fucked. That's my conclusion. Smiley face.
I tend to agree, Covid has shown that vast tracts of the population won’t take mild inconvenience in the face of an imminent threat. I can’t see any way of getting people to take inconvenience to combat a slightly nebulous but very serious future threat.
Re Chris's very tentative appeal to be allowed a trip or so a year. Having recently been dipping my toes into the current world of internet dating recently, I've been completely astounded by the almost absolute disregard for international travel as anything other than a massive jolly. Almost every other person is 80 countries and counting / I live for that next flight / identikit pictures in Petra, Dubai, groping a drugged lion somewhere in Africa, listing their Maldivian beach bucket list. And these are the women - I imagine the blokes are far worse. None of these people are going to curb their behaviour unless there's a serious disincentive. I head something on Today a while back about individual flight logging, with increased flight taxes based on how many trips / miles you do a year, which sounds like a good start...
So, what about new little humans aka kids? Should people go without them? They're by far the biggest contributor of CO2 compared to every other contributor
Are you intimating that he should have stuck to masturbation?
I read recently that assuming we started building incredibly low energy buildings tomorrow (passive house standard - including air source heat pumps, heat recovery ventilation etc), and retrofitted every existing home in the country to the same standard, which is basically impossible, then by 2050 we still wouldn't have enough energy from renewables or nuclear to power them (based on national grid projections). We're so far off hitting the govt's target of net zero by 2050 it's just a joke.And is it any wonder that the govt continues to allow the volume house-builders to throw up the shite they do when the Tory party is funded by property developers? Is this going to change any time soon? Doesn't look like it. But equally - are we all going to spend £100k on retrofitting our own homes with masses of insulation, triple glazed windows, or heat recovery systems - even if that were possible? Probably not.
Let's face it though, climbers are generally no better!
Quote from: Bradders on August 07, 2021, 11:13:11 pmLet's face it though, climbers are generally no better!All the steel alloy you ever used in your climbing life was probably made by burning metallurgical coal, of the type from the proposed mine in Cumbria. But in future that steel could be made by electric arc furnace from scrap steel. Prices for steel alloys likely to rise though - £25 quickdraws...
I've been completely astounded by the almost absolute disregard for international travel as anything other than a massive jolly. Almost every other person is 80 countries and counting / I live for that next flight / identikit pictures in Petra, Dubai, groping a drugged lion somewhere in Africa, listing their Maldivian beach bucket list. And these are the women - I imagine the blokes are far worse. None of these people are going to curb their behaviour unless there's a serious disincentive. I head something on Today a while back about individual flight logging, with increased flight taxes based on how many trips / miles you do a year, which sounds like a good start...
I find this idea that people, for example, shouldn't have a car in future nonsensical as that approach to the problem of climate change is completely counter to thousands of years of human development and human instinct itself.
Great post Andy. On the wider point of altering people’s behaviour, in terms of flying for example, what other ‘sticks’ are available to the government besides taxing things to an extent to stop them being an option for anyone but the rich? Any sort of personal ‘carbon allowance’ seems like it would be impossible to implement.