John Kerry: Climate Change Causes Terrorism

[CactusFlesh]

Originally Posted by WorldBuilder

Pirates cause climate change.

Don't show this to John Kerry!

[CactusFlesh]

Originally Posted by kedabra

No one is saying that renewables are cost free to the environment. there are planty of examples of failed renewable projects.
For instance there was a wind farm in Scotland which caused a bog slide (peat bog is one of the most efficient carbon storing landscapes) that effectively released more carbon than the wind farm would ever have offset (assuming the energy was made instead with fossil fuels). Building roads and concrete foundations also releases carbon, and roads through peat bog are very damaging to the bog even several hundred feet from the access roads. so there could be arguments for not putting them on peat bogs.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4557255.stm

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I'm afriad there are whole arguements for not putting wind farms near most costal areas alone just because those are important to birds. Wind energy developers constantly underplay the mortality factors turbines have on birds, but the old Internet really comes through this time. Check this out: http://www.windaction.org/videos/23904 There are so many more issues than carbon offsets.

Over in Palm Springs, California, the wind developers never come up with the evidence when asked, but you ask any old timer who lived there before the wind farms, you will find that they don't see any birds out there anymore. Wind energy is hammering bat populations and whole ecological systems will suffer if we plaster a whole area with turbines. http://www.batsandwind.org/ Plus, you don't want to live within two miles of one of these. The high frequency sound waves fuck up your health.

[kedabra]

Thats interesting stuff Cactusflesh, I am aware of the bird issue with wind farms. Theyre pretty contentipus here in the UK even within environmental groups. I think we both agree on the basic problems here.... its not straightforward as you have shown, and i agree that its a complex problem which requires intelligence and further research.

Here in Bristol there was alot of controversy over creating a barrrage across the Severn estuary (the second most tidal estuary in the world). It would create 5% of the UK's energy from tidal power, but it would destroy a unique habitat for birdlife. Its been shelved due to excessive costs, but this illustrates how its not a straightforward task to source renewable energy in an environmentally acceptable way. There were accusations of favouritism toward building companies who wanted a barrage , versus building a high tech "reef" which would provide less energy but be far more kind to the local environment.

I'd agree that politicians (and corporate lobbying of governments) could hinder solutions being implemented.

It is a multifaceted problem, technological, environmental, social and political, which is nevertheless solvable. Youve provided alot of examples of how renewable energy projects can fail to provide a solution, and I agree with some of the examples you gave. I even provided my own example of how wind farms fail.

But there are solutions out there, which, in the medium to long term will have to use renewable energy, since, by definition, the non renewable energy will run out. There is no other option.

Somewhere out there in the multiverse there are futures in which we get our shit together, the opportunists and the psychopaths don't get a chance to piss all over us, and we avoid global meltdown. We have to make our way to those futures.

[CactusFlesh]

agreed, great points.

[teeko]

Check this out:

hXXp://www.core77.com/blog/ny_design_week_10/new_york_design_week_2010_dye-based_photovoltaics_at_sunny_memories_16633.asp?ut m_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=F eed%3A+core77%2Fblog+%28Core77.com%27s+design+blog %29


Reminds me of the movie the Cell

[salvialover24]

Prohibition of drugs fuels terrorism, and many criminal entities.

Prohibition per se is a form of terrorism (in a more general sense).

To send in jail sick people when they find the medication which suits them the best is total madness. It creates black market and it corrupts the democracies.

It makes all political discourses vain.

Legalize now and nature will take care of itself.