Solar, Wind Renewable Energy

[explanade]

There is no evidence scientifically that we can reduce the Earth's temperature. There is no serious etfort underway to attempt to do so.

We should do what we have done since the beginning of time, and adapt.
And continue to innovate and use cheap abumdant fuel to give other people the chance to escape poverty.

Do you believe there's scientific evidence that we can increase the Earth's temperature?

Or that we have increased the Earth's temperature?

 

[Texas Proud]

Refreshing to read that it is possible to do what we all know it necessary. Yes, it will be challenging but we can do it if we can get the fossil fuel worshipers on board. Imagine if the State of Texas would commit to clean energy (I know it's hard to do) and how that would change the world.

No miracles needed’: Prof Mark Jacobson on how wind, sun and water can power the world

“Combustion is the problem – when you’re continuing to burn something, that’s not solving the problem,” says Prof Mark Jacobson.

The Stanford University academic has a compelling pitch: the world can rapidly get 100% of its energy from renewable sources with, as the title of his new book says, “no miracles needed”.

Wind, water and solar can provide plentiful and cheap power, he argues, ending the carbon emissions driving the climate crisis, slashing deadly air pollution and ensuring energy security. Carbon capture and storage, biofuels, new nuclear and other technologies are expensive wastes of time, he argues.

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...on-how-wind-sun-and-water-can-power-the-world

To me a pie in the sky article.... and I did not see a single cost estimate of what it would cost..... and he simple says we can store electricity with this or that, but we know that it is not that easy nor cheap...


As an example... we can colonize Mars with today's technology... and I mean NO new technology needs to be done... so let's do it by 2025.... it is easy to do

 

[Popeye]

To me a pie in the sky article.... and I did not see a single cost estimate of what it would cost..... and he simple says we can store electricity with this or that, but we know that it is not that easy nor cheap...


As an example... we can colonize Mars with today's technology... and I mean NO new technology needs to be done... so let's do it by 2025.... it is easy to do

Google search the author of the book cited in the article. His response to a critique of an earlier work was not to defend it but to sue! He dropped the suit a year later and is now fighting the ruling that he pay over $400k in costs. Lol!

https://retractionwatch.com/2022/09...in-legal-fees-after-dropping-defamation-suit/


PS…doesn’t Texas lead the country in wind energy production?

PPS…I still hate the Cowboys!

 

[Montecfo]

Do you believe there's scientific evidence that we can increase the Earth's temperature?

Or that we have increased the Earth's temperature?

Does not matter. What is needed is scientific evidence that we can reduce the Earth's temperature. After all, that is the entire premise of the carbon reduction theory is it not?

Since we are not reducing carbon (there is no serious effort to do this, only window dressing where carbon is not growing rapidly), the die is largely cast. Atmospheric carbon already released into the atmosphere will persist for thousands of years even if all new carbon release stopped today

Given we have no serious plans to reduce atmospheric carbon, and no scientific evidence that we can reduce the Earth's temperature then we are wasting billions of dollars better spent on something for which we have centuries of successful experience: adaptation.

 

[Samsung4321]

“no miracles needed”.

Wind, water and solar can provide plentiful and cheap power, he argues, ending the carbon emissions driving the climate crisis, slashing deadly air pollution and ensuring energy security. Carbon capture and storage, biofuels, new nuclear and other technologies are expensive wastes of time, he argues.

The "miracle" is the amount of investment required to create the multiples of nominal capacity necessary to transform erratic power to reliable power.

Wind millers' wind drought.

 

[Koolau]

Does not matter. What is needed is scientific evidence that we can reduce the Earth's temperature. After all, that is the entire premise of the carbon reduction theory is it not?

Since we are not reducing carbon (there is no serious effort to do this, only window dressing where carbon is not growing rapidly), the die is largely cast. Atmospheric carbon already released into the atmosphere will persist for thousands of years even if all new carbon release stopped today

Given we have no serious plans to reduce atmospheric carbon, and no scientific evidence that we can reduce the Earth's temperature then we are wasting billions of dollars better spent on something for which we have centuries of successful experience: adaptation.

Yeah, this has been my contention for a long time. Stopping FFs today won't decrease CO2 levels significantly over any reasonable time frame. It will only keep them from increasing. On that basis, it probably makes more sense to deal with the issues that CO2 is causing and will cause - while allowing even the 3rd world to enjoy some of the wondrous benefits the First World takes for granted.

By the way, there is a well known way to reduce the temperature of the earth. We did it for years. We've "undone" much of it lately, and that has likely contributed substantially to the "sudden" rise of temps in the past 2 or 3 decades. I'm talking about suffer dioxide due to FF burning. We've cut those emissions by burning low sulfur coal and oil. SO2 forms minuscule droplets of sulfuric acid which are entrained in Earth's upper atmosphere. This happens with volcanoes too. These droplets happen to reflect a lot of sunlight back into space before the light has a chance to heat the Earth. I've seen estimates of more than a degree decrease (now increase) but I'm no expert.

Serious proposals to reintroduce SO2 to the upper atmosphere have been shot down as being environmentally unfriendly. I say "you pick your own poison" or "pick the devil you run with" but YMMV.

 

[Alan]

After discussion we have decided that this thread has run its course. 4.5 years and over 1800 posts but now it is simply becoming repetitive and time consuming for us to work to keep it open. Round and round it goes, each side talking past the other, no side is going to change their opinions and any useful debate about meaningful technologies has long since been buried.

Thanks for the interesting discussion.