Global Warming/Climate Change Discussion Thread

[Joey D]

Turns out you can set the ocean on fire .

Lake Erie was on fire before it was cool.

 

[andrea]

Greta is not yet inoressed.

 

[UKMikey]

‘A scourge of the Earth’: grasshopper swarms overwhelm US west

The drought has created ideal conditions for grasshopper eggs to hatch and for the insatiable eaters to survive into adulthood

www.theguardian.com

 

[ProjectWHaT]

Exxon Admits Capitalism Created The Climate Crisis

The company’s own Washington representative admits that we cannot solve the crisis without doing away with Exxon.

www.currentaffairs.org

The three most important shocking-but-not-shocking confessions from [Keith McCoy, a lobbyist and Exxon’s director of federal relations,] are that: 1) the company intentionally tried to manipulate the public into not understanding the science of climate change, often hiding its role by using third-party organizations 2) the company pretends to be in favor of solutions to climate change by proposing measures it knows the public will never accept, such as a carbon tax 3) the company has close relationships with Democratic politicians and has successfully made sure that infrastructure policy will not help us transition to a green economy and will instead focus solely on fossil fuel-friendly infrastructure.

His defense for all this is that it was not a crime. But since crime is that which violates the law, and he also admits Exxon tries to shape the laws themselves, this amounts to saying “the fossil fuel industry’s behavior did not violate any of the rules that we manipulated the system to put in place.” It is no defense at all.

Furthermore, McCoy’s words are a stark admission that capitalist profit-seeking can lead to sociopathic and catastrophically harmful conduct. He confesses that the company lied about the science and tried to keep the public from stepping in to prevent the calamity that the fossil fuel industry was causing. But this was all right, because they were just “looking out for our investments” and “our shareholders.” Indeed, there is a giant amount of money at stake: if we were to keep fossil fuels in the ground, it would require the industry to forgo trillions of dollars in untapped wealth. No responsible corporate executive could justify destroying trillions in potential profits for the sake of something of such secondary importance as the long-term survival of humanity.

McCoy concedes not only that Exxon helped destroy the planet to protect its profits, but that it is continuing to do so. He talks about how senators like Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema are bought, and compares capturing legislators to catching fish. We can see here why there has not been meaningful climate action by Democrats, even though ostensibly the national Democratic Party believes that the climate crisis is urgent. McCoy explains that Exxon itself has helped to make sure Biden’s infrastructure proposals focus on “roads and bridges” (i.e. the fossil fuel-friendly stuff) rather than building out our electric infrastructure. He says they try to get people to ask “Why would you put in something on emissions reductions to oil refineries in a highway bill?” and then emissions-reducing measures come out of the bill. Of course, there’s an answer to that question, which is that our infrastructure priority should not be a mere “highway bill” but should be about building the new, sustainable public works necessary to power the next century’s green economy (a Green New Deal, if you will). But Exxon works hard to make its talking points catch on, and it has a louder megaphone and vastly more money than, for example, the Sunrise Movement.

 

[Dotini]

Exxon Admits Capitalism Created The Climate Crisis

The company’s own Washington representative admits that we cannot solve the crisis without doing away with Exxon.

www.currentaffairs.org

Haha! What an hilarious indictment of capitalism, materialism and democracy as we know it. It appears humanity is bent on a collective death wish as an inevitable result of its own psychopathy. The funniest irony is, we will need all those oil and gas rigs drilling furiously in the search for deeper aquifers to address global drought and for geothermal energy to mitigate the energy crisis.
There will be war over all this, no doubt at all. And from the ashes a new paradigm will emerge.

 

[Danoff]

Exxon Admits Capitalism Created The Climate Crisis

The company’s own Washington representative admits that we cannot solve the crisis without doing away with Exxon.

www.currentaffairs.org

Weird... lots of self-described "non-capitalist" countries have big carbon footprints. So strange how it's the fault of capitalism and not just the benefits of being able to burn stuff.

 

[Touring Mars]

A large swathe of western Europe centred on western Germany and Belgium has been hit by massive rainfall in the last few days, resulting in catastrophic flash flooding that has already claimed at least 120 lives, though Sky News are reporting that a staggering 1,300 people are still unaccounted for.



The region of Ahrweiler was hit with 3x the monthly rainfall average for July in just 24 hours, with at least one place reporting some 40 mm of rain (almost a month's worth) in one hour.

edit:

The scale of the damage in Germany is quite shocking:

Europe floods: At least 120 dead and hundreds unaccounted for

As many as 1,300 people are still unaccounted for after the worst flooding in decades.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Touring Mars]

Some terrifying scenes from Greece and Turkey right now, who although like many places are no strangers to extreme heat, are currently experiencing unprecedented wildfires amid yet another heatwave.



And for anyone who might think the above video is faked in any way...

 

[DK]

They'll be fine, they just need to sell their houses to the Human Torch or Ghost Rider.

 

[MIE1992]

I wonder which Pokemon would be Greta's favorite - Rayquaza or Zygarde? I'm betting it being the latter. Funny enough, it's my favorite legendary species, too.

 

[Touring Mars]

COP26 kicks off in Glasgow this weekend, with leaders from around the world gathering just a few hundred yards from where I live. The entire zone around the conference centre by the river Clyde in Glasgow will be closed for the duration of the conference, with nearby streets already closed, including the street right next to my apartment.

I spotted the Metropolitan Police congregrated outside Kelvingrove Art Gallery on my way home just now... no doubt preparing for some major event. The Art Gallery is a favourite venue for banquet dinners, so I expect that will be happening soon. The place is going to feel mega-weird for the next few weeks, with 25,000 delegates, dozens of world leaders, an estimated 100,000 activists and protesters and the police/Scottish government are also on high alert for acts of terrorism too.

Greta Thunberg has confirmed that she will attend a protest march scheduled for next Sunday, whick kicks off in Kelvingrove park, which is minutes from where I live and work. In their wisdom, Glasgow City Council have decided to close the main road that intersects the park over that entire weekend, which will probably not go down very well with tens of thousands of activists expected to show up for the rally into the city centre...

 

[Barra333]

Sounds like a good weekend to stock up on food and beer and make a fort inside your apartment.

 

[TB]

Sounds like a good weekend to stock up on food and beer and make a fort inside your apartment.

Except for the beer part, that sounds like me every weekend.

 

[Touring Mars]

The irony is, it is climate activists (who should really be the ones who want COP26 to succeed the most, but hey...) that the Scottish government, the police and the people of Glasgow are most worried about in terms of the potential disruption they are likely to cause. Extinction Rebellion have already announced that they plan to cause 'high impact' disruption during the conference

 

[Touring Mars]

A bit off-topic, but I've had two panicked emails - one last night and one this morning - about the fact that deliveries and waste collection at Glasgow University are being suspended entirely during COP26.

Just to put that into perspective, the Head of School has emailed this morning to ask what the hell is going on, telling people on Friday 29th October that there will be no deliveries or waste removal from today until at least 15th November... ooookay.*

The other email was from a colleague at a different university basically saying the same thing - she even apologised to me (which was very kind but totally unnecessary), but she also found out last night that her lab is effectively closing for at least two weeks with less than 24 hours notice.

Incredible.

* - update on this: apparently there will be services, but they "may be" disrupted or withdrawn "without notice" because of the presence of "VVIPs on campus".

 

[TB]

VVIPs

Very VERY important?

 

[Touring Mars]

Very VERY important?

Yes, though I'm not sure they realise that Liz and Frankie aren't coming any more.

I expect Joe, Boris and Chuck are the main VVIPs...

 

[Barra333]

I assume most of the G20 leaders would get the VVIP carpet.

 

[Touring Mars]

This is the view of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum this morning... the entire site is sealed off with a 9ft high steel fence and concrete bollards, while the surrounding streets all have anti-terrorism barracades that are open for the moment, but will seal off the entire zone later today at some point.

The conference site is also now completely locked down, and there are police everywhere - including the Met Police and plain clothed officers. I almost got a photo of the front of the Art Gallery but put my phone away as the cops were approaching, and thought better of it.

 

[Dotini]

This is the view of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum this morning... the entire site is sealed off with a 9ft high steel fence and concrete bollards, while the surrounding streets all have anti-terrorism barracades that are open for the moment, but will seal off the entire zone later today at some point.

The conference site is also now completely locked down, and there are police everywhere - including the Met Police and plain clothed officers. I almost got a photo of the front of the Art Gallery but put my phone away as the cops were approaching, and thought better of it.


View attachment 1090651View attachment 1090652

What is the weather forecast for today and tomorrow?

 

[Famine]

What is the weather forecast for today and tomorrow?

Scotland.

 

[Touring Mars]

What is the weather forecast for today and tomorrow?

Heavy rain tomorrow, as it has been for most of this week.

About 50% of the conference centre is temporary units which are basically expensive tents. Not only will they be difficult to heat, I'd be surprised if anyone could hear each other speak over the noise of the rain battering down - slightly ironic for a conference on climate change, but never mind. I'm sure there will be lots of in-tents negotiations nevertheless.

 

[UKMikey]

I'm sure there will be lots of in-tents negotiations nevertheless.

Once the opposing camps get together let's hope the debate tipis the balance towards progress as this'd be a marquee-d improvement.

 

[Famine]

 

[DK]

I can't help but feel depressed about this conference, and climate change as a whole. It just feels like jumping out of the Covid frying pan and into the climate change fire, and unlike with Covid, there's no vaccine. Whatever you do, it doesn't even make a dent. You could live off the grid for the rest of your life and it'll all be undone by a single row of seats in a stadium built for a despot's vanity project.

Oh, and you just know oiligarchs aren't going to go gently into a green night.

 

[Barra333]

Oh, and you just know oiligarchs aren't going to go gently into a green night.

Until it becomes cheaper to do things the green way (or more expensive to do it the brown way), then the resource-rich folks will hold everything up.
Just look at Canada - I genuinely believe we would be further along if not for Alberta screaming about every plan to reduce carbon output. No Alberta, it is nothing personal that you are all in on oil sands but they are a big part of the problem.

 

[Touring Mars]

Well that's a pint after work ruled out then... that's my local, The Ben Nevis, and the entire road is lined with hundreds of police...

 

[Adamgp]

It's pretty funny to watch Biden express disappointment in China and Russia's climate commitments for skipping COP26.

Especially after he rolled up in the Beast limo with a motorcade of dozens of SUVs and cars, after flying there in Air Force 1, along with a C17 cargo plane carrying the Marine 1 helicopter, and a Boeing C40B with the rest of the team.

 

[Danoff]

Especially after he rolled up in the Beast limo with a motorcade of dozens of SUVs and cars, after flying there in Air Force 1, along with a C17 cargo plane carrying the Marine 1 helicopter, and a Boeing C40B with the rest of the team.

How did you want him to show up?


Disclaimer:

As per typical Danoff posting style, I did absolutely zero research to figure out whether any of the claims above are valid. They may be, or they may not. My question is more aimed at the thought processes leading to the post above than it is about the particular carbon footprint of any activity. I'm playing only with the pieces Adamgp brought to the table.

 

[Adamgp]

How did you want him to show up?


Disclaimer:

As per typical Danoff posting style, I did absolutely zero research to figure out whether any of the claims above are valid. They may be, or they may not. My question is more aimed at the thought processes leading to the post above than it is about the particular carbon footprint of any activity. I'm playing only with the pieces Adamgp brought to the table.

If they were serious about this climate change/global warming/Krazy Al's Klimate Kerfuffle/Whatevertheyarecallingitnow they all could have held the meeting remotely over the interwebs. Without spewing out a buttload of CO2.

And...

Biden's crew touch down at Glasgow Airport for Cop26

A C17 military jet kicked up clouds of vapour as it touched down on the runway before disgorging the president's Marine One helicopter and scores of security personnel.

www.dailymail.co.uk