Climate Change/Mass Extinction Megathread

[Malthus]

Offshore wind farms is where it's at, anyway.

Problem with that is the price.

Yeah, it is more expensive, but the output is higher and more constant that in land farms, so it has its advantages. Don't know where's the situation currently in terms of cost per unit of energy produced, though.

There are various sources found in the Wikipedia article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_electricity_by_source

For example, the US EA published a Projected LCOE in the U.S. by 2022 (as of 2016) $/MWh, which stated  for wind (onshore) was min - 43.4, max- 75.6. For wind (offshore) it was min 136.6, max 212.9.

So, lots more expensive. Though this source has been criticised for being too pessimistic about the cost of renewables.

Makes sense, as the cost of doing anything offshore is going to be high.

[crazy canuck]

Viper, go read about the effects of climate change.  All your claims are wrong.

Nope, dandelions can be eaten, as well as raccoons

Go ahead and try to get as much protein from a dandelion as you would from a salmon.  I dare you 

[viper37]

Viper, go read about the effects of climate change.  All your claims are wrong.

Nope, dandelions can be eaten, as well as raccoons

Go ahead and try to get as much protein from a dandelion as you would from a salmon.  I dare you 

The raccoon stew is the key

[crazy canuck]

 

[Malthus]

The whole climate situation is just an opportunity for Viper to eat racoons. 

Edit: you should move to Toronto. We have lots of them here. 

[viper37]

Edit: you should move to Toronto. We have lots of them here. 

I have that in my backyard, and marmot too.  I'll have to try mixing both

[Syt]

2015-2019 is officially the warmest 5-year period since records began 150 years ago.



Meanwhile, on Twitter:

[Eddie Teach]

Looks like D'Souza has learned the call everything racist trick.

[Valmy]

Meanwhile, on Twitter:

Impressive. I have no idea who this person is nor have any clear idea what exactly he is talking about yet it still slightly made my life worse just by seeing it. Twitter is a powerful force.

[FunkMonk]

My wife, who bikes to work most days, almost got hit by a truck that was backing up on the street because some of the major intersections in Washington DC are being blocked by climate change protestors deliberately trying to block traffic during Monday morning rush hour.

I'm totally on board with enacting good policies that address and counteract man-made climate change, but fuck these self-righteous fucktards. It is not a good idea to create unsafe traffic conditions in a city that is already 99% agreeing with you while also stranding tens of thousands of commuters, many of whom are POC just trying to get to their hourly-wage work. A couple thousand out-of-town privileged white people doing this is not a good fucking look.

[Valmy]

Yeah I don't think messing up people's commute once is really going to do much that is positive for the cause.

Heh though if they did that stunt in Austin the traffic is normally so shitty would we even notice?

[Eddie Teach]

Looks like D'Souza has learned the call everything racist trick.

And Funk too. What difference does it make what color the inconvenienced commuters are?

[crazy canuck]

Most recent report out yesterday makes it clear we are running out of time more rapidly than first anticipated.  The NDCs referred to in the quote are nationally determined contributions

The emissions gap in 2030 between emission levels under full implementation of conditional NDCs and levels consistent with least-cost pathways to the 2 °C target is 13 GtCO2e. If only the unconditional NDCs are implemented, the gap increases to 15 GtCO2e. The gap in the case of the 1.5 °C target is 29 GtCO2e and 32 GtCO2e respectively. The gap numbers increased in 2018 compared with 2017, mainly as a result of the more detailed and diverse literature on 1.5 °C and 2°C pathways prepared for the IPCC Special Report on 1.5 °C. Only minor changes to the gap numbers are expected in the 2019 report.

EG2
The current NDCs are estimated to lower global emissions in 2030 by up to 6 GtCO2e compared to a continuation of current policies. This level of ambition needs to be roughly tripled to be aligned with the 2 °C goal and increased around fivefold to align with the 1.5 °C goal.

Implementing the unconditional NDCs, and assuming that climate action continues consistently throughout the twenty-first century, would lead to a global mean temperature rise between 2.9 °C and 3.4 °C by 2100 relative to preindustrial levels, and continuing thereafter. Implementation of the conditional NDCs would reduce these estimates by 0.2 °C in 2100.

Technically, it is still possible to bridge the gap in 2030 to ensure global warming stays below 2 °C and 1.5 °C. The sectoral emission reduction potential in 2030 is estimated to be up to between 30 and 40 GtCO2e.

However, if NDC ambitions are not increased urgently and backed up by immediate action, exceeding the 1.5 °C goal can no longer be avoided. If the emissions gap is not closed by 2030, it is very plausible that the goal of a well-below 2°C temperature increase is also out of reach.

https://public.wmo.int/en/resources/united_in_science

I encourage you all to read the full report.  Tamas there is a section on agriculture that you may find interesting.

[FunkMonk]

Looks like D'Souza has learned the call everything racist trick.

And Funk too. What difference does it make what color the inconvenienced commuters are?

#ShutdownDC #ShutdownLanguish

[mongers]

Interesting bbc item about our differing responses to climate change:

Climate change action: We can't all be Greta, but your choices have a ripple effect

Justin Rowlatt
Chief environment correspondent

Is individual action pointless in the face of climate change? Let's not beat around the bush: the simple answer has to be "yes".

Think about it: what difference does one person forgoing a lamb chop for a lentil bake, deciding to catch the bus rather than take their car, or deciding not to jet off for that autumn getaway in the Balearics make if the other 7,699,999,999 of us humans here on Earth don't do anything?

It is a dispiriting conclusion and begs an obvious question, and one that I am sure has already occurred to you: why bother?
.....

Full item here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49756280