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Comment by: PT (David Alexander) (Apr-6-2008) Web site
There is a lot of information out there, but often it is hard to find the exact information that one wants. In general, a good site for USA information is http://www.epa.gov/climatechange. A table of emissions by country, and by person per country, can be found at http://www.carbonplanet.com/country_emissions. There is more out there... Google works pretty well, but requires persistence.
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Comment by: City Worker (Apr-6-2008)
Not that I am about to change the world or anything, but I was just curious—I sometimes think in terms of numbers and percentages when I want to understand how a problem should be attacked, when I want to see a picture. I wonder if such a table is available. I believe the United States and China are major offenders when it comes to contributing to the greenhouse effect. Also, I know that the utilization of gasoline and coal are major contributors. In addition, utilization of gasoline for vehicular transportation is a major contributor. I was wondering how much each country contributed, how much each fossil fuel contributed, how much each use of these fossil fuels contributed, to the greenhouse effect. I suppose I’d be curious to see the breakdown, by major categories. I haven’t thought it through, though I suppose a breakdown by country and their “offense” by particular activity (no more than ten categories per country, would be interesting.
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Comment by: City Worker (Mar-31-2008)
It seems like it's going to be getting easier to be green and harder to NOT be green. "60 Minutes" just ran a story that noted that real soon, Al Gore's campaign to save the planet by addressing global warming will be hitting the media in a big way.
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Comment by: PT (David Alexander) (Jan-8-2008) Web site
Hello, Roseman. Thank you for the comment, and even though you are not agreeing with most of the worry about global warming, the way you talk shows you are sincere and not a hate-filled political type. So we could discuss this a bit, if we want to. I do think it is important to read carefully and understand as much real information as possible. The problem with many of the discussions is that two people (or groups) argue almost viciously, and neither of them knows the truth about the point, it is more an argument of "lifestyles" or geography or cultural background, when this kind of debate should be about the scientific knowledge, and the priorities that we decide as a society.
I think you portray a complex energy situation, and you are right. For example, you want to build a windmill but find it very hard to get it done, but in another area the zoning may be completely open to it. Incentives, zoning, economics, vary much too widely, and they depend on exactly what county or town one lives in. We need a clear federal policy that applies nationwide and that charts a course for the future.
And we do agree that a high-speed, high-intensity project to further improve alternative technologies can only help our society. The cost of that kind of R&D on projects of national vitality is relatively small compared to the absolutely immense benefit from environmental, economic, stability (reduced/no reliance on imports), and world trade viewpoints.
Most people do not make money from global warming, and I believe it is a "red herring" (a canard) that has been presented by corrupted interests to say that people are concerned with the environment because they want to make money. I am sure you do not really mean that. If you look around, you will see many more volunteers who care about our collective future, than you will see "evil environmental billionaires" creating false panic. Don't you agree?
As someone scientifically trained in a rather intense manner, the evidence of issues that need urgent attention is quite clear to me. Please continue to look into these matters, because knowledge followed by appropriate action will help us get out of these problems with the least trouble. And I wish you luck if you are still trying to get a windmill!
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Comment by: Roseman (Jan-8-2008)
I believe that the global warming issue has turned into a multi zillion-dollar industry. The sky is falling groups, and not in my back yard groups has lead too much of the problems we are incurring. I for one do not buy the line about global warming. That said I am aware that changes are at play, but we as mankind have not triggered the collapse. The force of nature lead the charge, yes we have contributed but nowhere the amount the doomsayers preach we have. To a country who has not drilled into the oil and gas reserves we have within our boarders, or build a refinery because of the fight and restrictions company's have to go through is who’s at fault? China opens one new coal fired electrical generation plant a week, I learned this last year when I was on a farm exchange tour last year in China. Want to talk pollution go to China and India. Now I have no problem with what we produce in emissions in America. China is drilling oil in the Gulf of Mexico 150 miles or less from the mainland USA, because we won’t for what reason?
Hey wind energy everyone is for it until projects apply in their neighborhood. I want a small wind turbine at my farm, but the township I live in does not allow them over 35 feet high. The fees to appeal zoning and fight people who have cut down orchards to have a rural home, object to seeing one. (They fought cell towers and electric company lines). Corn is not the answer, and I am a farmer. The bushel price is nice at the ethanol plant for me but with the increase in seed, fertilizer and fuel there is beginning to be an offset to profit and production cost. I can drop other types of food production and produce corn for ethanol, although I do need a crop or two for rotation. I would rather use the corn to feed my stock; acres to produce good food so as the retail will market keep the prices affordable. I do agree that a Manhattan type project to develop fuel sources or technology is needed on a larger scale. So my rambling thoughts are done, from the top of the composting manure pile I will carefully set down.
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Comment by: City Worker (Dec-29-2007)
I think a problem is that there are still lots of people out there who don't believe global warming is real, and are ready with argurments such as that people are stating that Gore is wrong, that we are just going through a cyclical change in the temperature of the planet, that the average temperature of the planet over the past 250 years hasn't proven that there's global warming, and that the polar bear population is increasing. Unfortunately, I was not up on my facts, and was unable to answer those arguments, to try to win someone over to realize that global warming is real.
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Comment by: PT (David Alexander) (Dec-26-2007) Web site
The direct emissions are certainly lower for hybrids. Pure electric vehicles and "plug-in hybrids" are even lower in emissions. However, there is a limit to this approach since the manufacturing process of all cars is energy intensive, involves pollution, and strains the environment in other ways. The best answer is to reduce or eliminate cars from one's life when possible. Some of this will require governments to assist in community planning, public transportation, and other initiatives and incentives for avoiding heavy use of the one-person-owned car.
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Comment by: City Worker (Dec-26-2007)
I guess I will answer my own question. Although the lifetime energy costs of some non-hybrid vehicles are lower than hybrid vehicles, one of the most important issues is gas emissions, and when it comes to hybrid vehicles, I think the hybrids are the winners as far as saving our environment/planet.
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Comment by: City Worker (Dec-26-2007)
I have been having trouble understanding things. More specifically, I am having trouble understanding if hybrid cars really make sense, “green”-wise. Would someone mind explaining the global warming/emissions/save our planet/being “green”/energy footprints/hybrid cars issues in light of the article, “Sizing Up Energy Footprints,” found on page 22 of the December 2007 issue of AAA New York Car and Travel. Thanks.
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Comment by: PT (David Alexander) (Dec-19-2007) Web site
From where I stand, it is hard to tell whether the pressure that will force population down will come from lack of energy and fertilizer resources (due to a decline in oil and natural gas availability) or due to over-use of water resources as is currently happening, changing weather patterns, and desertification all contributing to a lack of food. Without food and water, population drops.
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Comment by: City Worker (Dec-19-2007)
What do you think the impetus will be for the decrease in population?
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Comment by: PT (David Alexander) (Dec-19-2007) Web site
I am not an expert on local farming, however I have been catching up on it.
The structure of dense cities and dispersed farming may not work when transportation becomes difficult, such as commuting to work. Instead, a more rural and dispersed manner of living would allow food to reach all people - but at a lower population level than currently in many (nearly all?) parts of the world.
So I believe we are talking about shrinking of population and a decrease of centralized manufacturing, with a matched dispersal of population and farming, back to a situation similar to one hundred or two hundred years ago.
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Comment by: City Worker (Dec-19-2007)
Sounds good. I don't understand, though how local farming can help. I thought that we've gotten away from local farming because we can get so much more food with less resources by centraliziing farming.
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Comment by: PT (David Alexander) (Dec-17-2007) Web site
Hi, Jenn. One thing - if you persist I am sure your family will come to cooperate with turning off the lights - but it may take quite a while! Been there...
And the way I see it, these limited personal changes we can make are important but are also preparation for building social systems that encourage more environmentally sound action, such as local farming, telecommuting and walk/bike commuting, and fully renewable generation of electricity. Those things occur only as large numbers of people all come to value re-ordering of their priorities and therefore pressure and elect governments that are in harmony with their new goals.
I think we all feel pretty limited in our effectiveness, but that will change as social movement gets underway. I hope so.
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Comment by: JennMtnFund (Jenn Spradlin) (Dec-16-2007) Web site
We are a family of four, and I confess that just this year, I've learned more about efforts to live "green" aka efforts to help save our environment.
I'm ashamed to say that our household is very wasteful. I go into an empty room, and the light is on. All the time! It drives me nuts, and I'm trying to coach my family on how to turn the light off when they leave the room. Same goes with the tv.
I think that changes won't happen overnight - if you start to make a minor change into your daily habit/routine, then it will become norm. Such as turning off the lights when you leave a room.
We've also started recycling. It is just amazing how much cardboard we consume in one week!
I know that I could certainly do more, but these little changes are a positive start to my family's effort in helping save the planet. One day at a time :)
Best, JS
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Comment by: City Worker (Dec-16-2007)
Great comment. I think most would agree with you. Before I started using reusable shopping bags, I used to look at the pile of plastic bags I'd brought home from the supermarket, which I had no use for, having no idea what to do about it.
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Comment by: b linelle (Dec-16-2007)
i find it difficult to be green, but not to think green.
i can explain this.
first, i don't like buying stuff that are throwable, but when i go to the market , so many things are wrap once or twice to much!! that can't be recyclable, or reusable and those are very good food!! buying is voting so i get in a middle of a choice there, when companies will be responsible for the quantities of waste they are producing i will feel better.
i recycle most of the plastic i get, but how come we get so much....for no reason... and much more no recyclable type...how or where can i buy without participating in this over-plastification of everything that is on the marketplace?
it's been a long time since i understand that the food is better than the package..., and i don't want to have these all-double plastic-packages, neither encourage the production of them by buying them but, they are everywhere.... my recycling bag is over full of them, and i'm wondering what's happening! should i be (should we be) responsible of this over-production, only by recycling, or should we begin to gather and ask companies to slow down on producing these huge amount of waste which we don't need??? to pay for???
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Comment by: City Worker (Dec-15-2007)
I'm glad someone said that no one is "green." It's nice to see someone admit it.
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Comment by: NewCulture (Dec-13-2007) Web site
I certainly would not call myself green. I think this type of label offers an extreme oversimplification of an individual's behavior.
In fact, I do not know anyone that is "green". Being green is not possible without separating oneself completely from the global economic system. There are few, if any, who have accomplished this.
For people to believe that they are "green" is to fail to understand how civilization works, and indeed, how money itself functions.
Is it easy knowing what is going on in the world? Is it easy understanding what natural limits we are up against, and the likely consequences of our actions? Is it easy understanding that each day we continue to damage and destroy?
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Comment by: City Worker (Dec-11-2007)
I just thought of something small, but which I personally haven’t seen mentioned before. One way to be a bit "green" is to bring lunch to work in reusable containers and eat it on reusable plates or to eat out at places that use reusable plates and utensils. Of course, if you work where everyone eats out together at fast food places all the time, it would be hard to be “green” in this way.
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Comment by: Rich Burgess (Dec-10-2007)
Green Intelligence - If you want some ideas for being green this holiday season have a look at the website of United Supply Systems (http://www.paradigm-grp.com/env_friendly_index.html. They have 10 great tips for individuals to make their holiday greener. And for a business looking to be greener read on as they have a ton of great ideas to raise environmental consciousness/responsibility.
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Comment by: City Worker (Dec-10-2007)
I would say that basically, it isn’t very easy for me to be green. Why? I really don’t know what I can do to be green. The things I know about to be green, I’m either doing, planning on doing, have decided to not do either because I think they’d jeopardize my health or because I don’t think they would help me to be green, or are a bit too difficult for me to do, at least at the moment. The things that come immediately to my mind are changing to a hybrid car (no), changing to public transportation (no), using energy-efficient home appliances and bulbs (yes and no), using less heat (no), using more reusable items (no, except for reusable supermarket shopping bags, which I plan on doing), and contacting people like politicians in a position to make changes (no). I think however, that I could be greener if I was hit by the media – just like I am hit when I watch TV and see an advertisement for a chopper dicer – how to be greener. Maybe one of the ways for the government to work on improving our environment is to spend money to spread the word through the media, on how we can preserve our environment. This, they can do, while they’re trying to figure out how to lower gas emissions, etc.
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Comment by: Charles Rich (Dec-10-2007)
The tide is turning. The reason is not moral earnestness but (1) climate change and (2) dwindling oil supplies are increasingly in the hands of autocrats and lunatics. The qustion is how the change away from fossil fuels can be done creatively so that it works both in the developed and the developing world. Countries like Germany and Denmark are leading the way. The U.S. will follow sooner or later. Sooner if the there are enough sane people in the U.S. to send the Republicans packing in 2008. Later if we have to wait until market forces leave no other choice. Don't count on sanity, though. There are hoardes of people who will judge the 2008 candidates as to whether they are "just folks" who would make good neighbors or whether their religious principles make them comfortable. As to energy policy and host of other issues, they haven't got a clue.
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Comment by: PT (David Alexander) (Dec-10-2007) Web site
So far it seems to be a shared experience that if you are in a country that is pro-environment, it is far easier to be "green" oneself. For example, no one will drain your favorite lake, or cut all the tall grass and trees around your home. Those who are in countries that are less friendly to the environment have to "swim upstream" in order to remain true to their green nature.
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Comment by: muhammedyussif (muhammedyussif Wikinger) (Dec-10-2007)
I have been at a socialist meeting in Stockholm in the weekend listening on lectures on environment and I remember one lecturer saying quoting an US citizen: When I told them about global warming they said I was an angel but when I told them what we ought to do they said I was a communist - J - In Sweden it is no problem being green – all political parties are competing for green agendas.
Greetings
muhammedyussif Wikinger
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Comment by: majbritt (majbritt young christensen) (Dec-9-2007)
I love Kermit! For my part, I would love to be greener. I was visiting the US recently and after 8 years I am still shocked that people are so wasteful. The driving, the shopping, the huge amounts of packaging and trash - it is all very overwhelming and stressful. I am glad to be back in Denmark where I can bike around and we still have good ground water.
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Comment by: aschlachter (Adam Schlachter) (Dec-9-2007) Web site
For so long "green" has been seen as outside the mainstream. However, finally that tide is turning and it's becoming easier to "go green". While I don't agree with many of the motivations of the current green wave, there are some benefits to it. Where it used to be difficutlt to buy organic and/or locally produced foods, you can buy it at many more stores than you could 2 years ago. In fact, restaurants are using that as a marketing tool to differentiate them from the competition. Organic cotton products are in almost every store at some level. Recycling and waste reduction, which tends to be the utility service no one things about until your can is missed, is now becoming an important part of municipal and county efforts to meet green standards. These are just a couple of examples. Like Kermit said in the beginning of his song, green is like a lot of things and perhaps gets passed over. But if you perservere with being green, you can become the size of the ocean. I think we have grown from a puddle to a pond and are drawing in from all around us, soon to be the green ocean our froggy friend describes.
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Comment by: tuliptree (Laurie Farber) (Dec-9-2007)
Believing that "being green" is the ethical thing to do for our planet, if we care. But living that model isn't always so easy when confronted with mass culture at every turn. It's easier not to talk about it, easier to give in to everyone who doesn't really understand the struggle to live up to it...
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Comment by: chenpn (Pelf Nyok) (Dec-8-2007) Web site
I had this discussion with my Mum the other day, and yeah, we both found it difficult to be green. But we attributed that to the fact that we didn't know where to start.
We do take some efforts to go green, but compared to hard-core environmentalists, we still have a long way to go.
Sad, but that's the truth.
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Comment by: SanDiegan (Dec-8-2007)
It will be a sad day indeed when Kermit doesn't "blend in with ordinary things" and actually does "stand out". Perhaps Kermit doesn't realize how lucky he really is - how lucky we all are - to still have green left!
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Comment by: PT (David Alexander) (Dec-8-2007) Web site
Is it hard to be green? I can see why Kermit has to think about it so much. Poor frog, he needs to sort out the priorities, like us, like me. Is it better to blend in with everyone, or to be different and have more of a challenge. What if being green can connect you with the vast fields and forests... maybe it has its rewards?
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muhammedyussif (muhammedyussif Wikinger)
majbritt (majbritt young christensen)
aschlachter (Adam Schlachter)
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