Posts

Showing posts from April, 2011

Climate Change Myths: Anthropomorphic Global Warming doesn't exist

Image
The Great Climate Change Conspiracy Ice caps and glaciers have been growing and shrinking for millennia but relatively modern accessibility to these regions combined with satellite images is able to give the impression of unprecedented changes at alarming rates with dire consequences for mankind; however the there is an insufficient historical baseline from which to draw such conclusions.  The images make sensational climate change porn but not a sound basis in science.  There was a well documented mini ice age which affected Europe between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, with the River Thames freezing over.  This period arrived over a few decades from a preceding period of warmer weather (th e  Medieval Warm Period )  clearly illustrating that climate does not remain constant but constantly shifts over a few generations, a trend that continues. 'The Frozen Thames'', 1677. Original painting in the collection of the Museum of London. Artist not known. The evid

Surfers Against Sewage: Warning for our beaches

Image
Surfers Against Sewage: Warning for our beaches "Celine Gehret has been asked to pose for photographs many times but never while wearing a pink colander for a hat and a plastic shopping bag for a face mask. But Gehret, one of Cornwall’s most outstanding surfers, is anxious to make a point." Read the full article.

Climate Change Myths: Lots of small savings add up to a big saving

By switching off electrical appliances rather than putting them on standby could save the average British  household £37 per year, that is around 3-4% of the average annual domestic electricity consumption. But what is this in terms of overall energy consumption? The   average   electricity consumption is   4,800 kWh per household The  average  UK annual gas consumption is 16,000 kWh per household Carbon emissions for electricity are typically 0.55kg CO2/kWh giving 2640kg/year. Carbon emissions for gas are typically 0.185kg CO2/kWh giving 2960kg/year. Giving a total of 5600kg So a generous 4% saving on electricity (105kg) results in a total saving of 1.9%.  Domestic energy consumption accounts for around 30% of overall UK energy consumption therefore if EVERYONE makes this saving that will result in a total reduction in carbon emissions of around 0.5%.  In reality, many people will not take implement this change, more appliances will be acquired and the savings by some wil

More rubbish is ending up on British beaches

CBBC - Newsround - Why more rubbish is ending up on British beaches : "The sun is expected to shine across most of the UK for the Easter weekend, so some of you might be planning a trip to the beach. But they might not be as clean as you'd hope. Conservation experts say some people are using their toilets like dustbins and loads of the rubbish is ending up on our beaches. Hayley's been finding out more..." http://bbc.in/faAbhv

Save the World - one click at a time

Click here to sign the petition and save this species, ban that chemical or raise the other issue. But do they really make a difference? A friend recently created a petition to stop the use of Corexit in the Gulf of Mexico to clean up the oil spill (it is not very good for wildlife - probably better than oil but still not good) and he was disheartened by the lack of response. " Another petition .. that needs to be closed as no one cares, what the hell am I even doing on here."  Truth is, there are too many petitions. A search on  http://www.thepetitionsite.com  for Corexit comes up with a dozen petitions covering the same issue, not including the ones closed down already.  For this type of online petition to have any real impact it needs to be a single concentrated effort to get the message across, but even then, the ease with which petitions can be created, marketed and signed greatly devalues them.  Taking a random 10 minute period on a Sunday morning, a search for the

Biofuels could provide 27% of transport fuels by 2050, says IEA | Energy Efficiency News - But at what price for food?

Biofuels could provide 27% of transport fuels by 2050, says IEA | Energy Efficiency News : "Biofuels could provide 27% of transport fuels by 2050, says IEA Biofuels produced from biomass could provide up to 27% of global transport fuels by 2050, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA)." The report, Biofuels for Transport, indicates that sustainable biofuel consumption – using only biofuels that bring life cycle environmental benefits without compromising food security – could increase from 55 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) now to 750 Mtoe in 2050. The switch to biofuels would, by 2050, provide one fifth of emission reductions in the transport sector – equivalent to 2.1 gigatonnes of CO2. “While vehicle efficiency will be the most important and most cost-efficient way to reduce transport-emissions, biofuels will still be needed to provide low-carbon fuel alternatives for planes, marine vessels and other heavy transport modes,” says Bo D