The German anti-any-nuclear fails with the logic of the Gen IV waste using safe design. The whole anti-nuclear BS crowd includes in their hatred the very technology that will take base-load power and use up nuclear waste from Gens I, II, & III, a win win scenario. As far as the importance of reducing emissions 90% in 9 years max, it is number one with things that can be done to stop thermageddon or AETM and its huge ELE in 3 to 500 years at the rate the oceans are warming with the atmosphere. It means the extinction of ~87% of all species including humans. So there is plenty of reason to act fast and in enough quantity to get this reduction. However, it is the people like you, and the business as usual crowd, that will stop enough emissions reductions in time to prevent it. You condemn the future suffering people and our species, to death, along with most other life, for two Malenkovich cycles, and ~3 million years to increase species diversity to what we had 10K years ago. If humanity is lucky, Katla will blow soon and take away up to two growing seasons and enough particulates to cool the Earth temporarily. Then not enough people to continue the emissions insanity. The population crash of 2050 or sooner becomes much sooner, and in the end, saves our biosphere and species. A collapsing world economy could also trigger a die-off. Cascadia and LaPalma tsunamis and earthquakes could disrupt and collapse the US economy, with the world following into deep long depression, with mass die-offs of people. A solar coronal mass discharge that hits the Earth while the magnetic field is now weakening toward reversal, could also do it. It is really something that for the biosphere and humanity to be "lucky" requires a 90% die-off from a massive geologic or cosmic event, or financial meltdown, all within a decade. Very possible scenarios that would prevent thermageddon and extinction. However, we can not depend on them, and must attempt to live green with emissions down 90% by 2023. It won't do the future any good if these events happen after complete crossing of the tundra methane self release point, or the open ocean warming to oceanic methane hydrate deposits unstoppably releasing by themselves deeper and deeper, with no more human HGHG input necessary to lead to thermal max(i.e. after 2023). I had said Yellowstone would also do it, maybe too much, but isn't close to due for 2K years, by which time its 10*F temperature reduction for up to ten years will not be enough to reverse the AETM which will be +29 to 32*F by then (with a resequestration time of ~230,000 years). The fence sitters looking for more information will not like this news, and probably really can't understand it, so will do nothing, making it impossible not to rely on these other hard means to maybe stop even worse down the road. In fact, I would say, even worse is coming, and sooner than you think. The party is just about over. IMHO
_________________ "With every decision, think seven generations ahead of the consequences of your actions" Ute rule of life. “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children”― Chief Seattle “Those Who Have the Privilege to Know Have the Duty to Act”…Albert Einstein
|