human actions, global climate change, global human solutions
POSTED BY: 1kiki
UPDATED: Sunday, September 6, 2026 19:38
VIEWED: 60750
PAGE 34 of 111
Your statistic for CO2 in the air is flawed, SECOND. There was CO2 in the air BEFORE industrialization. if you plan on stripping the air entirely of CO2 you'll kill all plant life.
The previous non-industrial concentration of CO2 in the air was about 250 ppm. For simplicity slightly more than half of today's amount, but cut your figure in half and it'll be close enough.
*****
According to this study
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-70224-6
and this statistic
https://www.statista.com/statistics/196104/total-area-of-land-in-farms
-in-the-us-since-2000/
and using the highest measurement of soil carbon sequestration, cover crops in the USA alone have the potential to store 8 gigatons of carbon, or 26 gigatons of equivalent CO2, in the soil.
Not all studies show such great success so cover crop practices need to be optimized.
But multiply half of that that by the amount of land across the globe currently under cultivation and the potential is significant. When combined with better forest management, better grazing practices, conservation, green energy, better land use planning, and technological improvements this should be a solvable problem.
Nobody is dismissing techno fixes, but some of them are too far in the future (hydrogen cars) and they're not the ONLY solution. ALL options should be on the table.
I think I've said that three or four times by now, but apparently it hasn't sunk into your brain yet.
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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE someone poor - William Blake
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Quote:As far as I can tell, the world had 40 years to handle this CO2 waste problem and work out all the kinks but didn't do the work. Well, a few people did the work because free energy from wind and sun could make them very rich, but most people did not get involved, other than buying electricity from the people who were getting rich.
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
using the lowest measurement of soil carbon sequestration, cover crops in the USA alone have the potential to store 4 gigatons of carbon, or 13 gigatons of equivalent CO2, in the soil.
Not all studies show such great success. Multiply that by the amount of land across the globe currently under cultivation and the potential is significant. When combined with better forest management, better grazing practices, conservation, green energy, and technological improvements this should be a solvable problem
Nobody is dismissing techno fixes, but they're not the ONLY solution. ALL options should be on the table.
I think I've said that three or four times by now, but apparently it hasn't sunk into your brain yet.
Maybe next month most of humanity will get its large and very lazy ass in gear by NOT buying fossil fuel. Or maybe next year. Or the year after that. But probably most won't change how they do anything and would much rather burn fossil fuel than try something new. But I do know those good old ways of doing things will dump 35 gigatonnes per year into the atmosphere because that is the easiest, dumbest thing to do since any dopey fool can understand fire, humanity's oldest technology from 1,000,000 years ago. Until I checked just now, I was thinking cooking fires were discovered 300,000 years ago. How swiftly time flies when you are inventing advanced technology. Tonight is steak night cooked on an electric grill powered by a windmill in the Texas Panhandle. Your average caveman can't match that for their cooking fire.
https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions
Human Ancestors Tamed Fire Earlier Than Thought
https://www.history.com/news/human-ancestors-tamed-fire-earlier-than-t
hought
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Quote:Oh, who's supposed to be saving the day, SIX? "Capitalism" (as you call it) and "capitalists" who got u into this mess in the first place?
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
using the lowest measurement of soil carbon sequestration, cover crops in the USA alone have the potential to store 4 gigatons of carbon, or 13 gigatons of equivalent CO2, in the soil.
Not all studies show such great success. Multiply that by the amount of land across the globe currently under cultivation and the potential is significant. When combined with better forest management, better grazing practices, conservation, green energy, and technological improvements this should be a solvable problem
Nobody is dismissing techno fixes, but they're not the ONLY solution. ALL options should be on the table.
I think I've said that three or four times by now, but apparently it hasn't sunk into your brain yet.
SECOND: As far as I can tell, the world had 40 years to handle this CO2 waste problem and work out all the kinks but didn't do the work. Well, a few people did the work because free energy from wind and sun could make them very rich, but most people did not get involved, other than buying electricity from the people who were getting rich.
Yanno, greedy people make the MOST money by flogging old infrastructure bc no new investment is needed. THAT'S YOUR VERSION OF CAPITALISM, INNIT? Grab the most money that you can as fast as you can without regard for anybody or anything?
Quote:You despise "humanity" but it's not "humanity" setting up the rules of the game, is it?
SECOND:Maybe next month most of humanity will get its large and very lazy ass in gear by NOT buying fossil fuel.
Is the subsistence farmer hoeing her field in Africa or hand-gathering wheat in northern India lazy, fat? Is the sheepherder in N Africa or the family farmer in Haiti or the illegal cobalt miner in the Congo to blame?
The poorer someone is, the shorter their view of the future. Sometimes it's as short as the next rainfall, the next harvest and, in the extreme, the next meal or the next sip of water.
Only people who have their basic needs met have the luxury of worrying about the future of their children. But under CAPITALISM (as you call it) those that have freedom of action can't have the luxury of conscience, lest they be eaten by those less principled than themselves.
So let's turn our attention to those who are truly to blame.
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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE someone poor - William Blake
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New device pulls water from air to make H2
The system can harvest water from low humidity air and use solar power to drive electrolysis
https://cen.acs.org/environment/green-chemistry/New-device-pulls-water
-air/100/web/2022/09
-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE someone poor - William Blake
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Old Capitalists won't switch to new tech unless the fuel for the new tech is cheaper, climate change be damned. At long last, H2 fuel might be cheaper than diesel fuel, overcoming at least one of many prejudices held by old Capitalists who own the trucking industry:
Canada-based Loop Energy unveiled its new hydrogen fuel cell at the IAA Transportation 2022 conference in Germany this week, saying it marks “a milestone” for the transport industry’s transition to clean energies.
At current fuel price levels, a commercial truck equipped with the S1200 hydrogen fuel cell could travel 179km (111 miles) with $100 worth of fuel, compared to 175km for a diesel truck with the same amount of fuel.
Several leading vehicle makers have invested heavily in the technology for use in freight trucks, as they seek to transition to zero-emission transport.
Alternative battery technologies are currently seen as too heavy for medium- to heavy-duty commercial vehicles, though automakers like Tesla have built fully battery-powered trucks.
By making it a cost effective alternative to fossil fuels, the new system developed by Loop Energy overcomes one of the main challenges to mass adoption of hydrogen fuel cell technology.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/hydrogen-fuel-cell-breakthro
ugh-is-more-efficient-than-diesel-engines/ar-AA125g2u
Special note for Signym: If diesel fuel becomes less expensive than H2 in the future, old Capitalists would switch back, once again, to diesel engines for their newest trucks. Assuming that H2 became more common than diesel, diesel fuel refineries would drop the price to hold onto customers, climate change be damned. This is how Capitalism works, Signym. External costs like destroying the world do NOT figure into a Capitalist's calculations, unless the Capitalist is forced by government to change fuels, regardless of fuel prices. Capitalists always whine about going bankrupt unless the government allows the Capitalist to choose the cheapest way, be it fuel or wages or safety. This is why truck drivers' wages are under downward pressure (unless there is a driver's union) and why trucking companies cut corners on safety (unless there are police stopping trucks that are not being maintained).
Loop Energy’s zero-emission solution for the heavy-duty transportation sector.
https://loopenergy.com/s1200/
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Climate change threatens up to 100% of trees in Australian cities, and most urban species worldwide
Study published in Nature Climate Change found climate change will put 90-100% of the trees and shrubs planted in Australian capital cities at risk by 2050. Without action, two-thirds of trees and shrubs in cities worldwide will be at potential risk from climate change.
We have also identified steps people can take to help their local trees survive, thrive and keep on cooling.
https://attentiontotheunseen.com/2022/09/20/climate-change-threatens-u
p-to-100-of-trees-in-australian-cities-and-most-urban-species-worldwide/
Climate change threatens the health and survival of urban trees and the various benefits they deliver to urban inhabitants. Here, we show that 56% and 65% of species in 164 cities across 78 countries are currently exceeding temperature and precipitation conditions experienced in their geographic range, respectively. We assessed 3,129 tree and shrub species, using three metrics related to climate vulnerability: exposure, safety margin and risk. By 2050 under Representative Concentration Pathway 6.0, 2,387 (76%) and 2,220 (70%) species will be at risk from projected changes in mean annual temperature and annual precipitation, respectively. Risk is predicted to be greatest in cities at low latitudes—such as New Delhi and Singapore—where all urban tree species are vulnerable to climate change. These findings aid the evaluation of the impacts of climate change to secure long-term benefits provided by urban forests.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01465-8
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Exclusive: Shell plans $1.48B Bio-refinery in Louisiana as Part of Transition away from Fossil Fuels
The plan is the first in a series of projects Shell is considering at its chemicals facilities along the Gulf Coast to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels. The regional spending plan, which is still in flux, could cost as much as $10 billion.
The company is also considering new projects at facilities in Deer Park, east of Houston, and Geismar and Norco in Lousiana to help the company reduce emissions and provide reduced-carbon products and chemicals needed to advance the energy transition.
Shell is prioritizing projects in the region based on the low-carbon products that are most in demand, Lewis said, which now include biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel. Shell is one of the main suppliers of traditional aviation fuel, so it has strong relationships with airlines.
https://advancedbiofuelsusa.info/exclusive-shell-plans-1-48b-bio-refin
ery-in-louisiana-as-part-of-transition-away-from-fossil-fuels/
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
New device pulls water from air to make H2
The system can harvest water from low humidity air and use solar power to drive electrolysis
https://cen.acs.org/environment/green-chemistry/New-device-pulls-water
-air/100/web/2022/09
I'll believe this one when I see it. I've been hearing about these magic water getters for years now. Every one of them have been lucrative scams run on kickstarter platforms. Don't donate any money if they're asking for donations at least until there is irrefutable proof that they have a working prototype.
Honestly, it drives me crazy how many people have reinvented the dehumidifier, put a solar panel on it, and the media has danced around like they've just saved the world! ~Thunderf00t
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Falsus in unum, falsus in omnibus
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Can we make air travel "green"? Yes, but "green" liquid fuel is more expensive than fuel made from crude oil.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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As the US Department of Energy (DoE) continues to look for ways to improve molten salt nuclear reactors (MSRs), a team from Brigham Young University in Utah has designed one it says can fit safely in the bed of a 40-foot truck.
The molten salt micro-nuclear reactor, which will be built by Professor Matthew Memmott and his team, has a chamber that measures just four by seven feet (1.2 x 2.1 metres), has no risk of a meltdown, and can produce enough energy to power 1,000 homes, the university said. Prof Memmott separately told The Register the reactor's output should be around 10MWe.
"For the last 60 years, people have had the gut reaction that nuclear is bad, it's big, it's dangerous," the professor said. "Those perceptions are based on potential issues for generation one, but having the molten salt reactor is the equivalent of having a silicon chip. We can have smaller, safer, cheaper reactors and get rid of those problems."
Unlike traditional light-water reactors, which typically store uranium fuel in solid rods that have to be kept cool with liquid water to avoid a meltdown, MSRs instead dissolve fissile material into a molten salt that also acts as the reactor's primary coolant. Treating the fuel and primary coolant as one, and not relying on keeping water coolant flowing and below boiling point, is seen as one safety advantage, among others, for MSRs.
In a typical MSR, the primary fuel salt, with its high melting point of 1022°F (550°C), moves through the reactor and transfers its heat to non-radioactive secondary coolant salt, which can pass on its heat to other things, such as traditional steam-turbine-driven electricity generators.
According to Prof Memmott, nuclear power, and molten salt in particular, is an ideal solution to the world's current energy conundrum because it is safe and stable, the core reaction doesn't produce carbon emissions, and it generates valuable elements accessible for reprocessing after the reaction is complete.
According to his university, the waste generated by an MSR reactor would allow companies to extract Molybdenum-99, an expensive element used in medical imaging; Cobalt-60; gold; platinum; neodymium; and other elements that could be sold for other applications.
Additionally, Prof Memmott said his team were able to pull oxygen and hydrogen from the salts as well. "Through this process, we can make the salt fully clean again and reuse it. We can recycle the salt indefinitely," he said.
Have we entered a molten salt renaissance?
Molten salt reactors were developed in the 1950s and 1960s, and were billed as an alternative to light-water reactors due to their touted smaller size and improved safety. The designs at the time ultimately proved unusable for their original purposes. The Dept of Energy lately launched a $9.25 million study led by Los Alamos National Laboratory to address MSR shortcomings and determine what's needed to make them practical.
During last century's MSR experiments, Oak Ridge National Laboratory found that fluoride salts were incredibly corrosive to metals and other materials used to build reactors – even for a specialized alloy built in the lab to reduce corrosion at high temperatures.
While the DoE is still investigating ways to get around these showstopping corrosion issues, Prof Memmott said that his team, along with Alpha Tech Research Corp (the commercializing partner for the BYU MSR, and of which Memmott is director and senior technical advisor), believe they have solved the problem by removing water and oxygen from the salt, massively reducing the corrosion issue.
The Department of Energy, incidentally, gave Prof Memmott and two other Brigham Young University (BYU) engineering professors, Stella Nickerson and Troy Munro nearly $800,000 in grants in 2019 to determine the physical properties of molten salt.
That particular study was funded by the DoE's Nuclear Energy University Program. The team looked into the density, viscosity, heat
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