BBC Muddies the climate change debate waters

[localzuk]

I got bored with this thread very early on as I think the whole issue of climate change and impending doom is just a load of codswallop!

 

As already stated - a large volcanic eruption or stray asteroid could change the worlds climate in a matter of hours.

 

The bottom line is that there are too many scaremongers all trying to make a name for themselves, each trying to produce evidence to outdo the other, and of course they are always right.

 

Reality Check - The human race may well cease to exist due to polution, naturally occuring or otherwise, but the planet will recover and live on as it has done for millions of years!

 

Doesn't really help our children and their children though does it? That's the point. Some are not looking far enough forward, some are looking too far forward (of course something cataclysmic could happen), but the climate change 'bunch' are looking at what we are leaving for the next generation or the generation after that.

 

Seems as you've just dismissed a massive amount of scientific research as 'codswallop' I don't know if that'll mean anything though.

[alan-d]

Doesn't really help our children and their children though does it? That's the point. Some are not looking far enough forward, some are looking too far forward (of course something cataclysmic could happen), but the climate change 'bunch' are looking at what we are leaving for the next generation or the generation after that.

 

Seems as you've just dismissed a massive amount of scientific research as 'codswallop' I don't know if that'll mean anything though.

 

Seems like you are just repeating what others say - may I remind you that Europe was once covered in forest which over a relatively short time was cut down - I don't see any reports of major climate change disasters happening in the 14th century, so where did that CO2 go I wonder? Just a very very small example of historical event that could change the world. In the end, when it's 'time up' for the human race there is stuff all you or anyone else can do about it

 

What exactly has scientific research actually found out? Oh yea - there are some changes happening! What changes exactly depends on who you listen to and represents data gathered on a minute fraction of time during the Earths history.

 

No-one has ever come up with true, hard facts that do not have a counter argument.

 

I repeat - It's all codswallop

[Martin]

Other methods involve water movement (ie. 2 reservoirs, energy from solar etc... power pumps which move water up hill, and then when energy is needed, it is recaptured from hydroelectric turbines), flywheel energy storage.

 

True, all these ideas are not that great, but this is improving now that more effort is being put into it.

 

I have liked the idea of pumped storage HEP ever since i visited the Ffestiniog power station over forty years ago

 

However, more effort isn't being put into it (at least in the UK) because there are very few suitable sites left for large scale facilities. The very impressive Dinorwig power station was built over 20 years ago and many of the others were built in the 50s and 60s.

 

Ironically it is countries like China with it's 18GW Three Gorges Dam project (ten times the power of Dinorwig, which itself is the largest in Europe!) that are best suited for hydro electric power (both geographically and politically).

 

mb

[localzuk]

I have liked the idea of pumped storage HEP ever since i visited the Ffestiniog power station over forty years ago

 

However, more effort isn't being put into it (at least in the UK) because there are very few suitable sites left for large scale facilities. The very impressive Dinorwig power station was built over 20 years ago and many of the others were built in the 50s and 60s.

 

Ironically it is countries like China with it's 18GW Three Gorges Dam project (ten times the power of Dinorwig, which itself is the largest in Europe!) that are best suited for hydro electric power (both geographically and politically).

 

mb

 

Ah, that's the thing - the UK might not be, but other countries are. Being a part of the EU, we seem to be moving towards a much more give/take way of using resources now. Like a earlier poster mentioned that we import power from France.

 

The EU as a landmass has plenty of space to do all sorts of renewable energy generation. The Med area is good for solar, Scandinavia and the UK are good for wave, tidal and wind generation etc...

 

Together we can generate more than enough power.

[sidewinder]

Reality Check - The human race may well cease to exist due to polution, naturally occuring or otherwise, but the planet will recover and live on as it has done for millions of years!

 

Of course it will at some point, but shouldnt we try and at least make it last a few generations more? Because at the rate things are going, the population is going to end up being reduced a hell of a lot ovet the next few generations, be that from climate change, resource depletion or food scarcity.

 

Maybe we are all doomed whatever we try but its still worth trying. If anti-green's get their way we wont change one single thing about the way we live as a species, yet its proven the way we live is not sustainable indefinately.

 

Theres no problem if you dont believe or are undecided about man made climate change. No-one can really be 100% sure. But that doesnt mean you have to be anti everything green and dismissive of any change to your lifestyle

[skunk]

Is the climate changing? well yes obviously, lots of graphs, bearded people shouting, politicians smarming, so something is up.

 

Is the climate getting worse? Frankly who knows, and for whom, the human race is about the most versatile animal on the planet (cockroaches don't count they piggy back on us), as a race I think we will survive.

 

Are we to blame? Who knows, but since we stopped letting CFCs into the atmosphere it has got cooler, the CFC reduction allows more ozone to exist in the upper atmosphere, which is a greenhouse gas, which will heat up the climate, f*cksocks this is quite complex. I don't believe people who get quite so religous about anything.

 

Should we do anything? Well yes, whether we are causing climate change or not, our resources are finite and I for one would like my grandchildren's children to be able to eat. So anything we can do to reduce the strain we are putting on our resources is good. Otherwise pure economics will screw us right royally, when there are three lumps of coal left, will the Chinese sell them to us. Unlikely I think.

[CHR1S]

What has driven invention and adaption since the start of human existence? Necessity!!

Until the need for new renewable energy is NEEDED (Desperatly) there will be no serious government uptake of new technology. There is no reason to point fingers of blame at any of us (yes we can help in part by recycling etc). The technologies are here now or very close (Nuclear Fusion) are almost self sustaining and relativley safe. Governments just need to take charge and lead the rest of the world into change.