1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Where are we headed?

Discussion in 'Environmental Discussion' started by tochatihu, Dec 27, 2016.

  1. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2004
    8,996
    3,507
    0
    Location:
    Kunming Yunnan China
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Some may feel that having a few elections gone 'oddly' in a few countries will propel humanity over a cliff. Others may feel that we have come back towards sanity without wrongly dismissing fossil-C burning.

    This thread ought to be for PriusChat people who have spoken up less before. I begin by taking a year 2050 view. More than 1 billion more people added, needing more energy, food and water. They will (if given the chance) make more economic growth, both by innovation and consumption.

    Your clever minds may offer ideas we have not yet considered. We have dwelt on issues that may or may not be the most important. Let this be the place for new ideas to be presented and explored.
     
  2. mojo

    mojo Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2006
    4,519
    390
    0
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!
    But very unlikely our death will be due to global warming.
    Much more likely to die from not being able to afford the cost of heating in Germany and the UK.
    Where seriously thousands of elderly will perish every winter due to high costs of fuel.
     
    RCO likes this.
  3. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2004
    8,996
    3,507
    0
    Location:
    Kunming Yunnan China
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Germany is a good example, with renewable sources approaching 32% of electricity supply. Cost is now about usd$0.30 per kwh, compared to $0.19 in Great Britain for example. I'd call that a notably large price difference.

    Mojo's expectation for many prompt early deaths is something else though, something he might wish to support in some way.

    But it's a beginning. Suppose that non-coal electricity costs 50% more than coal, but frees the audience from coal-pollution deaths. What data would be needed to choose the better path?
     
  4. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2005
    27,191
    15,431
    0
    Location:
    Huntsville AL
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    I refuse to post in a thread that begs for 'who have spoken up less' and being 'clever.' Take it up with my attorney @bisco who will sue everyone reading this note by following the Trump example of Dewy, Cheatem, and Howell.

    Bob Wilson
     
    RCO, Mendel Leisk and bisco like this.
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,920
    49,056
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    i read the o/p, then decided not to post. not because i have said far too much already, but because i'm all out of good ideas. have been for awhile. a long while. (sheepish)

    have the mods removed the emoticons from fred's? (confused) wait, this isn't fred's, must be something wrong with the site. (roll eyes)

    back now, all good. i may have had a senior moment.:)
     
    RCO likes this.
  6. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2005
    27,191
    15,431
    0
    Location:
    Huntsville AL
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Following the @mojo example, you are lying because we know you got a Gen-1 Plug-In Prius. Like everyone who is not @mojo, we are all persuaded by his cut-and-post of sphincter collar sources.

    Over the top, yet?

    Bob Wilson

    Ps. Now to figure out my New Years resolution.
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,920
    49,056
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    were my lips moving?:oops:
     
    RCO likes this.
  8. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2009
    13,533
    4,063
    0
    Location:
    Austin, TX, USA
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    N/A
    Most of the difference is a very regressive german tax. Der spiegel has talked much about this.
    It was widely reported that there were many early deaths caused by people not being able to afford heating. These were from lower cost and lower renewable UK, not germany. AFAIK these deaths are not occuring in Germany.
    The scandal of Britain's fuel poverty deaths | The big energy debate | The Guardian
    Germany is rapidly expanding coal. As said much of the cost of energy is taxes. Much of the high cost has to do with shutting nuclear plants early and building coal, offshore wind, and solar. Germany and Japan are increasing coal use and ghg not decreasing it in the short term. Part of the german idea is high cost will make people use less, but this definitely hurts fixed and low income people more than the greens that like the policy.
     
    RCO likes this.
  9. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    11,315
    3,588
    1
    Location:
    Northern VA (NoVA)
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Let's look at the generic possibilities of where we stand:
    (1) Climate change is real and it's too late we've already put too much CO2 in the air
    (2) Climate change is real and if we immediately ban fossil fuels, the planet can be saved.
    (3) Climate change is real but the planet can handle more CO2 due to various reasons
    (4) Climate change is real but depletion of energy resources is the more serious problem

    I leave it there.
     
  10. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2009
    13,533
    4,063
    0
    Location:
    Austin, TX, USA
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    N/A
    Sounds reasonable.
    On the cold turkey on fossil fuels, think about it, most farms in food exporting nations would fail immediately, the famines and wars resulting from the food shortages (hey how do you move it) would likely kill billions within a decade. So cure is likely worse than the disease.

    That leaves you with
    3 human caused climate change is real and we should act to lower its impact

    4 screw it its real but not worth giving up much especailly we should make the koch brothers richer and repeal even today's rules.
     
  11. mojo

    mojo Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2006
    4,519
    390
    0
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    5 )Climate change is real but there is no proof that CO2 has anything much to do with it.
    6) The Sun has recently gone into a state of minimal sunspots.Much like previously during the "Little Ice Age"

     
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,808
    38,313
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Ontario, Canada has punitive electricity rates, due to piled on taxes and a "renewable" agenda I think? To the point of desperation in some rural communities, where "delivery charges" are punishing.
     
  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,920
    49,056
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    higher than 24 cents/kwh?
     
  14. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,808
    38,313
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Hmm, trying to find concrete numbers is like pulling teeth. On this page there's a chart of cost per 1000kwh/mth, and surprise, surprise: Boston MA is leader of the pack:

    Ontario Electricity Prices Are Out Of Control
     
    RCO and bisco like this.
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,920
    49,056
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    not something we take pride in, that's for sure.:unsure: if we were leading in clean energy, i'd be happier about it.

    that's a nice chart. interesting to see that you folks have people on both sides of the coin like we do. most americans think it's all roses and butterflies to the north.:cool:
     
    #15 bisco, Dec 31, 2016
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2016
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  16. mojo

    mojo Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2006
    4,519
    390
    0
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    California is high due to Climate change AB32 legislation.And poised to skyrocket.
    I cant imagine why New York and Boston are so high.
     
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,920
    49,056
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    all i have read is infrastructure upgrades. not much detail though. i'm sure there is some coal and nuclear correlation though. i do know they are bringing in some major gas pipelines. but who knows where those prices will go.
     
  18. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    11,315
    3,588
    1
    Location:
    Northern VA (NoVA)
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I am shocked about Ontario I thought Canada had cheap hydro such as Niagara Falls etc
     
  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,920
    49,056
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    i can't believe the inflation in cigarettes, what a travesty!:eek:
     
  20. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2009
    13,533
    4,063
    0
    Location:
    Austin, TX, USA
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    N/A
    It does, it also has overpaid a great deal for nuclear plants, and had a wierd deregulation like in connetucut where they privatized profits and pushed up rates. They export power to US often at a loss and charge rate payers for overbuilding. Many silly bad policies, having little to do with expensive renewables.

    Its strange how texas can be building infrastructure and renewables wind and solar much cheaper than ontario's nuclear, but .... you get the picture. Lots of poor regulation and people like blaming the renewable part of the government corruption.

    Hydro One: Ontario’s privatization plan explained - The Globe and Mail
    High electrical rates are paying for roads and bridges. The government wouldn't raise fuel taxes or other taxes, they did a hidden tax built into electrical rates, and the new private company may make it much worse in the future.
     
    #20 austingreen, Jan 1, 2017
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2017
    wjtracy likes this.