Ethical Man is reborn
London, UK - We all know the green mantras. Change your lightbulbs, recycle, fly less, buy a hybrid car, turn down the thermostat. The list goes on and on.
But here's the rub. On their own they are never going to be enough to stop global warming.
I know it is green heresy but it is true. How do I know? Because I am the BBC's Ethical Man and my family and I spent a year doing everything we could think of to reduce our carbon emissions.
We did all the big stuff. We stopped flying, got rid of the car and changed the way we heat and power our home. Here's a snapshot of our ethical year:
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But we only managed to cut our carbon emissions by 20%. That's right, just 20%.
Remember, according to the scientists we need to cut our emissions by 80% by 2050 just to keep climate change within two degrees centigrade of current world temperatures.
Clearly even the best efforts of ethical men and women on their own will not be enough to prevent global warming.
So the BBC has given me a new and bigger challenge, nothing less than to save the world from climate change!
I'm going on a 6,500 mile trip around the nation that brought the world the motor car, the aeroplane, the suburb, the drive-thru hamburger joint and the hot tub, in search of solutions to the biggest problem on earth.
Each American is responsible for 20 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, more than twice that of the average European. But America is also the most innovative and powerful nation on earth and, what's more, has a president who says he is serious about tackling global warming.
The idea is simple. If we can solve global warming here, we can solve it anywhere.
We've sketched a rough schedule. We'll be starting in a small town in Michigan called Muskegon, and then we'll trace a giant circle round via Detroit, Washington, Texas, California and back to Muskegon.
We've lined up all sorts of people to speak to but we need more. We want to meet people who are already trying to find the answers the world needs.
Who do you think we should be talking to?
Do you have any ideas about how we might make the massive changes to our societies that will be necessary to cut greenhouse gas emissions?
Do you know anyone who is working in their garage on some crazy invention that might just save the world?
And I've got another, rather more personal request. Because I'm travelling as the BBC's Ethical Man I've been ordered to keep my environmental impact to an absolute minimum.
Of course I'm going to fly from Britain, but after that my producer Sara insists that I have to get around in the most low carbon way possible. I have downloaded the Greyhound bus timetable and am looking at what trains I might catch... but how else can I get around?
Please click the Ethical Man Feed button in the right hand column and subscribe to my RSS feed. Then you'll be alerted to any new blogs.
I plan to post regular reports as I travel around America, and want to stimulate a vigorous debate about whether we can, or indeed should, attempt to build a low-carbon economy.
You can find out more about my last Ethical Man project here.
And you can follow my progress across America via the Ethical Man Facebook group and on Twitter.
I'm Justin Rowlatt and I am the BBC's Ethical Man. My family and I spent a year trying to cut our carbon emissions and reporting on the exercise for 
© MMX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~44~RS~)
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What a fantastic waste of money from the BBC -- a presenter gets a long holiday in the name of journalism. Please stop this kind of nonsense. How many more times must you give us the same environmental stories with thin new veneers like this? So, my suggestion is come home and do something else.
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"Of course I'm going to fly from Britain, but after that my producer Sara insists that I have to get around in the most low carbon way possible."
I would love to meet this Sara woman, because she must have, in the jargon, amazing 'influencing skills' to persuade you to get back into the 'Ethical Man' batcape and batcar after your travails last time...
Don't listen to jeremiads like JonnyJoe - this has to be a good idea, and you are after all THE Ethical Man.. JonnyJoe doesn't seem to realise this, anymore than he would understand that SpiderMan is at the same time cursed and blessed and it is his fate to rescue New Yorkers from criminals and other miscreants..
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"Of course I'm going to fly from Britain" why? could you not have gone across the ocean working your passage on a container ship? or perhaps taken up sailing? Just joking, though I imagine it will be cattle class as the more people are packed in the smaller the individual footprint!
20 years ago I travelled down the east coast by greyhound from DC to Orlando and back. Most memorable were the "rest stops" at diners in the middle of nowhere at 3am and the stench of disinfectant/chemical toilet fluid in the air when one got back on the bus. I'm sure the greyhound experience has changed for the better :-)
we need to see what is being done regards car pools/ car share. Are you going to be hitching (suggest the camera crew wait in the bushes 'till the vehicle stops)
Good Luck, and hope we see some greater reductions.
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Saw your piece on Breakfast TV. Thought you might be interested in the project funded by Neil Young, yes, the singer.songwriter.
He's looking at ways into running cars much more economically. He's trying to get a 1959 Lincoln Continental (19.5ft long and weighs 2.5 tons) to achieve 100 mpg and has entered the car in the Automotive X competition. The aim is to eventually run on zero emissions. Have a look at his www.lincvolt.com It might be worthwhile contacting him to find out more.
Best wishes
Pete
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In reality, the higher the fluf, or fat in Americans waste-fullness the easier it is to cut, so it is far better to go to a place with a small footprint to begin this story. What has happened to good journalism? That would be a story.
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Be sure to check out the work being done to cut carbon emissions from the industrial food system. Slow Food USA is a leader in working to change the global food industry to a sustainable, local system, which could help reduce emissions as much as flying less/not at all.
They've got a great HQ in Brooklyn to check out, and I am sure they'd enjoy telling you about the work they do.
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Hella, Justin & family
wonderfull idea, good cause and great trip !
Im doing a thesis on cooperative economy,
like to ask you professor if he has wonder
how big it would be the ecological footprint of our current the economy based on competiton !
( i.e : replication of jobs...)
Hope to hear from ya !
Coopman
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If you are in Washington as in DC then you should check out the carsharing scheme zipcars http://www.zipcar.com/
and the blog greater greater Washington http://greatergreaterwashington.org/ is pretty up on enviro-friendly planning in the DC area.
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When in Michigan you should come spend time up on Lake Superior at Michigan Technological University. We have a great many innovative projects, some of the state's energy center projects, and are attempting to green ourselves up as a campus.
Sailing up might save you carbon emissions (though there maybe be larger life cycle costs of sail-powered boats that aren't apparent). Perhaps you could take the bus up with one of our university sports teams.
Sailing is not an option right now, due to snow and ice, of course.
Actually, we are closer to Minneapolis (but you couldn't readily sail) than parts of the "lower peninsula of Michigan."
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Hi Justin - Just last year the University of New Hampshire built a 12 mile underground pipeiline to bring methane gas from a large landfill in a nearby town to generate heat and electricity for the campus. This effort was part of their goal to cut their greenhouse gas emissions more than 50% below 1990 levels.
http://www.sustainableunh.unh.edu/climate_ed/cogen_landfillgas.html
We'd love to see you in NH!
Cheers!
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I just saw the clip on the TV about this today, and was surprised to hear you mention Muskegon Michigan. I'm from northern Michigan, and was very glad that you mentioned the lack of public transportation (patricularly outside of the cities). It is true, we do not need 3 cars per household, but there is validity to larger vehicles (those with 4-wheel or all-wheel drive) due to the type of weather people in northern Michigan deal with (and much of the Midwest). We are not like urban areas such as those on the east and west coasts. Many people in northern Michigan live in small towns and villages that may not have mass transit systems at all. I'm all in favor of going "as green as possible", and I am excited to see how you approach such region-specific challenges.
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Ethical Man needs to become Common Sense Man. I can already tell you how the final piece will run....Americans are fat, lazy and dont care what we do to the environment. And that couldnt be farther from the truth for some of us. People are losing their homes and jobs in droves, and this guy is running around the country making sure cattle only makes manure once a day to cut down on greenhouse gases. Ive got a footprint for you, and I can tell you where it would end up if I were your boss and you asked for company money to write this rubbish.
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I am an American living in Europe (Italy). I am intrested in your quest and your findings but I do have a question and a challenge for you too. You wrote: Each American is responsible for 20 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, more than twice that of the average European. Is this actual or is that the quantity accredited to each person based on the TOTAL emissions divided by the population (America and Europe)? I would like you to gather an estimate of the "Average" carbon emissions by "Average" Americans and compare that to the European average.
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I hope you come to Dallas, Texas! I live in the southeast sector of Dallas County and there is NO public transportation near my house. The closest bus stop is at least 2 miles away. Dallas has been developing a rail system but at the moment it only runs in the northern sectors of the county. The people who need public transportation the most are in the southern sector of the county, which is a poorer area.
On another note: I drive a 10 year old car that gets 28 to 30 miles per gallon. All of my family members drive vehicles that get very good gas mileage, a couple of them drive hybrids or take publick transportation. It irritates me to hear someone say that they "have" to have a big car because they have two children and they need the extra room for sports equipment. My sister and her husband have two children and they drive a Hyundai that has a huge trunk and gets excellent gas mileage.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Great idea! When in the Washington, D.C. area, check out suburbs of Bethesda and Cabin John, MD for the metal recycling challenge and a kitchen & bath renovator who recycles everything (nothing goes in the dumpster).
Obviously the least carbon-emitting way to get around the U.S. would be by bicycle, but may not meet your time constraint. Isn't this what the lifestyle change is about? But you should try cycling for some stages. Technical assistance and loaner bikes available.
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Speak to anyone who is working to make the the energy grid intelligent - whereby you can buy and sell energy to your energy provider at the best prices.
Two key personalities to interview are Amory Lovins at the rocky Mountain Institute - an energy Guru and an optimist amidst so much pesimissom......and Thomas Friedman of the New York Times - who has been looking into how the US can lead the world towards a low carbon economy on a hot flat and crowded planet
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If you want to make a good assessment of how much Americans really need to do to prepare for a sustainable future, then you should read this online book by a Cambridge (UK) professor, and then adapt it for the US.
http://www.withouthotair.com/download.html
The book is written by David MacKay, Professor of Natural Philosophy in the Department of Physics at Cambridge, and he does a great job of sifting through all the information to get to some good conclusions.
Big solutions are required by society as a whole - wind farms, solar farms and a lot of energy frugality. I don't think many people have really cottoned on to this - they think technology can fix it. Prof MacKay explains the problems clearly.
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I'm all for the low carbon economy, but mostly because we are running out of the stuff! By all means try to save the planet, but do stop in on some of the respected climate scientists who may tell you that an extra 100th of one percent of this plant food over the next 50 years won't actually destroy the planet. Visit http://www.drroyspencer.com/about/ for contact details of just one of them.
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You could try hitchhiking.That's pretty low carbon and cheap!And you would meet all kinds of interesting people.
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@frase311
You presumably live in the US, so you are much more at risk from cars than you are from "muslim extremists". The people who really suffer are those in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Let's not forget that bin Laden's main beef is with the Saudis.
Anyway, climate change is a much bigger risk to your descendants, even the Pentagon thinks so, although the global crisis seems to have taken top spot for some recently.
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When you get to California you might want to visit the Strauss Family Creamery in Marshall, CA Marin County. This is north of San Francisco.. They are an organic dairy that uses all the animal waste to produce their electricity... thereby doubling down so to speak their carbon footprint. They also use glass bottles which reduces plastic waste as well and make the best yogurt to be found ...
http://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/
They are part of Marin Organics which in just a few years has managed to put many acres of land into organic production, protecting our food and the land and water at the same time.
http://www.marinorganic.org/
Do take their carbon footprint survey.... and see how you stack up at the beginning of your journey...
Have a great time....
nocalgal
I echo the zipcars which we also have in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Dear Mr. Rowlatt,
You are obviously not a scientist who has studied the climate of earth. Perhaps you would be good enough to learn something first before you write about it and I strongly suggest that you show a copy of what you have discovered to the director general of the BBC so that each of you becomes aware of the cold, hard facts. For those of you reading this. you may care to take a brief test on the following website: [Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]
Do please try and learn something, then see how nasty people can be when you challenge their ignorance.
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So the BBC already has several correspondents (and office/technical backup) in the US, any one of whom could do the travelling and interviewing on this topic, but no. You are flying out especially - for some undisclosed reason, none of the BBC staff based out there could do the job. Doubtless you'll be travelling with a director, cameraman and sound recorder too?
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Since the latest news reports show that world temperatures have been falling for the last 8 years, we can congratulate you and Al Gore for saving the planet from global warming. Well done! Well done indeed sir!
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You might also want to try Megabus for mass transit across country. It only runs in the Northeast and the upper Midwest, but it can save you money. Just google Megabus for their site.
Good luck with your travels!
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Do you have any idea what you are getting yourself into? Do you realized that England could fit into the state of Texas alone? I don't think you are going to be prepared for the long distances and I frankly don't see this as the most efficient (and energy saving) way to explore the question of climate change.
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Justin,
I recently took a road trip around America in the name of journalism for that rather special election they've just had.
I recommend two things - a car sharing website at www.carsharing.net and if you want a low carbon place to stay then I recommend www.couchsurfing.com where you can stay with a family or 'fun time Frankie' in practically any city in the USA.
It's a great way to meet interesting people who I'm sure your researchers could fix you up with, and will reduce your footprint because you'll use less energy here than in a fancy hotel (or cruddy Super 8 motel for that matter.)
In terms of stories, I'm certain you'll be heading to the capital to meet some of Obama's new environmental team (an interview with Steven Chu would be very welcome sir) and you can't go far wrong for striking images than New Orleans.
Katrina, Ike and Gustav might have happened in other eras of history but climate change means powerful hurricanes will become more regular occurrences. Meeting people in the Lower Ninth Ward will certainly give a human face to the potential tragedy of Climate shifts, even in the wealthiest nation on earth.
I wish you well, and hope you can highlight some of the key issues the world faces. I completely agree with your assessment: if the USA could invigorate its economy with low-carbon initiatives and become a green technology world leader the economic paradigm shifts and China and India and other emerging markets will have to follow to compete. Fingers crossed, because we don't have long to stabilise a dangerous situation.
http://pairofasses.blogspot.com
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What a load of rubbish. For once, maybe the BBC have got it all wrong. Tell this man to go get a real job.
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You need to stay here - there's lots to do!
I walked 1.5 miles to my local recycling centre last week to recycle my household batteries and the security guard wouldn't let me in because I hadn't driven there in a car.
I was told to go home, take my batteries with me and drive back!
In LA you will be stopped by the police for walking - it's considered a suspicious activity - jogging in designated areas is OK though.
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Oh, and in addition, use the railways - on more than one occasion conductors outright apologised for the state of the Amtrak services, suggesting that British railways were vastly superior.
In truth, their trains are bigger and far more comfortable but slow, and woefully infrequent. They have few lines connecting major cities and since the 1960s have been systematically dismantling the network.
A brilliant example is the truly beautiful Cincinnati Union Terminal; it was a 20 platform, Art Deco pantheon of rail industry, which, during its heyday, used to run over 200 train routes daily. Now it runs 2.
When we boarded our train to Chicago, the station master called out the names of people waiting individually to board the train... madness.
Thanks to consistent pressure from the Car Making lobbyists the US has little alternative to driving or flying everywhere. You only have to visit Atlanta airport to see how reliant they are on domestic flights now. A 15 minute plane drive from runway to terminal is not uncommon.
Enjoy your trip and quadrupling your footprint, you might struggle not to.
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America is big country that is cold, very cold in the winter months and hot, very hot in the summer months.
Please take this into consideration when you begin to chide Americans (and Canadians) over energy usage.
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#27
What would be the most carbon-saving method of doing a project on climate change? After all, Justin asked for suggestions, not criticism from people who don't even contribute to his wages.
We could, of course, adopt the Republican mantra - sweep the issue under the carpet in favour of industrial growth (or denial), and wonder where it all went wrong in 50 years time.
I'm eager about any documentary that provides education on a subject so many people know so little about. His reports on Newsnight were amazing!
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Great Idea!
I would check out universities to see potential ideas. Also companies working with Algae and Jatropha blend Biodiesel. Jatropha is a plant used in developing countries that renews and replenishes poor soil with nutrients, it has no nutritional value so it doesn't play a role in the food v. fuel debate.
Another item to investigate besides the slow food movement is the Urban Agriculture movement. No matter where you live one major key to greening your foot print is bringing your food closer to home, especially in urban centers. While the dense population of an urban area reduces the inhabitants carbon footprint, there is a lack of knowledge as to where the food comes from or eating nutrient rich food. In Milwaukee there is an Urban Farm called Growing Power that produces food all year round for the neighborhood and local restaurants. They use techniques such as vertical gardening, aquaponics for growing fish and lettuce, and vermiculture to provide nutrient rich compost for the garden/ greenhouse. This is not limited to the urban setting either there are movements of suburban homesteading as well and revival of community/victory gardens.
As for travel, I would look into a website called couchsurfing for places to stay and rideshares from one location to another. Otherwise craiglist is another website for rideshares as well.
Good luck traveling!
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Why: "Of course" you will fly from Britain?
Surely a significant part of exploring the implications carbon reduction is to actively engage in all alternatives.
While air travel contributes a relatively small proportion of the total annual carbon loading of Earth's atmosphere, it is still significant in terms of any individuals footprint.
Therefore, arguably you should be properly examining alternatives, and their implications; in this instance business travel by air. This requirement is arguably even more important if you haven't manage to hit the magic 20% so far.
Have you looked at passage on a freighter to the US, or even sailing, etc?
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Oh, dear. Lots of whining about the cost. Don't people realise the BBC is awash with money - it must be if it can afford to pay the likes of Jonathan dRoss nearly £16,500 per day.
I'm sure it'll be an interesting series showing that even Americans are learning to care about the planet.
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How about reporting on new thinking about city planning (encouraging self-sufficiency of communities and walkable neighborhoods)? And exploring the idea of encouraging voluntary population control - looking upon the world's burgeoning population as probably the single element that presents the biggest threat to sustainability. Any success with implementation of these ideas would probably stem from suitable education and indoctrination from early childhood - but I'm not yet aware of any effort of this sort. Also, there are great bike trails in many parts of the U.S. that could be used to avoid automotive transportation - for instance, the Great Allegheny Passage in the "mid-Atlantic" region.
God luck!
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Enjoy Muskegon! My all-time-favorite food joint there is US 31 BBQ. [Personal details removed by Moderator]. Try the beef and the pork and let me know which one you like better.
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Ethical Man,
Michigan is happy to host you.
After Muskegon, you might interview Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell. He's set the goal of meeting 100 percent of his cities energy demand with renewables.
Check out http://ow.ly/i4s for more info.
Also in Grand Rapids, Cascade Engineering is manufacturing/distributing/installing rooftop wind turbines for residential and corporate use. Talk to Fred Keller.
Finally, United Solar Ovonics is located in Greenville, MI and I believe planning to expand with a new manufacturing plant in Kalamazoo, MI.
Safe travels,
[Personal details removed by Moderator]
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for rideshares you could try craigslist.org and find the rideshare link on the city page where you are leaving from or going to. If you post a couple of weeks in advance on where you are looking to go you may have some good luck.
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Great - all this from a native of the fly-tipping capital of the world and from a country that still disposes 95% of organic waste in landfills. I can't wait for yet another BBC inspired skewed view of life in the US because this corporation is fundamentally incapable of providing a balanced view on anything.
To stimulate a "vigorous debate about whether we can, or indeed should, attempt to build a low-carbon economy" does not require a road trip jolly across the US at the license payers expense. You can do that just as well in the UK for half the cost and probably half the time. In 2008, the UK was labelled the "dustbin of Europe" for its low recycling rates and its continued reliance on landfills and as recycling rates in the US continue to outstrip the equivalent in the UK, my recommendation is to look no further than your own backyard.
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I stopped taking 'Ethical Man' seriously when he decided to go for a week without using a car, except he lived in London. I used to live in London and I hardly ever used the car. Infact it was more hassle to use the car than the tube or bus.
It would have been a vaguely meaningful experiment had it been done outside London where public transport is a nightmare or just non-existent.
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Welcome to the States! While the comment list shows some of the internal struggle with climate change we still face in the US, I hope you'll find us as hospitable and open as I know we can be.
You should absolutely get a subscription to zipcar as the single membership will work in dozens of cities. It's the same company operating on both coasts. We rely on it and don't own a car. www.zipcar.com.
Also, along the East Coast a new service has sprung up as Grayhound has declined. Generally just called the Chinatown buses, they're private bus lines that operate between Chinatowns in all the major cities. Fares are quite cheap. They generally board from a major subway stop or train station.
Similarly, out West you'll find similar informal services between Hispanic communities that the migrant farm workers use now that Grayhound has cut so many small towns out of it's routes.
There are car sharing websites that friends use to arrange trips as well - but I haven't used any myself.
And per passenger mile, flying was the most efficient way to arrive here - short perhaps sailing without a motor.
Finally, thanks so much for the focus on solutions. You're 100% right, it's time to stop worrying and start doing. I for one will be reading regularly.
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Please can you advise the tonnage of extra CO2 created by this jaunt compared to staying at home and researching over the internet instead.
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#33
I stand by my comments. I don't think Justin was merely asking opinions of people who pay his wages, either.
#32
I live in the desert so I completely agree!
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As a fat, lazy, carbon-emitting American, I will be following your journey with interest; especially since you will be starting in Muskegon, my grandfather's birthplace after his parents swam over from Ireland.
My primary concern is how you will get around the country in a "green" fashion. I'm afraid that you will discover the hard way that this country is just a tad bit larger than back home. My suggestion is to get rid of Sara.
But once here, PLEASE check out and report on how individual localities are handling mass-transit. I have long believed that the better the mass-transit, the better the economy.
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Further to my earlier post - the needless waste of this proposed trip does not sit too well with the vitriol being ladelled out - and reported on this web-site - to LLoyds employees who - perish the thought - are being considered for a bonus. Double standards and hypocrisy BBC - all to common these days I fear.
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Best of success to you, Justin, in this effort. Remember, though, that whatever good things you find or do during this journey, there will be someone or some group to gripe and complain about it. The perpetually unsatisfied are lying in wait. Looking forward to your posts.
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I am interested in your quest :-)
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I live in Southern California. Although I drive a relatively gas-friendly car, by husband is a walking carbon-onset: races a motorbike, goes dirt bike riding, has a huge SUV and runs the heat with the windows open. Having been born and raised in England, I hate sleeping in a hot bedroom with a fan blazing on him. Still, we try to comprimise. I compost and recycle. Not much.
You should look up Ed Begley Jr., who has been an environmental activist for years. He's quite a card.
Trains are a good idea, but there are some parts of America that you simply can't reach unless you have a car. It's awful... But it is a huge country. Good luck on your journey!
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My original comment was removed,obviously because only favorable ,[or mildly critical ,]comments are allowed. Your "ethical man" is not welcome in America ,you have so many critical problems in the U.K. it is totally offensive for the B.B.C. to send someone to find fault with the country which stands between total anarchy and freedom for the World. Homeland Security has been alerted and hopefully customs and immigration will deny this idiotic troublemaker access to the greatest country in the World.
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I think this is a great idea. The environment is also my passion. I go to UW-La Crosse and February 26th we're making out way to DC for PowerShift09. It's a huge conference type of thing for young people all over the nation and it's mainly on Global Warming and other environmental issues. We get to lobby with Congress People on Capital Hill Monday March 2nd. But I think what you're doing is a great idea. I would love to help you in any way needed!
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Ethical Man,
You're going around AMERICA in search of solutions to the global environmental crisis? Good luck.
I commend your efforts to try getting around this large country with the least amount of carbon emmisions as possible. It should make an interesting read, although I'll tell you right now what the problem is: the post-WWII American urban planning mentality that created the suburban sprawl and urban motorways, completely neglected city centres and public transport in most cities, and put incredible public investment into roads and airports while completely ignoring rail travel. While France and Japan were investing in electrified high-speed rail in the late 1960s and 1970s, America insisted on its automobile-centric urban model despite showing its first signs of miserable failure as early as the 1960s. So much for being the "world's most innovative nation", America lost that distinction decades ago, and I don't think we'll regain it any time in the near future.
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Be sure to stop by the wind farms outside of Cheyenne Wyoming (on the Colorado side)
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We have just built a zero fossil-fuel house and you are welcome to visit:
http://picasaweb.google.com/graham.bowkett
Contact information is in the right hand column.
We are in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains east of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Bill Richardson is our governor and he has brought us a commuter train linking Santa Fe to Albuquerque.
Santa Fe is in the process of passing a "Sustainable Building Code".
Although we still wear cowboy hats we are quite forward looking!
(I support 350.org)
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Will you be visiting Northern California? You may be interested in the Schatz Energy Research Center in Arcata. They do exciting work in the field of hydrogen power. And you can reach Arcata by Greyhound or Amtrak (bus).
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The bottom line, mates, is that the whole thing is Quixotic in its blindness and fecklessness. You think you're gonna change the weather!!!??? You might as well be spitting into a full force gale. Man of la Mancha, the biggest problem is your instituting laws as unreasonable and implacable as the Spanish Inquisition's very own.
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To ninawow,
Here in Caracas, dont have zipcar
its a great idea, already on wheels,
congrat !
Its a coop initiative,
clearly reduces the ecofoot
and of course bigger than a car ...
it would be interesting to know
how good are salaries of employees,
how much they participate
and the social responsability aspect !
If we are to be ETHICAL got to be bigger than GREEN !
Thanks NINA, it helped a lot !
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If Ethical Man wants to leave a more beautiful world for his children he could start by tearing down the godawful wallpaper he's sitting in front of in the picture. A self absorbed phony. What a waste of time, money and petrol!!
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I have skant regard for this type of BBC / hack self flagulation. Where is the imagination in this any fool on expences could do this, how about putting some real effort and resort to the only way of carbon saving ie do not create any. there is wind and sail power ,good old shankies pony for a start. Come on now cut out the headlinners and get down to where is really at at groun level.
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jpstrikes: "Since the latest news reports show that world temperatures have been falling for the last 8 years"
Which news reports?
A quick search for temperature graphs found this one, which doesn't support what you said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Satellite_Temperatures.png
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There is only one solution to Climate Change, and it's the one no-one's willing to talk about. People need to stop having babies. We need to get the global population down, and the only ethical way to do that is to get vast numbers of people all across the world to decide not to have children.
Anything else really is just papering over the cracks.
Btw, why are you flying to the US? Book passage on a container ship, most of them carry small numbers of passengers, and the crossing doesn't take that long.
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If you believe in anthropogenic global warming, "Ethical Man" and his wife are holding the problem in their laps: kids. Kids = carbon emissions. Eliminate the kids, you eliminate the problem. That is why we need world government issued "Reproduction Permit Trading", along the lines of Carbon Credit Trading. If you want a sniveling, carbon producing little rat, you should bid on the open market for the right produce the polluting little creatures, to offset their future destruction of the planet. By so doing, we can eliminate half the population! By the way, methane is 20 times more dangerous a greenhouse gas, so we absolutely need to start regulating diets, what you can and shouldn't eat. No more MEAT! Flatulence is NOT a right, nor even a privilege.
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I congratulate all efforts, great or small that help us start a more responsible lifestyle and save ourselves from Global Warming and man-made climate change problems.
Your trip may find new ways of doing things that no one has heard of. It is not easy to be heard of by journalists.
We need your help with Global Cooling Campaign ( www.onedegreeless.org) since you are traveling the country you could have another objectives as well making your quest more worthwhile, fun community efforts.
While Brazil is doing well on the alternative fuels front, other countries are still behind in installing effective solutions on alternative fuel options due to lack of infrastructures.
Meanwhile what are other things that EACH INDIVIDUAL, adult and child, man or woman can do that have a MAJOR and IMMEDITE IMPACT on Global Cooling?
So far, nothing in the world is as effective, realistic and with fastest results as white reflective roofs
(Cool roofs or White Roofs) to lower the global warming effects.
(Lord Nicolas Stern (UK) supports this effort).
We launched an initiative during the Inauguration of President Obama ; a project called One Degree Less – International Global Cooling initiatives – www.onedegreeless.org and www.gbcbrasil.org.br
We hope to partner with several countries to make “ cool events” such as residential or commercial building roof painting parties, schools painting, sport events on the roof top, simultaneous event like the New Year Countdown of important landmarks in each of these countries / cities and competitions in 100 cities around the world.
Maybe you can help with this during your search for other solutions.
The study was done by Dr Hashem Akbari who is our partner. He is the chief scientist at the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory in California where Dr Stephen Chu, the Noble Prize winner in Physics is the Director. Lucky for us, Dr Chu was chosen by President Obama to be the Secretary of Energy of USA! Now we are working with the Housing Council ( they care for apartments in USA) to try to make white roof and green roofs, as well as trees planting to replace the surface areas lost to urbanization.
The Clinton Foundation is also partnering with us.
During your journey , you could go and promote people of each of the these cities to do community painting ( many states already give TAX incentives to do so!)
The building or houses that had been painted can register their projects on our website . They can Google- Earth the location ( we can put the pictures before and after . We will also give the “LOGO” or a SEAL for these buildings to put at the lobby or entrance door that they too have collaborated in the Global Cooling Efforts.
Dr. Hasem Akbari's work has focused on the use of cool and white roofs to reduce C02 emissions, cut smog, significantly reduce the temperature of urban areas, and improve the quality of life. His research demonstrates that a global scale roof strategy could reduce carbon emissions equivalent to removing approximately 600 million cars for nearly 20 years.
The objective of the One Degree Less Campaign, a partner of LBL - Heat Island Group, is to help combat global warming, starting with a simple step of painting the roof white with reflective paint.
One Degree Less will also be working with the National Multi-Housing Council and mayors from across the United States to start the program. Earlier this month, U.S. mayors told a House global warming panel that Congress must ensure that any economic stimulus plan includes significant funding for "green" programs, such as residential weatherization efforts that would create jobs and help reduce energy use and carbon emissions.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, a key leader in this campaign, is working to convert many of the 400,000 flat tar roofs in Philly to cool/white roofs. He said this effort will reflect heat in the summer and reduce cooling costs.
On the federal side, the proposed stimulus plan includes $6 billion for weatherization efforts and $16 billion for efficiency improvements and other repairs in public housing. Rep. Edward Markey, who chairs the Congressional select committee, applauded the stimulus proposal, saying "this is a green and bold stimulus package that will help our economy and protect our environment".
More: For more information, see the One Degree Less web site: www.onedegreeless.org
Photos: More photos can be found on the One Degree Less Flickr page: http://flickr.com/photos/onedegreeless
Film: Our One Degree Less film can be viewed here:
At Green building council Brazil, a one year old NGO, we have taught over 7,000 professionals from architects , engineers, operating in 18 cities – 11 capitals in brazil.
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If this is serious and not just a publicity game, the journey should begin by sailing ship from the UK to the US.
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Let's do the obvious. If you spend our day working on a computer - have you work from home. Yes there are many old school executives out there that "need to see you at your desk". It is time for them to go - and yes folks I am old - almost 63. No I do not expect all the people who work on most of my jobs to be in the office - they are scattered all over the world - I do expect them to be on instant messenger however.
Next meetings: We fly around the world to hold meetings to sell our products. Why - because we need face to face time - no I do not think so - we do it to show the new client how important he / she is - spend lavish amounts on dinners (which most do not need if you look at their size). We have a web that can and does connect for electronic video meetings and faxes still exist where we need a legal signature for a document. Cut the travel.
Next: I have worked for one CEO several times who has a senior level monthly meeting. It is usually for a single day - about 60 percent of the folks are flown in the day before - put in a hotel for 2 nights and then fly home. After breaks for checking email and returning phone calls the actual meeting lasts about 5 hours of the day. (0 percent of the meeting is reports - already written out with a summary by the section executive of what it says - it is then printed and copies made for the remainder of the executives for their records. Oh they all have computers - why do we waste the paper!
Granted I live with technology each and every day as it is my field of work. But it works folks and we are not using its potential to lesson our impact on this world and lesson the economic impact on our economies. Yes, some industries will have to cut back - autos, airlines, motels - but let's get them down to tourist needs and stop the foolishness.
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Take 1 or more "furoshiki" as you go, to save on plastic bags and other packaging. It is just a square of cloth - originally Japanese - which can be knotted in various ways. It can be used VERY easily and functions VERY well as an extra shopping/shoulder bag, wrapping for a gift or wrapping to stop things like glass bottles breaking in transit or unpackaged bread / snacks dropping crumbs / squishing inside your normal bag. I guess it could even be a sunhat and you can picnic on it too. More explanation is available on youtube or the Environment Minister of Japan's website. If Katherine Hamnett will make "I'm not a plastic bags" for Tesco I'm sure you can find a sponsor to make/give/recycle you something you could be seen with - at least one US company (run by ex sport shoe designers I believe!) makes them out of recycled fabric and sells them via the internet. Just because Americans drive big cars does not mean we should give up on the little, easy things.
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dear gahd man whatever you do, do *not* ride greyhound. the overwhelming majority of this country does not ride public transportation and its standards are minimal at best.
i have traveled via greyhound on a number of occasions, but because im poor, not because im green. hike, hitchhike, walk, if you must, but unless youre thinking of writing a sequel to zinn's history of america then find another transport.
also, if youre looking to visit parts of america, try to get to Asheville, North Carolina. also, im sure this must be on your list, but if not add it:
http://www.greensburggreentown.org/home_page/
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Bicycle ! The greatest transportation invention of all time.
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I live in Chicago and I think it should be on your list. We have a very active solar energy initiative here that includes the city of Chicago. There are many activists in Illinois pushing for more green technologies.
I would also like to recommend a visit with some of our scientist at the Fermi Lab and Argonne National Laboratory both of them outside of Chicago.
These are some of the great minds that will help develop new technology to allow us to reduce our carbon footprint.
Greyhound is one way to travel but I would also check out Amtrak.
Not as many routes as in Europe but between major cities much easier than Greyhound.
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Justin - the US is in the midst of realizing they have to move from taxpayer-subsidized to user-pay roads.
As you can imagine, this has a large impact on the environment (check out edf.org 'congestion charging' for details), both from increasing efficiency - less traffic jams - and from reducing usage.
Of course, this being the US, everyone is talking about it as a solution to government budget shortfalls - and it is a huge topic. The contributors to this online discussion are very good people to discuss with; I'd especially suggest Michael Repogle from the Environmental Defense Fund.
http://transportation.nationaljournal.com/2009/02/how-will-we-pay-for-the-transp.php
The Kheel Report goes further. It suggests offering free public transit instead of free roads: think what that will do for car vs. bus ridership. Google 'Kheel Report' - and meet one of the authors, Charles Komanoff if you go to New York.
And of course if you dip into Canada, you are welcome to meet our firm, Skymeter Corp (.com) up in Toronto.
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@#1:
I disagree with the idea that this is a waste of money and time. If there is anything that is going to help this planet, it is going to be greater understanding between cultures.
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23 BobFuttocks
This is the sane riposte to ISCS: http://www.desmogblog.com/international-climate-science-coalition-bets-that-a-lie-repeated-often-enough
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Hey Ethical Man,
sounds like a great adventure for you, and hopefully something good will come of it. In this day and age it is small missions like these that can induce great change. Small things due matter, and it is with the collaboration of the common folk that will inspire new philosophies and ways of life.
Personally, and I can speak of a little authority, since I grew up in Switzerland, and studied Environmental Sustainability, the best thing to do, is tear everything down which is build out of Wood, and build housing that are energy efficient (meaning: brick walls, floor heating, using thermal heat exchange technology which is the new hit in Switzerland and other parts of Europe, etc), close to shopping, and grocery capabilities, AND most of all change the ludicrous American dream which states to fulfill it one must own his/her own house. The world is not big enough, especially not with the obesity rate in this nation. Hehe.
Be gone the times where we all need cars, sitting snails three to four hours a day, just to get to work and back.
Be gone the times where we need to drive to go shop. We're not handicapped (most of us our not), we can use our legs, lets build the needy things closer to the reach of our legs.
And lastly, if you happen to stop by San Francisco, I recommend you speak to one of the teachers I had the pleasure of learning from. She has tremendous knowledge of such issues: Prof. Pinderhughes of SFSU...
Cheers 'n Beers,
Erolse
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What a waste of time. You seem to be forgetting that people are the cause of the footprint and are therefore the root of the problem. You are all looking at an admirable cause to fix the problem but this is merely a bandaid - the problem will continue to get worse unless we curb the overall population growth. Example - look at that idiot woman who just had 8 babies on top of the 6 she already had and you wonder why our natural resources are being devoured and we are sucking this planet dry ...
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Since you're already scheduled for Los Angeles County
visit The Tree People
http://www.treepeople.org/
and Patagonia (Y Choinard wrote "Let My People Surf")
http://www.patagonia.com
Further north -
Van Jones in Oakland (across the bay from San Francisco)
http://ellabakercenter.org/page.php?pageid=16&contentid=100
Also, Green Tortoise as alternative to Greyhound
I do think you can use city bus and bicycle for travel when you're not crossing the deserts.
Look for vegan meals, use the public libraries, visit AmeriCorps and California Conservation Corps crews.
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Before calling yourself 'ethical', a 'green hero' or presuming to lecture others on saving the environment may I suggest you stop reproducing? That is not meant to be an insult (except intellectually). You already have 3 children. 2 adults turning out 3 children = +50% environmental impact. Your 'extra' kid will do much more environmental damage than my plane trips.
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If you are really serious, you will ride a bicycle.
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In regard to your previous efforts - well done! Note that LED bulbs are even more efficient than fluorescent, and don't contain mercury. Unfortunately, they're not commonly available in usable configurations that emit enough light for household use.
I think that we need to also keep in mind that the eco-system is a complex web. It is in fact rather reductionist and naive to think that we will do more than forestall a crisis in this planet's habitability by simply getting our carbon emissions under control. There is an island of plastic refuse in becalmed waters stretching from Hawaii to Japan, as just one dramatic illustration of all of the toxic junk we've strewn throughout our environment and which is affecting biological processes all the way up the food chain to us. We need to look at our environmental footprint, not just our carbon footprint. I would say, in fact, that it is unethical to continue to pretend otherwise. No offense intended, and in fact I'm impressed at how much you've done. I hope that you and the BBC compile everything you did to cut your emissions even by 20% into one single article, book or video for all to see, and promote it heavily. I think it's very important that we all do all we can to actually lower emissions, rather than using some system of voucher trading in order to rely on someone else to do it for us. We just need to keep in mind the caveat that the greenhouse effect is only one component of the mess we've made and are continuing to make.
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Well, you will find out soon enough that some may be worried about global warming, majority do not. Other issues, like the economy, come first. I'm sure though you have lined up several green people to talk too already and you will have wonderful blog entries that say the wonders of being green in America. But its just show... after all, the BBC can't last a day without one global warming article. Just another of a long line of environmental propaganda.
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You really need to speak to the world's leading geoengineers. People like Ken Caldeira, Klaus Lackner, John Latham and Stephen Salter. Only they can save us now. Even if we stopped emitting CO2 tomorrow, it would probably be too late without geoengineering.
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Try to make time with Sharon Astyk (www.sharonastyk.com), a leader in the "browns" movement, differentiated from the "green" movement in that it seeks to reduce carbon footprint through austerity, self-reliance, low-energy living and local food production. Ms. Astyk is the author of _Depletion and Abundance_ and co-author of a _Nation of Farmers_, both of which treat with these issues directly.
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What a fantastic response!
For the record we looked at population and aknowledged the impact of my children in the original Ethical Man series - check out our report here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/7510447.stm.
We'll try and follow it up in the US. I'm very keen on the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement - http://www.vhemt.org/.
There are lots of other great ideas for us here. I'm already a member of a car club here in Britain so will sign up for zipcars and will check out the other car share options you've suggested.
I'm also keen to do a bit of couch surfing, we stayed in a Mumbai slum in India so a sofa (as we call them) in Washington DC should be a breeze.
Also I love the idea of painting the world's roofs white (#64). It looks like it really could make a difference.
But where are the world saving inventions? It would be great to visit someone who's working on something in their garage that really could make a difference.
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TO ETHICAL MAN
IT SEEMS THAT THE PROBLEM IS MANKIND ITSELF. PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE PROBLEM YET...DO NOT GO TO THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM...ALL WE COMPLAIN ABOUT IS DUE TO TOO MANY PEOPLE ON A PLANET OF FIXED SIZE. WE NEED POPULATION REDUCTION VIA BIRTHCONTROL AND BENEFITS FOR THOSE WHO COMMIT TO NOT HAVING CHILDREN. I PERSONALLY LOVE CHILDREN SO THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM. WE NEED POPULATION REDUCTION AS MUCH AS CONTROL ON A GLOBAL SCALE.
THIS NEED IS THE EMPERORS NEW CLOTHS WHICH MEDIA SEEMS TO BE BLOCKING, SCIENTIFIC FACTS ARE NOT BEING GIVEN. WITH FEWER PEOPLE WE WOULD NOT BE DESTROYING THE AMAZON RAINFOREST TO GROW SOYBEANS TO FEED MORE PEOPLE. MARGINAL LANDS SUBJECT OF FAMINE COULD FEED ITS PEOPLE IF THERE WERE FEWER OF THEM. THIS IS COMMON SENSE...WHY IS THE MEDIA AND EDUCATORS CREATING A BLACK OUT REGARDING OVER POPULATION?
COULD IT BE THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE NEEDED TO CREATE MORE DIVIDENDS ON THE STOCK MARKET, HIDING TRUTH IS A DANGEROUS GAME....THANKING THOSE OF YOU WHO READ THIS AND HOPING OTHERS WILL HELP RALLY SUPPORT AGAINST HIDEN TRUTHS....
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Ah, here come the Europeans. Ready and willing to pontificate to us lowly Americans. I guess you wouldn't want to try a tour through India or China? At their current rate of modernization they will far outstrip the CO2 emissions from North America in the next 50 years and I doubt they will worry too much about your opinions or international laws.
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One positive thing the Ethical Man could do during his trip to the U.S.A. would be to investigate and publicize the gross hypocrisy of many "green" politicians and luminaries (Kennedy, Kerry, Pelosi, Gore etc.) who fly in private jets, travel in stretch limos, and live in mansions as large as Buckingham Palace. These politicians are always asking the public to sacrifice but seem to feel that this does not apply to them.
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There is new technology available for converting thermal energy into work, invented here in America and ignored by the illegal Bush administration, which can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of mankind all over the world. The thermal hydraulic engine, also called the Natural Energy Engine, is an ingeniously simple device that is a true example of "American ingenuity" and is something any "ethical man or woman" should be aware of. Check out Deluge, Inc. when you get to Phoenix, AZ, and tell them Kava man sent you!This engine burns no fuel and can operate with a low temperature differential. It could help us to wean ourselves completely from burning oil and coal for energy. You are right to explore America for the answers to the problems we helped to create. Now that we have regime change here in America, and the (mostly republican) criminals are being flushed out of Washington, D.C., we may actually have a chance at turning this mess around. Thank you for your efforts. It is not too late!
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[Personal details removed by Moderator]Thanks so much for bringing attention to this important issue!
I'd like to strongly encourage you to talk with Zoe Weil [Personal details removed by Moderator] and the Institute for Humane Education (http://humaneeducation.org) while you're in the U.S. Zoe is the President and co-founder of the Institute, and she has just written a fabulous book called Most Good, Least Harm: A Principle for a Meaningful Life and Better World. In addition to talking about the importance of personal action, Zoe also emphasizes the essentialness of systemic change and of treating all social change issues (human rights, environmental preservation, animal protection, cultural issues) as interconnected.
Have a safe and enlightening trip!
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Your year of ethical consumption shows that even perfectly enviro-conscious behavior is grossly insufficient in bringing about meaningful change.
We have to understand that the causes greenhouse gas accumulation, and thus global warming are deeply structural and require a fundamental break from the social-environmental interaction that has prevailed in thus far.
Consumption is just the the tail-end of a very long chain in which the environment is detracted from, manipulated, and then finally re-added to (extraction, processing, and dumping). The decisions that affect these interactions are far removed from the individual consumer, who is helpless against a massively powerful complex of industry that effect these decisions.
Like all meaningful change brought about, the only solution to this problem is collective activism that demands that states and industries be held accountable.
A tax on pollution is just the beginning, but shall go a long way towards reducing emission.
Today, all environmental stewardship is seen through the lens of economic viability. But the economic system, and the way it interacts with the environment is nor pre-ordained. This is what needs to change. To effect real change, The economy needs to be seen from, and made congruous with our environmental perspective, and not the other way around.
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I suggest networks like "Couchsurfing" or "Hospitality Club", where you can stay with local people on free couches or rooms for free. You will save on hotel costs and of course, it is more ecological.
How about hitch-hiking to save on some transportation, or joining "Craigslist" carpooling networks to get to and from?
Stop by Berea, Kentucky, it is a unique Southern U.S. town where sustainable living is ingrained in the people and the college.
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On your way down the coast of Michigan you should stop and visit the inventor and manufacturer of a product that saves more than 10 thousand of gallons of water a year for a homeowner. It's a dual flush toilet retrofit kit. You push the handle on your toilet one way to rinse out liquids - the other way for a bigger flush for solids. No more "if it's yellow let it mellow...."
He's just down the road in Holland MI.
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1) The one big idea that is in danger of being buried amongst the “mainstream” ones such as renewable energy, recycling, use of public transport etc. is the one about meat-based diet already mentioned by Madash050.
• Producing 1 kg of animal protein requires about 100 times more water than producing 1 kg of grain protein. The US food production system uses about 50% of the total US land area, 80% of the fresh water, and 17% of the fossil energy used in the country.
• The amount of feed grains used to produce the animal products (milk and eggs) consumed in the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet was about half the amount of feed grains fed to the livestock to produce the animal products consumed in the meat-based diet.
2) Another similar idea is the one which has been mentioned by TessWW. White reflective paint on the roof may not sound like much, but can have an immediate impact. A variation on the theme is already being used in India. Middle class homes have what they call “China mosaic” on the roof terraces. China mosaic is made of pieces of white ceramic tiles (factory wastage) laid like crazy paving using white cement. The result is a considerable saving on air-conditioning costs. Huge additional savings can be made by having a double-ceiling with insulation such as polystyrene in between.
3) In a vast country such as the U.S. any saving on transport would make an enormous impact. It has been suggested that longer journeys be made by Amtrak or Greyhound or similar modes of transport. The reason I suspect there is not much appetite for this is what happens at either ends of these journeys – which could be up to half an hour's drive or more. The solution to this could be the RORO (roll on roll off) where the car rolls on to a railway carriage at the start of the train journey and rolls off it to finish the journey at the end of the journey.
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The conclusions drawn appear overly simplified and omit much related data. The use of a cake slice at the end seems rubbish and intended for geriatric or infant comic relief.
A fact remains that if the human world would adopt the compassionate vegetarian diet this alone would start the human race into the direction of a planet that has both technology AND survives it.
We can survive this people, please try to understand that it's time for the human race to move forward and stop with the meat thing. We, all of us, the working people of the world, we need to stop with the meat if we want to survive technology.
If you have children, or if you care about this planet, please stop eating meat. Meat eating is responsible for wasting approx. 80% of the food produced on this planet and is responsible for many, many related problems including deforestation, pollution, and sickness.
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Firstly, really appreciate what a great position you are into inform and influence behaviour. Also, accept the fact that alternatives to flying take more time, and factor that in! Every choice we make has an effect, to a greater or lesser extent. Get the boat across the pond!
Secondly, I recommend that you check out the Visionary Activist Show on KPFA. Caroline Casey has already done so much entertaining and profound work interviewing people who lives have been dedicated to applying sane, ingenious and reverent solutions to current problems.
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You asked - "But where are the world saving inventions? It would be great to visit someone who's working on something in their garage that really could make a difference."
If you mean something like saving 12 billion gallons of water a year in the US alone then that guy in Holland MI with a toilet kit might fit your request. 2 million homeowners in the US fix their toilets each year without reducing their water consumption. Using his kit may be a significant step.
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We've lined up all sorts of people to speak to but we need more. We want to meet people who are already trying to find the answers the world needs.
Who do you think we should be talking to?
Please talk to our contact person at BBC, Jim McNeill. I can also produce files from UN archives of the climate research complaint made by the World Indigenous Nations Summit in joint session closing plenary plea to the United Nations General Assembly.
The North Americas' indigenous nations made a complaint against the group of Western countries' at the UN General Assembly claiming that our scientists are too optimistic about long duration that Greenland's ice sheet will take to melt away. They estimate Greenland ice sheet to destablise suddenly between 2011-2013, about 3-5 years after the loss of Arctic Oceans sea ice based on native histories.
The indigenous nations expressed this in dismay for the sake of their brethren in the Pacific and Caribbean (as well as for the wider world community that have towns and cities sea side that will be flooded as Greenland ice sheet will destabilise very suddenly in the post-sea ice Arctic based on their native recollections about huge ice dome on the Hudson Bay area that slid out.
American indians native histories suggest that the huge Laurentide Ice Dome on the Hudson Bay never melted but it slid soon after the North Atlantic sea ice retreated from South Carolina to Newfoundland.
You need to speak to Jim McNeill, who is our primary link at BBC. He can then explain the complaint. A state sanctioned motion has also been put forward to this effect in Poznan, Poland in December 2008 by Bolivia that has been underwritten by His Excellency President Evo Morales who is an "unofficial spokesman" for the American indigenous peoples advancing their voices through the state vehicle of Bolivia.
Jim has the geophysical file of the World Indigenous Nations Summit in joint session with the United Nations General Assembly which we at FIPC believe has been overlooked due to cultural illiteracy to take in and follow the proposition of the continents original occupants about what happened there before Europeans arrived.
I or Jim can produce list of indigenous leaders on the climate change issues and the UN paperwork submitted by Indigenous nations summit concerned of ice sheet land containment failure risk (ice sheet slide out).
Veli Albert Kallio, FRGS
([Personal details removed by Moderator])
- Press-spokesman for a symposium "Arctic - Mirror of Life" convened by His Excellency Kofi Annan (the former UN Secretary General), Jose Manuel Barroso (the President of European Commission), and HAH Bartholomaios I in September 2007.
- Co-ordinator of Frozen Isthmuses' Protection Campaign (FIPC) of the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans.
- Indianice geophysical research group, data-validation team secretary and indigenous groups liaision and advocate.
Jim is in a position to explain much more, if you wish to investigate matter internally.
Rgs, Alberty
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I'm from UK, lived in US for 3 years. One thing that seems to get little attention is simple waste that can easily be avoided. For example, I've been to hotels in New York whose policy seems to be for Housekeeping to switch the air conditioning full on in each room whether the guest wants it or not (so you get back in the evening to find the aircon has been on all day and the room is freezing). In New Orleans on a warm evening, most of the clubs/bars had air conditioning on with the doors to the street permanently open. In San Francisco when it's slightly cool, restaurants often have outdoor heaters full on even when nobody is sitting outside. It would be great to explore options for ways to achieve some "quick wins" on unnecessary burning of energy (and money) while the more complex challenges are being tackled.
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Anyone calling themselves "Ethical Man" is not to be trusted. Not only is global warming a crock, looking for the cause of it in the USA is even more of a crock. Head to China or India dude if you really want to see some pollution. Oh, but then that wouldn't be as much fun as spending some time in the greatest country on earth, the USA. What a joke you are. Stay home-!!
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80 % reduction in gasses can only come from a 40% plus reduction in population. Neally all that reduction needs to be by the youth, as they will pollute more by the simple fact of living longer and producing children. A war is coming. Oh happy days.
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Gee, can't wait to be found fat and wasteful....these stories do nothing to help anything. Why come to the US? Obviously to point the finger at some other party...again. Seems like a huge waste of time.
When did global warming start? Scientists universally point to the industrial revolution - which happened prior to the existence of the United States.
mikey3bb wrote:
"In LA you will be stopped by the police for walking - it's considered a suspicious activity - jogging in designated areas is OK though."
This is nonsense. Obviously this person either has never been to LA or has only stayed in upper class and tourist areas. Much of LA walks and takes public transit. Open your eyes and see the actual city, not the tourist traps.
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Couple Tips for you E-man,
1) Try visiting www.craigslist.com and look for ride-shares in the major cities you'll be visiting. Car-pooling is always a good way to cut your emissions and you might strike up interesting conversations. Or post your own listing on there and find out who responds!
2) You must visit Portland, Oregon. It's the only legitimately bike-friendly city in the states, and has a fantastic mass-transit system including light-rail, buses run on bio-fuel, street-cars, and trains. It's also a very progressive city in terms of environmental laws (gas stations required to pump bio-fuels, contracts with farmers to grow soy for bio-fueled city buses, treatment and use of rainwater on site etc.) Not to mention it has the highest hybrid-vehicle per capita ratio of any major city in the United States. If you only visited on city in america, Portland would have to be that city.
Have a great trip, looking forward to your blogs!
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There's a simple solution, Ethical Man - walk. That's what I'm going to do, for the same cause, starting on March 8, walking from Louisiana to the Canada border. I don't believe our paths will cross, but we can cross-reference each other since our goal is the same, to confront global warming and challenge others to join us in lowering our carbon footprint. Do I have it right for you?
You can check my blog at www.forallthegrandchildren.blogspot.com. Wouldn't it be super if there were people crisscrossing the United States recruiting citizens to the cause?
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I've got one word for you on how you should get around the USA - BICYCLE!
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Ideas for you to research/visit:
*Some place dealing with in vitro meat.
*An electric car company (I'm guessing that you'll visit an electric car company and solar panel company in California or some other state).
*Some institution that researches geoengineering.
*Maybe NASA for their solar panel satellite constellation idea.
*Maybe the Phoenix area for ideas/debates over whether or not desertification can be halted or reversed through urban planning, or even just adding more water and vegetation to a desert environment.
----
I'd personally prefer you help publicize the in vitro meat issue. From a climate change perspective, farm animals produce lots of methane *and* carbon dioxide, while using large quantities of water and other resources.
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Justin, have you ever been to America? I mean most of America. Rural America. There are a lot of open spaces here. I was born and raised in the U.S. and you are going to have a bloody hard time getting from point A to point B, much less in between, with out a car. If you stick to visiting places you can get to with public transportation you are going to have a narrow view of America. Good luck and enjoy hitchhiking.
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Local advocacy groups like our NQE northquabbinenergy.org in central Massachusetts are getting established in towns around the U.S. to advocate and inform their communities on easy options that most of us are familiar with.
We at NQE advocate every home owner to sign up with their electricity companies for free electricity energy audits. These can be followed by total home energy audits that can qualify for about $2000 worth or professionally done insulation work for a cost of about $600 to the home owner.
We also encourage each town's residents to start town energy committees to assist town halls with better energy policies or ideas to attract energy related employment.
In particular, I give free local workshops on how to make window insulation panels that typically halve the heat lost thru windows saving about 15%-20% of overall heating. Commercial products cost about $10 per sq ft of window area while our equally good winserts cost about $12 in materials per whole window or about $200 per house.
I hope to see winsert manufacturing spread everywhere either as community projects or as small business opportunities or as addons by the window manufacturers.
Construction info is at our web site above.
Some towns are now studying building locally owned electricity generation using combined heat & power to provide district heating much as Denmark has done for 30yrs.
There is hope at community levels, state levels and now federal government.
Brian
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One of the best ways to be green is to not buy a new hybrid if you need to own a car. A used car has already been manufactured; the new hybrid you order has not. Please recycle and buy a used car.
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Make them take the Greyhound bus on this 6500 mile trip and let's see how long his ethics last... I can't wait.
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Hello Mr E.M.,
May I suggest you to further have reduced CO2 & CO emission: if you don't smoke, then let you begin with smoking a package a day during the US journey and, after giving it up the effect is sure. In case you smoke, give that up, too. In both cases your decision were as unlikely as the US' emission reductions expected in the future...
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Take that bit above about Portland with a large dose of salt -- there are several cities throughout the US that are extremely bike-friendly and have great transportation systems -- Boulder, Colorado for example, where drivers are practically 2nd class citizens.
I'd suggest that the same problem you're having -- coming up with a way to have efficient, low-cost, green transportation in a country that's not only large but has vast swathes of undeveloped land to traverse-- is part of why America's average emissions are so much higher than Europe's.
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Ethical man,
I’m glad you are going on this quest. We will never cease to have an impact on this planet and so we need to study, work, invent and report all we can in order to come to the best possible solutions.
While traveling through the Chicago, check out the Midwest Highspeed rail associate. They are working to promote and fund European-style high-speed rail in the US.
http://www.midwesthsr.org/
College students are a good place to be looking for answers and cultural change, and more interestingly, evangelical Christian students. When in Chicago, check out Ben Lowe and his new book Green Revolution, and his work with the brand new organization Renewal.
http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=3624
http://renewingcreation.org/
Finally, in order to make your journalism most effective, be kind and embrace nuance. The US has a lot to learn, but it is also surpasses Europe as a place of innovation and optimism. It is a good place to be asking these important questions. Also, be visible and loud – make Washington squirm with your findings.
Thanks!
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I have someone Ethical Man should meet and talk to. For the past five years Chris Hardman has been publishing a different type of calendar to try and get people to rethink their relationship with the environment and the planet. The Ecological Calendar shows people what is going on in nature for that month and week both on earth and in the night sky. The goal is to shift peoples feelings toward the environment from abstract to personal.
Chris Hardman would make for a very good interview about our need to reform our relationship with nature and indeed the planet.
http://www.ecocalendar.info
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Hi form Lansing, MI. If you don't take a detour to Lake Superior State in the UP, you might want to stop at Lansing Community College off of I96 on your way from Muskegon to Detroit. They have a nice Alternative Energy program and you can see how long time automotive based community (and the birthplace of Oldsmobile) is becoming green.
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I'd recommend you visit the Minneapolis / St. Paul area of Minnesota for a number of reasons.
- One of the healthiest populations according to some national survey
- Boasts lots of bikeways
- Mayor of Minneapolis, R.T. Rybak frequently commutes via bicycle, otherwise drives a hybrid.
- Our petrol has ethanol mixed in, locally grown and produced.
- Strongly encourage a visit to QBP (http://www.qbp.com/ ). An international distributor of bicycle components. They have very green distribution center at their headquarters in Bloomington.
- The state is has a booming wind energy industry
From Chicago, there is Amtrak service. Be careful with Greyhound.
Rich
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Actually they are trialing a hugely innovative approach across Western Michigan at the moment to curb the amount we drive. It's pretty simple really, they just don't fill the pot holes!
After a new suspension system and a few new tires - I can tell you that the alternatives to driving are much more attractive!
Seriously though, there's no need to be innovative in Michigan - the waste is astounding!
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Hey Ethical Man, why do you have to fly to America? What about sailing?
And getting around the States is easy on Bicycle or if you have to resort to fossil fuels you could ride a motorcycle. You'll get sick of the Greyhound real fast, believe me. They stink, they're loud and boring, not to mention it can get violent, we had a beheading on one up here in Canada not to long ago. But on the other hand you will meet some "interesting characters".
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I lived in England for three years and loved the experience. I'd love to host this young man and teach him a thing or two about our country, but for God sake - after ten years of global cooling, you won't find anyone in the US even slightly interested in "carbon footprints" or other such rubbish. If you didn't notice, the whole world is going down the economic toilet - saw today Ireland is trying to stop talk of declaring national bankruptcy! Concern over climate issues was #20 ( of 20!) when Americans ranked it as something they were worried about. However, tourism is one thing that helps the economy and I'd welcome every Brit to come on b and enjoy a last look at a once great country - now quickly going the way of Socialist bastions everywhere. At least here, for the time being, you can get a look at what life in England might have been like before your government took over every aspect of English life.
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How does this charlatan manage to keep on getting his jollies paid out of the licence fee? He's not a journalist because he doesn't actually find and research facts, and he's not a writer because his written style is clumsy and undergraduate. Above all, where does he get off calling himself 'the ethical man' simply because of a supposed 'pro-environment stance' - and why does the BBC allow this ridiculous self-endorsement?
What I'd like to know is; who the commissioning editor of this piece? How was the writer selected? And how much is the writer being paid?
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"America is also the most innovative and powerful nation on earth and, what's more, has a president who says he is serious about tackling global warming.
The idea is simple. If we can solve global warming here, we can solve it anywhere."
I think this is the correct premise and should it prove possible will constitute what history may record as the American Industrial Revolution.
However, it could equally be said that if we can't solve global warming here we can't solve it anywhere.
To contact and engage with the extraordinary number of people and groups already contributing towards such progress for your research and planning, leads to follow up are needed which you can sort and sift and select from. Probably the Rocky Mountain Institute of Snowmass Colorado (RMI.org) are familiar to you or on your list; may I suggest you focus attention and contact there without delay to share and develop your planning? I'd imagine that the RMI's Amory Lovins might be relieved to know that the BBC has formulated this project, as should anybody concerned with gathering some of the actual elements for solutions for broad public dissemination. This is just one lead but perhaps one of the key leads to many others.
Regarding transport, something using electric wheel motors of the type that almost all of the 'third generation' electric vehicle developers are incorporating - and as it turns out these electric vehicle developers here will most easily be found through one of the leading electric wheel motor developers, located on the Riverwey Industrial Park, Alton Hampshire. PML Flightlink Limited business and assets has been acquired by the Electric Motor Works Limited.
Regarding the greater issue of finding solutions to global warming, being clear about the greatest problems is critical. You are probably aware of the McKinsey report from spring 2008 looking into the most polluting and least energy efficient man-made creations on this planet, which identified Chinese Industry and power production as the worst and perhaps best known culprit; unfortunately, in second place the report says, is housing in the US. With the world economy already so undermined by sales of sub-prime mortgages it seems excessive to further load the challenge on the actual constructions but without doing so is to miss one of the main problems, and thereby one of the main areas for achievable albeit revolutionary change and improvement. Energy efficiency is really the biggest issue, opportunity, challenge, and political conflict and of much less interest than it needs to be. Insulation is, for example, largely in it's infancy, but also whereas in the UK a 30 year mortgage might be taken out on a house that is already two hundred years old, many "stick-built" wood framed and plasterboard homes here will likely often require extensive and essential "re-modelling" within the period of the mortgage. Thus framing techniques, using the same wood products, exist in drastic contrast of durability and performance outcome to each other. To address US housing for the social economic and global warming issues it represents is to perceive disaster and employment and economic renaissance simultaneously.
What should never be underestimated, though, is the extent of lack of support, scepticism, disinterest or opposition which exists. Obtaining and watching the DVD film documentary "Who killed the Electric Car" may put this into some context, especially when considered against the news concerning the potential Detroit bailouts.
As Al Gore and others observe, the solutions for our problems already exist. The problem is to get them the attention they require of us, in timely fashion, and to apply true cost accounting to all the damage and detriments, benefits and improvements that all the many alternatives have as characteristics, so that we are informed which of those can stand carrying their costs and which of those can only endure by avoiding their true costs.
One of the lead journalists who might prove to be interested and invaluable writes for the Financial Times, Fiona Harvey. Drawing on this would further link and credibly consolidate the fact of Economics and Environment in the most pragmatic terms, and it would be hoped that your research would lead you there.
Future contributions will mainly consist of leads recommended for following up for your route and program planning.
Best wishes, good luck and thanks! What is the timeline for this project? I think we should be told.
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It's a great shame that you think you have to fly. Why not get on a boat to New York?
You can get around in all kinds of eco ways:
- you could walk (plan on 25 miles a day)
- ride a bicycle (you could easily do 75 miles a day)
- you could get the train
- you could hitch hike
How can you start an eco tour of the States if you fly there? Why not show people you can have a lot of fun travelling when you don't fly.
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Tallahassee, Florida is a Certified Green City, the first in Florida. Including the Public Transportation System (bus), StarMetro.
BTW, the radio station of one of Tallahassee's local public universities broadcasts the BBC news from 11pm to 6am.
You're probably not familiar with North Florida: put your beach & sun beliefs aside and think South Georgia, Old South, azaleas, dogwood, wisteria, dogwood, and spanish moss. Springtime Tallahassee Big Parade, March 28, 2009.
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Having grown up in the Muskegon Michigan area (Ravenna) it is a little surprising that you would pick our town. We are a manufacturing town that you will find on both sides of this problem the good and the bad. As one user pointed out our land fill was one of the first to capture Methane gas for power generation. MAISD our school district uses a massive wind generator to power all of their electrical needs. Our bus system well it is something I have never been able to use. I spent 21 years in the US Navy and have visited Portsmouth 3 times and was able to use the train to visit London on the last trip. But for us with so many of us living 20 to 30 miles out of town in rural areas or smaller towns I do not see a bus system being effective. Nonetheless welcome to Muskegon.
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What about doing a comparison between two cities: one in Canada, one in the USA? There's quite a bit going on 'up there' for green issues: http://green.cbc.ca/
Also, what about visiting Prof. Richard Muller and asking about the physics behind climate change? (author of Physics for Future Presidents)
What about knock-on effects? e.g. if 20% of population did as you did to save energy, then what industries would have to change (in extreme case if we all gave up cars, then no need for ships to carry oil across seas -- don't ships emit massive CO2?)
How much energy / CO2 goes into recycling what we put in the 'green' bins?
You'll be there for 'Earth Hour' (28 March) and 'Earth Day' (April 22).
What an experience you'll have -- looking forward to your report!
~Andrew~
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I know you love your children and so you should but dont you think that only two would have improved your 20%. ''love to the family'' norm
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Well you have certainly spurred a considerable amount of interest. I don't know if that interest ends up turing into greenhouse gases but for the sake of discussion we will assume it does not. Human ingenuity is all over the world, don't let America fool you just because someone is innovative here in the US doesn't mean that they couldn't have done it in the country they immigrated from. We are a country of immigrants and remain so. We are also a kind and helpful (not all but most) people and I know people who used to get around the whole country with no car with not much problem. It was called hitch-hiking which I do not suggest at this time, but another side of that same coin might be useful. There are people going from one place to place in the US constantly. I would suggest that you find a few people who might be able to give you a ride from where ever you land in the US (New York?) to any destination since you really don't care where you go or in what order at least. In fact I believe you can set up a sort of underground travel agency of friends and acquaintances that will provide you with a ride (almost carbon free for you as they were going anyways). I feel the real point is that people are willing to help out someone in need if they can. This perspective might be the only hope we have to get ourselves out of this mess if we only realize just how blessed we are in time.
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You should visit my parents. They would be considered your standard hicks.
Keep in mind that they only have land because it is not expensive there (my 4000 sq.ft. house, not including basement or attic, cost under $60,000 to buy).
Most of their food comes from their garden (neighbors exchange produce -- like when you grow too many tomatoes, you give them away...and perhaps get many of your neighbors cucumbers). They can and freeze fruits and veggetables, make their own wine, compost everything, hunt and fish their meat (meat is processed in the non-temperature controlled shed, in the basement, and also in the smoker outside), and burn wood (off of their land from trees that they plant).
If you visit such areas, you will notice that most houses have vegetable gardens in the backyard (unlike in suburben areas).
They do have large vehicles (he is a semi-retired contractor ...semi-retired due only to the economy) and it snows often.
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I am an American living in the suburbs of Philadelphia who uses a bicycle as my primary means for transportation. I believe this would be an interesting and viable means of green transportation for you and your camera crew through certain parts of the US. Sometimes being green doesn't require new technology so much as a willingness to use what we've already invented.
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I think you should be using a bicycle(s) to get around. There are many manufacturers in the US who are building bikes expressly for the purpose of touring and hauling gear. Check out Surly and Extra-Cycle to name just two. Really --you should try it!
I also am not quite sure of the purpose of this trip. Do you really have to burn all that carbon to find this stuff out. How about internet research and reading? BTW -- if you haven't read Friedman's new book, you really should before you start this trip. He has a very clear and concise way of explaining energy issues in the States.
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Only a tiny, insignificant percentage of atmospheric warming is attributable to man. The sooner we understand this the better. Our carbon emissions have no effect on the weather either and reducing them is both pointless and a hindrance to human progress and wellbeing. "Ethical Man's" futile attempts to curb his own carbon emissions should speak for themselves. His trip to the US is equally futile and the money should be spent on studying the real cause of atmospheric temperature variations, which is, of course, sun spots. The "Great Global Warming Swindle" aired by UK's Channel 4 and described by CNN as "absolutely phenomenal" and the Sunday Telegraph as "devastatingly authoritative" is a must viewing for all. The BBC should have the courage to air it too and rethink its unquestioning, partisan support for the global warming hoax.
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As your own experience shows, we are not going to cure global warming by having individuals take on a life of self-deprivation. The problem is bigger than that, and the solution must be bigger than that.
CO2 stays in the atmosphere for a very long time. We must find a way to remove C02 already in the atmosphere on a global scale, or we will still face warming no matter what we do to C02 production in the future.
As for the production question, change must happen at the government and industrial levels. As an individual, I don't need a car that burns fossil fuels. What I need is energy and transportation. Nuclear, wind, solar, and wave power are all great, but it won't really help until we can leave the oil and coal in the ground undisturbed.
It may not be politically correct to say so, but population must be controlled. As long as population grows at geometric rates, we are all eventually doomed.
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come to new york and also check out a friends project GreenMap.org
http://GreenMap.org
you need to come and see what is going on in nyc - you might be surprised - geo
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Please also visit eco-hypocrite Al Gore's mansion and see his carbon footprint and why not ask his while he flies on private jets.
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Stop this rubbish journalism. This is more absurd than Monthy Python´s antics. Say NO to eco-fascist mafia.
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Visit some of the greenest buildings in the US:
- House in Los Angeles: http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/11/19/project7ten-house-completed/
- Warehouse in upstate New York: http://www.hvmag.com/Hudson-Valley-Magazine/February-2009/A-Big-Fat-Zero/ - Office building in McKinney, Texas: http://mckinneydailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/08/mckinney-green-building.html
- Office building in Cambridge, MA: http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/02/06/genzyme-center/
- Art Gallery in New Haven, CT: http://www.aiatopten.org/hpb/overview.cfm?ProjectID=992
Visit the authors of the "seven wedges" (7 practical ways to reduce emissions) idea, Robert Socolow and Stephen Pacala. They also created a game called the "Stabilization Wedge Game".
Visit assoc. prof. Jeffrey McKee, author of "Sparing Nature: The Conflict Between Human Population Growth And Earth's Biodiversity" (Ohio State University). This is perhaps the best book dealing with the often taboo subject of population growth, drawing on sound science to examine how we got into this mess and what we can do about it.
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Your pursuit of reducing the US carbon footprint is fine and well - a very noble endeavor indeed. While not able to directly contribute to the success of your scientific initiative I can however contribute to sustained goodwill between our nations. Please ring me up if your trip includes a stop in our fine city of Tampa. I will be more than happy to show you around our town and expose you to the very warm and glorious sunshine of Florida - which I pray is not targeted for any near-term "radiant energy mitigation" plans......
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In Atlanta, you should meet with Dekalb County Schools. Their operations department has rolled out a "going green" plan that includes recycling, environmentally friendly cleaning products, etc. They deserve some kudos for their efforts.
Also, I hope you've found Amtrak. It's more pleasant than the bus.
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How about checking in on one of the coldest places in the country, Gunnison CO, where winter temperatures can dip to -40farenheit? You would think we would be excited about global warming! But our economy and our fun relies on the ski industry so we are concerned with rising temps. The ski resort uses wind power and you'll find people on their bikes in these frigid temps! PS- It's safe to hitch here, but I wouldn't do it in most of the country!
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I have to back up Patrick_S about seeing Portland, OR. It is true that there are many other environmentally friendly cities in the U.S., but I think the explanation for the #1 ranking that Popular Science gave Portland says it nicely:
"America’s top green city has it all: Half its power comes from renewable sources, a quarter of the workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation, and it has 35 buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council."
http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2008-02/americas-50-greenest-cities?page=1
Also, Portlanders are really friendly and will have great advice and debate about living in an environmentally conscious way.
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Please give your head a shake and use a forum similar to this one to collect and convey information on solutions, instead of adding yourself to the problem.
Or maybe you'd rather just admit that the story is actually about you and your quaint and humourous reactions to the quaint and good-natured folk you meet on your Grand Tour.
Delusional Man would be more appropriate.
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on the west coast, there is an amtrak train that runs from seattle to los angeles (though not necessarily in the most timely manner).
seattle also has the flex cars mentioned in earlier posts...
or, you could think about going biodiesel. if you swing through eugene, oregon, we've got a biodiesel auto seller, called green eye autos: http://www.greeneyeautos.com/, and they usually have some older, converted cars for under $2000.
here's a map of biodiesel stations across the country: [Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]
on the whole eugene is a good place to check out, for all kinds of innovative green thinkers.
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This is all getting a bit monotonous now. Let's face it, there's nothing ethical in what your doing. This smacks of more BBC hypocrisy and greenie evangelism.
I'm sure you will be cycling across the US and crossing the Atlantic in a pedalo (I already know the answer to that). As you are not, your efforts to save the planet are completely wasted and I'm sure the Americans will find you as condescending as I do.
Please give this nonsense a break and start reporting on real issues.
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Just a few facts
1. The amount of heat energy in the oceans is about a 1000 times more than that in the atmosphere. (Note heat capacity of water considerably greater than that of air).
2. In pre-industrial times the concentration of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere was about 0.03%. In 2009 it is about 0.04%.
3. Carbon Dioxide is indeed a "greenhouse gas" in that it can absorb LW IR radiation at certain selected wavelengths. However, the peak absorption wavelength (~15 micron) for CO2 is saturated meaning that all of the radiation in the band around 15 micron is already being absorbed.
4. Thermal emission from the atmosphere can only penetrate liquid water to a depth of a few micron (about the thickness of a human hair) so cannot heat the ocean.
5. If CO2 cannot heat the ocean then it cannot cause significant global warming. It is the oceans that carry the overwhelming majority of the heat in the earth's climate system.
6. Ocean circulation and oscillations operate on many different timescales which means that the amount of heat released into the atmosphere varies over periods of a few years, a few decades or even centuries.
7. All this is without taking into account the long term variability of factors such as solar irradiance and cloud cover.
8. The oceans have stopped warming as has the atmosphere, as it happens, but it is the ocean that's important. The next few decades could be about to reveal just what crackpot nonsense the CO2/GW theory is.
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17-Feb-09 'Ethical man' is about changing attitudes and I found Messrs Esler and Ripon's remarks about him last night disparaging and condecending. If he has to create a some of CO2 to change attitudes in the USA, so be it.
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Carbon footprint.Abstract nonsense.Read The First Global Revolution.A report by the Council of the Club of Rome a prominent think tank.
A conspiracy hidden in plain sight.Here is a quote.“This is the way we are setting the scene for mankind’s encounter with the planet. The opposition between the two ideologies that have dominated the 20th century has collapsed, forming their own vacuum and leaving nothing but crass materialism.
It is a law of Nature that any vacuum will be filled and therefore eliminated unless this is physically prevented. “Nature,” as the saying goes, “abhors a vacuum.” And people, as children of Nature, can only feel uncomfortable, even though they may not recognize that they are living in a vacuum. How then is the vacuum to be eliminated?
It would seem that humans need a common motivation, namely a common adversary, to organize and act together in the vacuum; such a motivation must be found to bring the divided nations together to face an outside enemy, either a real one or else one invented for the purpose.
New enemies therefore have to be identified.
New strategies imagined, new weapons devised.
The common enemy of humanity is man.
In searching for a new enemy to unite us, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like would fit the bill. All these dangers are caused by human intervention, and it is only through changed attitudes and behavior that they can be overcome. The real enemy then, is humanity itself.
Prominent members of the Club of Rome include the usual suspects.
Henry Kissinger
Ted Turner
George Soros
Deepak Chopra
Tony Blair and would you beleive it old worm tongue himself Al Gore.
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It is healthy to hear the other side of the story. Goreal and CO2_is_good provide such 'sceptic' views. I would be only too glad to be convinced that human beings are not responsible for GW.
Goreal says "money should be spent on studying the real cause of atmospheric temperature variations, which is, of course, sun spots". What makes him/her so sure that the cause of GW is sun spots?
The documentary "Great Global Warming Swindle" was challenged and inquired into by the watchdog Ofcom.
Ofcom said that The Great Global Warming Swindle was "unjust and unfair" in the way it represented individuals, including Sir David King, the Government's former chief scientist. Upholding the compaints about unfair treatment, Ofcom said that the programme made "some significant allegations" about the scientists "without offering an appropriate and timely opportunity to respond".
Now CO2_is_good claims CO2 and GW is crackpot nonsense. I am no expert environmentalist, but would like to list a few facts:
1. After growing very slowly for most of human history, the world's population has more than doubled in the last half century to reach 6 billion plus by year 2000.
2. The standard of living of most developed countries has gone up. It has also gone up considerably in the 'emerging' economies as well.
3. A higher population (with a higher standard of living) has inevitably resulted in higher energy usage for construction, cultivation, lighting, ‘heating and air-conditioning’, transport, entertainment etc.
4. Fossil fuels remain the dominant source of primary energy in the overall global demand.
Now, it seems unbelievable that this does not result in a net increase in atmospheric temperature. If as CO2_is_good says ‘The oceans have stopped warming as has the atmosphere’, where is the excess heat? What are the causes of rising sea-levels and melting of Arctic ice-cap - contracting at the rate of about 9% a decade?
I strongly believe every human being can contribute to reducing the degradation of our earth’s resources (air, water and soil) by:
1. Minimising energy consumption using all available means e.g. low energy light bulbs, insulating doors, windows and roofs, using public transport where possible, good driving practices, car sharing etc.
2. Reducing meat consumption – even if it is for 2 or 3 days a week.
3. Recycling paper, glass, plastic etc.
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In the Washington, D.C. area, the man to talk to is Mike Tidwell of CCAN. He powers his heating system with corn cobs. And that's just the start for him.
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Dear Ethical Man
I'm worried, very worried, firstly there is nothing green about buses, coaches (unless you intend to take the stage) and secondly, I've seen the movies the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Man Bites Dog. I'm therefore writing to urge you to campaign for nuclear power and fly around America as if you are a motor industry exec.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
It is the evening of Tuesday 17th of February. We fly tomorrow at 8.30 so it'll be an early start.
I haven't yet packed, I've got a pile of belongings on the table in front of me and you've put the fear of God into me.
There's a clear message here which I am absolutely sure is correct: America is very big.
Of course I knew that already in theory. What worries me is that starting tomorrow I'll be putting theory into practice and I am afraid that UserSimon (no 111) may have hit the nail on the head!
We'll see.
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What are the changes required to cut greenhouse gases, more specifically, to deal with persisting and growing environmental problems and a looming ecological crisis?
We need to go beyond the self-evident and the obvious -- changing lightbulbs, recycling, flying less, buying a hybrid car, turning down the thermostat, etc. What is required is a two-part approach. Short and medium-term measures addressing and controlling symptoms, results and consequences, and long-term development and change addressing the root-causes and underlying developments. Environmental problems, global warming and the ecological crisis are only symptoms, results and consequences. The root-causes and underlying developments are how we view, understand and manage human existence and development.
What is required is changing the underlying mindset, the way we view, understand and manage our existence and development. We need to put the economy, existence and development, understanding and managing existence and development on a different, more fundamental and substantial foundation.
We must change how we understand and manage existence and development. Understanding and managing them from the inside out and from the ground up, in their essence, in depth and detail, in a comprehensive, a differentiated, but integrated, connected and related way. Not as traditionally is the case, understanding and managing existence and development, demands and challenges, problems and difficulties from the top down and from the outside in, in an externalized, fragmented, generalized and dissociated way in the abstract. Dividing and separating an integrated, related and interacting reality into different issues, subject matters, disciplines, fields of study and areas of human activity, specialization and expertise, each defined and governed by different and competing assumptions, objectives, approaches and practices. Trying to create the ideal external, socio-cultural and physical-material conditions of an ordered, stable, secure and predictable world around us of easy material abundance, through rearranging, controlling and directing the world around us, nature and the natural environment, natural forces, processes and developments. Meeting non-material mental needs externally in material ways through the accumulation, possession, control and consumptions of material resources, goods and values.
We need to understand existence and development from the inside, beginning with the mind and mental existence, where consciously we exist and act, where we experience, become aware, and where we must consider the conditions of existence, the world around us, and how to deal with them. What takes place and what we do in the mind and mental existence defines and governs how we understand and manage our existence and development, how we understand, manage and conduct ourselves individually, how we connect, communicate and cooperate with each other, and how we relate and interact with the world around us, with nature and the natural environment.
We must establish the necessary internal mental conditions before we engage and deal with the world around us. We need to establish the necessary internal mental conditions to understand and manage existence and development in sustainable, secure and peaceful ways. Meeting our non-material mental needs in the mind and mental existence through individual mental work and effort, not meeting them externally in material ways, consuming natural resources beyond actual human material needs. Establishing individually in the mind and mental existence a sense of self, a sense of order and stability, clarity of mind and understanding, a sense of coherence, certainty, security and confidence. Not trying to establish them externally through rearranging, controlling and directing the world around us, nature and the natural environment. In the process, interfering in nature and the natural environment, natural forces, processes and developments beyond what is required to manage and sustain human existence.
For more information go to http://www.ihcmd.org
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I fear you're in for a tough trip. For most people, taking public transportation long distances in such a vast country is not very efficient or practical at all. The US is not like Europe where cities and towns are relatively close by. Usually, only people who have no other choice use public transport long distances. Chances are if they have no other choice, they will not be… how should I put it... the best representatives of the American population.
Also, in the US there has been a lot of media attention of the way some Europeans accuse, don’t understand, or blame the US for just about everything. I fear when some people learn of your goals for the trip, your British accent paired with your BBC mandate may give some people a bad first impression. They may be more defensive than cooperative before you win them over with your charm.
My hope is that you match the circumstances of the American landscape with the challenge of going green. You seem to be ready to do this by your admission that larger 4x4 vehicles are a necessity in many parts of the country, something I think many Europeans don’t understand fully. Maybe I’m wrong. At any rate, welcome to my country, good luck, and take some time to have some (green) fun while you’re here.
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This is what you get for being desperate to work on Newsnight! Not what you expected but I'd certainly swap places.
I have been going to 'energy fairs' in the US for many years now. I have only been able to admit such in the last couple though. Before we were considered 'Geeks'. We have formed a small but committed group of people interested in alternative energy. I've subscribed to Home Power Magazine for many years where we 'geeks' swapped ideas. See www.homepower.com Until recently putting electricity into the grid was regarded as a 'guerilla activity'!
(Electricity)Grid independent (or net grid contributors) are the Americans nobody talks about. Search them out en route. They would benefit from the exposure you can give them.
I think you were surprised that your complete lifestyle change saved so little carbon so I would suggest the following visit:
70 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert is Victorville Solar Power Generating Station. It's just about to come online producing 500 MW, enough for 278,000 homes. I hope you will have time to visit.
The US is vast, but you'll only understand what I mean by doing it yourself. The repeating background scenery of the cartoons is accurate.
If you get desperate for carbon (please fly down the Grand Canyon in a helicopter, It's truely wonderful!), let us know. I will get my push bike out to subsidise you. I will also cancel flying a helicopter for an hour to ease your guilt.
Your trip has encouraged me to blog for the first time. Good luck, and thank you for spreading the word.
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This adventure is probably a bit of a waste of time really but get a folding bike. Then whenever you get off the train or greyhound bus you can ride to wherever you need to be. Lots of americans take the car to cross to the mall on the other side of the highway so you'd be making a point.
Try an Airnimal or Bike Friday as you can go a fair distance at speed on one of these. It will do you good as well.
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Just wanted to invite you to either of our upcoming conversations of the Great Lakes Green Initiative (GLGI) community.
Our community is a group of over 40 people centered primarily in SE Michigan committed to finding more sustainable ways of living and, when we finds ones that work, we share them on our www.glgi.org wiki-site and/or hold workshops. But our core mission is changing ourselves, that's where the sustainable change really happens. We do it in community because it's more fun and ...well more sustainable. We've been on this journey for over four years. The results have been life changing.
This Saturday (Feb21st) we are having a conversation on Home Energy in one of our homes. We've had it tested and the community is going to walk through the home with an energy engineer and discuss what changes can really make a difference. Community members leave with real changes they can make in their homes tomorrow. We also have desserts to keep our energy up.
Every Tuesday we meet to learn and share about small changes in a certain topic area. We've learned and adopted new sustainable patterns of living in transportation, energy, water, food, ...and we're now are studying "no waste" patterns of living. We serve muffins each week. Are you seeing a food pattern?
Our mantra is "Small is Big." We believe that it is the small changes we make in our lives that will make the big changes possible and sustainable.
While we've had a fun and energizing journey, real change is hard, especially when we're the ones changing.
We have started another project in Midtown Detroit targeted at more systemic change. It's in an historic building...a Model T showroom. If you're looking for a garage well our project is The Green Garage...a green business incubator. We're currently in the process of defining the business and designing our building changes to support a living building vision including net-zero energy and water, green office practices, community-centric space design, and native habitats. We are blessed with over 25 talented people volunteering to make this happen. Working in 6 learning communities. We also will so begin Detroit's first Green Alley Project in the alley next to the garage. Our wiki website is at www.greengaragedetroit.com and on facebook as Green Garage Detroit.
Someone in our community follows your work and thought we should write you.
Please know your welcome to any of our gatherings. Email us on how we might help.
GLGI Community
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If everyone on the planet changed their diet to vegan, global warming would be reduced by 80%. End of story. Ask me how.
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I find that this is another one of those publicity stunts to get attention and then it goes away. How much of a difference will it really make or affect change.
Here in the US, there are many conservation groups, organizations and foundations who have been doing their part to educate and make a difference without a big show and doing it a very long time before green became the popular thing.
I also find that to make a comparison; one should not try to compare apples to oranges. The point being; the United States and Canada make up the third largest continent and Europe is the second smallest continent. So is there really a fair or equal comparison to be made.
The new green is the old conservation and those who really want to make a difference, do something to change the world around them. They don't stand on their soap boxes like Al Gore and continue to live their lives in excess.
Those who make a difference - practice what they preach.
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In response to 149. leoworldcitizen
"What makes him/her so sure that the cause of GW is sun spots?"
The advantage that Piers Corby has in his work on sunspots is that, unlike cozy establishment-backed academics, he has put his money where his mouth is. It's all very well to "challenge and inquire into" findings that don't agree with your preconceived notions, but when you place bets on your weather predictions based on sun-spots as against the official Met Office forecasts, that is truly where the rubber meets the road. Piers Corby went to the bookmakers and won lots of money with his forecasts. Now that's credibility!! I would like to see Messrs Gore et al. place bets on their wild and fanciful predictions of world capitals under water in a few years time, etc. (and win!!) Maybe Mr Gore would like to bet the equivalent of the 30,000-dollar electricity bill for his home on just a handful of his climate fantasies?
Let's live in the real world, shall we?
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In response to 160. Goreal:
First of all I have no ax to grind on behalf of Al Gore or anyone else for that matter. Second, as I said before I would be only too glad to be convinced that human beings are not responsible for GW.
Following is from the NASA website www.nasa.gov:
"The difference between weather and climate is a measure of time. Weather is what conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time.
"If summers seem hotter lately, then the recent climate may have changed. In various parts of the world, some people have even noticed that springtime comes earlier now than it did 30 years ago. An earlier springtime is indicative of a possible change in the climate."
From what you are saying, it appears Piers Corby maybe onto something when it comes to 'short term' weather forecasting. Can he extrapolate this to long term changes in the Global climate changes? If so, would he put his money where his mouth is? More to the point, will he be around collect his winnings or (more than likely) mourn his losses?
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Mr. Rowlatt
during your Travels in the U.S. consider visiting this gentleman. www.livesteaming.com/metro.htm He has not waited for goverment solutions or Technology advancements from Detroit to solve our transportation issues. Just rolled up his sleeves and went to work on simple practical transportation solutions. Anyone can do what he has done. (Are you listening General Motors?) Solid engineering solution from an ex-Brit. I look forward to following your adventure across the U.S.
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Take the time to visit some of the top 'eco/environment' schools. My daughter is a student at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. Check out their website, at least.
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If you don't have Bill McKibben and the 350.org team on your list of contacts yet, you should add them. They work more at the macro level, but they were some of the first folks really pushing the global warming issue, the 350.org folks started out at Middlebury College and led a successful campaign to get the admin to agree to go carbon neutral by 2016, and they know so many people working on this issue.
You should probably talk to No Impact Man in New York City, too.
Best of luck!
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Although the rhetoric is a bit sharp, this article is very worth checking out. The authors would be worth visiting during Ethical Man's journey. I am familiar with them -- they are very experienced and knowledgeable in the area of low impact, "off-the-grid" living.
http://www.agreenerindiana.com/forum/topics/the-big-lie-1
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in response to leoworldcitizen 161.
Piers Corbyn would no doubt have been inspired by work such as that of Friis-Christensen of the Danish Institute of Meteorology studying 400 years of solar activity and finding a very close correlation indeed with climate (yes, climate - 4 centuries of it - and not just weather). Nothing to mourn about there!
The absence of correlation between CO2 and atmospheric warming, is of course, the major embarrassment of the populist, alarmist, global warming hoax, but Messrs Gore et al play every trick in the book to make black look white. The fact is that, after an extremely cold period in the 14th century when the Thames would freeze over in winter, temperatures began slowly to rise... well before the industrial revolution (and certainly not because of it). Since the mid-19th century, global mean temperature rise has barely reached 0.5° C!! Oddly the postwar economic boom that completely dwarfed the industrial revolution in terms of CO2 emissions, with mass production of cars and refrigerators that ordinary people could afford for the first time in history (oh those wicked industrialists!) witnessed the COLDEST temperatures for this period. Quite a lot to mourn about there, Mr Gore!
The cherry on the cake, though, is that history has shown us that previous periods of global warming were actually times of prosperity and development!! During the Medieval Maximum, vineyards were planted in Northern England (unthinkable today even in Southern England... it's far too cold nowadays) and magnificent cathedrals and other monuments were built. Hardly, the apocalyptic catastrophe whipped up by the Gorywood prophets of doom for mass consumption.
But then, of course, who needs evidence? The masses have been brainwashed with unprecedented bombardments of pseudo-science and mass-media blitzing. Doubting global warming is now akin to blasphemy. It's standard crowd manipulation as practised by the powerful for millennia: invent a fake problem to polarise the masses against it, give them a horse and lance and sit back and watch as they tilt at your windmills. They have become putty in your hands. Tell them the solution to the problem is to do whatever you tell them (vote for you, give up their car, sign away their country's sovereignty... you name it, they'll do it).
Once the Don Quixotes of today have latched on to a noble (nay "ethical") cause, no amount of scientific evidence will convince them of the opposite. Tilt at your windmills if you will, but please leave me out.
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In response to Goreal 166.
1) Physicist and historian Spencer R. Weart in The Discovery of Global Warming wrote in 2003:
'Respected scientists and enthusiastic amateurs insisted they had found patterns reliable enough to make predictions. Sooner or later though every prediction failed. An example was a highly credible forecast of a dry spell in Africa during the sunspot minimum of the early 1930s. When the period turned out to be wet, a meteorologist later recalled "the subject of sunspots and weather relationships fell into dispute, especially among British meteorologists who witnessed the discomfiture of some of their most respected superiors."'
2) Robert Berner Professor of Geology and Geophysics at Yale University:
'In general there is a good correlation of long periods of intense warming in the geological past with high levels of CO2 and periods of long-lived continental glaciation with periods of low CO2.
'Predictions of future greenhouse warming due to increases in atmospheric CO2 should not be clouded by some unresolved disagreements involving the distant geologic past..."'
3) New Scientist magazine reported that Lassen and astrophysicist Peter Thejll had updated Lassen's 1991 research and found that:
'...while the solar cycle still accounts for about half the temperature rise since 1900, it fails to explain a rise of 0.4 °C since 1980. "The curves diverge after 1980," Thejll said, "and it's a startlingly large deviation. Something else is acting on the climate.... It has the fingerprints of the greenhouse effect."'
I shall choose to ignore your sarcasm of calling me Mr. Gore. I could not though resist looking at your other postings on the subject of 'Evolution vs creationism'. What caught my attention was your statement "A scientist who starts of with an evolutionist assumption will always reach an evolutionist conclusion and a creationist scientist (and there are many great ones eg. Galileo, Louis Pasteur, and Damadian who invented MRI) will always reach a creationist conclusion. Although I do not agree with your statement, it appears you admit to be one of the latter variety.
I do concede solar activity has an impact on weather (and to a degree on climate as well). It still does not explain the divergence of the last few decades.
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@post 145
"4. Thermal emission from the atmosphere can only penetrate liquid water to a depth of a few micron (about the thickness of a human hair)"
Well, you only need to heat the top two or three layers of molecules to enhance surface evaporation rate by a small margin.
Multiply that by the weeks it takes a weather system to cross an ocean and it could amount to increased rainfall rates, deeper low pressure systems or, in extreme cases, a more violent hurricane than usual.
"so cannot heat the ocean."
I would guess the evaporation process will take away most, if not all, of the extra heat input, so I sort-of agree with you there. Except I reckon the heat has gone back into the atmosphere in the escaped water vapour and hasn't conveniently vanished.
If I understand correctly, the lower heat capacity of air means that a tiny temperature rise in the oceans would result in a proportionately larger increase in local air temperature after this manner of heat transfer. I'll have to go and look up what the 'gearing' ratio might be.
Compared to the direct, radiant heating of the ocean by the sun it has to be insignificant as a bulk-heating factor, I admit, but it's not zero and needs to be quantified, especially if computer models are to be accurate. 'Sensitivity to initial conditions' and all that.
By the way, if you convert the 'few microns' to metres and multiply that by the surface area of the world's oceans [in square metres, not square km], how many cubic metres do you get that have been heated.
And where do they end up, if not back in the ocean.
EYG
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Check out this website for getting rides with others --- http://zimride.com//home.php
I believe the guy who set this up was able to travel coast to coast.
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My suggestion for getting around the US other than public transportation is to check out various web sites that help people share rides. There are some that can get you coast to coast!!--- assuming its not breaking the rules to ride in a car that belongs to someone else. Seems like it would be a real challenge -- 4 of you + baggage doing a long distance ride share. I'll be interested to see if you can do it.
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in response to leoworldcitizen 167.
With the tens of thousands of officials, academics and consultants around the world whose very employment depends on their upholding the global warming fantasy, there is no shortage of pseudo-science to quote from out there in support of the hoax. But the question is who's telling the truth? Is it scientist A or scientist B, both of whom claim objectivity, but arrive at conflicting conclusions? Much can be gleaned from the tactics and politics they use and, more importantly perhaps, the historical record.
If scientists are heavily funded to come to the same conclusion as rich, powerful and high-profile politicians and businessmen (not necessarily Mr Gore, of course, but he is a good example) as well as the vast majority of the masses diligently coached by an eager and militant press (essentially belonging to the above forces), are their findings reliable? You're free to think so, of course, but excuse me, please, if I choose to be slightly less naive.
In the 70's, we were told by establishment scientists to expect an imminent ice age, which of course never turned up. Now it's global warming we've simply got to fear, or else. Isn't this the famous hot/cold treatment used to bludgeon the masses? It would be gullible in the extreme not to see the political manipulation behind it. But then not everybody can be forced to get their heads out of the sand.
It is the common tactic of people who sense they're losing an argument to attempt a decoy. References to other opinions held by their opponents and that they believe are unpopular are their way of turning the crowd against them. Leoworldcitizen, having desperately turned to that gambit, has in doing so indicated that he/she is running short of ideas.
It's true that the historical record is fairly damning to the global warming conjecture and I'm pleased to see that leoworldcitizen concedes that, however unwillingly. Staring at the last two decades on the chart (even if it was true that they posed a problem for the sunspot-climate correlation, which they certainly do not) and wilfully ignoring centuries of data that contradict global warming will not produce a viable scientific theory, however hard one may try.
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Justin,
you have more or less misrepresented your own findings in the above write-up.
In fact, you've practically made a headline out of the [quote]"But we only managed to cut our carbon emissions by 20%.[/quote] which can only engender pessimism in those who only read the blog and don't view the video.
If I recall correctly your scientist/energy auditor chap insisted on lumping your solo-jaunt to the Caribbean - which was on the producer's orders, was it not - into the overall results.
When he excluded the footprint of that return flight, your families reduction achievements were a lot more impressive, not to mention commendable.
Why are you down-playing that success, eh?
EYG
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If you have flexibility in what cities you visit, consider giving priority to those with light rail systems. According to this list from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_light_rail_systems_by_ridership
the cities with the most light rail route miles are San Francisco, Trenton/Camden (NJ), Philadelphia (PA), Los Angeles, San Diego, St. Louis, Dallas, Portland (OR), San Jose, and Sacramento.
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In response to 171 Goreal.
Goreal has accused officials, academics and consultants (Yale and New Scientist included) as frauds who are dancing to the tunes of vested political and business interests in order to hold on to their jobs. You would think Dick Cheney and the powerful Oil companies would have more to gain by proving fossil fuels were NOT responsible for GW or that GW is altogether a hoax.
You do not win an argument by discarding anyone who disagrees with you as a fraud. Also, what I conceded to was that “solar activity has an impact on weather (and to a degree on climate as well)”. You very conveniently paraphrased this as being “fairly damning to the global warming conjecture”. The fact remains it still does not explain the divergence of the last few decades.
Calling GW a hoax and pseudo-science is a bit rich coming from someone who brushes aside Darwinism as “as a quaint 19th-century theory... definitely not science” whilst accepting as truth ‘revelations’ made 2000 years ago. This is not a gambit to win an argument. Creationism is unpopular for a reason. No vested interests there I am afraid!
If you were trying to convince me that the rising sea-levels, melting of Artic ice cap and Climate pattern changes are nothing to do with Global warming, but just some solar activity then you have failed.
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one economical and relatively carbon-friendly way to travel between cities in the U.S. is to use craigslist.org's rideshare. it's a way for people to offer up rides as well as request rides.i have had great luck sharing rides with people between portland, OR and the bay area of california. With myself and two other people in my little car, we paid less than $25 each for gas. It's also a great way to meet people.
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As a citizen of the United States, I know how difficult it is to travel without being a fuel hog. My (foreign made) auto averages 50 MPG (US gallons) on the highway, the pickup 30 when I hold the speed below 65 miles per hour. Generally it is hard to do better than this. Most public transportation never seems to go where you want to go. We have city bus and local passenger train service to the metro area, but times and routes are not as easy as they might be, though I am only 6 blocks from city bus service. I do walk, wearing out a pair of hiking boots about every 1 1/2 years. Good luck on finding some way to reduce the carbon print!!
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In response to leoworldcitizen 174.
I notice that leoworldcitizen uses the melting Arctic ice cap in his (or her) increasingly shrill defence of the global warming fairy tale. Rather than rely on Gory revalation, I can suggest a real, objective, repeatable scientific experiment he can do at home that may help shake him out of the the unquestioning faith he has in the scientists he likes so faithfully to quote.
Take a glass of water, place an ice cube in it and mark off the water level. Come back a few minutes later when the ice has melted and check the water level again. You will, of course, find that it has not moved. As still taught in some textbooks and classrooms, water is one of those substances that expands rather than contracts when it freezes. So Gory phenomena, such as rising sea levels, cannot occur as a result of the melting Arctic ice cap, which is simply floating ice.
Indeed, fraud should always be discarded.
A favourite hobby-horse of the early global warming religion, the melting Arctic ice cap scare tactic had to be abandoned when the lobby realised that such basic scientific flaws could easily be debunked by little school children (although most sophisticated, "educated", fashionable people did not even bat an eyelid for years and even dutifully repeated it at their cocktail parties, marches, rallies and even in the classrooms). Instead, they held up as evidence highly theoretical and unproven computer models as unquestionable evidence (very convenient when you have to wait for decades to prove or disprove a model's predictions... in the meantime research funding keeps flowing in as you keep frightening everybody with your bogus pop science).
As people become increasingly computer savvy, however, even the simplest people are starting to realise that you just get out of a computer whatever you put into it in the first place. So, if the science is wrong to start off with, the computer model will be wrong too.
Realising the enormity of their error, the Gore disciples conveniently omitted in the "Inconvenient Truth" to mention their now clearly untrue Arctic ice cap theory and quickly veered instead to glaciers on coastal land and the Antarctic continent. But, even there, the dramatic alarmism is perfectly unfounded. As the Director of the International Arctic Research Centre, Dr Syun-Ichi Akasofu, points out, the pictures paraded in the media with relentless monotony (and by the high priest Gore in his scifi movie, of course) of large boulders of Antarctic ice collapsing menacingly into the sea are as natural and perennial as leaves falling off trees in autumn. Indeed, he says the ice has always behaved like this, both polar ice masses expanding and retreating constantly. He sees nothing to be alarmed about (is he sufficiently authoritative a scientist for leoworldcitizen, though, one wonders?)
Although most of the global warming faithful have woken up to this inconvenient truth about the Arctic ice cap (as their leaders have long abandoned it) and are side-stepping it as much as they can, leoworldcitizen appears to have been labouring under this false science up until now. One can only hope that he too will wake up from the spell and wonder what else could be wrong with the global warming belief system. Popular though the Arctic ice cap story was, it clearly wasn't science. Obviously, the popularity of a belief does not make it science and the truth, however unpopular (or should I say inconvenient) it may be, remains the truth.
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In response to Goreal 177.
Judging by the size of your last two postings, it seems you are the one who is getting increasingly shrill in your own defence.
Let me first remind you of what I had said in my comment 148.
1. "I am no expert environmentalist, but would like to list a few facts". These facts were about recent rise in the world's population and fossil fuels being the major source of the inreasing demand for energy.
2. I then posed the question "What are the causes of rising sea-levels and melting of Arctic ice-cap - contracting at the rate of about 9% a decade?".
As you can see I did not make connection between melting of Arctic ice caps (as the cause) and rising sea-levels (as the effect). You somehow assumed that I had meant there was a connection.
There may well be a connection of the rising sea levels (cause) and the Arctic ice melting (effect) – and not the other way round as you alleged I meant.
I do not know how much of Arctic ice is above sea level. I know it is not completely submerged under water. One could repeat your experiment so that the ice is a centimeter or so above the water level in the glass. Then come back in a few minutes and check the level. The water level will have risen. To complete the analogy with global warming, one could repeat your experiment using warmer water. This will expedite the melting of the ice cube and the level will rise faster.
It may be that the snow/ice capped mountains e.g. the Alps, the Himalayas or Kilimanjaro are melting. It could be the Glaciers or the Antarctic that is melting. It maybe a combination of all these and/or other factors. The fact is something is causing the sea levels to rise noticeably faster. I repeat the question I posed above "What are the causes of rising sea-levels and melting of Arctic ice-cap - contracting at the rate of about 9% a decade?". As far as I know this is not a cyclical event such as "as leaves falling off trees in autumn".
Now coming to your point about "water is one of those substances that expands rather than contracts when it freezes". This anomaly only applies in the narrow range between 4 degrees and 0 degrees celsius. Any rise in water temperature above 4 degrees causes its volume to expand. According to a report in National Geographic News "Thermal expansion has already raised the oceans 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters)". Hope the National Geographic News report is authoritative enough for you.
Dr Syun-Ichi Akasofu maybe a lone voice of sanity in an ocean of ignorance as you suggest. Then again one could allege that he is on the payroll of some oil company or a politician like Dick Cheney. Maybe he is in denial about the effects of GW which to me are irrefutable.
Until such time I am conviced otherwise, I am with the consensus of conventional scientific opinion.
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in response to leoworldcitizen 178.
Leo (I hope he doesn't mind if I abbreviate his name) should perhaps take a leaf from his mentor Mr Gore's book and keep wisely silent about this untenable position on the Arctic ice cap. Mr Gore realised the gaffe well before making his scifi movie and despite eagerly and volubly making many other scientific booboos in his "documentary", he was keen to avoid this most obvious one. Politicians may be liars, but they are generally smart enough to know which fairy tales will be resisted by even the generally unsophisticated masses. But then it's a free world and, if Leo loves the lies, then nothing much else can be done for him, can it?
Rather than accusing the Director of the International Arctic Research Centre, Dr Syun-Ichi Akasofu, of being a lone voice crying in the wilderness, Leo should perhaps inform himself of other top world scientists who don't buy the man-made global warming story (and aren't afraid to say so, despite so many of their colleagues losing their jobs for daring to say the emperor is naked and defy the very poweful forces that maintain this priceless mass-manipulation game).
Eminent scientific authorities such as Professor John Christy (NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement, Fellow of the Amercian Meteorological Society), Professor Ian Clark (the leading Arctic paleontology expert who was among those who blew the whistle on Mr Gore's fraudulent reversal of cause and effect and indicated how ice bore samples show that ice melts in the record PRECEDE rises in atmospheric CO2 and do not follow them), Professor Friis-Christensen of the Danish Meterological Institute (see earlier post 166), Professor Paul Reiter of the Pasteur Insitute (who debunked another Gory fairy tale about malaria rise being a sign of global warming) as well as more recent arrivals on the world academic scene, such as astrophycist Professor Nir Shaviv of the Hebrew University and Professor Jan Veitzer of the University of Ottawa with their ground-breaking work on cloud-forming cosmic rays (there's that sun again), to name just a handful, have clearly distanced themselves from the man-made-global-warming clique. Dr Syun-Ichi Akasofu is clearly in good company.
Leo keeps demanding imperiously to be convinced. A horse can be led to water, Leo, but it can't be made to drink. If you religiously refuse to look the facts in the face, nobody can do it for you.
Indeed, denial of reality appears to be the anthropogenic global warming cult's hallmark. No attempt to open its disciples' eyes can ever succeed, if they doggedly resist the truth and choose to believe their dogma on faith alone. As suggested by the daring documentary "The Great Global Warming Swindle", the motivation to believe the unbelievable appears to be a follow-on from 20th-century Marxist radicalism. Numbed by the collapse of communism in 1989, deodorant-shunning radicals were finally forced to face the fallacy of their leftist lunacy and stood stranded without a cause. They were the perfect cannon fodder for unscrupulous politicians in the West. Lenin's "useful fools" changed hands and became Al's accolytes. Overjoyed at having new barricades to mount, they still fail to suspect in their tree-hugging euphoria that they have become the very pawns of the forces they so stridently opposed while burning flags at Berkley.
Ah, the human race...
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In response to Goreal 179.
This will be my last comment in response to Goreal. I wish I had stopped responding when I discovered (s)he was one of the Creationist school of thought.
Goreal – whenever I have argued against or questioned your supposedly scientific arguments, experiments etc. you have chosen not to respond or changed tack.
1. You first tried to argue the Global Warming is motivated by politicians and business interests until I pointed out that, if anything, it was in the interest of very powerful lobbies to prove the opposite i.e. GW is a fraud. Now you claim it is "very powerful forces that maintain this priceless mass-manipulation game". What powerful forces? Mass-manipulation for what?
2. You called me Mr. Gore before and I ignored that. Now you call me a disciple of Mr. Gore. I shall ignore that as well. Your latest ploy is to lump me amongst radical, leftist lunatics belonging to a communist cult who are now 'Al Gore acolytes'. It appears you have a dogmatic grudge against Mr. Gore in particular and environmentalists in general.
3. It is always healthy to have sceptics in the scientific community. You have found some of these and listed their names. This does not make them any more authoritative than the rest. What about researchers from reputable universities like Yale, research papers published in New Scientist, National Geographic, IPCC (and Nobel committee which conferred the Nobel prize on IPCC) and scores of other respected and renowned sources? You have a lot of horses to lead to the mirage of water and convince them to drink it.
4. You alleged that I made a cause and effect connection between melting Arctic ice and rising sea levels, when I had said nothing of the sort. In fact one could argue that they are both effects of GW. Alternatively it could be argued that the rising (and warmer) sea levels could be causing the Arctic to melt – and not the other way round.
5. Complaints of unfair treatment against your favourite hobbyhorse "The Great Global Warming Swindle" documentary were upheld by Ofcom. Ofcom said that The Great Global Warming Swindle was "unjust and unfair" in the way it represented individuals, including Sir David King, the Government's former chief scientist.
Finally, in your last comment you have mentioned "ice bore samples show that ice melts in the record PRECEDE rises in atmospheric CO2 and do not follow them". I do not recall saying that CO2 was THE and only cause of GW.
A lot of food for thought here or should I say thought for the food that we eat.
As has been mentioned in at least 3 other comments, a meat-free diet or a vegetarian diet of any shade (even if it is for a couple of days a week) would go a long way in slowing down global warming - Methane has 23 times the global warming potential (GWP) of CO2.
On a lighter note as Madash050 wrote in comment 63 – "Flatulence is NOT a right, nor even a privilege".
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Here's a thought - if you didn't have kids your family's carbon footprint would be 60% lower. Are people still so oblivious to the fact that overpopulation is the root of our problems? STOP MAKING MORE BABIES
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in response to Leoworldcitizen 180.
I'm disappointed though not entirely surprised to see that Leo has not given up his/her creationist red herring. As indicated in a previous post, diversion is the standard ploy of someone who's losing an argument.
Back to the real issue of supposedly man-made global warming based on the CO2 emission fantasy: Leo has a number of gripes which I'll deal with in the same order as him/her:
1. Leo clearly does not realise that nothing serves the purposes of the powerful better than coalescing mass "opinion" (dictated by the media, as most "elections" show us time and again around the world) and sending it on a wild goose chase after an imagined, but universally detested foe, in our case CO2. "Go get 'em boys," we are told, just as Hitler told his Brown Shirts before they looted Jewish stores - scapegoats and false enemies have been the stuff of tyranny since the dawn of time. The crowd's attention is thereby distracted from the real causes of misery (eg human greed, as seen in the ruthless machinations of immensily wealthy [and therefore powerful] multinationals). Perhaps Leo is unaware that the overriding strategy of the planet's wealthiest groupings is globalism (as announced by their public relations men of the time, Messrs Bush Sr and Gorbachev, when they hailed in a "New World Order"), whereby national frontiers are abolished and the world is left totally unprotected from their commercial domination ("No tariff barriers!" cries GATT/WTO, no borders, just EU and NAFTA, no small business, just Unilever and Shell). The global warming hoax is a major plank in that strategy and, as always, few are those who are discerning enough to see it. If Leo chooses to remain blissfully unaware of it (a comfortable delusion, no doubt), then hes is perfectly entitled to do so. Everybody has a right to be duped, if he so wishes.
2. No comment.
3. What makes one "eminent" scientist more believable than another is generally how he fairs under moral pressure or the lure of wealth or fame. Leo would obviously like to believe in a world of disinterested philanthropic scholars in a never-ending quest for true knowledge. Somebody clearly needs to tell him that the real world is not like that. Most men have their price (yes, even eminent scientists, Leo) and when the price is right (research funds, jobs, publication, overseas trips), they'll sell. Those who have the courage to speak the truth will always be in a minority (like the man-made global warming hoax whistle-blowers, as Leo himself eagerly and repeatedly points out). The coercion exercised on scientists to go along with the CO2 is immense. Just try saying it's a hoax in your CV for that research fellowship!
An example of the fraudulent misconduct of just one of the "authorities" Leo holds up as "reputable", is the IPCC listing among its "2,500 top scientists" who agree with man-made global warming scores of non-scientists and politicians and even dissenters who had to threaten court action to get their names of the list. The cases of some such scientists, such as Professor Frederic Seitz, the former president of the American Academy of Sciences, became well known when he, for example, wrote a letter to this effect that was published in the Wall Street Journal. He has testified that many scientists were hoodwinked into signing the IPCC report that alleges global warming was man made. He indicated that whole sections of the report, including the statement "None of the studies cited has shown clear evidence that we can attribute climate changes to increases in greenhouse gases" and "No study to date has positively attributed all or part of the observed climate changes to man-made causes" were deleted from the report originally shown to them.
4. It's good to see that Leo accepts there is no link between "rising sea levels" and the receding Arctic ice cap. Just as an aside, does he know that Antarctic ice has actually been on the rise for some time now? How is that explained away in the global warming fraternity (it's amazing what gymnastics they'll resort to to make everything fit their theory, though, no matter how contradictory)?
5. Even a brief glance at Ofcom's "findings" is enough to convince the most naive of readers of their patent political bias in favour of the global warming hoaxers. One example is the way they uphold Carl Wusch's double talk (or at least most of it, as some is so clearly in favour of the programme's conclusions it simply cannot be skirted around) despite Durkin's clear evidence to the contrary (his reponse to Wunsch was categorical: "Carl Wunsch was most certainly not 'duped' into appearing in the film, as is perfectly clear from our correspondence with him. Nor are his comments taken out of context. His interview, as used in the programme, perfectly accurately represents what he said."). The fact that some people should unexplainably retract remarks or claim they were taken out of context etc, is clear testimony of the pressure brought to bear on dissenters.
As with his denial of seeing cause and effect from melting Arctic ice to rising sea levels, Leo uses the same hypocrisy to deny his belief in (man-made) CO2 as the chief cause of global warming, when he sees how scientifically feeble these postulates are. Although each of his postings clearly relies on these assumptions, it is true that he does not actually expressly and literally state them and he uses this loophole to wriggle out of yet another tight corner that the global warming hoaxers get themselves into when faced with the science. But it's good to see that he's backing off.
If Leo is feeling guilty about his flatulence, I have good news for him: don't be. You can flatulate as much as you like, as long as it's coming from the right end of your digestive system (and not escaping in written form onto blogs), as it won't change the world's climate one iota! So toot on, Leo!
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Our Information – Where does it come from?
A key source of information for weather and thus climate change is through research, i.e. that of the scientific kind. But how relevant, reliable and thus useful is it? Is it correct or accurate for example with the subject matter being studied and under investigation and as a result acceptable and credible?
There exists good research and bad research. As someone who has been involved with research work relating to environmental and ecological matters, it is only ever as good as the work being undertaken on a number of levels, including methodology with focus: detail or depth with thoroughness, and qualitative nature etc...
Depending on its nature with resulting presentation, research might not be clear, focused, fair and balanced and possibly end up being subjective or ambiguous, misleading, misunderstood, open to interpretation, or taken out of context.
Every so often in every walk of life research can be questioned and challenged and conflicting information with contradictions can occur and result. For example once upon a time it was unsafe to eat too many eggs. Now it appears or rather so we are told there is no recommended health safety limit to how many can be eaten. So which is right?
One source of information that sometimes or even often appears to get little recognition or missed particularly with the media is that at ground level – the observations and information of the general population. With climate change, what people see around them with weather patterns - at work or socially (particularly when being active outdoors) is immensely powerful.
As an example, spending a certain amount of time outside each week socially or recreationally such as in the garden with plants, I am adamant that in my lifetime as far back as I can remember (still believing to be fairly young) that this is the harshest winter I have seen – in terms of wind, rain and cold preventing me from carrying out a number of tasks. Last year I thought was the worst but this year I have found it to be more severe. This may be my ‘micro-climate’ or it could be something on a far greater reaching scale.
I recently set some interest on Twitter by posting pictures of Snowdrops and Aconites and suggested that by photographing these each year in flower it could be observed if and how plant activity might be changing over time. It is commonly reported that spring plants have tended to appear flowering earlier over recent times. Bulb plants are a good example with notable reacting growth behaviour to any weather changes. BBC Countryfile (22nd February 2009) recently interviewed a gentleman I think at Kew who has for some years been recording such plant activity. His recording might be at a local ‘micro-climate’ level but what if this work was extended on a larger geographical scale. What valuable information this would be about the effects of changing weather and ultimate climate change.
Justin is in a wonderful position of travelling across America to be able to ask people what they are experiencing, what they see around them with regards any changing weather and any effects. And because of the vastness of the USA, there is an incredible wide diversity of changing and contrasting geography, topography, and weather relationships, with resulting populace range of people able to be asked and give such wealth and assortment of information.
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While in Michigan did you realize that the land you were standing on is still rising after being covered by a mile of ice from the last ice age? Was it global warming that started some 18,000 years ago from the campfires of our ancestors? Or was it just mother nature? One can only expect some warming to still continue.
The global warming issue has now become the climate change issue, ( seems the last 2 winters were colder than normal ) an issue started by the USA because of all the money going to the Arab nations for their oil. Sure we need to find a cleaner source of energy, and I'm sure it's out there, but don't feed us full of lies and false facts to get more tax money from us!
We can cut our pollution in half right now by not staying up all night partying!!
That may also bring back family values!
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Ah yes, family values, and cutting back on partying, like that's going to help!
And concern about your tax dollars - this seems to be a major American issue, much more so than climate change and the destruction of the planet - some people might say this was a tad selfish.
I can't believe that there are still people out there who say all this kind of stuff, about it's not true, and don't believe the scientists.
I guess there is a link to religion here somewhere, in terms of a refusal to believe the science, whether it be evolution or climate change.
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#185 - nothing to do with religion. Some people just like to think for themselves, rather than go along with the majority's view.
I happen to believe that global warming is happening and is a man-made problem, but I don't believe that evolution is the established fact it is made out to be.
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I'm an architect in South Africa wanting to design a home for my family, which does not rely on municipal services. We live in an area which has plenty of rain and sun, with no serious cold to worry about. But the house must not end up looking like a primitive subsistence-factory. We would appreciate any good websites that could guide us. Technologies should be available anywhere, otherwise importing solar-powered air-conditioning from China might defeat the purpose in a global sense.
I cannot believe how many cynics there are to the blog. Obviously people with not much else to do but criticize. You could start by eliminating them.
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@craigzulu #187
Check out the following website:
http://www.channel4.com/4homes/on-tv/grand-designs/episode-guides/
In particular
"Sussex: The Woodman's Cottage" under Wooden Houses and
"Suffolk, The Eco House" under Eco & Ethical Houses
When I was searching for insulation that keeps a house cool in summer and warm in winter I discovered a product made in South Africa called ISOBOARD at the following website:
http://www.isoboard.com/b_a.html
Hope this is of some use.
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Talking about the carbon emissions of developing countries,like india is not justified according to me. I truely believe and wish that the world will unite to fight against excessive carbon emission and prevent global warming to take a graver form but the yardstick for a developing country should be different to that of a devloped first world.
The episode on the carbon emission of India was certainly interesting to watch and the statistics were very informative but i think that this country has graver issues to deal with.Coming to stats, well then i would like to share that about 42% of the Indian population lives below the Global Poverty Line ,hence is 'nt it justified that they think about the means to make their ends meet more than 'grave ' issues like global warming ?
The government of india is still thinking about including the right to basic necessities of life like daily nutritious food in the fundamental rights of the country's Constitution. This is the need of the hour in a country like India.
In these circumstances i do not think that comparison of India with UK is 'ethical'.Spreading awarness and trying to formutate a plan to cut the carbon emission in India is justifined but blatant comparison is unjust to the hilt.
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