Saturday, December 12, 2015

COP21 or COP OUT 21



An agreement on keeping global warming to less than 2 degrees C has been reached at COP21 in Paris.  This means that fossil fuels will be phased out between 2050 and the beginning of the 22nd century.    The BBC has summarized the nonsense that was "agreed" to in Paris in this link.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35073297


This is utter BS, but everyone will applaud.  Between 2015 and 2035 two billion more vehicles will be produced and these won’t be electric.  Our problem is sociological.  When we finally admit that we have to live a very different lifestyle, we will deal with climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.

Had I been in charge of energy policy for the earth, I would have first mandated that families have one child and one vehicle.  If you have no vehicles you can have two children.  I would limit the mass of any new vehicle being manufactured to 2,000 pounds in 2017 and this would have to be reduced to 1,000 pounds by 2035.  Note all Tesla’s would be banned from production.

Then I would have mandated that every vehicle being produced have the capability to seat five people.  No roadsters.  If the vehicle is on road and has only a driver, it would get daily traffic ticket of $100.  Folks would find out quickly how to pick up passengers.  By 2018 all vehicles used for personal transportation that have a mass over 2,000 pounds would be scrapped. 

Of course my plan is BS and will not be adopted but it would work.  When we finally realize that propelling a single person miles and miles in a 4,000 plus pound vehicle is what is damaging the planet then we may start altering our minds to appreciate how screwed up the earth is.  I think COP21 is pure COP OUT, and just a method for governments to tax more and pretend they really care and that they really know what they are doing. 


The thermodynamic neophytes who believe in Bio Fuels will have another go at making cellulosic ethanol.  The rich that drive Teslas will smile as they go down the road in their 4,500 pound vehicle that hogged all the lithium and they will believe they are making a difference.  I will simply get older and say there are too many people and far too many heavy cars.  The internal combustion engine and gasoline certainly made lives easier and automotives possile, but from the Model T to the Model S it was a nice ride down the wrong one way road with a dead end.




1 comment:

  1. Indeed Lindsay. And activists like the 350.org minions could stand to follow Kevin Anderson, Deputy Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and Professor of Energy and Climate Change at the University of Manchester.

    http://www.democracynow.org/2015/12/8/top_climate_expert_crisis_is_worse

    Organizations like 350.org are hypocrites, and the most vocal against fossil fuels, but what are they doing to change their behavior? Pablum. They could lead by a MUCH better example--utilizing their local activists instead of jumping on airplanes to cross the 'pond.'

    Alas, I lament--2015 is just another year of the parody of inaction.

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