A little bed-time reading (but, sorry, it's not a fairy-tale).
http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-repor ... REPORT.pdf
And the Summary - a mere 40 ages:
http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-repor ... R5_SPM.pdf
IPCC AR5 Synthesis Report
Moderator: Peak Moderation
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biffvernon
- Posts: 18538
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- Location: Lincolnshire
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29855884
Sorry, but I really don't get this. A report is a report. Let's see it in all its gory detail, THEN the governments can argue about the validity and what to do about it. I can't understand why they have to negotiate about what to censor from the report before it's published!
Can we have the "uncut version" please?
Ban-Ki-Moon was quoted as saying "Science has spoken". Well actually, no. Science has spoken with an IPCC-gloved hand over its mouth.
So, we have a potentially diluted report which mainstream media such as the BBC will no doubt report alongside the views of climate sceptics, in the name of "balance". The same mainstream media that reported with absolute certainty that flight MH17 was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile, etc. (no balance required, for some reason).
Makes me sick.
[rant off]
The IPCC's Synthesis Report was published on Sunday in Copenhagen, after a week of intense debate between scientists and government officials.
It is intended to inform politicians engaged in attempts to deliver a new global treaty on climate by the end of 2015.
(My emphasis)Fierce standoff
In the IPCC's discussions on fossil fuels, there was a fierce battle over a chart that showed how much the electricity sector needed to curb its carbon, the BBC's environment correspondent Matt McGrath reports from Copenhagen.
According to one observer, "the Saudis went ballistic" over the chart's inclusion.
Sorry, but I really don't get this. A report is a report. Let's see it in all its gory detail, THEN the governments can argue about the validity and what to do about it. I can't understand why they have to negotiate about what to censor from the report before it's published!
Can we have the "uncut version" please?
Ban-Ki-Moon was quoted as saying "Science has spoken". Well actually, no. Science has spoken with an IPCC-gloved hand over its mouth.
So, we have a potentially diluted report which mainstream media such as the BBC will no doubt report alongside the views of climate sceptics, in the name of "balance". The same mainstream media that reported with absolute certainty that flight MH17 was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile, etc. (no balance required, for some reason).
Makes me sick.
[rant off]
Engage in geo-engineering. Plant a tree today.
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biffvernon
- Posts: 18538
- Joined: 24 Nov 2005, 11:09
- Location: Lincolnshire
- Contact:
Earlier today I tweeted: "#AR5 shows most carbon must stay unburnt. No point searching more. In exploration industry? You are foot-soldier in genocide. Get out now."
An hour later a friend called in. He works on a gas exploration rig off the Russian east coast. Oops. Fortunately, he doesn't use twitter. He drives a Porshe, quickly. It's a way of using up the ridiculous amount of money he earns on a gas rig at http://www.shell.com/global/aboutshell/ ... halin.html
Now that we not only understand the problem of global warming and what has to be done about it but we are supported by all the scientists and all the governments of the world have accepted that the scientists were right, what shall we do about people like my friend?
An hour later a friend called in. He works on a gas exploration rig off the Russian east coast. Oops. Fortunately, he doesn't use twitter. He drives a Porshe, quickly. It's a way of using up the ridiculous amount of money he earns on a gas rig at http://www.shell.com/global/aboutshell/ ... halin.html
Now that we not only understand the problem of global warming and what has to be done about it but we are supported by all the scientists and all the governments of the world have accepted that the scientists were right, what shall we do about people like my friend?
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biffvernon
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Excellent summary for busy people:
https://storify.com/piersforster/ipcc-s ... -in-tweets
https://storify.com/piersforster/ipcc-s ... -in-tweets
I would venture to suggest that your friend is a symptom of the problem, not a cause. Apart from his Porsche-driving activities, he himself is not creating the emissions. We are.
If we (and it's a big, collective we):
- bought less stuff
- bought less stuff from a long way away
- drove less
- insulated our houses
- ate less meat
- grew more food for personal consumption
- used more muscle-power and less motive-power
..and generally brought down demand for fossil fuels, I'm sure the problem of your friend would take care of itself.
A mini-case-study; my Mother buys paper towels in large quantities, so she can dry her cat when it comes in from the rain, which is many times a day. She understands the term "global warming". She just doesn't see the connection. I'm not convinced that many people do.
I think the IPCC need to stop banging on about reducing emissions and increasing renewables' share of electricity generation, and cut straight to the chase; we in the "developed world" (who on Earth actually came up with that expression?) need to move away from our unsustainable lifestyles, and those in the "developing world" need to reject the western lifestyle as an aspiration.
It's an unpopular job, but somebody's got to do it.
If we (and it's a big, collective we):
- bought less stuff
- bought less stuff from a long way away
- drove less
- insulated our houses
- ate less meat
- grew more food for personal consumption
- used more muscle-power and less motive-power
..and generally brought down demand for fossil fuels, I'm sure the problem of your friend would take care of itself.
A mini-case-study; my Mother buys paper towels in large quantities, so she can dry her cat when it comes in from the rain, which is many times a day. She understands the term "global warming". She just doesn't see the connection. I'm not convinced that many people do.
I think the IPCC need to stop banging on about reducing emissions and increasing renewables' share of electricity generation, and cut straight to the chase; we in the "developed world" (who on Earth actually came up with that expression?) need to move away from our unsustainable lifestyles, and those in the "developing world" need to reject the western lifestyle as an aspiration.
It's an unpopular job, but somebody's got to do it.
Engage in geo-engineering. Plant a tree today.
Indeed, well said Tarrel.
It is a unpopular job, and the IPCC aren't the folk to do it. It is more of a political message than a scientific one - yet elected politicians are the last people able to articulate such a message. The message could come from the UN or the EU... but I bet that would just stoke the nationalist fires, potentially leading to collapse of trans-national institutions.
We have the mother of all global problems, yet no serious global leadership. We've devolved decisions to 200+, competitive, regional actors - it'll never work.
It is a unpopular job, and the IPCC aren't the folk to do it. It is more of a political message than a scientific one - yet elected politicians are the last people able to articulate such a message. The message could come from the UN or the EU... but I bet that would just stoke the nationalist fires, potentially leading to collapse of trans-national institutions.
We have the mother of all global problems, yet no serious global leadership. We've devolved decisions to 200+, competitive, regional actors - it'll never work.
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RenewableCandy
- Posts: 12780
- Joined: 12 Sep 2007, 12:13
- Location: York
Fils' best mate has an elder brother who, having been in and out of dead-end jobs here in the UK, got Canadian papers and went to work on oil rigs in the Great White Space. Judging from his fb page plus family reports, the guy's in his element out there (he's built like a caricature American outdoorsman and loves the tough work): earning more money than I've ever seen and going from strength to stength. You'd kind of feel a spoilsport telling him he shouldn't be doing it (erm, so I don't! He's bigger than me!).
But yes you're right: it's us who buy the stuff who are the actual cause of the problem. If we didn't, I'm sure he'd find work in forestry/ag/hydro of a similar physical nature.
But yes you're right: it's us who buy the stuff who are the actual cause of the problem. If we didn't, I'm sure he'd find work in forestry/ag/hydro of a similar physical nature.
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emordnilap
- Posts: 14823
- Joined: 05 Sep 2007, 16:36
- Location: here
Un-, shurely?biffvernon wrote:Earlier today I tweeted: "#AR5 shows most carbon must stay unburnt. No point searching more. In exploration industry? You are foot-soldier in genocide. Get out now."
An hour later a friend called in. He works on a gas exploration rig off the Russian east coast. Oops. Fortunately, he doesn't use twitter.
That said, this was number one item on lunchtime radio news, which is quite something, believe me - I've never known climate change to be that important with RTÉ.
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker