This can be very misleading. If I get my car towed in NYC, about $200 towing fine is recorded in the GDP. Same thing in Beijing, $20. Does it mean the towing truck in NYC is entitled 10x emission that the tow truck in Beijing, for towing one car?
a parking fine wouldn't count as GDP. But a hair cut would. And for using PPP to say that China is 80% of the U.S., that's only used for comparing standard of living, not for economic output. So yeah, if you are the world bank, you use the PPP. But if you are trying to get a sense of output a nation has, you use the nominal numbers. And China is outputting a lot, but at a very high cost environmentally. Not just CO2 to the world, but it's own people.... And yeah, so in history the U.S. had put out more CO2, but that doesn't mean it's ok for China to get to a point where it's putting out more CO2 then the top 10 countries combined (and that would include the U.S. and Europe). I'm not saying China should stop growing, they have a right to try to improve their lot and become a world power. But this isn't about knocking China, it's pointing out the futility in having us try to cut back 10% because China is increasing C02 emissions at a rate that the global output is going to dramatically increase even if the rest of the world cuts back. Our hope is either go nuclear, because wind and solar isn't going to become a solution anytime soon, or we can just learn to live with a warmer planet if indeed CO2 is causing temp increases, or hope that the increased CO2 somehow causes increased cloud cover or algae blooms which triggers a cooling effect. No one really knows....but looks like we're going to find out!
camoroner2002 said it best! Gas vs. smoking! Two horrifically things bad for society! One word: Prohibition That is what this uppity hippie crap is starting, and it is bullsh*t. I'm watching Dem's take much more rights away than repubs ever had. (OH AND DEBATE ME ON THIS) What I've been telling people for years. What my dad, who worked for Exxon for as long as I was born was told: Find a Cheaper cleaner fuel, and we will use it. There are already hydrogen-based cars, and the technology is there for nuclear ideas, if the public is willing. (And BTW, nuclear energy comes from nothing else than ultra-heated water) I'm just sick of you self-righteous morons.
Hells yeah! We'd have nothign but women with dread locks for hair and bushes down below! oh...and long ass arm pit hair!
I know you love me, so I'm going to reply! What right is being taken away here, exactly? Nobody's saying you can't drive a 70's-era Delta 88 around, right? Want to compare a government considering lowering its greenhouse gas output to, say, the "Patriot" "Act?" Cutie, I could tell you wanted a new sociopathic rant -- so you go! Great point, and I agree with your dad! (Whew, I would not want to make you uncomfortable by saying I agreed with *you* on anything... That would probably be kind of like me tapping my foot in the stall next to yours). More than gov'ment regulation, I think cleaner energy will catch on enough culturally that people will be going for cleaner alternatives, finally. We're already seeing this. Whoops! All non-hydroelectric power generation involves generating steam, yes. But a coal-fired plant boils water with burning coal, leaving some carbon in the atmosphere, and a nukular plant boils water by splitting atoms and leaving some radioactive waste products behind. So I'm still pro-nuke, but it is not simple and clean. Fusion would be though. Aw, now either all the self-righteous morons are really on one side of the aisle (violating fundamental thermodynamics!), OR... somebody needs a hug! A big long-haired, wide-stance hug!
We need to start building as many nuke plants as we can in this country right now and we need to get the Yucca Mtn. disposal sight up and running. We then need to develop technology to reuse the waste stored in Yucca Mtn. with breeder reactors. It has been over 20 years since the last plant was built correct? Way too long.
Of course not. It's an infant industry - that's how infant industries start. The point is that energy efficiency is not a crippling concept. It will affect jobs and industries, but if we have to learn to be more efficient, that spawns new research and new industries. If we learn to use technologies, that opens up new doors and new opportunities. Every economic negative is balanced by an economic positive.
really? patriot act suspension of habeas corpus "free speech zones" illegal wiretapping what have the "dems" done which is even close to any of this?
ironic statement to make considering that you once chased me into a thread about amare stoudamire getting suspended to try and argue the merits of torture with me. not to derail the current thread, but id still like for you to explain how the fact that i am both opposed to our government authorizing torture AND think that the stoudamire suspension was excessive makes me inconsistent.
it's an infant industry that can't solve today's problem. it's just wishful thinking to just say - just build solar panels and wind mills and it will solve all our problems.
Wind mills will never be huge. Because if the wind stops blowing the electricity stops. Just because of that fact alone wind power will always be a small source of power. Solar is another matter.
do you work in the oil industry? yeah, wind and solar cant meet ALL of our needs but even if it can provide 10% of our energy = billions of dollars in savings. there are neighborhoods in california where all houses have solar panels attached to their roofs. those panels provide close to 90% of the power the house needs. on top of that, if there is any excess electricity, it is sold to the power companies. yes the initial investment is heavy. yes solar and wind will not meet 100% of our energy needs but at some point we have to start moving away from oil bc we WILL run out. its either solar/wind, nuclear fission, or nuclear fusion. nuclear fission produces deadly by products. nuclear fusion is far off in the future. so for now, solar/wind is our only viable option. you can keep repeating that solar/wind is wishful thinking but i think its even more foolish to keep using oil without developing alternative sources of energy.
