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Hi Chris & All, May 16, 2012
Thanks for bringing us up to date on these matters. Good article; it =
may be too late to correct it but if not, I noticed one typo in =
penultimate paragraph: images instead of imagines.
I have long been in favor of $5.00/litre gas ($10 now) and =
comparable hikes on all fossil fuels but I don't think the electorate =
will ever be ready for the High Fossil Fuels Party. Stephaine Dion ran =
on a carbon tax but not far. I doubt that any party or coalition of =
parties would dare shut down the Tar Sands or stop using tax money to =
promote petrochemical exploration and development.
But I don't think the situation is hopeless, provided enough =
informed people keep pushing for alternative energy and/or remedial =
action. Unfortunately, uninformed people pushing the wrong way are =
partly responsible for the mess; e.g. the current opposition to wind =
farms in Kings Co. =20
=20
At least twice since 1970, when oil prices have spiked, alternative =
energy approaches have become prominent and then been abruptly undercut =
by lower oil prices. More support from government to keep such =
technology afloat, during oil price slumps, would help maintain =
continuity of development. Germany, e.g. has set a good example by =
guaranteeing prices over 20 years for solar energy power some 3-fold (?) =
above current market.=20
I have lost track of the details (and may have some incorrect) but =
about 15 years ago a small Ontario company developed a superbug that, by =
excreting suitable enzymes, could convert organic waste (such a sawdust, =
straw...) directly to ethyl alcohol. The lab-scale process worked and =
they wanted to build a pilot-scale prototype. After being unable to get =
funding from Ottawa they intended to seek funding in the US and Germany. =
In 2008, Plasco Energy Group contracted to convert 300 tonnes of Red =
Deer garbage per day into electricity; each tonne being expected to =
power a typical household for 2 months. Also by 2008 a small American =
company (LS9 Inc) developed another superbug to convert organic waste =
directly to ester-diesel.=20
If in fact sea floor Methyl Hydrate is starting to release =
significant Methane then I think every effort should be made to exploit =
this resource ASAP; CO2 being many times better than Methane. Methyl =
Hydrate is the most scary part of potential warming; once warming by =
Methane release got sufficiently underway, the positive feedback effect =
would be unstoppable.
Yours truly, Dave Webster, Kentville
=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Christopher Majka=20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2012 12:55 PM
Subject: [NatureNS] Thermometer rising: Ice, methane and climate =
change
Hi folks,
Those who are interested in environmental and climate change issues =
may be interested in my recent (published yesterday) article for =
Rabble.ca, Thermometer rising: Ice, methane and climate change (Nova =
Scotians will doubtless recognize the allusion to Hugh MacLennan. ;~>):
Thermometer rising: Ice, methane and climate change
=
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/christophermajka/2012/05/thermometer-risi=
ng-ice-methane-and-climate-change
Are dire warnings of climate change warranted? Declining arctic sea =
ice and increasing methane emissions indicate they are. While =
civilization nears a precipice, political leaders are speeding up the =
pace at which we are racing towards the cliff. In this article I examine =
recent data on diminishing arctic sea ice and increasing levels of =
methane emissions to develop a better understanding of what's in store =
for the world in the event that we fail to grapple with this serious =
issue.=20
Best wishes,
Chris
Christopher Majka
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca
It's true we're on the wrong track, but we're compensating for this =
short-coming by accelerating. - Stanislav Lec
No virus found in this message.
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05/15/12
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hi Chris & All, =
=20
May 16,=20
2012</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> Thanks for bringing us up to date =
on these=20
matters. Good article; it may be too late to correct it but if not, I =
noticed=20
one typo in penultimate paragraph: images instead of =
imagines.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> I have long been in favor of =
$5.00/litre=20
gas ($10 now) and comparable hikes on all fossil fuels but I don't =
think=20
the electorate will ever be ready for the High Fossil Fuels Party. =
Stephaine=20
Dion ran on a carbon tax but not far. I doubt that any party or =
coalition of=20
parties would dare shut down the Tar Sands or stop using tax money to =
promote=20
petrochemical exploration and development.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> But I don't think the situation =
is=20
hopeless, provided enough informed people keep pushing for =
alternative=20
energy and/or remedial action. Unfortunately, uninformed people =
pushing the=20
wrong way are partly responsible for the mess; e.g. the =
current=20
opposition to wind farms in Kings Co. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> At least twice since 1970, when =
oil prices=20
have spiked, alternative energy approaches have become prominent and =
then been=20
abruptly undercut by lower oil prices. More support from government to =
keep such=20
technology afloat, during oil price slumps, would help maintain =
continuity of=20
development. Germany, e.g. has set a good e