Current Affairs Environmental Stuff

[Spadge Vernacular]

It's probably me being a duffer like, but I was listening to a scientist yesterday whilst I was shelling beans and he was saying that in the UK when the media/gov. are speaking about reducing carbon consumption the discourse is always in terms of an average and how that's very misleading as there is an extreme wealth disparity here. The poor majority have far less consumption to reduce than the top ten percent with their multiple flights, vehicles, houses and attendant consumption and this needs to be reinforced as much as possible. I'd just never considered that aspect before, because, as he claims, it's usually presented as an average like 'we're all in it together' whereas we certainly aren't.

Have a look at this.

Personal carbon allowances could assist climate targets

Personal carbon allowances (PCAs) could help countries to reach ambitious climate mitigation targets and enable a low-carbon recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new report co-led by UCL researchers.

www.ucl.ac.uk

 

[orchard]

Its presented that way both for honest and dishonest reasons, one of the concepts currently discussed is how to reduce doom-ism and keep people engaged in a concept they believe can be achieved, also public opinion and public pressure are important weapons, and you again want people to feel engaged and empowered, few things are more discouraging than being a passive stakeholder in your own environment.

There is no doubt of course that it is lower income folk that both cause the least climate damage and also suffer the greatest impacts, and corporations and the wealthy take advantage of the presentation as an average. I would say I personally don't see this as a reason to not make the sacrifices I am capable of without greatly reducing my life, while also still campaigning against corporate and government bio-terrorism.

Oh yeah, about that, Guardian cover the 'government's' effective legalisation of several pesticides today,

 

[orchard]

Have a look at this.

Personal carbon allowances could assist climate targets

Personal carbon allowances (PCAs) could help countries to reach ambitious climate mitigation targets and enable a low-carbon recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new report co-led by UCL researchers.

www.ucl.ac.uk

In principle, it could work. It would almost certainly be compromised in implementation here imo. One just needs to look at the mental gymnastics policy makers are conducting with farmed herbivores as an example. They're part of the natural carbon cycle and herd numbers have been dropping for over fifty years in this country. But rather than tackle the real cause of the methane issue, adding natural gas to the environment, billions have been spent creating pills and masks for livestock instead, creating barriers to trade for small extensive farmers as well as extra cost/production/consumption.

 

[orchard]

Have a look at this.

Personal carbon allowances could assist climate targets

Personal carbon allowances (PCAs) could help countries to reach ambitious climate mitigation targets and enable a low-carbon recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new report co-led by UCL researchers.

www.ucl.ac.uk

Oh, and imagine the Mail and Telegraph's response to rationing, lol.

Another big hurdle to all of this is, within the poorest demographic, how many of them are motivated by the hope of becoming major consumers in the future in our society, and what would that mean systemically ? Consumption's been the big carrot from Thatcher onwards and I get the impression that there isn't a lot left beyond that in some people's lives.

Anyway, there's no way Finance will permit degrowth, it's pretty much antithetical.

 

[orchard]

Well, more beans to sort for drying this morning, this is fairly interesting, although if you don't have that many beans, you can skip the first third:

 

[wm02]

Damn wokies have ruined America's past-time. Actually, this is a cool paper written by some of my colleagues:

Global Warming, Home Runs, and the Future of America’s Pastime

Abstract Home runs in baseball—fair balls hit out of the field of play—have risen since 1980, driving strategic shifts in gameplay. Myriad factors likely account for these trends, with some speculating that global warming has contributed via a reduction in ballpark air density. Here we use...

journals.ametsoc.org

If you're a Cubs fan like me, you can expect some high-scoring games in the future (assuming we don't blow ourselves up before that).
View attachment 225553

Interesting. Lots of reasons for more home runs but this is an intriguing article.

FWIW, I always assumed day games were lower scoring due to the impact of shadows but maybe that’s not the case. Also, loads of warm-weather teams with the lowest expected home runs which is a little surprising

Also, no chance your Cubs will be in any low-scoring games throwing Smyly and Taillon out there
*scuttles back to the baseball thread

 

[Rita_Poon]

Interesting. Lots of reasons for more home runs but this is an intriguing article.

FWIW, I always assumed day games were lower scoring due to the impact of shadows but maybe that’s not the case. Also, loads of warm-weather teams with the lowest expected home runs which is a little surprising

Also, no chance your Cubs will be in any low-scoring games throwing Smyly and Taillon out there
*scuttles back to the baseball thread

ste
ro
ids

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Tory plans to rip up river pollution rules in tatters after two defeats in Lords

Labour’s move to oppose erosion of EU-derived laws welcomed by environmental groups

www.theguardian.com

The Conservative Party sure doesn't do much "conserving" does it? Unless it's conserving money for the rich of course

 

[Walken]

Ireland currently seeing the effects of lack of run off regulation and enforcement. No doubt proposals have been made in the past that the NFU and the water companies successfully lobbied corrupt politicians to prevent

 

[orchard]

Ireland currently seeing the effects of lack of run off regulation and enforcement. No doubt proposals have been made in the past that the NFU and the water companies successfully lobbied corrupt politicians to prevent

40pc of NI's drinking water is obviously far less important than who can use someone else's toilet, and further deregulation.

 

[Rita_Poon]

Chris Packham asks if it's 'ethical' for climate activists to break the law

In Chris Packham’s soul-searching new documentary, the broadcaster and environmental campaigner asks himself some seriously tough questions.

www.bigissue.com

He's not really doing mother earth many favours, honourable as his position is, limp wristed cry-arsing. "you have to listen now", ok Chris, try another route, let's up the ante, when it's all burned and poisoned it'll be everyone's problem. This seems to be the effort of apathy.

 

[Rita_Poon]

Half the problem with the global warming issue is, it wasn't such a big problem at the beginning of a lot of people's lives. It's easier to just go along with the business as usual mantra. "my life is hard enough, and now you want to make me suffer more by taking my car/shower/tv away from me but not the well off's of this world".
That hypocrisy is problematic because it further entrenches the defense of entitlement. "I can't even have a packet of crisps as the plastic bags are choking the whales" etc.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Rishi Sunak likely to face legal challenges over net zero U-turn

UK climate watchdog said policy change would make it more difficult to meet legal commitments

www.theguardian.com

Was always happening with the Tories in power

 

[orchard]

Vote for Dave ?

 

[Walken]

Right wing think tanks will again be attempting to infiltrate the national trust this year at the AGM national trust elections. The friends of right wing government 'restore trust' will use the telegraph, the mail and drunks with fake careers to help push its climate change denying plants.

I would encourage all to join the national trust before November 11 and vote against these fossil fuel funded ghouls.