Category: Big Picture

To be honest, he was taller than I expected, and more Eastern in appeareance, a kind of lanky version of Mehmet behind the deli counter at my local Turkish International Food Emporium.

David Miliband was also considerably thinner than I would have liked, considering he might one day rule the New Labour Party, who might just rule my country again. We wouldn’t want him blown away by the slightest breeze, surely, would we ? He needs feeding in my opinion.

Tags campaigning, Climate Change, Energy, Global Warming, persuasion, politics, Renewable Energy, Science, soft power, Technology

Behaviour Changeling Big Picture Climate Change Energy Revival Pet Peeves

Copenhagen Is All Wrong

Many people around the world are praying and crossing their fingers for some kind of Climate Change treaty to be signed at Copenhagen.

Practically all the nations of the world will have their United Nations delegations in Denmark’s capital this December, and many governments are hoping for a breakthrough of one sort or another on the form of words, the financial commitments and the political drive to get things done.

Trouble is, the nations can promise and sign and agree all they like, but nothing will happen, because the wrong players are in the room.

Tags Climate Change, Energy

Big Picture Energy Revival Peace not War Peak Energy Pet Peeves

The Sun Shines Bright

A truly epoch-changing story is evolving underneath the radar of the mainstream media, and out of sight of the Internetistas.

For some years now, Peak Oilmen (and women) have been trying to draw attention to the problems with the subsiding gushers in Saudi Arabia.

The Oil Drum, who confidently assert they know everything to cast accurate future projections for oil production, say that Saudi Arabia peaked in 2005 :-

https://www.theoildrum.com/node/5154

Apparently the wells are pumping more water than crude these days.

Tags Energy, solar

Big Picture Carbon Rationing Climate Change Energy Revival Pet Peeves Renewable Resource

If It’s That Good, Why Aren’t They Doing It Already ?

Post author By Jo
Post date November 3, 2009
No Comments on If It’s That Good, Why Aren’t They Doing It Already ?

When discussing Renewable Energy technologies with associates, acquaintances and relatives, I often hear tones of scorn and the invariable question : “If it’s that good, why aren’t they doing it already ?”

This anti-sense meme from Classical (Neoliberal, Chicago School) Economics boils down to a perception problem. The obvious reason why Renewable Energy technologies are not already widely in use is due to the first-mover problem – it takes time to establish and roll out new technologies. People just don’t like change. And they have to get over the “investment bump” – spending the money to install new technologies.

Tags Marine Energy, Renewable, solar, tidal, Wave, wind

Big Picture Carbon Capture Energy Revival Peak Energy Peak Oil Pet Peeves Renewable Resource Technological Sideshow Toxic Hazard

A Path to True Enlightenment

Post author By Jo
Post date November 2, 2009
No Comments on A Path to True Enlightenment

One of my relatives takes the Scientific American magazine on subscription, postal strike notwithstanding, so I was privileged to be able to read an article in the November 2009 edition even before it hits the shelves in WH Smith at the major train stations in London, or Waterloo at least, where I looked for my own copy yesterday evening.

An uplifting, positive plan to green the world’s energy, composed by two Marks, one Delucchi, one Jacobson, both in American academia, yet not dreamers; their practical brains fully switched on and their souls engaged.

https://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/susenergy2030.html

“A Path to Sustainable Energy by 2030” contains some excellent mythbusting material as well as practical proposals for turning over all our Energy supply to truly sustainable sources.

A full-colour PDF is available online :-

https://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/sad1109Jaco5p.indd.pdf

Tags Energy, engineering, marine, solar, Sustainable Development, tidal, wind

Big Picture Climate Change

Day of the Dead

There I was, meekly in line with the other London Underground commuters, learning to be a sheep on the Tube train escalator.

And then I saw it : a poster that said “Day of the Dead” with “Supported by BP” with a logo and everything.

I just couldn’t stop laughing.

https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar/november/day_of_the_dead.aspx

Is this like some kind of anti-sense meme to attract interest in what BP is doing by adding a huge dose of irony, so much so that people report it virally ?

(Just to explain the mild hysterics : within the next 20 to 30 years, the Fossil Fuel companies will be pretty much history, I reckon. That’s why I found British Petroleum’s support of this event highly chortling. If they don’t get Beyond Petroleum, I project that BP’s business is doomed to failure in the coming era of Carbon constraint).

Tags BP, Climate Change, Fossil Fuels

Big Picture Burning Money Carbon Capture Climate Change Energy Revival Pet Peeves Political Nightmare Social Change

E.On Is Stalking Me

Image Credit : Baby Creative

Over the last couple of years, almost everything I have been involved with, the E.On Energy supply company has sought to get its big coal-dust grubby hands on. It seems. The latest twist in this saga involves the Claverton Energy Research Group.

Tags Climate Change, coal, Corporate Sponsorship, E.On, Energy Supply

Behaviour Changeling Big Picture Carbon Capture Climate Change Cost Effective Energy Revival Low Carbon Life Nuclear Shambles Pet Peeves Renewable Resource Social Change

The Investment Bump

Image Credit : Bankside Press

The big problem with re-tooling for the new Low Carbon world is not so much about changing Energy consumption behaviour, although that plays a part.

It’s not even really Energy supply behaviour, although that is probably more significant.

No, the key to the door to the greener future is investment behaviour.

Tags Climate Change, de-Carbonisation

Bad Science Big Picture Climate Change Media Non-Science Pet Peeves The Data Toxic Hazard

Superfreakonomics – Ooh Baby !

Post author By Jo
Post date October 19, 2009
2 Comments on Superfreakonomics – Ooh Baby !

“The headlines have been harrowing to say the least. “Some experts believe that mankind is on the threshold of a new pattern of adverse global climate for which it is ill-prepared.” one New York Times article declared. It quoted climate researchers who argued that “this climate change poses a threat to the people of the world.” A Newsweek article, citing a National Academy of Sciences report, warned that climate change “would force economic and social adjustments on a worldwide scale.” Worse yet, “climatologists are pessimistic that political leaders will take any positive action to compensate for the climatic change or even to allay its effects.” Who in his or her right mind wouldn’t be scared of global warming ? But that’s not what these scientists were talking about. These articles, published in the mid-1970s, were predicting the effects of global cooling…”

And so, in just a few short paragraphs from Chapter 5, in the new Superfreakonomics book from the Freakonomicsts Levitt and Dubner, the authors show they’ve been taken in by a Climate Change sceptic Trojan horse.

Tags Climate Change, Global Warming

Big Picture Climate Change

Not Evil, Just Very, Very Misguided

Post author By Jo
Post date October 18, 2009
No Comments on Not Evil, Just Very, Very Misguided

Following in the wake of the rabidly successful crowd-funded “Age of Stupid” film, the Climate Change deniers hit back with a little film of their own.

By some fluke of irony, just like the film that was entitled “The Great Global Warming Swindle”, which was a swindle, this film calls itself “Not Evil, Just Wrong” :-

https://www.noteviljustwrong.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_Evil_Just_Wrong

“They want to CLOSE OUR FACTORIES” ? I’ve got news for you, sunshine. You don’t own the factories. The factories are owned by the big, rich people.

Tags Deniers, Global Warming, Sceptics, Skeptics

Big Picture Burning Money Climate Change Emissions Impossible Social Change Toxic Hazard

Burn the Evidence

Image Credit : imdb.com

Sometimes you can learn a snippet of useful information from television. It’s rare, and fleeting, but can have impact.

The other night on terror-vision, I watched the sumptuous Fahrenheit 451, a film made in 1966 by Francois Truffaut, based on the science fiction book by Ray Bradbury. I forget which channel it was on. Who cares ? All television is the same in the end.

Tags Climate Change, Fossil Fuel, funding, Global Warming, Science

Big Picture Low Carbon Life

Tesco Town : What The People Want

Post author By Jo
Post date October 10, 2009
3 Comments on Tesco Town : What The People Want

Image Credit : White River Valley Museum, Auburn

The people have spoken, but the people still have more to say. This Tuesday, 13th October 2009 at roughly 6.30pm, the people of Highams Park will once again climb the steps of Walthamstow Town Hall demanding the Council Planning Committee agree a smaller footprint from the proposed Tesco development.

Tags development, Energy, Food, Retail

Big Picture Carbon Commodities Climate Change

Carbon Cannot Be Costed

After our Masters class on the last 600 million years of Earth Climate history, a number of the students all collected together in the student bar.

One of our number pulled out a block of A4 paper on which he had written a number of probing questions.

At the very top of the list : asking how one could justify the “social cost” of Carbon.

I pulled my “remember Montreal” cat out of the bag.

Tags Carbon Trading, Climate Change, Global Warming

Big Picture Burning Money Carbon Capture Climate Change Energy Revival Nuclear Nuisance Nuclear Shambles Peak Energy Peak Oil Pet Peeves Renewable Resource Technological Sideshow

Claverton Energy Conference 8

Post author By Jo
Post date October 5, 2009
No Comments on Claverton Energy Conference 8

The Claverton Energy Group will be holding its 8th Conference from 23rd to 25th October 2009 at the headquarters of Wessex Water, Claverton Down in Bath, England.

Advances in Energy technologies old and new will be presented amongst a wide-ranging and influential forum of engineers. The focus, as ever, will be the development of new infrastructure, within the context of the urgent need to de-Carbonise Energy supply.

https://www.claverton-energy.com/8th-claverton-energy-group-conference-2325th-october-wessex-water-bath-ba27ww.html

Tags Energy, Renewable Energy

Big Picture Climate Change Extreme Weather Media Meltdown Social Change The Data

Casualty

Post author By Jo
Post date October 3, 2009
No Comments on Casualty

So I’m in the hospital emergency room with a very aged relative with a dodgy ticker, and I’m doing what I can to offer some shred of comfort, stroking head, clasping hand, chatting about this and that.

And I’m looking at the digital monitor, displaying readings from various intensive care technology. And I watch as the arrhythmia, the irregular beating of the heart, clearly shows itself if you stop to look at the display for long enough.

Tags attention, Climate Change, emergency, fear, Global Warming, news

Bait & Switch Big Picture Climate Change Social Change Unsolicited Advice & Guidance

Sceptics Are People, Too

In answer to one of my many raging, almost apoplectic, detractors, I have written this.

Since I believe that sceptics can be people, too, I’m going to respond to you, even though I think you’re being unfactual, and I feel you’re being unreasonable.

Some of the science that needs to be presented is the psychology of denial.

People who deny the science of Global Warming do so because they don’t want their life, wealth and freedom to be interfered with.

They feel they deserve liberty. But anybody who lives in any kind of community, especially in an urban environment, is not free at all, and never can be.

Tags Climate Change, Deniers, Sceptics, Skeptics

Bad Science Bait & Switch Big Picture Climate Change Media Non-Science Political Nightmare Social Change Technological Sideshow The Data Toxic Hazard

Good Faith Can Move Mountains

Post author By Jo
Post date September 30, 2009
No Comments on Good Faith Can Move Mountains

Image Credit : Icecap

The British Climate Change Minister Ed Miliband has admitted at the Labour Party Conference that there are low commitment levels to dealing with the causes of Global Warming :-

Tags Climate Change, denial, Deniers, Global Warming, Sceptics, Skeptics

Behaviour Changeling Big Picture Carbon Commodities Carbon Rationing Climate Change Media Pet Peeves Political Nightmare Social Change

Time To Stop Playing Along

Post author By Jo
Post date September 29, 2009
No Comments on Time To Stop Playing Along

When I was asked to review a chunk of the 2008 Climate Safety report from the Public Interest Research Centre, I was less than positive about the social movement building outlined in the recommendations for “mobilisation” of the public (see below).

Tim Holmes, one of the people involved in the Climate Safety report, has started a new web log critiquing the very same issues :-

https://convenientlies.wordpress.com

https://convenientlies.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/greenwashing-government/

Tags Climate Change, Climate Safety, direct action, Mass Mobilisation

Bad Science Bait & Switch Big Picture Climate Change Non-Science The Data Unsolicited Advice & Guidance

James Delingpole Is Most Definitely Misguided

Post author By Jo
Post date September 29, 2009
41 Comments on James Delingpole Is Most Definitely Misguided

My attention has been turned, once more, to the writing of James Delingpole this week.

https://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100011716/how-the-global-warming-industry-is-based-on-one-massive-lie/

This article, in my view, contains a number of pieces of misleading information, which in my view should be re-framed into their proper context by the author.

Tags Climate Change, disinformation, Global Warming, journalism, Propaganda, Science

Big Picture Carbon Capture Climate Change Geogingerneering Pet Peeves The Data

All Shook Up

Image Credit : A Sound of Thunder Movie

Students of Chaos Theory well know what is known as the Butterfly Effect – apparently small changes in system forcings result in major outcomes.

We’ve heard repeatedly about rising sea levels resulting from Global Warming, but there are more bugs crawling out of the woodwork now.

Tags Carbon Capture and Storage, CCS, Climate Change, geology, geophysics, volcanoes, vulcanism

Big Picture China Syndrome Climate Change Emissions Impossible Political Nightmare The Data

The Four Degrees

People always talking ’bout two degrees. For the last ten years. But now, almost overnight, people whispering four degrees under their breath. And shivering, in a kind of anxious, fearful manner.

What, I want to know, happened to the three degrees ? Why do we have to jump all the way to four degrees straight away ? Can’t we do it gradually ? Give ourselves some time to adjust, and chill.

This could all happen within 50 years ? You mean it’s all happening sooner than we thought ? Oh. My.

Tags Climate Change, Global Warming