bburtis’s Recent Comments

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  It's pretty amazing how many people commenting here seem to miss the point.  It's not about hope or despair.  It's about facing reality and beginning to think about how we're going to deal with what's already in the system and trying to get a grip on how much we're not going to be able to control.  And to all the captains of climate knowledge out there who want to weigh in on the MWP or whatever, you don't really have a place in this discussion; it's beyond you.

  On The fallacy of climate activism posted 2 months, 4 weeks ago 100 Responses

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  Hard to accept, but true, or very soon will be.  Makes me think of the days after the Valdez spill, when commentators and officials talked somewhat condescendingly about the "subsistence" cultures along the shores of Prince William Sound.  Today I realize that what that word really refers to is "people who know how to live off what's there."  Fits right in with the definition of sustainability this demands.

  On The fallacy of climate activism posted 2 months, 4 weeks ago 100 Responses

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  ARPA-E

  Clean Air - Cool Planet is at work on a key report detailing the creation of an Advanced Research Projects Administration - Energy (ARPA-E) program.  

  Inclusion of the $400 million for an Advanced Research Projects Administration - Energy program in the stimulus bill is a huge step forward, recognizing that transformative energy research and development is a critical component to the nation's economic future.  Getting this kind of program going is a key element in solving our security and climate problems and promoting an energy revolution in this country.

  CA-CP's report will detail how such an agency would work to bring transformational energy solutions from the basic science stage to marketability.  It includes information on staff development, structure, process and fund allocation.
  

  Bill B.

  On The economic-recovery bill includes green funding and drops nuclear and coal subsidies posted 9 months, 1 week ago 10 Responses

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  Neither nuke nor coal

  Good answer.  Would have liked to see a little more about the best alternative: EE - energy efficiency.  The less you use, the less these plants get used, the fewer get built.

  Unfortunately, nukes run all the time (except when they are shut down to disgorge their toxic fuel onto the local landscape), so you won't effect them much - and coal plants are so cheap (because the true costs to public health and natural resources etc. are not measured or charged for) that they are pretty much first on to the grid as well.

  But if we can really cut down our hunger for electrons, we can make a difference.

  I really think nukes are worse, because of the amount of CO2 released in construction (as triskele notes above) and in taking care of the spent fuel, and the GHGs released during fuel processing, and in "decommissioning" - and because they really are trying to make a case for being OK, which coal plants don't have a shot at doing.  But I'm happy to settle for "neither".On Umbra on nuclear vs. coal posted 1 year, 10 months ago 25 Responses

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  carbon offsets

  Carbon offsets are a very real piece of the puzzle we need to complete in order to combat global warming effectively.  They are what you can do about whatever carbon you really, really can't get rid of after you've avoided, reduced, fuel-switched, etc.

  But David Brooks is right (though the funny people at cheat neutral are wrong) - if you just offset what you are doing without making changes in every area of your life style (down-sizing homes, vehicles, commutes, appliances, etc.) - you are cheating, and you are cheating all of us.

  To find out more about which offsets really count, visit http://www.cleanair-coolplanet.org/ConsumersGuidetoCarbon ...On Umbra on carbon offsets posted 2 years, 1 month ago 7 Responses