Technology, Science and the Environment.

[The Bear]

He got very lucky if the council and the electric company agreed to dig the road up just to provide him his own electrical supply point for charging. 

 

The sale of new ICE cars will stop in 2030 but they will be around on the roads for at least another 10 years after that. 

 

In 10 years time the infrastructure and hopefully legislation for charging points will have moved on considerably. Those people who can't charge at home will be able to plug in at most if not all destinations they travel to, including workplaces. 

 

The attitude to the way we fuel our vehicles has to change. No longer do you wait until its nearly empty and then fill up again, you constantly top up as you go about your day to day business. Plus you'll have better more efficient batteries so charging times will be quicker. 

 

I think the Supercharging speeds exclusive to Tesla's right now will eventually become the norm, where you can add 100-150 miles of range easily in 20-30 mins. Or longer stay venues like golf courses, leisure centres, gyms, etc would have slower but cheaper "trickle" chargers which will do the same in an hour or two. 

 

Ultimately money makes things happen, and companies will be craving a piece of the pie even if they're just retail establishments wanting you to top up at their venue. 

Edited 25 April 2022 by The Bear

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61218933

 

Don't be worried. Be angry. And be sufficiently angry about it to act.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61248596

 

...because there's things to be angry about.

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61268680

 

Glad to see things going so smooth. It's nearly ready.

[adam]

On 29/04/2022 at 01:52, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61218933

 

Don't be worried. Be angry. And be sufficiently angry about it to act.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61248596

 

...because there's things to be angry about.

 

54 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61268680

 

Glad to see things going so smooth. It's nearly ready.

Climate change in one post and then blasting some telescope into space in the next one. Make your mind up. 😂

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, adam said:

 

Climate change in one post and then blasting some telescope into space in the next one. Make your mind up. 😂

...I wasn't aware that spaceflight programs were a major - or even minor - place on the list of climate change contributors next to energy generation, small-scale personal transportation, agriculture and cargo shipping.

 

Also, I wasn't aware that reducing carbon emissions was synonymous with giving up advanced tech, especially the type that would both contribute to future human knowledge and also perhaps play a role in guaranteeing human civilisational future.

 

Many apologies,

[leicsmac]

https://phys.org/news/2022-05-scarcity-worsen-croplands-globally-century.html

 

"The world is running out of water.
Now there's the water wars..."

[The Bear]

Comparison of a recent test image from the JWST. Awesome detail. 

 

 

[leicsmac]

8 hours ago, The Bear said:

Comparison of a recent test image from the JWST. Awesome detail. 

 

 

Incredible.

 

I wonder what it will find when it is sighed on some exoplanets?

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-61330302

 

It's incredibly sobering just how at least a sixth of the Earths population seemingly rely upon coal for their daily lives and therefore cannot give a toss about how it will condemn their future - or in some cases, their present.

 

Surely there has to be a solution applicable somehow.

 

Edit: It also makes the scale of the job in front of humanity in general very, very stark.

Edited 9 May 2022 by leicsmac

[yorkie1999]

3 hours ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-61330302

 

It's incredibly sobering just how at least a sixth of the Earths population seemingly rely upon coal for their daily lives and therefore cannot give a toss about how it will condemn their future - or in some cases, their present.

 

Surely there has to be a solution applicable somehow.

 

Edit: It also makes the scale of the job in front of humanity in general very, very stark.

Somehow, i doubt the Indians are going to use that much coal.

 

 

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61383391

 

Looks like it's going to be a brave new world. Hope everyone is ready.

[grobyfox1990]

 

 

[kenny]

33 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61383391

 

Looks like it's going to be a brave new world. Hope everyone is ready.

I am more than happy to lay in to the uselessness of solar panels as a reliable means on energy generation in the UK.

 

But how mad is it that in India that they resort to Diesel generators in the summer rather than just having solar panels on the factory roof.

[adam]

50 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61383391

 

Looks like it's going to be a brave new world. Hope everyone is ready.

We cant do much about it on our tiny little island. Don't we produce less than 1% percent of carbon emissions? We've just got to enjoy the ride (and the sun tan 😂) 

[leicsmac]

32 minutes ago, kenny said:

I am more than happy to lay in to the uselessness of solar panels as a reliable means on energy generation in the UK.

 

But how mad is it that in India that they resort to Diesel generators in the summer rather than just having solar panels on the factory roof.

Short-term financial gain over long term thoughts, unfortunately. They do it because it's cheaper.

 

And that attitude is seen all over the world - even in the UK.

 

Very human.

 

14 minutes ago, adam said:

We cant do much about it on our tiny little island. Don't we produce less than 1% percent of carbon emissions? We've just got to enjoy the ride (and the sun tan 😂) 

It's not like the consequences are not going to be felt in the UK just because it's not that high on the list of emitters.

 

If some people feel comfortable with standing in front of future generations in a few decades time and telling them that the vastly increased incidences of drought, famine, warfare and death (last two caused by the first two and not quite the Four Horsemen, but hey) were "not their fault" to make themselves feel better, then that's between them and their conscience. Me? I'd rather not stand there and say that I didn't do as much as I could.

 

Nor should anyone really accept the above - which is an extreme probability - as a fait accompli simply because it was too convenient to change.

[yorkie1999]

58 minutes ago, kenny said:

I am more than happy to lay in to the uselessness of solar panels as a reliable means on energy generation in the UK.

 

But how mad is it that in India that they resort to Diesel generators in the summer rather than just having solar panels on the factory roof.

The reason is you don’t get enough power from solar for industrial needs, unless you have millions of them. At work we’ve got a roof full of them 50m x 25m, I just looked out of interest and they’re currently producing 12kw, one machine uses 38kw and there’s about 25 of them!

[adam]

43 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Short-term financial gain over long term thoughts, unfortunately. They do it because it's cheaper.

 

And that attitude is seen all over the world - even in the UK.

 

Very human.

 

It's not like the consequences are not going to be felt in the UK just because it's not that high on the list of emitters.

 

If some people feel comfortable with standing in front of future generations in a few decades time and telling them that the vastly increased incidences of drought, famine, warfare and death (last two caused by the first two and not quite the Four Horsemen, but hey) were "not their fault" to make themselves feel better, then that's between them and their conscience. Me? I'd rather not stand there and say that I didn't do as much as I could.

 

Nor should anyone really accept the above - which is an extreme probability - as a fait accompli simply because it was too convenient to change.

Yes but surely the people your standing in front of will understand that whatever you do will make no difference to this issue.  All net zero is going to do to us in the UK is put a lot of people into poverty.  It is going to cost an absolute furtune. 

[leicsmac]

3 minutes ago, adam said:

Yes but surely the people your standing in front of will understand that whatever you do will make no difference to this issue.  All net zero is going to do to us in the UK is put a lot of people into poverty.  It is going to cost an absolute furtune. 

If I was standing in a world that is vastly removed and reduced from what I know it was a few decades ago, I sure as shit would be looking for someone to blame, and it would be a lot of people who were there at the time, and I reckon it would be right to do so.

 

Why would those people grant us any empathy at all when we had the opportunity to lobby MP's, vote for policies and for representatives that would enact them and encourage other nations to do so too...and didn't, because we only saw the bottom line?

[kenny]

37 minutes ago, yorkie1999 said:

The reason is you don’t get enough power from solar for industrial needs, unless you have millions of them. At work we’ve got a roof full of them 50m x 25m, I just looked out of interest and they’re currently producing 12kw, one machine uses 38kw and there’s about 25 of them!

Its fairly crap weather today, I suspect in india they would get 5 times that which covers some machines. On a good day, my home produces 3.5-3.7kw.

 

If they are running diesel generators they must be huge.

[adam]

20 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

If I was standing in a world that is vastly removed and reduced from what I know it was a few decades ago, I sure as shit would be looking for someone to blame, and it would be a lot of people who were there at the time, and I reckon it would be right to do so.

 

Why would those people grant us any empathy at all when we had the opportunity to lobby MP's, vote for policies and for representatives that would enact them and encourage other nations to do so too...and didn't, because we only saw the bottom line?

Thats the problem though isn't it. People are struggling now. People can't eat or heat their homes. What may or may not happen in x amount of years is not important to these people especially when they havnt got a pot to piss in at the moment.  

[leicsmac]

5 minutes ago, adam said:

Thats the problem though isn't it. People are struggling now. People can't eat or heat their homes. What may or may not happen in x amount of years is not important to these people especially when they havnt got a pot to piss in at the moment.  

I agree. And that's where government has to step in and help.

 

That people have more immediate priorities does nothing regarding what can and likely will happen in that x amount of years, and there needs to be someone in power that can think and act on the long and short games.

 

Otherwise we are failing in exactly the same way a lot of other species have done, which would be sad considering we are as far as we know the only one aware of the nature of the problem and therefore it is in our power to address it without giving in to our hindbrains.

[blabyboy]

Quote

That people have more immediate priorities does nothing regarding what can and likely will happen in that x amount of years, and there needs to be someone in power that can think and act on the long and short games.

Not gonna happen mate, as you keep saying, it's human nature to ignore and concentrate on the here and now. The only way I see anything meaningful happening is from several major natural events in different parts of the World so that it becomes a 'local' problem to all... or the World suddenly acquires many benevolent dictators, which has its own problems.

[blabyboy]

4 hours ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61383391

 

Looks like it's going to be a brave new world. Hope everyone is ready.

Couple of things..

Those odds (50/50) are actually better than the pronouncements that have been coming out for the last 6 months. 

I note that the authors say 'temporary' and that it is one year in the next 4 or 5 so once we break that barrier, there is no guarantee that it is maintained above that level.

The next El Nino is predicted for end of '22 through to '23 so trouble may be just around the corner.

Lastly, the +1degree difference is based off of 19C figures, so perhaps there is wiggle room in the readings as they would have been less accurate at that time.

 

So, I think it's less a Brave New World and more likely a Keep Calm and Carry On mentality that will prevail.

[leicsmac]

8 hours ago, blabyboy said:

Not gonna happen mate, as you keep saying, it's human nature to ignore and concentrate on the here and now. The only way I see anything meaningful happening is from several major natural events in different parts of the World so that it becomes a 'local' problem to all... or the World suddenly acquires many benevolent dictators, which has its own problems.

This is true, however TBH given time this is exactly what will happen if we stay the present course...here's hoping that if we don't pull our heads out of our collective arses until then and when it does, there will still be enough time to mitigate the damage that will inevitably result. Damage that could have been prevented had we been more forward-thinking.

 

 

8 hours ago, blabyboy said:

Couple of things..

Those odds (50/50) are actually better than the pronouncements that have been coming out for the last 6 months. 

I note that the authors say 'temporary' and that it is one year in the next 4 or 5 so once we break that barrier, there is no guarantee that it is maintained above that level.

The next El Nino is predicted for end of '22 through to '23 so trouble may be just around the corner.

Lastly, the +1degree difference is based off of 19C figures, so perhaps there is wiggle room in the readings as they would have been less accurate at that time.

 

So, I think it's less a Brave New World and more likely a Keep Calm and Carry On mentality that will prevail.

I'm sorry, but I'm not entirely sure what the meaning is here.

 

What this story means is there is  50/50 chance that the global average temperature increase is happening even faster than was suspected. That the temperature will increase above 1.5 degrees C seems to be a matter of fact, it's just a question of when. That it will also go much higher over the next few decades, with all the consequences that entails, is also likely a matter of fact - unless necessary action is taken.

[leicsmac]

A postscript to the above.

 

Over a billion people in India and Pakistan are currently experiencing extreme heat.

 

Quite apart from the strain that puts on electricity and medical resources, what happens in that area when the heat gets so extreme and regular that water becomes scarce and as a result crops cannot be grown?

 

What happens to that billion people then?