Climate Emergency

Solar bike paths
https://bicyclenetwork.com.au/newsroom/2024/01/31/the-dutch-switch-on-their-longest-solar-bike-paths-yet/

MrWalker said:

Nuclear Wales
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c87w5ld0p80o

I think this is really good news. I was talking on the fuel shortages thread about how its quite easy to get to 90% of the grid fully renewable but the last 10% is much harder due to variance in supply and the need for storage. Nuclear has to be part of the picture and we realistically dont need that large an increase in Nuclear capacity to be able to adjust to peaks and troughs in renewable generation. This could be a key step in removing fossil fuels from the grid entirely. This is also the first use of SMR's in the UK and if successful could lead to wider use. 

My concern with Nuclear has always been in the decomissioning of the sites and the material at the end of their life. There is an association with an increased risk of cancer for those who work on the decomissioning. Japan has, since the Fukushima disaster a practice of pensioners or those already with a terminal cancer diagnosis volunteering to work on decomissioning to protect the younger generations from the long term effects. SMR's I am led to believe make the decomissioning process much simpler and remove a large amount of the problem.

Does anyone have more detail on who will own this power plant? The articule talks of national investment and the government owning the site. Is this going to be a fully nationalised project rather than privatised or is it in some way provatised by the back door? Would be amazing if it was fully nationally owned (GB energy?) and the profits were reivested in more renewables/nuclear/infrastructure/storage rather than offshored by a foreign based multinational. It could then also be used as a vehicle to keep prices low. On top of that great for job creation - artcile states 8000 jobs. A brilliant example of where public investment really works and is the best option by almost every measure.

Addick_and_Chips said:

I don't want to start a political debate on here as we all know how that goes.....

But is anyone else concerned that we are into our 5th heatwave of the year, which will lead to further food and water shortages?

I care deeply for the environment and have been worried for years about where we are heading. I find it staggering that it's not being discussed more in the media at the moment. 

There was a quite long piece on the BBC News Channel this morning. A man who may have been from the Met Office was saying the same. He said that there needs to be much better education and a lot more rebuttal of the false information put out by man made climate change deniers, that are doing the work of the fossil fuel lobby. 

He also mentioned that we were all taught in school that greenhouse gases prevent heat from escaping from the planet. I remember that from my schooldays, over 50 years ago. We were taught that without greenhouse gases, it would be too cold for us to live. Subsequently learnt that too much upsets that balance and the planet becomes warmer.  That warmth leads to climate change and extremes of weather  just as the world is experiencing now. 

Greenhouse house gases such as Carbon Dioxide are emitted when fossil fuels are burnt. It is simple science. 

We are in a very serious crisis that is only going to get worse. The man on the BBC said that social media platforms should be required to correct mis/disinformation. 

Food shortages and higher prices are very likely as much of Europe is also experiencing extremely hot dry weather.

Dansk_Red said:

I read an interesting article which quoted the that the UK & Spanish Met Offices stating that part of the cause of the excess heat is down to cleaner air. 

A very small part I understand, but the main driver is an increase in greenhouse gases. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has gone up by 50% since the Industrial Revolution 
. 

Wonder if the threshold for calling a bout of hot weather a Heatwave will go up as the average temperature rises. 

Dansk_Red said:

I cannot find the article were a theray put forward that mega offshore wind farms are changing air currents and sucking up rain clouds stopping them from reaching land fall. No idea how true this or if there has been extensive investigationhave been carried out.  

If the first completely insane dork web conspiracy theory didn't work, try an even stupider one 

Dansk_Red said:

I cannot find the article were a theray put forward that mega offshore wind farms are changing air currents and sucking up rain clouds stopping them from reaching land fall. No idea how true this or if there has been extensive investigationhave been carried out.  

When I was a kid in the early 60s people used to say that the rocket launches were causing problems with the atmosphere and caused the weather to change 

ME14addick said:

Addick_and_Chips said:

I don't want to start a political debate on here as we all know how that goes.....

But is anyone else concerned that we are into our 5th heatwave of the year, which will lead to further food and water shortages?

I care deeply for the environment and have been worried for years about where we are heading. I find it staggering that it's not being discussed more in the media at the moment. 

There was a quite long piece on the BBC News Channel this morning. A man who may have been from the Met Office was saying the same. He said that there needs to be much better education and a lot more rebuttal of the false information put out by man made climate change deniers, that are doing the work of the fossil fuel lobby. 

He also mentioned that we were all taught in school that greenhouse gases prevent heat from escaping from the planet. I remember that from my schooldays, over 50 years ago. We were taught that without greenhouse gases, it would be too cold for us to live. Subsequently learnt that too much upsets that balance and the planet becomes warmer.  That warmth leads to climate change and extremes of weather  just as the world is experiencing now. 

Greenhouse house gases such as Carbon Dioxide are emitted when fossil fuels are burnt. It is simple science. 

We are in a very serious crisis that is only going to get worse. The man on the BBC said that social media platforms should be required to correct mis/disinformation. 

Food shortages and higher prices are very likely as much of Europe is also experiencing extremely hot dry weather.

Don't forget the Methane! It's more potent (concentrated) and lingers longer in the atmosphere. Need to cut down on burgers and I doubt we'll be able to prevent the permafrost thawing that will release huge volumes of it now. 

Gonna get hotter!🥵

Dansk_Red said:

I cannot find the article were a theray put forward that mega offshore wind farms are changing air currents and sucking up rain clouds stopping them from reaching land fall. No idea how true this or if there has been extensive investigationhave been carried out.  

This is how this 'theory started:

Three key pieces of research seeded the theory:

• University of Delaware numerical storm‑simulation studies These studies modelled how large turbine arrays interact with incoming storms. They found that turbines slow the wind, causing upstream convergence (air forced upward → more rain offshore) and downstream divergence (drier air pulled down → slightly less rain onshore).

• Observed precipitation changes near UK offshore wind farms (Walney & Burbo Bank) A 2020 peer‑reviewed study found small but measurable reductions in onshore precipitation—on the order of ~11% or less—after wind farms were built. Importantly, the changes were tiny, not dramatic weather shifts.

These studies were careful to emphasize localized, modest effects, not large‑scale climate alteration.

How it turned into an online theory

The scientific findings were then:

1. Simplified by media headlines (“wind turbines squeeze rain from storms”).

2. Amplified by blogs and social media, where nuance was lost.

3. Misinterpreted as a large‑scale mechanism, leading to claims that:

   • wind farms “block” storms,

   • they “vacuum moisture out of clouds,”

   • they “stop rain reaching land.”

In reality, the research describes small, local perturbations in airflow—not continent‑scale weather modification.

What the science actually says

• Effects occur only when storms pass directly over very large turbine arrays.

• The impact is localized, typically within tens of kilometres.

• The magnitude is small (millimetres per hour differences).

• The mechanism is airflow redistribution, not moisture extraction.

• No evidence supports regional drought, major rainfall suppression, or climate‑scale impacts.

The dramatic version of the theory is therefore an exaggeration of legitimate but modest atmospheric research.

swordfish said:

ME14addick said:

Addick_and_Chips said:

I don't want to start a political debate on here as we all know how that goes.....

But is anyone else concerned that we are into our 5th heatwave of the year, which will lead to further food and water shortages?

I care deeply for the environment and have been worried for years about where we are heading. I find it staggering that it's not being discussed more in the media at the moment. 

There was a quite long piece on the BBC News Channel this morning. A man who may have been from the Met Office was saying the same. He said that there needs to be much better education and a lot more rebuttal of the false information put out by man made climate change deniers, that are doing the work of the fossil fuel lobby. 

He also mentioned that we were all taught in school that greenhouse gases prevent heat from escaping from the planet. I remember that from my schooldays, over 50 years ago. We were taught that without greenhouse gases, it would be too cold for us to live. Subsequently learnt that too much upsets that balance and the planet becomes warmer.  That warmth leads to climate change and extremes of weather  just as the world is experiencing now. 

Greenhouse house gases such as Carbon Dioxide are emitted when fossil fuels are burnt. It is simple science. 

We are in a very serious crisis that is only going to get worse. The man on the BBC said that social media platforms should be required to correct mis/disinformation. 

Food shortages and higher prices are very likely as much of Europe is also experiencing extremely hot dry weather.

Don't forget the Methane! It's more potent (concentrated) and lingers longer in the atmosphere. Need to cut down on burgers and I doubt we'll be able to prevent the permafrost thawing that will release huge volumes of it now. 

Gonna get hotter!🥵

Yes of course Methane does need to be brought into the mix of greenhouse gases causing global warming.

• Methane (CH₄) traps 28–36 times more heat than CO₂ over 100 years, and 84–87 times more over 20 years.

• CO₂, however, stays in the atmosphere for centuries, while methane lasts only ~12 years.

• Because CO₂ accumulates and persists, it has caused over 60% of total warming to date, compared with methane’s ~30%.

So:

• Methane = more powerful short‑term heat trapper

• CO₂ = dominant long‑term driver of global warming

 

ME14addick said:

swordfish said:

ME14addick said:

Addick_and_Chips said:

I don't want to start a political debate on here as we all know how that goes.....

But is anyone else concerned that we are into our 5th heatwave of the year, which will lead to further food and water shortages?

I care deeply for the environment and have been worried for years about where we are heading. I find it staggering that it's not being discussed more in the media at the moment. 

There was a quite long piece on the BBC News Channel this morning. A man who may have been from the Met Office was saying the same. He said that there needs to be much better education and a lot more rebuttal of the false information put out by man made climate change deniers, that are doing the work of the fossil fuel lobby. 

He also mentioned that we were all taught in school that greenhouse gases prevent heat from escaping from the planet. I remember that from my schooldays, over 50 years ago. We were taught that without greenhouse gases, it would be too cold for us to live. Subsequently learnt that too much upsets that balance and the planet becomes warmer.  That warmth leads to climate change and extremes of weather  just as the world is experiencing now. 

Greenhouse house gases such as Carbon Dioxide are emitted when fossil fuels are burnt. It is simple science. 

We are in a very serious crisis that is only going to get worse. The man on the BBC said that social media platforms should be required to correct mis/disinformation. 

Food shortages and higher prices are very likely as much of Europe is also experiencing extremely hot dry weather.

Don't forget the Methane! It's more potent (concentrated) and lingers longer in the atmosphere. Need to cut down on burgers and I doubt we'll be able to prevent the permafrost thawing that will release huge volumes of it now. 

Gonna get hotter!🥵

Yes of course Methane does need to be brought into the mix of greenhouse gases causing global warming.

• Methane (CH₄) traps 28–36 times more heat than CO₂ over 100 years, and 84–87 times more over 20 years.

• CO₂, however, stays in the atmosphere for centuries, while methane lasts only ~12 years.

• Because CO₂ accumulates and persists, it has caused over 60% of total warming to date, compared with methane’s ~30%.

So:

• Methane = more powerful short‑term heat trapper

• CO₂ = dominant long‑term driver of global warming

 

Sorry. My mistake on its longevity. I haven't picked up the books for a while and forgot. 

Thanks for learning me 🤣

golfaddick said:

ME14addick said:

ShootersHillGuru said:

Nothing will change until there’s a mega disaster in the USA. If it occurs in Africa or Asia the west shrugs its shoulders. It’ll happen sooner or later and it’s such a shame that it’ll take thousands to die for people to wake up. Even then I’m not sure they will. 

In case anyone mentions China, Chinese authorities have evacuated more than a million people from their homes in eastern China including the financial capital Shanghai, as Typhoon Dolphin made landfall. This is due to the intensity of the Typhoon Dolphin.

 Typhoon Dolphin: China evacuates more than 1 million people as massive storm arrives - BBC News

Are you saying dolphins are responsible for typhoons now !?. I knew they were clever but....

All that being friendly act is a load of bollocks. They made the typhoons on porpoise.

Raith_C_Chattonell said:

Wildebeast in the Serengeti? Nope cows in Ashford Kent.

It's a really serious situation. Farmers are already using their winter food stock to feed their cattle. 

It will result in leaner beef cattle and poorer quality milk as well as higher prices.