Global Climate Change Open Thread

Doing nothing is a scary scenario. Good presentation. But I think there is a lot to be said for not making fear inspired bad judgements. For example, I think one important measure to take to avert the present threat of global warming is a well-regulated nuclear industry with resources put to resolving the waste issue. An obvious solution to the nuclear waste is to recycle it, but make such a solution feasible we need to be assured that the potentially weapon's grade fuel produced is kept out of the hands of terrorists etc. (I add "potentially" because it might prove possible to spike the fuel in some way to render it useless as a weapons fuel. My mental model is the way "cooking" wine is sold without a liquor tax because it is salted and not pleasant to drink. I strongly support conservation of energy by getting rid of the gas guzzlers, greater fuel effiency, SWITCHING AUTOMOBILES TO DIESEL FUEL, which is now the practise in Europe. They are more fuel efficient and are only more expensive in the U.S. because of the structure of the gasoline taxes which support petrol over diesel. The McMansions are another case of needless waste. That extra space takes up energy to regulate the temperature etc. Not to say what it does to the landscape. Alternate energy development. But here is another point I believe we must consider carefully. Biofuels. Sounds good. Grow corn to make us energy independant. But oooops it is destroying the food cycle. Major subsidies to corporate farmers and unaffordable prices not only on livestock who need corn feed, but even for things like bread, pasta and tortillas. I have heard that using algae or wild grasses is an energy efficient way to make ethanol fuel and is being researched. BUT ALL IF THESE WHEN BURNED are pollutants. I don't think an impending GREAT DEPRESSION if it comes will be because of measures taken to halt or reverse global warming but because of the US bubble economy, and the enormous income disparity and all that goes with the new economic royalism. So I wouldn't myself worry about the first box in his grid. Laying things out as he does is quite useful. I bit of positive thinking as opposed to catastrophe risk avoidance, is how beautiful we might make the planet if, if, if........