Now that I have thoroughly trashed the Wired article on global warming, I shall highlight some of its better points. The following two items show that liberals and environmentalists are not the same thing.
3. Organics are not the answer
The organic cow produces less milk and more green house gas. How much? Hmm now 8% and 16%... doing the math that Wired consistently fails to do... okay the per gallon global warming cost of organic milk is ... 25% higher.
Okay, I am not as happy about the second point here, which is to become a vegetarian or at least a non-beef-atarian. How much? The omnivore is 50% more intensive than the herbivore.
The final note in this section is that some food is organically grown and then shipped long distances. Eat local.
8. Embrace nuclear power
The CO2 per kilowatt-hour of Vermont is way lower than any other state. How much? Vermont is 10% of Idaho, the next best state. It is less than 1% of the median state. Holy cow! (non-organic of course)
So what is the secret to Vermont's magic? Well, call me crazy, but the fact that 75% of its electricity is nuclear is something. One study shows that, when factoring in the mining costs etc, nuclear electricity emits 2 to 6% of the CO2 of natural gas. Only wind power comes close, and wind power cannot be produced on the same scale. Congrats are due to Vermont, France, Finland, Japan and South Korea.
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2 comments:
Yes, you and Wired are right. First we'll set our giant brains to "solve" the problem of global climate change, and then we'll knock off the piddly stuff, like "Where did all the topsoil go?", and "Why is cancer the primary cause of death globally?", "Are national parks benefitted or degraded by domestic grazing use?", "What happened to the fish I used to catch here?", and plan commemoratives to extinct, but fondly remembered, species like peregrines falcons and mountain lions.
By all means, let us address each issue in a panic, staving off final crisis. There's no reason why we shouldn't enjoy now what future generations (bless their little hearts!) will never see.
You hit the nail right on the head (or giant brain as the case may be). The topsoil is unnecessary if we are dead. Fortunately the goal of defending mother earth from ourselves comes with a number of environmental perks, which should come as no surprise. For instance, global warming is already one of the leading causes of species extinction (not just polar bears!).
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