It's hopeless. Let us crunch the numbers and find out why.
The average American produces 20 tonnes of carbon pollution per year.
The average Somalian produces 0.01 tonnes of carbon pollution per year.
The world currently emits 7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year.
Assuming that a global 'powerdown' would require an element of equality, a limit of 1 tonne per individual means a carbon output of 6 billion tonnes each year...Americans would experience a cut of 95% per capita and yet it is still not enough.
To bring to the world into any level of equilibrium, I'm going to assume that 1 billion tons of carbon production each year would be a decent target (since by now, most carbon sinks have been filled and most negative feedback mechanisms are close to the brink) this means allocating 0.15 tons per individual. THAT MEANS THE AVERAGE AMERICAN WOULD EMIT 1 / 133 OF WHAT THEY CURRENTLY PRODUCE.
Its hopeless, I'm moving to an ecovillage in Finland. I wish you all the best.
PeakOil is You
Powerdown: The Solution to Peak Oil
Re: Powerdown: The Solution to Peak Oil
by Nicholai » Sun 02 Dec 2007, 15:37:22
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Re: Powerdown: The Solution to Peak Oil
by Pops » Sun 02 Dec 2007, 15:57:09
I’ll rephrase the thoughts I have stated on many similar threads,
Barring totalitarian world government, the only solutions that will stick will start with voluntary actions from the ground up sparked by a handful of visionaries speaking loudly at just the right time.
One example is Rachel Carson ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Carson ) who single-handedly sparked change in the ag-chem business and started the environmental movement.
Gore may possibly have sparked another type of change, we'll see.
And it strikes me that perhaps GWB may have inadvertently succeeded where Carter failed.
Bottom line is, governments will always try to stay in power and as in everything else; the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Take a gander at the current political debates in the US and tell me it is not true.
Only if a sufficiently vocal and powerful group of their citizens become convinced the cost of change is worth the benefit will leaders then lead.
My solution is to continue to talk about the problem to those that will listen, at least plant a seed with those that won’t listen and do those things that you think should be done to power down.
Above all; walk your talk.
There is another Rachel Carson out there, so buy her a book for Christmas instead of an ipod.
Barring totalitarian world government, the only solutions that will stick will start with voluntary actions from the ground up sparked by a handful of visionaries speaking loudly at just the right time.
One example is Rachel Carson ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Carson ) who single-handedly sparked change in the ag-chem business and started the environmental movement.
Gore may possibly have sparked another type of change, we'll see.
And it strikes me that perhaps GWB may have inadvertently succeeded where Carter failed.
Bottom line is, governments will always try to stay in power and as in everything else; the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Take a gander at the current political debates in the US and tell me it is not true.
Only if a sufficiently vocal and powerful group of their citizens become convinced the cost of change is worth the benefit will leaders then lead.
My solution is to continue to talk about the problem to those that will listen, at least plant a seed with those that won’t listen and do those things that you think should be done to power down.
Above all; walk your talk.
There is another Rachel Carson out there, so buy her a book for Christmas instead of an ipod.
The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves -- in their separate, and individual capacities.
-- Abraham Lincoln, Fragment on Government (July 1, 1854)
-- Abraham Lincoln, Fragment on Government (July 1, 1854)
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Re: Powerdown: The Solution to Peak Oil
by Tanada » Sun 02 Dec 2007, 16:31:25
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MonteQuest', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', 'Y')ou have absolutley GOT to be kidding me! Auto racing, even counting all the fans going to and from events is so trivial an energy consumer as to be a micro-blip on the graph of use.
I said ICE racing, that means cars, trucks, boats, planes, motorcycles, go-carts, dune-buggies, quads, jetskis. I would go onto say it means banning all pleasure use of ICE cars, trucks, boats, planes, motorcycles, go-carts, dune-buggies, quads, jetskis and motorhomes.
By association, this would eliminate the manufacture of cars, trucks, motorhomes, boats, planes, motorcycles, go-carts, dune-buggies, quads, and jetskis for racing and pleasure use, along with all the associated industries that support them.
Don't think that would make a difference?
By association if by some miracle you got this proposal through exactly as you worded it people would shift en masse to manufacturing electric and/or fuel cell and/or external heat engines and you would get just as many pleasure craft. They would just either operate without directly consuming fossil fuels, or by some other alternative means. By attacking the ICE itself you are only poking the problem from one small angle, by zoning against suburban sprawl you are attacking the whole Peak Oil situation AND making future society enourmously more fuel efficient no matter what method of personal transport/pleasure craft they choose to use.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Alfred Tennyson', 'W')e are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
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Re: Powerdown: The Solution to Peak Oil
by Pops » Sun 02 Dec 2007, 16:53:19
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', 'B')y association if by some miracle you got this proposal through exactly as you worded it people would shift en masse to manufacturing electric and/or fuel cell and/or external heat engines and you would get just as many pleasure craft. They would just either operate without directly consuming fossil fuels, or by some other alternative means.
Seems like The Paradox Mandated to me – Mandate a ban on one use of a primary energy source and more will be expended to consume another source to the same end.
My thought is to make auto racing or personal watercraft, for example, as much of a social taboo as dog or cock fighting has become.
[edit, clarifification]
The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves -- in their separate, and individual capacities.
-- Abraham Lincoln, Fragment on Government (July 1, 1854)
-- Abraham Lincoln, Fragment on Government (July 1, 1854)
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Pops - Elite
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