When steaks cost $75 at the grocery store they will taste sooooooo good.
Climate Change - so I'm starting to panic a bit
Posted by: ReductiMat
You totally could. But then you’d have to explain your 250hp Japamerican vehicle that sees 25,000km a year spits out oxygen somehow.
that's easily explained as it only does about 10,000km per year and the bicycle and legs make up the rest.
Posted by: syncro
Posted by: ReductiMat
You totally could. But then you’d have to explain your 250hp Japamerican vehicle that sees 25,000km a year spits out oxygen somehow.
that's easily explained as it only does about 10,000km per year and the bicycle and legs make up the rest.
Have you flown anywhere in the last five years?
Posted by: ReductiMat
Have you flown anywhere in the last five years?
Nope. I was entertaining the idea of a trip to Spain but am considering something different. I've wondered about the feasibility of shipping a vehicle by rail from here to Cali tho for a trip I might take. Cost wise it would be a bit higher for the shipping than the fuel to drive there in the truck, but the carbon cost would of course be way less with the rail shipping. I would also need to add the cost of a rail ticket for me down there though and associated impact. Now if I was to do that Cali trip with 3 other people in my vehicle then the enviro cost per person comes down significantly as does the fuel cost.
It gets pretty interesting when you start considering these sorts of options and what becomes apparent is that the cost for an enviro friendly trip is typically higher. When you look at the enviro cost, even when factoring a factoring in a full plane, the enviro cost is pretty high and comparable to say driving a vehicle for a year. You also start to realize that any sort of significant travel done solo is not all that enviro friendly unless you're moving on foot or by bicycle and even when done in a group (full plane) there is a significant amount of pollution.
If one's goal is to limit their impact on the planet then there is no doubt that some sacrifices have to be made. That said, depending what one does it may be possible to do one big trip every couple of years and still have a relatively low enviro impact. It would mean that a number of large and many small adjustments would have to be made to the typical western lifestyle. The first one of course is transportation, and bicycle, foot or electric powered transportation would have to be the norm. But even electric powered transportation could be spotty depending on how that electric power is generated and what it's being used for. So daily commutes using something like Skytrain would be a good option. Next on the list would be food; going veggie, locally grown and eliminating processed/packaged foods would be required which means doing your own cooking. Then consider home heating; Vancouver makes it a bit easier but how many people keep the thermostat down and wear a sweater at home? How about things like cleaning products, toothpaste, ditching toilet paper and going bidet, etc etc. Beyond basic lifestyle and work considerations, most people's leisure time seems to suck up a lot of energy and resources. And people who like to participate in outdoor rec probably have some of the biggest impacts; driving/flying to destinations, renewing/replacing gear, etc. Humans, particularly those who live a western lifestyle, are incredibly resource hungry.
At the end of the day I think the reckoning is going to come down to limiting the number of the people on the planet so they can enjoy that comfortable lifestyle. That going to require an absolutely massive sociological shift in how humans relate to each other and the planet. The biggest consideration is going to come in regards to the accumulation and distribution of wealth. We have to eliminate this idea of using cheap labour to benefit and shift towards becoming an egalitarian society. That's getting into social engineering, and I don't think humans are advanced enough to be able to do it. However, technology is changing rapidly enough that it may become possible sooner than we realize. IMO the biggest problem is that humans are inherently lazy, it's part of our evolutionary biology and is part of what allowed us to survive and thrive. By lazy I mean not expending unnecessary energy to survive and in today's western world that is incredibly easy for those in the west and most of us would be loathe to give up the comfort we have become accustomed to.
Last edited by: syncro on Jan. 31, 2020, 8:25 p.m., edited 2 times in total.
Reason: clearing wording in 2nd paragraph
I live a pretty basic existence compared to most. For years I didn't make enough to afford all the comforts and conveniences that are considered normal. These days I can afford a lot more but would rather maintain my lifestyle and work less if I could.
Last edited by: tungsten on Feb. 6, 2020, 1:58 p.m., edited 1 time in total.
I will bet you a billion dollars we don't go extinct!
Posted by: syncro
Posted by: ReductiMat
Have you flown anywhere in the last five years?
Nope. I was entertaining the idea of a trip to Spain but am considering something different.
This is looking like a genius move now Syncro.
Posted by: tungsten
https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/will-the-global-response-to-the-coronavirus-give-climate-a-nudge
This shutdown likely won't help us out much, but it will be a fantastic opportunity for study. There was a lot of information on the effects of plane travel that was deduced from the cancelation of flights after 911 and this is that times 1000.
Posted by: chupacabra
I don't fly very often for vacation, but I also hate flying so I can't claim that I am 100% doing it for the environment. I do find that air travel tends to be where most people that are environmentally conscious really show their cognitive dissonance. My brother in law is always on an eco rant but has been to New Zealand at least 4 times in the last decade, plus other sunny destinations.
I still strongly believe that we need to be forced into acting better with legislation that adds externalities to the price tag.
Easy enough to buy carbon offsets for one's flights. Using the ICAO calculator, a single passenger round trip Vancouver to Auckland produces 1076 kg of carbon dioxide (so just over 1 tonne).
https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/Carbonoffset/Pages/default.aspx
Carbon offsets can be purchased for about $12 USD per tonne. There are a number of ways to buy carbon offsets, and it does take some time to do the research to make sure that you are buying real, effective offset credits, but it's not that hard. Look for "gold standard" certification on the seller of the credits.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/sep/16/carbon-offset-projects-carbon-emissions
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