Tuesday, June 30, 2009
"Methane first" proposed
Interesting change of viewpoint in the latest issue of New Superstitionist mag.
In an editorial article, Kirk Smith (Prof of "Global Environmental Health" at Berkeley) proposes tackling methane before CO2. He makes most of the usual wildly false assumptions, but skips the false assumption that CO2 is the sole representative of Satan.
Yes, idiot, it's the major nutrient for plants in case you hadn't noticed, and humans need plants.
Polistra doubts that this change will happen, because the carbon ball is already rolling too fast to stop; also because the Wall Street Mafia stands to make zillions and quillions of dollars from the next bubble in "offset derivatives"; also because the real money driver behind Gaia is the natural gas industry. And what is natural gas? Methane.
Still, this change would be a vast improvement. Given that the government is bound and determined to do something big to sate the blood fetish of the Gaians, I'd much rather have them working on methane. Much better to reduce an actual poison that really does kill people, instead of reducing a molecule that keeps the earth alive. Best of all, it would force governments to work harder to eliminate termites, since termites are the greatest source of methane!
¶ 12:46 PM 
In an editorial article, Kirk Smith (Prof of "Global Environmental Health" at Berkeley) proposes tackling methane before CO2. He makes most of the usual wildly false assumptions, but skips the false assumption that CO2 is the sole representative of Satan.
Only about half the warming that has occurred up to now is due to CO2. The rest is caused by other greenhouse gases, particularly methane, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and black carbon particles (soot). Similarly, less than half of the total warming expected over the next 20 years will be caused by CO2. ... Recent modeling shows the way to have the biggest impact ... is to immediately reduce emission of these gases. ... Another important consideration is the impact on human health. Of all the greenhouse gases, CO2 is one of the least damaging.
Yes, idiot, it's the major nutrient for plants in case you hadn't noticed, and humans need plants.
Why, then, are methane and [others] not more prominent in discussions over global warming? One reason is that the official weighting scheme is out of date.
Polistra doubts that this change will happen, because the carbon ball is already rolling too fast to stop; also because the Wall Street Mafia stands to make zillions and quillions of dollars from the next bubble in "offset derivatives"; also because the real money driver behind Gaia is the natural gas industry. And what is natural gas? Methane.
Still, this change would be a vast improvement. Given that the government is bound and determined to do something big to sate the blood fetish of the Gaians, I'd much rather have them working on methane. Much better to reduce an actual poison that really does kill people, instead of reducing a molecule that keeps the earth alive. Best of all, it would force governments to work harder to eliminate termites, since termites are the greatest source of methane!
¶ 12:46 PM
