Is there a practical way to significantly counter climate change?

Question

Assume that the IPCC studies are correct.

Governments, so far, are only taking token steps, and they may not have the will or the power to do any more.

Individuals and local communities may be able to play a small part, but cannot achieve a sufficient impact by themselves

Web addresses to point to answers would be appreciated..

Answer 1

There is no way to stop it.  We're all going to die within the next 100 years because of global warming, and it's all man's fault.

Answer 2

There are some practical approaches that we can take to reduce the output of CO2 into the environment. These include using ethanol instead of petrol to run our motor cars. The cane sugar producers of Australia have wanted to establish an ethanol industry for over 30 years and no Federal Government has been prepared to back them . We have to assume that there election funding comes from the big oil companies. Another reason is that our last Prime Minister - John Howard was a climate change sceptic or non - believer.

We can also use solar power for the lighting and cooling of domestic residences. The technology is here. All we have to do is install it. The government offers an $8000 rebate to all homes with an income of less than $100,000 p.a. if they install solar panels. It is cheaper to band together in groups of 50 to 100 and get a company to install the solar panels that way than to do it by your self. The solar company

will find it cheaper to import a bulk supply of solar panels than buying a few.

Wind power has also proven to be an important source of clean energy. There is only a small wind power industry in Australia but it is growing. Because the windiest parts of Australia are along its' south. Most of the wind power industry is situated in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

Another source of electrical power is underground geo - thermal or "Hot Rocks" power. This has been drilled for and is being tested by a number of companies in Victoria and Western Australia.

I believe that carbon sequestration - the burial of CO2 underground is a technology that is going to take a long time to develop and will be expensive to implement. I think that it was election window dressing used by John Howard but we need to do things now - not in 20 years time which is when it would become active.

I also think that nuclear power is risky as disposal of nuclear waste is an on - going problem and you only have to get the government that decides to go nuclear for defence and you are going down the nuclear bomb route. Just because we don't have it now doesn't mean that someone in the future won't come up with the idea that it would be for us which is scary.

Re - cycling all of our waste instead of mining more and more minerals - this would have to be done on a world wide basis would help extent the life our raw materials. Also instead of throwing out old furniture on the street a lot of people could reupulstre it and sell it or give it away to a charity prepared to take it - not all are for insurance reasons. There needs to be greater encouragement from government to get people to recycle computers, printers and certridges out of printers.

Also we are being asked to use fluro light bulbs  because they do not use as much electricity. Government should be taking steps to make sure that we can dispose of them safely. They are full of mercury and will poison our waterways and fish if they are put into landfill and it rains and the runoff gets into our waterways.

We also need to return land that has been damaged by farming and that is no longer useful for farming to savannah bushland and scrub and reserve it for national park land. A lot of Austalia's bush land that has been used for farming and grazing is in fact not suitable for farming and where possible should be returned to bush.

The Federal Government (Labor) needs to make sure that it does not let the Queensland Government permit farmers in Western Queensland commence land clearing if the National Party gets into office. Apparently they are in favour of land clearing. The remaing trees in Western Queensland are an excellent source of carbon control as a carbon sink.

Also the government should bring to a halt all wood - chipping in Tasmania. All we are doing is keeping the Japanese in paper that has never been recycled while we conscientiously recycle paper. It is rediculous. We should start a programme of reafforestation in Tasmania even if some of the trees take five hundred years to grow. Germany has trees that old in their forests. They have just had the sense not to cut them down.  

To its' credit the present government is thinking of buying some of the places/farms in Queensland that hold water that should be going down the Murray Darling system. The water is to be released to try to help restore the Coorong at the mouth of the Murray where it goes into the sea. The land is to be returned to bush land. I hope to God they have the spine to go ahead with this and don't cave in to business and fail to go ahead with it.

At a domestic level we can recycle our grey water by extracting the detergent from it and using it for the toilet or some of the garden. It is apparently not advisable to use directly on vegetables that we are going to eat but OK to use it on flowers and fruit trees. We can recycle our lawn clippings and vegetable peelings in a compost bin and place them in our garden as fertilizer along with treated cow/horse/hen pooh.

The poohs are treated so that the seeds they eat don't come up in our gardens. We can also use composting toilets. Not all councils allow these. Not all people want them. Alternately council can process sewage waste and use the water to water parks and gardens.

We should also try not to use plastic bags when shopping. These kill fish and wild life when they get into the waterways and other areas of the eco - system. We should also pick up after out dog when we go for a walk. Dog pooh is not boi - degradeable. We should not throw our cigarette butts on the ground. They are poisonous to birds that eat them and fish that eat them when they are washed out to sea.

Fishermen and women should make sure that they take all of their gear home with them. Sea bird end up with fish hooks in their beaks and only this week we have had a Whale almost die as a result of getting caught in rope from lobster pots or from a trawler. It is also important that motorist drive slowly on country roads at night during the mating season so that they do not kill wallabies and koalas that are trying to get to their opposite numbers to mate. This is essential to the survival of the species.

Some web sites of interest:

http://www.environment.gov.au/settlement...

http://www.climatechange.gov.au/

http://www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov....

http://www.energymatters.com.au/

http://www.solarpower.com.au/

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/reacto...

http://www.yourwatersaver.com.au/

http://www.worldwildlife.org/climate/

http://heartgarden.com.au/compost.asp

http://www.rise.org.au/info/Tech/geo/ind...

Answer 3

I agree that individuals can have limited impact with their own choices and governments seem unable to craft or unwilling to consider a global solution that will result in any net decrease in GHG or black carbon (soot) emissions (Kyoto was a joke that failed to reduce global emissions and its successor is also designed to fail).

Another alternative would be to leverage consumer power in the market.  China is the leader in global GHG emissions and is a leader in black soot pollution as well.  Wal-mart is a global leader in utilization of Chinese manufacturing.  If consumers pressured Wal-Mart to require suppliers to have increasingly stringent standards for their power, other retailers such as Target and Costco could follow and it could literally change the course of world history.

It sure would be cheaper than the alternative of global thermonuclear war as developed nations fight over declining food and water resources.

Answer 4

The answer to your question is too complex to be addressed here. The following link will get you started. I would suggest reading, "Solutions" .

Answer 5

OK, not the way proponents of Global Warming do it. But seriously, humans account for 3% carbon emmissions, all 6 billion of us and our industries, cars, everything. What accounts for the rest? Dieing plants, natural disasters, but the highest per centage is caused by volcanoes. For instance, Cracatoa, one of the worst erruptions in recent (within 200 years) history, produced more toxins (including carbon dioxide, and others, including methane gases) then the whole of the last 100 years of human devolpment and progress combined.  

Answer 6

climate change is a political issue and not a scientific issue.  Politicians have taken over a falsehood and are using it to manipulate people.  Grass-root support of NO NEW GW taxes, NO forced switching to alternative fuels, and stop brainwashing our kids in school would be a start.

Answer 7

idk thanks 4 2 pts!