Flame — HabitableZone

Flame » in reply to Indubitably.

That's the problem...
TB — (archived)

With ecology and climate, the systems are so complex there often is no "reasonable answer."

Any actions based on climactic probabilities have to be weighed against real economic and other consequences, not least of which is intrusion on personal freedoms. Oddly, people who are incensed about the idea of having their phone calls tracked often have no problem with someone telling them how every part of their lifestyle should be lived.

As a general rule, I believe that weaning our civilization off of burning hydrocarbons is a good idea. Even if it had nothing to do with temperature, the limits of the resources, and the geopolitical issues involved, would make it a good idea anyway.

I believe that step one should be development and construction of modern-tech nuclear power plants. France gets 80 percent of its power from nuclear, and face it, wouldn't being able to fart in the general direction of the Middle East be worth it?

This is only part of the issue...cars don't burn electricity for the most part. But having a surplus of electric power gives you a lot of flexibility to deal with the chemical end of things, and when electric cars DO take off, that's when you want the nukes on line, not fifteen years later.

Step two would be encouraging--very gently if we're talking government--alternative energy sources, and leaving high prices and the market to do most of the heavy lifting.

You don't want the government diving in with its usual ham-handed approaches to crisis management. It's like putting a guy with a power drill in charge of fixing the leaks in your boat.

Maybe some solar tax credits. Maybe a slow increase in auto mileage standards, with a lot of grandfathering. Lower income people can't afford hybrids. Yet.

Taxing the hell out of the productive will not help. Crippling industry will not help. Putting the United Nations in charge of industrial civilization will not help. Russia has lowered its greenhouse gas output and is selling credits through Kyoto. They did this by collapsing their industrial economy. I don't recommend this.

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