Wired Mag’s 10 Inconvenient Truths
Wired Magazine June 2008 Issue.
We all want to do our part in “saving” the planet. Whether you believe in global warming, global climate change, or just want to be a good stewards of the Earth, this is an interesting list. Some of the items may rock conventional thinking on global warming (if there is such a thing)…
I’m not gonna repost the entire article, but I did want to post (paraphrase) the List and add my own thoughts.
Go Urban. Cities use energy more efficiently. Suburbs contribute 3.5 million “extreme commuters” who spend, on average, 3 hours a day in transit, adding significantly to the 1.9 billion tons of carbon per year (more than the emissions of Japan, Russia, and India). Add to that 40 million lawn mowers spewing 11 cars’ worth of pollutants per hour. Urban = biking, walking, and mass transit which cuts down on emissions.
Turn on the A/C. It’s actually more efficient to cool a space by 1 degree than it is to heat the same space by one degree. So, despite the stereotype, those locations who use A/C more than heat (Southwest) are actually using energy more efficient than those locations who have to use heat more than A/C (Northwest). Heating typically produces 8 times as much CO2 per year. But this is all moot since in a 100 years there will be no need for heaters, am I right?
Boycott Organic. Seriously? Yes. Milk? Organic cows, don’t produce as much milk. Therefore, it takes them longer to produce the same amount as a juiced cow. More time = more emissions. And by emissions I mean that nasty smelling stuff called methane that comes from a cow’s nether regions. PLUS, an organically raised cow puts out 16% MORE greenhouse gases than it’s hormonally pumped cousin. Beef? Organic cows take longer to get to “eatin’ size” which means they’re hanging around the pasture passing more greenhouse gas. Want to be climate friendly? Just say no to meat.
Cut Down More Trees. According to this article, once trees get past a certain age they no longer “process” CO2 as well as their little entling children. After it gets past that stage it slowly rots or burns releasing even MORE CO2 into the atmosphere. Wired says treat forests like a crop.
China Is Not The Big Bad Global Warming Wolf. China is the world’s leading producer of photovoltaic solar cells, wind turbines, and rechargeable ion-lithium batteries. All of which contribute to alternative energy sources in everyday use.
Genetic Engineering. No, not cloning. Wired says that genetically modified super crops could potentially save 50 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. Most of these crops are being looked at as possibilities for biofuels. Other potentials: bugs that make jet fuel, lab grown meat, and microorganisms that produce clean fuel.
I‘ll Trade You A Smokestack For A Windmill. Carbon trading doesn’t work. It’s inefficient and irresponsible. At best it’s a scam. There’s no regulations. How long WILL that tree last in South America that you paid $10 dollars for to offset your new ferrari? How soon before it gets clear-cut with everyone else’s ferrari tree?
Go Nuclear. Every serious calculation of carbon accounting says that Nukes win. 2 areas of the US “power” grid stand out as being low-carbon: The Pacific Northwest which is hydropowered and Vermont which has a 30 year old Nuke plant. Coal fired plants release 520 times more carbon than nuclear plants.
Buy An Old Car, not a hybrid. Pound for pound, manufacturing a Toyota Prius is worse for the environment than making a Hummer. Although, the Prius makes it up for it over time on the road. But, A Prius “guzzles the equivalent of 1,000 gallons of gas during the manufacturing process. It takes 113,000,000 Btus to manufacture the Prius. There’s about 113,000 Btus in a gallon of gas. A small used car, on the other hand, has already paid off it’s carbon debt. If you bought an old Toyota Tercel, which gets about 35 miles to the gallon, the Prius will have to drive 100,000 miles to catch up.
Prepare For The Worst. Although I, personally, don’t agree with EXTREME global warming, I can agree at least with the idea that we need to take care of what God has entrusted us with. Personally, I believe “global warming” as a philosophy or ideal is no better or worse than using global terrorism to scare up votes. It’s the big “something” out there that industry and politics can use to generate cash and votes. Not that much unlike the Cold War.
Obviously spewing a ton of pollution into the air is not a good thing. I don’t wholeheartedly, or even halfheartedly advocate this list as an answer to our environmental woes. In fact, I think a few of them are ludicrous, BUT I do like that Wired is willing to take what seems to be conventional ideas and turn them on their ear.
What do you think?
