B
bizorky
Guest
Re: Global warming report builds support for world environme
It will be interesting to see what they propose as a means to "police" what they define as "abuse." What is also of particular interest with respect to France is that it generates 80% of its electricity from nuclear. I do recall that many environmentalists are very much against nuclear power. Even St. Al Gore is against nukes. That might put a dent in the French Green Cred card.
Incidentally, China will surpass the United States as the largest emitter of carbon dioxide in gross tonnage by 2012. They were not required to sign onto Kyoto. Beyond coal power it's not so easy to see what China will replace their energy needs with. One wonders how the French will manage to "police" them? Maybe with lots of French-designed nuclear reactors? Who knows.
In late 2006 NASA satellite studies noted that the burning of biomass (trees, forests, etc.) in many developing equatorial countries resulted in pollution levels that had been under-estimated by two to three times. This type of biomass burning results in the production of large concentrations of ozone, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide. It is a also a significant health risk to the people who utilize this type of burning. Moreover, it also results in deforestation and loss of habitat. For those who fashion themselves as the police of the environment, they may want to consider what to do for the billion plus people who rely on energy derived from this biomass burning. Without access to electricity, and with fewer means available to produce it, it is clear that this development issue will continue to have its own severe localized impact on the environment.
Sadly, fears of global warming have tended to crowd out other environmental issues - particulalrly the complex ones interconnected with development, human well-being, and resource and habitat preservation. You don't need computer-based climate models to see predict these things.
It will be interesting to see what they propose as a means to "police" what they define as "abuse." What is also of particular interest with respect to France is that it generates 80% of its electricity from nuclear. I do recall that many environmentalists are very much against nuclear power. Even St. Al Gore is against nukes. That might put a dent in the French Green Cred card.
Incidentally, China will surpass the United States as the largest emitter of carbon dioxide in gross tonnage by 2012. They were not required to sign onto Kyoto. Beyond coal power it's not so easy to see what China will replace their energy needs with. One wonders how the French will manage to "police" them? Maybe with lots of French-designed nuclear reactors? Who knows.
In late 2006 NASA satellite studies noted that the burning of biomass (trees, forests, etc.) in many developing equatorial countries resulted in pollution levels that had been under-estimated by two to three times. This type of biomass burning results in the production of large concentrations of ozone, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide. It is a also a significant health risk to the people who utilize this type of burning. Moreover, it also results in deforestation and loss of habitat. For those who fashion themselves as the police of the environment, they may want to consider what to do for the billion plus people who rely on energy derived from this biomass burning. Without access to electricity, and with fewer means available to produce it, it is clear that this development issue will continue to have its own severe localized impact on the environment.
Sadly, fears of global warming have tended to crowd out other environmental issues - particulalrly the complex ones interconnected with development, human well-being, and resource and habitat preservation. You don't need computer-based climate models to see predict these things.