Expert prognosis for the planet

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

I think the better solution is convert diesel-electric to hydrogen-electric. Wiring the entire railroad system for power and then energizing that grid seems wasteful.

There is something around 150,000 miles of track still in use in the US. Just the line loss alone would be massive. Then the maintenance on that much power supply in remote areas. Maybe a dual system with powered track in high concentration areas and battery for the more isolated could give the best of both worlds.

[Irace86.2.0]

Laser tech could drill holes in days versus years and reduce the cost of building a geothermal plant in half. It would cost $500,000 versus $30,000,000 to dig the same 10km 8'' hole with the laser versus the mechanical drill, respectively. While currently a geothermal plant is 4x that of a solar farm, if this could cut costs in half or better, then geothermal could be another cheap form of energy that could be even cheaper than solar and wind (currently). On top of that, geothermal could replace coal and nuclear as a major source of sustainable energy that doesn't fluctuate like wind and solar with the weather or time of day. Check out the video:

[Irace86.2.0]

[Irace86.2.0]

Same story. Different format.

https://www.wired.com/story/the-infa...ions-collapse/

[Captain Snooze]

Originally Posted by Irace86.2.0

Same story. Different format.

https://www.wired.com/story/the-infa...ions-collapse/

"All models are wrong, but some are useful."
I like that.


I'm thinking people, in general, are hardwired for "business as usual". We are not good at planning too far into the future and this has been demonstrated many times.

"What researchers found was that humans consistently will tend to opt for immediate rewards instead of rewards down the pike, even if the later rewards are greater."

[Irace86.2.0]

Originally Posted by Captain Snooze

"All models are wrong, but some are useful."
I like that.


I'm thinking people, in general, are hardwired for "business as usual". We are not good at planning too far into the future and this has been demonstrated many times.

"What researchers found was that humans consistently will tend to opt for immediate rewards instead of rewards down the pike, even if the later rewards are greater."

That, and there is always this threat coming from a conservative mindset of destroying the economy by moving too fast with investing in the necessary changes. Then there is an effort to deny or subvert the understanding that changes are necessary with talks that the changes are a hoax, conspiracy or fear mongering. As The Architect said in the Matrix, “denial is the most predictable of human emotions.”

[Captain Snooze]

"The crucial point, he argues, is that there is now no chance of us avoiding a perilous, all-pervasive climate breakdown. We have passed the point of no return and can expect a future in which lethal heatwaves and temperatures in excess of 50C (120F) are common in the tropics; where summers at temperate latitudes will invariably be baking hot, and where our oceans are destined to become warm and acidic."
The Guardian

[Spuds]

In this respect, the volcanologist, who was also a member of the UK government’s Natural Hazard Working Group, takes an extreme position. Most other climate experts still maintain we have time left, although not very much, to bring about meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

The Guardian

[Irace86.2.0]

More of the same for sodium ion batteries.

[Irace86.2.0]

California could lend PG&E $1.4 billion to save Diablo Canyon nuclear plant

https://www.latimes.com/business/sto...-nuclear-plant

[Lantanafrs2]

Climate change is a political distraction tool.

[soundman98]

distracting us from what? i'm plenty distracted to not even notice plitics!

[DrinkenBRZ]

Originally Posted by Lantanafrs2

Climate change is a political distraction tool.

My take is it’s a means of redistributing wealth from the middle and lower classes of the west to the poor of the developing countries so the wealthy can continue to see extravagant returns that the less financially mature populations in those countries will provide with their consumptions. And yes, also a political distraction from the real issues plaguing society.

[Captain Snooze]

Originally Posted by DrinkenBRZ

And yes, also a political distraction from the real issues plaguing society.

Maybe those unnamed problems plaguing society to which you are referring to aren't as universal as global food and water shortages.