Solutions to Global Warming

brianlux

As much as I try to lessen my impact on our environment, I'm often amazed at all the little things I learn all the time that can be done to live lighter on our planet. I've been looking at this issue in terms of solutions for a long time but I'm always learning something new that way. For example, it was only about four years that some told me that if I plug my TV into a power strip and then turn the power strip off after turning the TV off I can save energy. Easy! Useful!

So I thought it would be helpful to have a thread where we share ideas along those lines.

I would like to encourage (please) any one interested in discussing any causal (who done it/ what done it) or ontological (existent or non-existent) issues on Global Warming to go to the "Global Warming Discussion" thread rather than jam up or derail this one. Thanks!

cincybearcat

brianlux wrote:

For example, it was only about four years that some told me that if I plug my TV into a power strip and then turn the power strip off after turning the TV off I can save energy. Easy! Useful!

Sounds good until you realize your DVR does you no good then.

BinauralJam

Nuke China, give Byrnzie a heads up first ofcourse.

brianlux

cincybearcat wrote:

brianlux wrote:

For example, it was only about four years that some told me that if I plug my TV into a power strip and then turn the power strip off after turning the TV off I can save energy. Easy! Useful!

Sounds good until you realize your DVR does you no good then.

That's good to know but what about solutions? Please don't just go to the negative here. Solutions, please!

I didn't know that about DVR's (but then I don't have a DVR.) So if you run a DVR into a power strip and other way to conserve energy using a DVR?

Seriously, I don't know anything about DVR's- we rent movies once in awhile and have a few music DVDs- that's about it. So time to learn something new- awesome! I hope we all can learn something here.

cincybearcat

brianlux wrote:

cincybearcat wrote:

brianlux wrote:

For example, it was only about four years that some told me that if I plug my TV into a power strip and then turn the power strip off after turning the TV off I can save energy. Easy! Useful!

Sounds good until you realize your DVR does you no good then.

That's good to know but what about solutions? Please don't just go to the negative here. Solutions, please!

I didn't know that about DVR's (but then I don't have a DVR.) So if you run a DVR into a power strip and other way to conserve energy using a DVR?

Seriously, I don't know anything about DVR's- we rent movies once in awhile and have a few music DVDs- that's about it. So time to learn something new- awesome! I hope we all can learn something here.

Well really, you should unplug EVERYTHING you don't need on at that moment. Including coffee maker, toaster oven, etc. But then you can't use timers to have coffee made in the morning of course.

Also, cell phone chargers...shouldn't keep them in all day either, unplug when unneeded. But like I said, that goes for everything.

Jeanwah

Line dry your clothes and sheets rather than using a dryer. Sheets that are wind dried smell so much better any way!
Lower your thermostat a couple degrees in the winter, raise the air conditioning a couple degrees in summer.
Plant trees!

bgivens33

For me, first and foremost, I make a huge push for nuclear energy. I don't believe we can "conserve" our way out of global warming. I find it admirable, but too many people just don't care.

Secondly, the government needs to stop subsidizing all energy. Subsidies cripple the market. Take the money saved in the subsidies and pour it into the universities and other research groups(NREL). Along with that, don't support green energy just because it is green. Support it because it is a good source of energy. I've been to a few lectures and all things considered, ethanol seems to use just as much energy to produce than it provides. The country falls in love with "green" energy without really even looking at sustainability.

I know people disagree with this, but currently there is no alternative to oil and natural gas. I think coal can easily be phased out via nuclear energy(and the portion of the country that gets electricity from natural gas).

The bottom line is, you can either convince people to lessen their dependency on hydrocarbons or you can provide them a better alternative. For me, the latter yields much better results.

gimmesometruth27

for there to be a true solution EVERYONE has to first admit that there is a problem.

once that happens, then the solutions will come easy because everyone will be on the same page.

until that happens, all we can do is offer small solutions like we are doing here.

it is going to take the people to act, because the businesses and government will just continue with the status quo until the people force them to act.

brianlux

gimmesometruth27 wrote:

it is going to take the people to act, because the businesses and government will just continue with the status quo until the people force them to act.

True for now, no doubt. Also, I would think that considering the world has a limited amount of natural resources and that corporations which rely on those resources (and continue to extract them at a break-neck pace) will eventually make themselves obsolete as the resources dwindle. You'd think corporate heads would see this and also see the wisdom in taking care of the planet that keeps us all afloat. But they don't seem to get that. This is why I try to do my own little part (in the ways all of you have mentioned here- thank you!) and continue to write letters and such.

Getting people together to speak out is a great thing to do also-- and fun. Here's a picture of a gathering I organized a few years ago. This took place in a very conservative town here in the Sierra foothills with permission from the local police department:

arthurdent

fear4freedom

Have a volunteer world wide suicide! If we can shed about 1 billion people off this planet.....Mother Earth would surely love it! That would be a great load off .....right?

We just need to convince 1 billion people to kill themselves!

CH156378

fear4freedom wrote:

Have a volunteer world wide suicide! If we can shed about 1 billion people off this planet.....Mother Earth would surely love it! That would be a great load off .....right?

We just need to convince 1 billion people to kill themselves!

you first.

chadwick

Jeanwah wrote:

Line dry your clothes and sheets rather than using a dryer. Sheets that are wind dried smell so much better any way!
Lower your thermostat a couple degrees in the winter, raise the air conditioning a couple degrees in summer.
Plant trees!

i know plenty of idiots who refuse to air dry their clothing. these dumbies are even folks i am friends with. to me, inside my head and heart, i say to myself, and sometimes quite often out loud, i say to them, that is stupid you don't hang up your clothes.

they in return get pissy, bitch, moan, and complain. i call laziness and stupidity. careless and useless comes to mind as well.

can you believe i even line dried my clothes when i was a cross country truck driver? i hung my clothing up with hangers and put em in several closets i had in back around the bed area. no need feeding the dryer quarters. also, i have been known to wear wet clothing because they weren't dried in a dryer.

people are spoiled lazy shits. fact

chadwick

BinauralJam wrote:

Nuke China, give Byrnzie a heads up first ofcourse.

whygohome

Educate yourself. Narrow-mindedness is a plague sweeping across this once great country.

chadwick

whygohome wrote:

Educate yourself. Narrow-mindedness is a plague sweeping across this once great country.

meanwhile, thousands of people are flicking their cigarette butts on the ground whilst using a dryer when nice outside (or use a indoors clothesline) as their large tv runs 24x7. in their driveway, a 4x4 giant truck

whygohome

chadwick wrote:

whygohome wrote:

Educate yourself. Narrow-mindedness is a plague sweeping across this once great country.

meanwhile, thousands of people are flicking their cigarette butts on the ground whilst using a dryer when nice outside (or use a indoors clothesline) as their large tv runs 24x7. in their driveway, a 4x4 giant truck

Those people are everywhere.... so frightening!! But hey, that's their "American Right!!"

fear4freedom

I say we enact strict population control methods! Implement a world wide suicide every January 1st! Also, take out many lifetime prisoners! Offer their families money if they agree to it! only healthy couples should have more than one child! Also, tell Muslims that there are really 144 virgins in heaven if pick up the pace!

CH156378

fear4freedom wrote:

I say we enact strict population control methods! Implement a world wide suicide every January 1st! Also, take out many lifetime prisoners! Offer their families money if they agree to it! only healthy couples should have more than one child! Also, tell Muslims that there are really 144 virgins in heaven if pick up the pace!

you're a fucking loser

brianlux

Jeanwah wrote:

Line dry your clothes and sheets rather than using a dryer. Sheets that are wind dried smell so much better any way!
Lower your thermostat a couple degrees in the winter, raise the air conditioning a couple degrees in summer.
Plant trees!

Good ideas all! I remember years ago visiting my Amish grandma back in PA in the winter. One morning I looked outside and said, "Grandma, it snowed last night and you've got clothes out on the line- they'll never dry in this weather!" She smiled and said, "Oh sure they will. I hung them out this morning. They will freeze dry." And they did! A few hours later she brought them in, dry as can be. From early adulthood on she didn't live a traditional Amish lifestyle, but she never owned or used a clothes dryer.

Hugh Freaking Dillon

honestly, I'm not convinced that global climate change isn't a natural occurence. Of course, I'm not one of those jackasses that uses that as an excuse to drive a giant SUV, I do my part, but mostly because I just think the amount of garbage, waste, pollution, is disgusting. we are a wasteful and pitiful race. Chadwick, totally agree with the cigarette butts as a problem. It's gross. Especially here in Winnipeg after the spring thaw. Those cigarette butts collect in the snow for 5 or 6 months, and the snow melts, and all we have are thousands of wet butts all over our city. It's gross to say the least.

I was told how much energy my pc sucks out of the Earth by leaving it on overnight (I used to do this when downloading a big file), and stopped that immediately. It was pretty alarming. I also unplug everything that I can when it's not in use.

I tried switching to those new bulbs, but I guess my house is too old and something didn't jive, because they would get really hot and burn, so I had to go back to regular bulbs.

If you live in cold climes, weather strip your windows, and good. You'd be amazed how much energy is wasted by having a leaky house.

Put those child safety plastic inserts in your household electrical outlets. You'd be surprised how much wind comes through those outlets.

chadwick

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

honestly, I'm not convinced that global climate change isn't a natural occurence. Of course, I'm not one of those jackasses that uses that as an excuse to drive a giant SUV, I do my part, but mostly because I just think the amount of garbage, waste, pollution, is disgusting. we are a wasteful and pitiful race. Chadwick, totally agree with the cigarette butts as a problem. It's gross. Especially here in Winnipeg after the spring thaw. Those cigarette butts collect in the snow for 5 or 6 months, and the snow melts, and all we have are thousands of wet butts all over our city. It's gross to say the least. I was told how much energy my pc sucks out of the Earth by leaving it on overnight (I used to do this when downloading a big file), and stopped that immediately. It was pretty alarming. I also unplug everything that I can when it's not in use.

I tried switching to those new bulbs, but I guess my house is too old and something didn't jive, because they would get really hot and burn, so I had to go back to regular bulbs.

If you live in cold climes, weather strip your windows, and good. You'd be amazed how much energy is wasted by having a leaky house.

Put those child safety plastic inserts in your household electrical outlets. You'd be surprised how much wind comes through those outlets.

while visitig B.C. this lady who worked at one of the gas station up there offered me a trashbag for my car. i said, yes, and accepted the trashbag. then i wondered, why don't they do this in the u.s.?

i am sorry Winnipeg is covered in cig butts. my mind had created a almost perfect picture of canada's land. :( guess that's not exactly the case.

brianlux

chadwick wrote:

while visitig B.C. this lady who worked at one of the gas station up there offered me a trashbag for my car. i said, yes, and accepted the trashbag. then i wondered, why don't they do this in the u.s.?

i am sorry Winnipeg is covered in cig butts. my mind had created a almost perfect picture of canada's land. :( guess that's not exactly the case.

That surprised me to. The three Canadian cities I've vistited- Toronto and Vancouver and Victoria all were very clean.

It really is a bummer to see butts lying around. Same thing with people spitting gum on the sidewalk, street, parking lot, etc. Not only a bummer to step on but some birds see it and think they're getting a tasty treat and choke on it. It's just not that hard to dispose of these things properly.

Hugh Freaking Dillon

chadwick wrote:

while visitig B.C. this lady who worked at one of the gas station up there offered me a trashbag for my car. i said, yes, and accepted the trashbag. then i wondered, why don't they do this in the u.s.?

i am sorry Winnipeg is covered in cig butts. my mind had created a almost perfect picture of canada's land. :( guess that's not exactly the case.

it really is only like that for a short time in spring, because they collect all winter long. after it rains and the street sweepers come by, it's better, but it's still disgusting to see for that short time.

canada's land is beautiful. but sometimes the people inhabiting it destroy it with their ignorance.

fear4freedom

If its yellow let it mellow.....if its brown flush it down!!!!
I only flush my toilet about once a week! That saves about 30 gallons of water per week.....thats 1500 gallons per year! And that is just from one of my energy saving methods!
I only use 2 squares of toilet paper!
I also join up with neighbors on energy saving initiatives!
We have meetings in candlelight to brainstorm how our street can do more!

brianlux

fear4freedom wrote:

If its yellow let it mellow.....if its brown flush it down!!!!
I only flush my toilet about once a week! That saves about 30 gallons of water per week.....thats 1500 gallons per year! And that is just from one of my energy saving methods!
I only use 2 squares of toilet paper!
I also join up with neighbors on energy saving initiatives!
We have meetings in candlelight to brainstorm how our street can do more!

:thumbup:

Johnny Abruzzo

I do a lot of little things to help out, but unfortunately, I think we're fucked. I don't think anything is going to stop global warming at this point, especially considering all those who deny it is even happening. We will just keep seeing more and more blizzards and tornadoes & hurricanes & floods, and they will just keep denying global warming has anything to do it. All that said, I have my doubts that, even if everyone agreed on the problem, that we could even do much to stop it at this point.

Anyways... I religiously recycle, keep thermostat low in winter and somewhat high in summer (this part is harder), & replaced most of the windows in my old house. I put in all those squiggly light bulbs (hope they don't break since they are full of mercury :roll: ). I used to bike commute some days (or carpool with my wife), but with the arrival of little ones I can't work this out for the time being. Our jobs are just too demanding (as I goof off on this website...). Maybe I can get back to it in a few years.

We use a dryer because, honestly, a lot of days it's too rainy or humid or cold for clothes to dry. That freeze drying thing doesn't really work that well - sorry. When my wife & I stayed at a cousin's house in Italy it took 2 days for our clothes to dry outside (they don't have dryers there).

I'd love to unplug my TV and turn off my work computer overnight, but then I'd have to wait 15 minutes for the fucking cable box to reboot every time I turned it on, and I'd wait 20 minutes for the piece of shit computer to start up every morning when I get to work.

brianlux

Johnny Abruzzo wrote:

I do a lot of little things to help out, but unfortunately, I think we're fucked. I don't think anything is going to stop global warming at this point, especially considering all those who deny it is even happening. We will just keep seeing more and more blizzards and tornadoes & hurricanes & floods, and they will just keep denying global warming has anything to do it. All that said, I have my doubts that, even if everyone agreed on the problem, that we could even do much to stop it at this point.

Anyways... I religiously recycle, keep thermostat low in winter and somewhat high in summer (this part is harder), & replaced most of the windows in my old house. I put in all those squiggly light bulbs (hope they don't break since they are full of mercury :roll: ). I used to bike commute some days (or carpool with my wife), but with the arrival of little ones I can't work this out for the time being. Our jobs are just too demanding (as I goof off on this website...). Maybe I can get back to it in a few years.

We use a dryer because, honestly, a lot of days it's too rainy or humid or cold for clothes to dry. That freeze drying thing doesn't really work that well - sorry. When my wife & I stayed at a cousin's house in Italy it took 2 days for our clothes to dry outside (they don't have dryers there).

I'd love to unplug my TV and turn off my work computer overnight, but then I'd have to wait 15 minutes for the fucking cable box to reboot every time I turned it on, and I'd wait 20 minutes for the piece of shit computer to start up every morning when I get to work.

These are all good and helpful thing, Johnny Abruzzo, and you should be commended for doing them. As far as not stopping global warming, I think you are mostly right. Even the most hard working of those trying to prevent further damage will tell you it's too late to stop it because, frankly, it's already happening. At this point, the best efforts being made are to slow it down. If enough effort is made, the chain-link reaction, the feedback of warming and polar melting which turns sun-reflective ice into heat absorbing water, the spread of disease and movement of insects and parasites into climates that were previously to cold for them, the rise in ocean levels, the increase of drought in some areas and flooding in others, the increased impact of extreme weather events- all of this can be slowed down by reducing the CO2 content in the atmosphere. We might be fucked, but if we slow down the process through diligent effort we will live longer and better- we'll at least be less fucked!

Johnny Abruzzo

brianlux wrote:

We might be fucked, but if we slow down the process through diligent effort we will live longer and better- we'll at least be less fucked!

That's all we can hope for at this point, I think.

One thing I left out is I certainly have a weakness for horsepower, so I don't drive a hybrid or anything really all that close to that. You can't win 'em all, right? I do at least try to baby my 6-speed in traffic to maximize my gas, but I'm not sure how useful that is.

brianlux

Johnny Abruzzo wrote:

One thing I left out is I certainly have a weakness for horsepower, so I don't drive a hybrid or anything really all that close to that. You can't win 'em all, right? I do at least try to baby my 6-speed in traffic to maximize my gas, but I'm not sure how useful that is.

Believe it or not- I was the same way years ago. You might consider test driving a newer Prius sometime- I'm serious. It may not beat out your 6-speed in a race, but if you haven't driven one you'd be amazed at the acceleration for which they are capable (more than the V-8 '65 Malibu I had when I was a kid)- certainly plenty of power for all normal driving situations. One of my nephews once took me for a hair-raising ride in his hopped up Camero and at around 110 MPH the thing started to lift off the road- we were nearly literally flying (scary shit!) The second and third generation Prius is aerodynamically designed such that at around 90 MPH and up the chassis starts to get pushed down closer to the road. It's an amazing car and at reasonable speeds you can get 50 to 60 MPG's on the flats-- and the savings in gas each month make up a good chunk of the payments. I make significantly less now than I did when I was teaching yet between the gas savings, ride-sharing and shopping around for the super low interst rates that are currently available, I was able to afford one.

Johnny Abruzzo

Glad you like it. I guess the electric engine has good low end torque. I will have my G37 for a long time I think. My dad said his Prius is hopeless in the snow. Mine, with winter tires, is actually decent even with RWD. Oh well, off topic.