Alaska's permafrost is thawing

[pcgeek11]

Global warming is very real and the path to extinction of our race is terrifying and will be a slow and painful progression of mass migrations, famine and wars over dwindling resources and shrinking habitable climates.

Why aren't our best and brightest engineers incentivized to develop technologies to delay or perhaps even reverse this catastrophe? Maybe instead of figuring out how to deliver organic grass fed beef by drone or the latest social media fad, there should be a deliberate focus on climate science.

Or get the population under control.

 

[cytg111]

Global warming is very real and the path to extinction of our race is terrifying and will be a slow and painful progression of mass migrations, famine and wars over dwindling resources and shrinking habitable climates.

Why aren't our best and brightest engineers incentivized to develop technologies to delay or perhaps even reverse this catastrophe? Maybe instead of figuring out how to deliver organic grass fed beef by drone or the latest social media fad, there should be a deliberate focus on climate science.

Monetary incentive.

 

[Thebobo]

Or get the population under control.

Population control is a huge thing.

 

[dank69]

Or get the population under control.

Can we pick and choose who we exterminate and who gets to reproduce? I have some great ideas for both.

 

[vi edit]

Population control is one thing...but there's huge improvements than can be made in making for more remote or reduced commute work days. Highways are jammed packed with cars crawling along them as people slog from office to home. How many of those can virtualized to some extent? Cut down on oil use, reduce emissions, give people hours of their lives back.

 

[cytg111]

Can we pick and choose who we exterminate and who gets to reproduce? I have some great ideas for both.

Are you thinking what I am thinking? Camps for the white supremacists? /j /s

 

[brycejones]

Can we pick and choose who we exterminate and who gets to reproduce? I have some great ideas for both.

Sure as long as you don't force companies to cover birth control because that is just wrong.

 

[cytg111]

Population control is one thing...but there's huge improvements than can be made in making for more remote or reduced commute work days. Highways are jammed packed with cars crawling along them as people slog from office to home. How many of those can virtualized to some extent? Cut down on oil use, reduce emissions, give people hours of their lives back.

Underdeveloped countries are mass producing human beings, these people will have to go somewhere eventually(add climate), we need to get our shit together if the action-reaction is not going to be more disgruntled nationalistic white folk.

 

[vi edit]

Underdeveloped countries are mass producing human beings, these people will have to go somewhere eventually(add climate), we need to get our shit together if the action-reaction is not going to be more disgruntled nationalistic white folk.

I hate the term "carbon footprint" but some areas simply are much more wasteful than others. The suburban commuters of Chicago/LA/ect put much more of an ecological strain on the earth than some third world country reproducing like rabbits does.

 

[K1052]

Why aren't our best and brightest engineers incentivized to develop technologies to delay or perhaps even reverse this catastrophe? Maybe instead of figuring out how to deliver organic grass fed beef by drone or the latest social media fad, there should be a deliberate focus on climate science.

We have such technologies that have been developed by the "best and the brightest" in hand and they continue to be improved. The problem is now increasingly a political one.

 

[Denly]

97% of engineers say the bridge will collapse 3% say not to worry. Would you drive on it?

Is there a choice not to use it? We all breath the same air(bridge)

 

[thilanliyan]

Why aren't our best and brightest engineers incentivized to develop technologies to delay or perhaps even reverse this catastrophe? Maybe instead of figuring out how to deliver organic grass fed beef by drone or the latest social media fad, there should be a deliberate focus on climate science.

Funding and lack of political will is why it's not happening.

 

[K1052]

I hate the term "carbon footprint" but some areas simply are much more wasteful than others. The suburban commuters of Chicago/LA/ect put much more of an ecological strain on the earth than some third world country reproducing like rabbits does.

Major US cities should enact congestion pricing and dump the revenue into mass transit/commuter rail. LA at least in recent years has been making a concerted effort to build a lot more transit and have voted to tax themselves to do it.

 

[Thebobo]

We have such technologies that have been developed by the "best and the brightest" in hand and they continue to be improved. The problem is now increasingly a political one.

It's so sad to see all the time and energy that has been wasted due to politics. The blame goes squarely to the republicans. Every Time the republicans take control we go backwards. And with this president 10 steps back. I've said this many times before but just think where we would be today if Carter's Solar tax credits were not canceled by Reagan. There were so many burgeoning solar industries then. Right north of here in frederick was the Solarex company and its 3000 PV modules. Right along 270/70 would see it often, was huge. It was torn down to make way for a business park.

Tearing it down

 

[Starbuck1975]

Funding and lack of political will is why it's not happening.

I would counter its a lack of leadership and vision.

 

[dank69]

I would counter its a lack of leadership and vision.

No, the GOP has blocked and/or reversed any and all legislation/policies attempting to address the issue, and the majority of conservatives think climate change is a hoax.

 

[ch33zw1z]

97% of engineers say the bridge will collapse 3% say not to worry. Would you drive on it?

Yes, because Jesus wants me to.

 

[bshole]

It's so sad to see all the time and energy that has been wasted due to politics. The blame goes squarely to the republicans. Every Time the republicans take control we go backwards. And with this president 10 steps back. I've said this many times before but just think where we would be today if Carter's Solar tax credits were not canceled by Reagan. There were so many burgeoning solar industries then. Right north of here in frederick was the Solarex company and its 3000 PV modules. Right along 270/70 would see it often, was huge. It was torn down to make way for a business park.

Solar seems to be growing fast and with an accelerating growth rate.

Solar power has been growing like crazy. Last year the solar industry installed a record amount of solar capacity. The impact can be seen in the data. According to the Energy Information Administration, in 2012 there were 3.5 million megawatthours of electricity generated by solar photovoltaic panels. In 2013 that more than doubled to 8.3 million Mwh. And to think that a decade ago the U.S. generated just 6,000 Mwh from solar PV. Solar is closing in on price parity with the likes of coal -- with full-cycle, unsubsidized costs of about 13 cents per kilowatthour, versus 12 cents for advanced coal plants.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christ...ing-but-will-never-replace-coal/#21d456c06ebb

The amount of solar power added worldwide soared by some 50% last year because of a sun rush in the US and China, new figures show.

New solar photovoltaic capacity installed in 2016 reached more than 76 gigawatts, a dramatic increase on the 50GW installed the year before. China and the US led the surge, with both countries almost doubling the amount of solar they added in 2015, according to data compiled by Europe’s solar power trade body.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/07/solar-power-growth-worldwide-us-china-uk-europe

 

[Starbuck1975]

No, the GOP has blocked and/or reversed any and all legislation/policies attempting to address the issue, and the majority of conservatives think climate change is a hoax.

FDR led the New Deal. Eisenhower drove major investments in infrastructure. Kennedy challenged the nation to put a man on the moon.

Where is the bold vision for renewable energy? The GOP is able to block those policies because no one has set a narrative or vision to unify the nation behind them.

 

[Thebobo]

Solar seems to be growing fast and with an accelerating growth rate.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christ...ing-but-will-never-replace-coal/#21d456c06ebb

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/07/solar-power-growth-worldwide-us-china-uk-europe

Yep and that's great I just lament the loss of time spent and where it could be now. We might all be driving 1000 mile electric vehicles with 10 minute charging, or fuel cell vehicles. All roofs and roads would be be generating power.

 

[Thebobo]

FDR led the New Deal. Eisenhower drove major investments in infrastructure. Kennedy challenged the nation to put a man on the moon.

Where is the bold vision for renewable energy? The GOP is able to block those policies because no one has set a narrative or vision to unify the nation behind them.

I would vote for such a person.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

The P&N braintrust has spoken

That's it, I'm getting my affairs in order.

Me too!

Its all over now.

 

[dank69]

FDR led the New Deal. Eisenhower drove major investments in infrastructure. Kennedy challenged the nation to put a man on the moon.

Where is the bold vision for renewable energy? The GOP is able to block those policies because no one has set a narrative or vision to unify the nation behind them.

You can find the answer to your question in werepossum's stupid fucking sig, which embodies the attitude of just about every stupid fucking conservative.

 

[thilanliyan]

Where is the bold vision for renewable energy? The GOP is able to block those policies because no one has set a narrative or vision to unify the nation behind them.

That's what I was getting at...considering the current presidency denies climate change, trying to solve it will struggle to gain much traction, at least in the US. Thankfully all the other nations that signed onto the Paris treaty acknowledge that it's a problem. Governments of countries, not just research institutions/universities, need to be involved in solving the problem, as they can set regulations that drive innovation. Take for example the rolling back of fuel efficiency standards set by the previous presidency....not a smart long term move IMO.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Everybody says we already did.

You have to help me eat more cows so we can save the environment and furnish new car interiors.