Carbon footprints and fuel usage

[Joel N. Weber II]

OTOH, with the developing "climategate" scandal coming out (indicating that much of the fear about the effects of carbon emissions on global warming may have been manufactured), does any of this really matter?

Figuring out the relative importance of global vs local harm is very important to making sound environmental decisions. For example, diesel commuter rail locomotives probably aren't all that bad in terms of global pollution relative to everything else we have in 2010, but buying new diesel locomotives today and running them for 30 years thorough 2040 may make them look terrible in terms of local pollution in 2030 if Tesla Motors ends up being wildly successful. Meanwhile, large ships using relatively dirty fuel, mostly while they're far from land, is mostly a problem in terms of global pollution and not local pollution.

 

[George Harris]

When looking at these wonderful temperature graphs, note the scale. we are talking about swings of lless than one degree here. Given the normal variations in measurements due to instrument internal error, reading, plotting, etc., etc. thes variations probably have enough potential error in measuring, averaging, etc to make the results meaningless.

 

[Ryan]

Actually, one degree can make a difference.

http://www.brighthub.com/environment/scien...icles/7414.aspx

If the variations were attributable to "instrument error, reading, plotting, etc, etc" then the errors would be random and not show the trends that are evident.

 

[George Harris]

Actually, one degree can make a difference.
http://www.brighthub.com/environment/scien...icles/7414.aspx

If the variations were attributable to "instrument error, reading, plotting, etc, etc" then the errors would be random and not show the trends that are evident.

Are you forgetting that one of the main factors in "global warming" is the hot air emanating from those that are warping the data to prove that such a thing really exists?

Oh, I forgot. Unbelief in Global Warming is currently consindered a form of Heresy. Therefore, I will say no more on the subject so as not to insult this particular set of gods.

 

[Ryan]

It's disappointing that when confronted with facts that you're unable to rebut, the best you can do is throw out insults and claim that the discussion is over.

 

[George Harris]

It's disappointing that when confronted with facts that you're unable to rebut, the best you can do is throw out insults and claim that the discussion is over.

What facts?

 

[DET63]

It's disappointing that when confronted with facts that you're unable to rebut, the best you can do is throw out insults and claim that the discussion is over.

Actually, I think it's the side that argues that global warming is really happening that's been doing that. IAC, I'm willing to put this argument aside unless and until it becomes a meaningful point in discussing the relative carbon footprint of trains, plains, buses, automobiles, and other forms of transportation.