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So, how does this relate to our predictions about global warming? Anyone here who has insights on that?

by Joe-Z 7y ago

pjc50 7y ago
I think this is both good news and bad news. Most of the global warming work is based off the amount of methane estimated to be in the atmosphere, which can be determined with sampling and spectroscopy. This particular piece of research tells us where some of that is coming from, and fortunately it's from a few concentrated sites that are under human control. We could lean on them to fix it. Chemical processing sites already try to control methane leakage because it's explosive in air. The bad news is that we probably won't. We have enough trouble with flaring: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-48051005 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-4... (my pet complaint, not only because it's a nuisance but because they've wasted in a year as much gas as I personally will use in 50,000 years, which makes reducing my personal consumption seem a bit pointless) ( https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=((38747+tonnes+*+50MJ%2Fkg)+in+kwh)+%2F+10000kwh https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=((38747+tonnes+*+50MJ%...) )
- Joe-Z 7y ago
  Thank you for taking the time to write up some conclusions! >... makes reducing my personal consumption seem a bit pointless Although I try to not to be wasteful also I get this feeling a lot that in climate change matters the actions that individuals can set are far outweighed by consistently applied systemic changes. Makes it kind of frustrating to try to save the earth :)
  - perfunctory 7y ago
    Apart from absolute emission reductions, we shouldn't underestimate the cultural and political impacts of individual actions. Individual actions are also a form of political pressure. Don't get frustrated.
    - nashashmi 7y ago
      Right! And let's all consider this karma. The more you waste the more the world heats up. The more effecient you become the more ideas you have on how to make market decisions towards efficiency.

So, how does this relate to our predictions about global warming? Anyone here who has insights on that?

by Joe-Z 7y ago

So, how does this relate to our predictions about global warming? Anyone here who has insights on that?

I think this is both good news and bad news. Most of the global warming work is based off the amount of methane estimated to be in the atmosphere, which can be determined with sampling and spectroscopy. This particular piece of research tells us where some of that is coming from, and fortunately it's from a few concentrated sites that are under human control. We could lean on them to fix it. Chemical processing sites already try to control methane leakage because it's explosive in air. The bad news is that we probably won't. We have enough trouble with flaring: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-48051005 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-4... (my pet complaint, not only because it's a nuisance but because they've wasted in a year as much gas as I personally will use in 50,000 years, which makes reducing my personal consumption seem a bit pointless) ( https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=((38747+tonnes+*+50MJ%2Fkg)+in+kwh)+%2F+10000kwh https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=((38747+tonnes+*+50MJ%...) )

Joe-Z 7y ago
Thank you for taking the time to write up some conclusions! >... makes reducing my personal consumption seem a bit pointless Although I try to not to be wasteful also I get this feeling a lot that in climate change matters the actions that individuals can set are far outweighed by consistently applied systemic changes. Makes it kind of frustrating to try to save the earth :)
- perfunctory 7y ago
  Apart from absolute emission reductions, we shouldn't underestimate the cultural and political impacts of individual actions. Individual actions are also a form of political pressure. Don't get frustrated.
  - nashashmi 7y ago
    Right! And let's all consider this karma. The more you waste the more the world heats up. The more effecient you become the more ideas you have on how to make market decisions towards efficiency.