we are doomed

[arrie]

Maybe we must look towards humans as our next source of energy.
Statement (follows) I found somewhere on internet, claims to be well researched.

quote

all humans and animals contribute to global warming by exhaling excess carbon dioxide (font and rear end) and methane gases (rear end) while also releasing Btus to the environment.

unquote

Heck, in the next 30 odd years we may be the only culprits causing environmental decay.

 

[Sceadwian]

In some areas cows are a greater emitter of greenhouse gasses than automobiles. One of my favorite quotes (paraphrasing) is "Try to find an emission control method for that"

We inherently want a stable unchanging system that is beneficial to ourselves, and the real world doesn't work like that.
In the long run the human race is guaranteed to no longer exist in it's current form, and over very long periods of time it won't exist in any recognizable form even under the best of conditions. No one wants to deal with that simple reality. Either by cultural or biological evolution or extinction and likely all of the above, in a few million years 'we' are gone.

The concern for the state of the environment is just an extension of our own unwillingness to deal with our own mortality.

 

[Mikebits]

I can't wait to see the prototype.

**broken link removed**

 

[Mikebits]

Holy Cow! Someone actually built one. lol

**broken link removed**

 

[Hero999]

It just doesn't add up.

The methane produced by cattle is carbon neutral. Cows eat grass which absorbs CO2 when it grows and the amount of carbon they emit into the atmosphere is less than what was absorbed by the grass - some of the grass' biomass goes into the cow and the rest is deposited in the dung.

Humans are only responsible of 3.225% of annual CO2 emissions, the rest is natural. Fair enough there might be some build up but it's hard to believe that a large proportion won't be absorbed by plants and the sea.
Global Warming: A closer look at the numbers

Granted we're probably having an effect on the climate but it doesn't make sense that it's as devastating as some say.

 

[Krumlink]

Holy Cow! Someone actually built one. lol

**broken link removed**

but those are sheep!

 

[Mikebits]

Same basic principle. Holy sheep just did not sound right

 

[Hank Fletcher]

In some areas cows are a greater emitter of greenhouse gasses than automobiles. One of my favorite quotes (paraphrasing) is "Try to find an emission control method for that"

The obvious emission control is: stop raising cattle. Diets, and markets, based on cattle are a holdover from antiquity that is inconsistent with the needs of 2008. Get your B12 from somewhere else, and stop destroying my planet.

 

[Sceadwian]

I had marinated sirloins tips with fried onions and mushrooms for dinner the other night and I'm having seasoned ground sirloin burgers for dinner tonight. Take away my beef and I'll put you as the first on a short list of the 'long pork' I'll try after all the beef is gone!

 

[dknguyen]

Bacon > Beef

 

[kchriste]

Humans are only responsible of 3.225% of annual CO2 emissions, the rest is natural. Fair enough there might be some build up but it's hard to believe that a large proportion won't be absorbed by plants and the sea.
Global Warming: A closer look at the numbers

A quick whois turns up the name of Monte Hieb who is a geologist who works in the coal industry.
An interesting link from the same page:
CO2 vs Temperature: Last 50,000 years
Monte Hieb's page is also debunked here and many other places:
chill out
And finally, Monte Hieb's web site host:
**broken link removed**

 

[audioguru]

Some animals and people are vegetarians. I like meat.

 

[Pommie]

If everyone on the planet reduced their carbon emissions, on average, by 20% then the amount produced would be exactly the same in 15 years time due to population growth. Whatever is done to reduce emissions is quickly negated by population growth. Amazingly, China with it's 1 child policy, is the only country tackling this problem. Most other countries are actively trying to increase their birth rate due to the looming pension crisis.

Mike.

 

[petrv]

Hi arrie,

humans as the source of energy ? Well I guess it is not a new idea, the movie "The Matrix" comes to my mind ....

Petr

 

[Hero999]

A quick whois turns up the name of Monte Hieb who is a geologist who works in the coal industry.
An interesting link from the same page:
CO2 vs Temperature: Last 50,000 years

Finally something informative. There's still a lot of uncertainty and it needs updating but it's good to find a good source of scientific data on the natural vs anthropogenic CO2 levels.

Still I'd like to know what the annual fluctuation of natural CO2 is.

Also this does not refute my claim that carbon released from cattle is carbon neutral and shouldn't be the subject of hysteria.

 

[Pommie]

Also this does not refute my claim that carbon released from cattle is carbon neutral and shouldn't be the subject of hysteria.

I'm not sure, but I think the problem is that the cows turn grass into methane. Methane is, allegedly, far more potent than CO2 as a green house gas. Personally, cows have been farting for, well as long as they have been cows, and I can't see how they are a problem now when they weren't in the past.

Mike.

 

[ericgibbs]

I'm not sure, but I think the problem is that the cows turn grass into methane. Methane is, allegedly, far more potent than CO2 as a green house gas. Personally, cows have been farting for, well as long as they have been cows, and I can't see how they are a problem now when they weren't in the past.

Mike.

hi Mike,
I understand that New Zealand is one of the worst bio methane producers, mainly the sheep flatus
[ thats a Sunday word for farting].

Humans also flatus on average 15 times a day, so 6*10^9 * 15 is a lot of gas.

Hope you are having a restful weekend.

 

[arrie]

Maybe we must start to set up some stations for flatus collection to make proper use of that methane.

This was intended as a bit of a "bring some laughter to your day" post, but you guys really ran with it. Man you guys rock.

Oh! and just in case those guys saying humans and animals are just as destructive as our power stations are indeed correct, ignore those guys saying that having more beans will make you live longer, and remove any form of baked beans from your shopping list.
Save our planet, die young, don't eat baked beans.

 

[HiTech]

Maybe we must look towards humans as our next source of energy.

Hmmm, seems like I've seen that notion put to use somewhere....

**broken link removed**

 

[dknguyen]

Hmmm, seems like I've seen that notion put to use somewhere....

**broken link removed**

I'd go for that. But how many days do I have to work, how many days do I get off, and how much are you paying me? And do I get a virtual wonderland with a bunch of cool toys to play with as I work?