Net zero hits boating !

[henryf]

Interestingly I was approached with a view to having solid oxide fuel cells on the farm. We are next to a large substation and there are a number of data centres planned nearby. They would be natural gas powered but it seems methanol is an option for boats. Lovely and quiet as well for house / hotel loads.

We just need to ramp up green methanol production.

 

[Refueler]

Whats 'Hotel mode" ??

 

[Hurricane]

Whats 'Hotel mode" ??

Service/House batteries/load

 

[franksingleton]

I read that article with interest and the volume of batteries needed was laughable. All this net zero chasing for what?

The Earth's atmosphere contains 0.04% CO2 of which man is responsible for 33% and of that figure the UK is responsible for 1%. This next figure is really interesting because if the UK ceased to exist at midnight the atmosphere would benefit by 0.00000132% less CO2 output. For that we are being taxed to death and forcing companies into bankruptcy.j

The usual type of comment from someone who does not understand how the atmosphere works.

CO2 concentrations have increased from about 280 ppm in the 19th century to over 420 ppm now. Check it out. The atmosphere has warmed by nearly 1.5 degC. Measurements of heat absorbed by the various gases show that the effects of increasing GHGs is real. Nobody can suggest another mechanism for the temperature increase. The sums add up.

I do not know how we can get to net zero. Clearly it is going to be difficult and expensive. The consequences of not doing so do not bear; thinking about.

As ever, this thread seems to have oscillated between several questions. Obviously, there are practical problems in going entirely to renewables. There are practical problems with new technologies but is there really an alternative?

My site has a page about the subject and a number of rather old references that are still valid. My page is largely on basics although the science has moved on to put more flesh on the skeleton. Like me, most of us ordinary mortals need go no further. When last updating that page, I was particularly interested in a geological viewpoint at In Our Time - Ice Ages - BBC Sounds. Stay with it for the last few minutes.

I am a little surprised that some posts above have been allowed to stand and posters not banned. Is this thread one in which climate change has been mentioned and discussed as impacting directly on boating?

 

[Cheery]

Banned for what? Not kowtowing to your dictatorial attitude. The fact that motor boats use LOTS of fuel isn't even arguable against, what is up for debate is how the UK seem to be doing more than most (admittedly we have exported a lot of our CO2 production) at the cost to our economy.

 

[Refueler]

Service/House batteries/load

Oh .... 'Gin Palace' phrase !!

Got yer.

 

[kashurst]

Banned for what? Not kowtowing to your dictatorial attitude. The fact that motor boats use LOTS of fuel isn't even arguable against, what is up for debate is how the UK seem to be doing more than most (admittedly we have exported a lot of our CO2 production) at the cost to our economy.

TheUK is doing pretty well on Net Zero, but there are many places doing even better - especially China. But we won't get into that.
The renewable electricity programme is making electricity cheaper too - it just isn't being passed on - and we won't get into that either.

 

[franksingleton]

Banned for what? Not kowtowing to your dictatorial attitude. The fact that motor boats use LOTS of fuel isn't even arguable against, what is up for debate is how the UK seem to be doing more than most (admittedly we have exported a lot of our CO2 production) at the cost to our economy.

I was banned within a minute or so after posting one United Nations and one Met Office page with no comment, purely for the interest of those who might like to know what is happening to our climate. In posts that I make, I try to be careful to be accurate about I the subject. I do not spout unverifiable facts. I get pissed off when people make statements that are, quite simply incorrect or misleading. If that is what you mean by dictatorial, then so be it.

Actually, in your post you were correct although I do not know about your figure about the UK contribution. I do not know what was in your mind. However, quoting % amounts like you did makes it appear that the CO2 effect is negligible. I have seen this type of post many times. Hence, my response pointing out the effect of the increase in CO2 over the past 200 years.

An AI overview -

“While the UK has made strides in "going green" and is a leader in some areas, it's not definitively ahead of the world in all aspects of sustainability, with some areas showing room for improvement.”

Be that as it may, I have always said that we need concerted global action to get out of the mess that we are in. We have, effectively, geo-engineered ourselves to where we are. There is little option but to geo-engineer the way out. At some stage, light will dawn. Hopefully, not too late.’

 

[Refueler]

Until a magic solution to "I'm alright Jack' .... its a problem that will only get worse ....

OK - lets be honest - developing countries want to be glowing economies - this means focus in on development in the easiest forms ... green measures are not cheapest and to many of these countries - a luxury they can ill afford ....

 

[franksingleton]

There is a fair amount in what you say. Climate scientists around the world must be tearing their hair out. They can see clearly what is happening and they know why. Some politicians are taking them seriously, others less so and some just turning a blind eye. To them, it is not a question of if, it is how much, how quickly and how much variation from place to place. Being from a family noted for its longevity, I might just see enough in the next 10 years to see what the future will be. I am not holding my breath.

 

[billskip]

Being from a family noted for its longevity, I might just see enough in the next 10 years to see what the future will be

. I am not holding my breath.

.......

.

 

[franksingleton]

.......

.

Sorry to disappoint you.

 

[billskip]

Sorry to disappoint you.

You are very wrong there, however if taken as humor ....
My point being yes it would be unwise to hold you breath if you wanted to live another 10+ years and see fruition.

 

[franksingleton]

You are very wrong there, however if taken as humor ....
My point being yes it would be unwise to hold you breath if you wanted to live another 10+ years and see fruition.

I wonder what you mean by fruition. We already have 4 great grandchildren. I cannot help being greatly concerned for their future. Will some idiot press the nuclear button or will some other idiot continue to drill?

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

Everyone is for a greener planet.

The problem is how the problem solving of all is given in the end to the final consumer, who is given the responsibility to change all this.

The truth remains a very hard fact hat if you had a magic whip and transformed all private cars to electric, the warming of the planet will not stop.
Private cars in all the World amount to less then 3% of global warming, and with the current method of generating power from fossil fuels, electrification will be for the most part useless.

You want to talk motor boats, there C02 is less then the .1%. Yes lets go into motor boats, which in reality is the last of the C02 problems of the planet.

 

[franksingleton]

There is no doubt at all. We have a major problem. Carry on as we are and hasten the end for mankind, or try to get on top of the problem and give our great grandchildren a chance.

We keep hearing that this or that CO2 generator is only putting in some small fraction of the total. That ignores the fact that many small contributions add up to a lot. We will only solve the problem through genuinely, concerted effort. As of now we are far from that. The man with his “The end is nigh” message will turn out to be correct.

 

[kashurst]

Everyone is for a greener planet.

The problem is how the problem solving of all is given in the end to the final consumer, who is given the responsibility to change all this.

The truth remains a very hard fact hat if you had a magic whip and transformed all private cars to electric, the warming of the planet will not stop.
Private cars in all the World amount to less then 3% of global warming, and with the current method of generating power from fossil fuels, electrification will be for the most part useless.

You want to talk motor boats, there C02 is less then the .1%. Yes lets go into motor boats, which in reality is the last of the C02 problems of the planet.

You are low balling it by quite a long way. 28% of USA CO2 emissions is from ground transport.
Overall private cars and vans contribute around 10% of global energy-related CO2 emissions and more than 25% of global oil use.
Moving ground transport to electric won't stop warming but it will slow it down, which buys us all time for better technology.

Boats don't really matter apart form the general public's perception

 

[franksingleton]

There are a lot of fine words here

Climate change is happening. We can see it in our observations. But adaptation to climate change needs to keep up with the weather

And even a ministerial statement here!
Climate Adaptation Research and Innovation Framework

Presumably neither the Met Office nor our ministers would claim to have a monopoly on wisdom and be the only people seeking action. The Hadley Centre is highly regarded and attracts some of the best scientists worldwide but is not a lone voice. This makes the perceived lack of action frustrating. But, of course the antics of the stockmarkets are at the top of the pile just now and taking all the attention. There are always more immediate pressures.

 

[Refueler]

Also don't forget that de-forestation has a huge impact on the 'collection' of CO2 ...

We all know about Amazon forest and similar areas of Central / South America .... Africa .. Borneo / Malaysia etc - but here in Latvia serious tree felling continues despite national laws against it. That's just one example of the many actively engaged in land change.

 

[Cheery]

Actually, in your post you were correct although I do not know about your figure about the UK contribution. I do not know what was in your mind. However, quoting % amounts like you did makes it appear that the CO2 effect is negligible. I have seen this type of post many times. Hence, my response pointing out the effect of the increase in CO2 over the past 200 years.

The three figures I gave are widely accepted and are widely quoted on the internet. It was nothing to do with my mind. As to motor yachts consumption, I agree that is mere perception by the public as they, in the main, don't do very many miles.