Comments on: “We’re Toast… http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/27/were-toast/ > so much wonderful packaged in such a mess Fri, 18 May 2012 04:54:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Passivhaus Is German For No-Brainer | citytank http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/27/were-toast/comment-page-1/#comment-564391 Passivhaus Is German For No-Brainer | citytank Thu, 05 May 2011 15:40:27 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/27/were-toast/#comment-564391 [...] as energy prices inevitably rise, and a public benefit payback from a reduction of the myriad externalized costs associated with energy consumption. And then there’s the potential payback in “green [...] [...] as energy prices inevitably rise, and a public benefit payback from a reduction of the myriad externalized costs associated with energy consumption. And then there’s the potential payback in “green [...]

]]> By: What It’s Going To Take | hugeasscity http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/27/were-toast/comment-page-1/#comment-1060 What It’s Going To Take | hugeasscity Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:48:17 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/27/were-toast/#comment-1060 [...] today for protesting mountaintop removal coal mining.  I’ve blogged about Hansen here and here, and was so moved by today’s news (via Alan Durning’s fb update) that I couldn’t [...] [...] today for protesting mountaintop removal coal mining.  I’ve blogged about Hansen here and here, and was so moved by today’s news (via Alan Durning’s fb update) that I couldn’t [...]

]]> By: Dan Staley http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/27/were-toast/comment-page-1/#comment-1059 Dan Staley Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:25:09 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/27/were-toast/#comment-1059 <i>Will governments be strong enough to leave this coal in the ground, rather than reaping the profits from digging it up and burning it? It takes a lot of optimism and perhaps a blind eye toward history to say yes. </i> As Dan'l may remember, I was a weatherman in the Air Force, and began reading the climate journals in the early '80s. Naomi Oreskes has <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3klt7c" rel="nofollow">an excellent history of</a> the man-made climate change science - well worth the time, IMHO - and tells us that we knew this a generation ago but our "leaders" didn't want to hear. Anyway, I've known this for two decades and have gnashed my teeth for this long <a href="http://www.claybennett.com/images/archivetoons2/theaters.jpg" rel="nofollow">at humanity's denial and inaction.</a> My phrase is: I'm a glass half-full guy, but in this instance its half-full of tainted groundwater from Big Ag. In any case, I see my job as creating resilient places for others to learn from. If the rest catch on, great. But I can't do it all. I can only do what I can. Will governments be strong enough to leave this coal in the ground, rather than reaping the profits from digging it up and burning it? It takes a lot of optimism and perhaps a blind eye toward history to say yes.

As Dan’l may remember, I was a weatherman in the Air Force, and began reading the climate journals in the early ’80s. Naomi Oreskes has an excellent history of the man-made climate change science – well worth the time, IMHO – and tells us that we knew this a generation ago but our “leaders” didn’t want to hear. Anyway, I’ve known this for two decades and have gnashed my teeth for this long at humanity’s denial and inaction.

My phrase is: I’m a glass half-full guy, but in this instance its half-full of tainted groundwater from Big Ag.

In any case, I see my job as creating resilient places for others to learn from. If the rest catch on, great. But I can’t do it all. I can only do what I can.

]]> By: Matt the Engineer http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/27/were-toast/comment-page-1/#comment-1058 Matt the Engineer Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:38:04 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/27/were-toast/#comment-1058 The question isn't whether it will happen (it's started already), but to what extent. I see it as a positive sign that we're running out of oil - at least there's one source of carbon we'll soon be forced to stop dumping into the air. But if we start replacing it with our abundant coal instead of finding renewable ways of living, then we're doomed to the worst-case scenerios. Will governments be strong enough to leave this coal in the ground, rather than reaping the profits from digging it up and burning it? It takes a lot of optimism and perhaps a blind eye toward history to say yes. The question isn’t whether it will happen (it’s started already), but to what extent. I see it as a positive sign that we’re running out of oil – at least there’s one source of carbon we’ll soon be forced to stop dumping into the air. But if we start replacing it with our abundant coal instead of finding renewable ways of living, then we’re doomed to the worst-case scenerios.

Will governments be strong enough to leave this coal in the ground, rather than reaping the profits from digging it up and burning it? It takes a lot of optimism and perhaps a blind eye toward history to say yes.

]]> By: Andrew http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/27/were-toast/comment-page-1/#comment-1057 Andrew Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:19:53 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/27/were-toast/#comment-1057 A couple of decades might be an exaggeration, but we're doomed I think because we can't seem to agree to reductions :( A couple of decades might be an exaggeration, but we’re doomed I think because we can’t seem to agree to reductions :(

]]> By: old timer http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/27/were-toast/comment-page-1/#comment-1056 old timer Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:50:36 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/27/were-toast/#comment-1056 IMO, the really tough part of all this is that The Planet couldn't care less. It's 'been there done that' hundreds, maybe thousands of times in it's life. Hot cycles, cold cycles, asteroid collisions, mass extinctions, wipe out of human civilizations; sure, all that and more. The Planet will endure. So, where do we fit in? Where do we even begin to cope with what is, for most of us, a completely unimaginable set of problems? Will a 'society' that annually STILL throws hundreds of tons of trash out of it's vehicle windows somehow come to a spontaneous awakening? I don't think so. Food plain dwellers, and earthquake zone people at least have a historical basis for their personal risk assessment, and they take the risk. This kind of stuff has no precedent, and is therefore easy to minimize or disregard. I think we will, as a species, wait, day after night, until the water is lapping at the door before we try to figure out how and where we will spend the next day into night. Moment to moment; some may make it and many will not. There will be no way out of this. The Planet does not care one whit. IMO, the really tough part of all this is that The Planet couldn’t care less. It’s ‘been there done that’ hundreds, maybe thousands of times in it’s life.
Hot cycles, cold cycles, asteroid collisions, mass extinctions, wipe out of human civilizations; sure, all that and more.
The Planet will endure.
So, where do we fit in? Where do we even begin to cope with what is, for most of us, a completely unimaginable set of problems?
Will a ’society’ that annually STILL throws hundreds of tons of trash out of it’s vehicle windows somehow come to a spontaneous awakening? I don’t think so.
Food plain dwellers, and earthquake zone people at least have a historical basis for their personal risk assessment, and they take the risk. This kind of stuff has no precedent, and is therefore easy to minimize or disregard.
I think we will, as a species, wait, day after night, until the water is lapping at the door before we try to figure out how and where we will spend the next day into night. Moment to moment; some may make it and many will not.
There will be no way out of this.
The Planet does not care one whit.

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