Ask HN: What can be done to prevent a climate catastrophe? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What can be done to prevent a climate catastrophe?

#341

Post by korantu » Wed, Oct 10, 2018, 1:59 PM UTC

The only solution to rapid reduction in co2 emissions that can be deployed right now at sufficient scale is nuclear.

There are passively safe designs built right now.

It can provide electricity, heat and desalination if lack of water is an issue.

There is enough nuclear fuel in sea water to consider it an infinite source as far as humans are concerned [1].

Further, USA alone can be powered by its existing nuclear _waste_ for many years.

Surprisingly, nuclear is almost never mentioned as an option.

[1https://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/nuclear/nuclear-fuel-from-t...

Re: Ask HN: What can be done to prevent a climate catastrophe?

#342

Post by mikeash » Wed, Oct 10, 2018, 2:00 PM UTC

revel wrote: post #329

Practically speaking, the single biggest area of low hanging fruit is clean shipping. Right now the largest 15 cargo ships emit more greenhouse gasses than all the cars on the road combined. The US could take the lead on this issue by modifying the Jones Act, a peculiar piece of legislation that forces maritime commerce between US territories to use US ships with an American crew. If the Jones Act were modified to in…

The largest 15 cargo ships emit more sulphuric dioxide than all the cars on the road combined. That is not a greenhouse gas, and actually has a cooling effect, although it’s not healthy locally.

Re: Ask HN: What can be done to prevent a climate catastrophe?

#343

Post by lost_my_pwd » Wed, Oct 10, 2018, 2:01 PM UTC

revel wrote: post #329

Practically speaking, the single biggest area of low hanging fruit is clean shipping. Right now the largest 15 cargo ships emit more greenhouse gasses than all the cars on the road combined. The US could take the lead on this issue by modifying the Jones Act, a peculiar piece of legislation that forces maritime commerce between US territories to use US ships with an American crew. If the Jones Act were modified to in…

There's a good Planet Money podcast all about the Jones Act: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/08/05/488869138/epis...

Re: Ask HN: What can be done to prevent a climate catastrophe?

#344

Post by thewhitetulip » Wed, Oct 10, 2018, 2:01 PM UTC

Please start using Solar and wind as much as possible. We have amazing products available now. I have fiur solar lanterns, one flashlight, a 20k mah powerbank and a 14w suaoki foldable solar panel

In a few years ehen I buy a vehicle, I'll buy an electric moped, a 60w suoaki solar charger and a 150wh suoaki power generator. That way, I will be using my vehicle on renewable energy at all times.

We need to do this and fast.

Re: Ask HN: What can be done to prevent a climate catastrophe?

#345

Post by JoeAltmaier » Wed, Oct 10, 2018, 2:03 PM UTC

thewhitetulip wrote: post #344

Please start using Solar and wind as much as possible. We have amazing products available now. I have fiur solar lanterns, one flashlight, a 20k mah powerbank and a 14w suaoki foldable solar panel In a few years ehen I buy a vehicle, I'll buy an electric moped, a 60w suoaki solar charger and a 150wh suoaki power generator. That way, I will be using my vehicle on renewable energy at all times. We need to do this and f…

I'd like to agree, but numbers don't add up. All the solar their is, amounts to 1% of energy use. Its not about mopeds, its about steel plants and oil refineries and shipping and heating and cooling. We're talking Terawatts, not Watts.

Re: Ask HN: What can be done to prevent a climate catastrophe?

#346

Post by dougmwne » Wed, Oct 10, 2018, 2:04 PM UTC

loriverkutya wrote: post #189

Reading these answers make me realize, that we are doomed.

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”

Which is exactly what I see here. Many of the brightest people gathered together in one place on the internet. Working in an industry that is scary good at creating products that change behavior and even culture. Together creating all manner of logical loops and justifications, "this is why I don't really need to change anything personally" or "I've made this symbolic change, so I've done my part."

Every one of us could begin donating a significant portion of our revenue to climate change lobbying. We could work for existing climate advocacy organizations. We could found new organisations. We could take every lesson learned in the rush to get users to click on more ads and apply it to climate advocacy. American politics and policy is absolutely for sale. We could buy it.

Shame on us all. Will that money bring you comfort while the world burns?

Re: Ask HN: What can be done to prevent a climate catastrophe?

#347

Post by TeMPOraL » Wed, Oct 10, 2018, 2:04 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #334

TeMPOraL wrote: post #317

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks :). Would love to come and help you fortify. Alas, it'll involve catching a flight from central Europe before shit hits the fan.

All about the timing. Maybe make a dry run before it gets that far, work the kinks out? Honestly, you'd be welcome.

I'd be happy to. Can you send me an e-mail?

Re: Ask HN: What can be done to prevent a climate catastrophe?

#348

Post by larkeith » Wed, Oct 10, 2018, 2:07 PM UTC

revel wrote: post #329

Practically speaking, the single biggest area of low hanging fruit is clean shipping. Right now the largest 15 cargo ships emit more greenhouse gasses than all the cars on the road combined. The US could take the lead on this issue by modifying the Jones Act, a peculiar piece of legislation that forces maritime commerce between US territories to use US ships with an American crew. If the Jones Act were modified to in…

Relevant technology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkySails

Re: Ask HN: What can be done to prevent a climate catastrophe?

#349

Post by pier25 » Wed, Oct 10, 2018, 2:07 PM UTC

cletus wrote: post #11

So I'm honestly not as concerned about this as I once was. Don't get me wrong: the climate is going to change, arguably we're in a mass extinction event already and people aren't going to suddenly start acting in the collective long term welfare of humanity. One of the things I like about futurism is the levelheaded optimism and pragmatism you tend to get. And I'll call out Isaac Arthur as a well-known example of thi…

It all sounds great, except for:

1) We don't have enough time to wait for those solutions to be implemented.

2) Climate lag. We're now only seeing the consequences from the emissions from the 80s. Since then we've emitted a lot more CO2. Not only we need to reach zero emissions asap, as in in the next decade, but we also need to reach strong negative emissions very soon.

Don't get me wrong. I think if all humanity was focused working towards that goal it might be possible to get a shot at this, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Re: Ask HN: What can be done to prevent a climate catastrophe?

#350

Post by revel » Wed, Oct 10, 2018, 2:08 PM UTC

mikeash wrote: post #342

revel wrote: post #329

Practically speaking, the single biggest area of low hanging fruit is clean shipping. Right now the largest 15 cargo ships emit more greenhouse gasses than all the cars on the road combined. The US could take the lead on this issue by modifying the Jones Act, a peculiar piece of legislation that forces maritime commerce between US territories to use US ships with an American crew. If the Jones Act were modified to in…

The largest 15 cargo ships emit more sulphuric dioxide than all the cars on the road combined. That is not a greenhouse gas, and actually has a cooling effect, although it’s not healthy locally.

So I looked into this more and you're right that it's sulphuric dioxide that I was thinking of. CO2 emissions from shipping are 800m tons per year and, if taken alone, would constitute the 6th heaviest source of carbon emissions in the world.