OK!! I know that global warming exists and everything, cos the freak weather worldwide testifies 2 the fact that it does exist, but do u all think that some of the measures that we are all advised 2 take, by the media and "experts" and other sources, in order 2 prevent global warming from going any further and 2 slow it down are going a bit too far and are rather far-fetched????

For example, I have heard in the UK, people are advised by so-called "do-gooders" and "experts" that we should never leave anything on Stand-by!! Things such as TVs, computers, music systems, VCRs, DVD Players and other electrical appliances!! They say that actually turning all these completely off saves the environment and also improves our health!!! I really cant see how actually turning all these things off helps prevent global warming and improves our health!! To me its all a load of crapshit!!

What do u guys think???
[Edited 1/13/07 4:09am]
[Edited 1/13/07 4:19am]

Desire2006 said:

No, they say turning those things completely off saves on the electricity bill.

I'm really nervous about global warming.

But I think Pennsylvania is like one of the safest places you can live for global warming.

scififilmnerd said:

and thats expensive due to the cost of it is going through the roof

electrical appliances and global warming?

i leave my computer on all night occasionally because the whirring of the fans helps me sleep

SureThing said:

'Cept for all those people doing donuts in the parking lots.

Desire2006 said:

I said turn it off!!!

with u

All electrical applicances are connected to the power grid. So by leaving them on standby, you're still using electricity, therefore maintaining demand for electricity, therefore maintaining electricity output and thus electricity manufacture from power stations thereby maintaining the output of fossil fuel gases into the atmosphere.

That's how it works, so the advice is perfectly just if you're serious about changing things.

Of course, in reality - who the fuck can be bothered to do that? not me, that's for sure.

I recycle sometimes.

Spookymuffin said:

it's bonehead attitudes like that that will mess up this world.

Spookymuffin said:

what a dickhead dont you care about the climate conditions that are happening at the moment boy if we dont do something drastic we are gonna be shafted big style

Milty said:

He's just being honest. Who unplugs all their shit when they're not using it? All electrical appliances suck energy, even when they're turned off.

Milty said:

oldpurple said:

Try telling that to the 97% of other people of Britain who don't.

Or the fact that our local council doesn't recycle cardboard, yet recycles glass.

Why do these companies make standby on modern appliances anyways? Why aren't they penalised? The consumer can't be relied on to do anything; change needs to come from the top too.

Oh, and by the way, here at school I don't have any electrical appliances that aren't battery powered apart from this computer, which doesn't standby, so I don't need to - I was reflecting the attitude of seemingly almost everyone in the world towards this problem.

scififilmnerd said:

Right, and electricity usually comes from a source that is releasing greenhouse gasses, hence the global warming connection.

i'll have beachfront property after the ocean rises!

Spookymuffin said:

so it's ok to not be part of the movement just cuz other people aren't? that's a cop out. you can't expect "the top" to start a movement. ever heard of initiative? look at it this way, think of it like a ripple effect: one person does it, then hopefully someone else notices and then they do it, and so on and so on.

my government only has a recycling plant that only does glass and tin cans. unfortunately they don't do paper or plastic. that doesn't stop me from recycling every week. neither does it stop me from unplugging stuff around the house that doesn't get used frequently nor does it stop me from using cloth bags at the supermarket.

every little bit helps.

and trust me, there are alot more ppl in this world that are very concerned with this problem than you have suggested. but you go on ahead....keep on contributing to the problem and see where it gets us.

Spookymuffin said:

then educate them, tell the council they are stupid (well we know most of them are any way)

oldpurple said:

Easier said than done!

Milty said:

If you read last part of the post, you'd see I don't really apply to "the movement."

If they're as serious as you say:

• Car usage should be taxed beyond belief at roughly 90%, the same for purchasing of petrol, in order to get consumers on the public transport networks (however the public transport networks can't cope, so that's out the window - 5 years of investment needed there).
  
• Penalise firms heavily (50-60% of annual turnover), particularly manufacturing/industrial firms for pollution - don't do the current system of giving them "purchasable pollution permits" allowing them to buy the right to pollute; that's ridiculous yet they do it.
  
• Place legislation on electrical appliances and the electricity they are allowed to consume. Be incredibly strict, resulting in the manufacture of hyper-efficient commodities.
  
• Raise electricity prices enormously.
  
• Cut electricity output.
  

The ripple effect works, but is long and for the most part ineffective. If you want consumers & firms to change, you hit them where it hurts: in the wallet. Then you'll get rapid change. However, governments are far too preoccupied with themselves and winning the next election to ever be so brass as to actually try to help the world/curb global warming. It'll never happen; strict legislation is a one-way ticket to the back-bench.



That's why it's not working, imho.
[Edited 1/13/07 14:22pm]

ehuffnsd said:

I can't swim.
But at least it'll be so warm,
I won't have to wear a sweater when I drown.

Spookymuffin said:

the ripple effect does work. anyone who says it doesn't just plain outright doesn't want to believe it because they are too lazy to make it work or they really don't care - as you have stated already.


it happens everyday. i don't live in America but it's happening on a massive scale. the hybrid car, wind farms, even individual cities have decided to ratify the Kyoto Protocol leaving the federal government behind. In China, they are being credited with having some of the most advanced environmental protection laws (shame about the dam and their human rights records). it's even happening in the UK. i know cuz I lived there for five years.

but i ask: what are you doing to protect the environment and to help reduce global warming? all your proposals are just dandy. great. now get them to your local representative. bug them to hell for a change.
[Edited 1/13/07 15:04pm]

Milty said:

I'm not sure that the ripple effect can do the job here. We're already in deep shit. We need a combination approach. The good thing about the ripple effect is that the more people accept reality and start to see that the situation requires action, the more likely they are to vote for people who will take care of the type of thing that spooky is talking about, and to allow themselves to be directly or indirectly taxed in the process.

Don't get me worng, I have cloth bags and a bus pass. But at THIS point, we need to be hitting this from every angle.

You should never shut off the vibrator

LordEvil said:

Obviously. You're only supposed to shut things off that you're not using.

Desire2006 said:[quote]OK!! I know that global warming exists and everything, cos the freak weather worldwide testifies 2 the fact that it does exist, but do u all think that some of the measures that we are all advised 2 take, by the media and "experts" and other sources, in order 2 prevent global warming from going any further and 2 slow it down are going a bit too far and are rather far-fetched????

For example, I have heard in the UK, people are advised by so-called "do-gooders" and "experts" that we should never leave anything on Stand-by!! Things such as TVs, computers, music systems, VCRs, DVD Players and other electrical appliances!! They say that actually turning all these completely off saves the environment and also improves our health!!! I really cant see how actually turning all these things off helps prevent global warming and improves our health!! To me its all a load of crapshit!!

What do u guys think???


I've never heard of that and I must say it sounds a bit far-fetched to me, but it doesn't matter. We have so many industrialized nations today spewing all kinds of emmissions into the air, that in a few hundred years...the planet is just going to exhaust itself....and all living inhabitants will die....and then the recycling of the earth will commence once again. It is just what nature does...if we continue to rape it.....it will take care of us itself....and it will!

DexMSR said:[quote]

Desire2006 said:

Yeah. I think widespread death and destruction is actually the most likely outcome, if not from global warming, then something else. It's part of why I'm glad I'm not having kids. Humanity is smart enough to dominate the planet, but not smart enough to save it.

I know iof we switch off our electricity supplies fully instead leaving on standby and not using cars so much etc etc blah blah will only help in a minute percentage.

We can and do do these things anyway, but really places like China really need educated about global warming, cos it is them who are causing the most damage..

HereToRockYourWorld said:[quote]

DexMSR said:

aint that the true but i think there will be a small amount of people that will survive, are they lucky ones?

Desire2006 said:

Have u been watching skynews week on Green Week - How global warming is effectin us..
They are saying:

1) Protect your home
The average house can save up to £300 a year just by insulating the walls and roof.
2) Consider your boiler
Old boilers are much more energy inefficient. If it's more than 15 years old, it's probably time to upgrade.
3) Check your revs
Change gear before your revs hit 2,500 rpm. And avoid sharp acceleration and heavy braking - it saves fuel.
4) Think about your journey
Share your car, use planes less and take the train where you can.
5) Don't use standby
We waste about eight per cent of our domestic power with TVs and stereos on standby.

This maybe of interest: http://news.sky.com/skyne...61,00.html Some interesting articals on the skynews website.