kalianna - Iʻm very glad that youʻre back, Ironyak.
Thank you, that's very kind. I actually peruse PW somewhat regularly to do a vibe check, as the kids might say, to see what the old punatics are going on about now. I generally don't have the time, energy, or your ample patience, to engage with the nonsense, and as most of the topics are of little consequence, I tend to just shake my head and move on. But this topic is different so figured it's worth trying to put some flags in the ground regarding the facts of the matter and push back on the worst of the absurdities. Speaking of which...
Punatang - Get yourself an "I Love Punatang" T-shirt...
I'll only accept a t-shirt that is exclusively locally produced from fiber-to-finish, that you can deliver in your exclusively carbon-free mode of transport, which you of course know exists, right? Otherwise you'd just be making impossible demands of youths in an attempt to discredit the validity and sincerity of their beliefs in order to undermine their scientifically-supported demands for change. And you wouldn't want to do that, right?
Punatang - I bet your two are sharp as tacks.
While my kids do well academically, in talking with them and their peers, I'm actually more struck by their deep sense of empathy. As a cohort, they tend to be very attuned to social issues, and sensitive to concerns around fairness and inclusion. Like HiloJulie noted, it probably helps that they're not addled by lead poisoning from the long-term exposure to leaded gas and discussions with them stand in stark contrast to conversations like these here with older generations. It's a grim irony that health damages caused by oil industry has made some more willing to both believe and regurgitate Big Oil propaganda.
Punatang - Is switching our power generation from oil to LNG, for a day or longer, going to retard climate change. Yes or no.
Actually, largely no. LNG, aka liquefied natural gas, aka methane, is itself a potent greenhouse gas, 80x stronger than CO2 in trapping heat over 20 years. While burning it produces ~25% less CO2 than bunker fuels, methane tends to leak in the process, a problem known as "methane slip". When you take into account this climate impacts from this leaked methane, along with the leaks that occur during the extraction and transport of methane, it can be worse than bunker fuels, and perhaps even coal, in negatively impacting the climate.
Punatang - why would Gov Green ... have taken the stance he has?
One good-faith interpretation is that he honesty wants to consider the options and is looking for whatever up to data is available. We'll see sometime after mid-July what that assessment looks like, but the math on emissions and per-watt cost is against LNG when compared to renewables.
One interesting tin-foil hat interpretation is that he is intentionally inviting future lawsuits so that the state is bound by enforceable decrees to move away from fossil fuels. It's a bit "4D chess", but politicians are adept at displacing blame for controversial decisions (it wasn't me, it was the wo/man in the black robes!)
Regardless, if the old hands at HECO can't figure out this rapid transition, maybe the PUC should break them up and allow small upstart coops to take the lead. The Kauai Utility Coop has achieved ~60% renewable energy already and are looking at being 100% renewables in less than 10 years.
HiloJulie - So, where do I go “spray” my orange died corn dust in protest? At the insurance company office? Hilo airport? Honolulu airport? Her Primary Care Doctor’s office? Each specialist doctor’s office?
Any of these? All? Wherever it takes to make a difference? There would probably be plenty support for a mass protest against forcing thousands of patients to fly constantly for medical care so have it & keep us in the loop as to where/when to show up. Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org, is in his sixties and still organizing and protesting. His Third Act organization, a community of Americans over sixty determined to change the world for the better, is doing some good work, IMHO.
In addition you could reach out to your representatives and advocate that their climate change proposals include a carbon tax so those flights aren't cheaper than local staffing for the healthcare industry. And/or you could recognize that you may have used a fair portion of your allotment of highly-polluting energy and curtail or eschew future unnecessary flights. Lots of things can be done to make a difference if you wish to.
Thank you, that's very kind. I actually peruse PW somewhat regularly to do a vibe check, as the kids might say, to see what the old punatics are going on about now. I generally don't have the time, energy, or your ample patience, to engage with the nonsense, and as most of the topics are of little consequence, I tend to just shake my head and move on. But this topic is different so figured it's worth trying to put some flags in the ground regarding the facts of the matter and push back on the worst of the absurdities. Speaking of which...
Punatang - Get yourself an "I Love Punatang" T-shirt...
I'll only accept a t-shirt that is exclusively locally produced from fiber-to-finish, that you can deliver in your exclusively carbon-free mode of transport, which you of course know exists, right? Otherwise you'd just be making impossible demands of youths in an attempt to discredit the validity and sincerity of their beliefs in order to undermine their scientifically-supported demands for change. And you wouldn't want to do that, right?
Punatang - I bet your two are sharp as tacks.
While my kids do well academically, in talking with them and their peers, I'm actually more struck by their deep sense of empathy. As a cohort, they tend to be very attuned to social issues, and sensitive to concerns around fairness and inclusion. Like HiloJulie noted, it probably helps that they're not addled by lead poisoning from the long-term exposure to leaded gas and discussions with them stand in stark contrast to conversations like these here with older generations. It's a grim irony that health damages caused by oil industry has made some more willing to both believe and regurgitate Big Oil propaganda.
Punatang - Is switching our power generation from oil to LNG, for a day or longer, going to retard climate change. Yes or no.
Actually, largely no. LNG, aka liquefied natural gas, aka methane, is itself a potent greenhouse gas, 80x stronger than CO2 in trapping heat over 20 years. While burning it produces ~25% less CO2 than bunker fuels, methane tends to leak in the process, a problem known as "methane slip". When you take into account this climate impacts from this leaked methane, along with the leaks that occur during the extraction and transport of methane, it can be worse than bunker fuels, and perhaps even coal, in negatively impacting the climate.
Punatang - why would Gov Green ... have taken the stance he has?
One good-faith interpretation is that he honesty wants to consider the options and is looking for whatever up to data is available. We'll see sometime after mid-July what that assessment looks like, but the math on emissions and per-watt cost is against LNG when compared to renewables.
One interesting tin-foil hat interpretation is that he is intentionally inviting future lawsuits so that the state is bound by enforceable decrees to move away from fossil fuels. It's a bit "4D chess", but politicians are adept at displacing blame for controversial decisions (it wasn't me, it was the wo/man in the black robes!)
Regardless, if the old hands at HECO can't figure out this rapid transition, maybe the PUC should break them up and allow small upstart coops to take the lead. The Kauai Utility Coop has achieved ~60% renewable energy already and are looking at being 100% renewables in less than 10 years.
HiloJulie - So, where do I go “spray” my orange died corn dust in protest? At the insurance company office? Hilo airport? Honolulu airport? Her Primary Care Doctor’s office? Each specialist doctor’s office?
Any of these? All? Wherever it takes to make a difference? There would probably be plenty support for a mass protest against forcing thousands of patients to fly constantly for medical care so have it & keep us in the loop as to where/when to show up. Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org, is in his sixties and still organizing and protesting. His Third Act organization, a community of Americans over sixty determined to change the world for the better, is doing some good work, IMHO.
In addition you could reach out to your representatives and advocate that their climate change proposals include a carbon tax so those flights aren't cheaper than local staffing for the healthcare industry. And/or you could recognize that you may have used a fair portion of your allotment of highly-polluting energy and curtail or eschew future unnecessary flights. Lots of things can be done to make a difference if you wish to.