So should we ban dihydrogen monoxide as well because it had been found in the city's water pipes, and warned that it was fatal if inhaled, and could produce blistering vapors?
The easy yet difficult answers to methane and carbon dioxide are, capture the methane and use it for heating or whatever, and plant a tree since it uses photosynthesis to convert CO2 into O2. Another viable solution is to stop the deforestation for paper and grow hemp! The methane that is released from landfills (in Chicago at least) is burned off through stacks that literally stick out of the landfills. IMO this is a huge waste, why not pipe it somewhere, to a city utility building for example and use it to heat the place? CO and CnH2n are more difficult. Mainly because CO is a byproduct that we have no real use for, which is bad. And CnH2n occurs naturally but we have modified and manipulated it in a bad way for aerosol propellants (mainly).
No, but we do charge an exorbitant tax to use it. Plus, it is dangerous if heated above 100C (212F) and you stick your face in it (Or throw it in the face of some religious nitwit knocking on your door at 6:30AM (CST?) Another way is to kill massive amounts of herding species that generate Methane from digestion. Or go Vegan. Oh yeah...We should rip up all those pesky sidewalks in cities around the world and plant trees. Maybe You'd like to adopt a few weeping willows for your front yard. They are -amazing- creatures, you know. They actively home in on your water pipes and crush them to get the water (or: DHMO inlet lines, for those "in the know") We've outlawed their planting on Long Island because the soil is sandy. (Another ecological blunder, up there with Kudzu and Cane Toads) And when the trees buckle your sidewalk and some dimwit trips, falls and sues you, I'm sure that the huge amount of money that you've saved from being "green" will come in handy to pay for the legal costs. Or, build a methane CoGen plant, burn the Methane and generate electricity, effectively adding more carbon to our already huge carbon footprint.So now, we have politicians involved. Bond issues will need to be created, so that the cost of this monstrocity can be amortized over a reasonable period of time. Then, the people can be taxed (to pay for the CoGen plant, which is good for the community because it creates jobs and burns a toxic by-product which is contributing to Global Warming) I think that the "Rocket City Redneck" approach to the Methane is the best, because it keeps those pesky "Johnny in your pocket" politicians out of our bank accounts. Or better yet: You can separate your own garbage, compost it and use it to grow crops and generate your own swamp gas. Then, you can get sued by Monsanto for using their patented seeds. Wait a second...If you attempt to do that without permits, you will be served with a "cease and desist" order by the department of health in your area. There's just no winning this game. If you come up with a novel way to beat the energy game, some politician somewhere will -immediately- come up with a way to make it impractical or unprofitable for you to do it. I'm not saying that we shouldn't try. I'm saying that it's an -enormous- task which can only be achieved if like minded people purchase a huge tract of land somewhere and build their own community. Even that will eventually get out of hand, once greed and the need to profitize sets in. :MJ
An economy that depends on fossil fuel is doomed to fail because it is rooted in a finite resource .. The debate about whether fossil fuels are contributing to global warming is stalled by special interest money .. We owe it to ourselves, the planet, and future generations to develop a long term energy strategy that is self sustaining and is not controlled by the major corporations of the world .. If this is beyond our reach then we're screwed .. I'm all in when do we begin ? For MJ
I have read articles about a car dealer was collecting rain water from the roof of his dealership and using it just to wash the cars in the lot. The city sued him and told him that he couldn't do that. How ridiculous is that? Another is that using a personal windmill on your own land to generate electricity is considered "Foreign Energy" and is illegal as well. What it boils down to is if you are self-reliant you are not good for the economy (big business that politicians are supported by).
The idea of human made global warming is also rooted in special interest money too. But why on earth don't humans utilize the Sun, so much . @Michaela , I love Cherry Blossom
Those are people who have never been "out to the country" where there are so many pigeons that we use them for target practice. Damn "dirty birds".
I'm afraid it's more than just fossil fuel. petrochemicals themselves need to be replaced with alternatives that can A ) Biodegrade and B ) be made from renewable resources. Biological quality plastics made from other than hydrocarbons are the order of the day. If we can clean up the mess made by ourselves, we might be able to survive as a species. There are places in China that are so polluted that they will remain toxic for generations to come. And -that- saddens me because my neighborhood was a superfund site. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newtown_Creek :MJ
The world will be a better place when we have an Apple car, we will all die in the fiery explosions of the batteries.
danger to pidgeons?? flying rats, i call them. amsterdam is infested with that vermin. there cannot be enough dangers to pidgeons, imho..