Are automobiles a major cause of global warming?

Replying to: gagrice (Oct 29, 2008 6:34 am)

The CALIFORNIA PUC of the "green state" pulls a Ted Kennedy (kibosh on ocean wind turbine project). Perhaps the wrong GREEN....
 
State rejects PG&E contract for wave energy.....
 
link title
 
So does anybody REALLY want to get off fossilized fuels? But I do have to admit droning on about it is far cheaper than doing anything about it.

Replying to: mediapusher (Oct 28, 2008 8:59 pm)

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• ruking1 (Oct 29, 2008 10:55 am)

Replying to: kernick (Oct 29, 2008 10:23 am)

Indeed that is the vicious, vicious, secret. It is even more pollutive than the manufacture of cars! Another issue, but is also common knowledge are the computers, screens ,etc. are built literally to be obsolete before you even BUY them !!!! Yet even the environmental types do viciously fast cycle upgrades. I mean really how many of those environmental advocates have 10 year old computers?

Replying to: gagrice (Oct 28, 2008 5:48 am)

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• gagrice (Oct 30, 2008 6:48 am)
  • avalon02wh (Nov 02, 2008 4:41 pm)
    • gagrice (Nov 02, 2008 5:39 pm) and 2 more...

Replying to: kernick (Oct 28, 2008 12:50 pm)

The heat from the sun does not penetrate very far into the planet. It is not what is keeping the core hot. The earth did not freeze because of radioactive material.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_(geology) and
 
"Radioactive potassium, uranium and thorium are thought to be the three main sources of heat in the Earth's interior, aside from that generated by the formation of the planet. Together, the heat keeps the mantle actively churning and the core generating a protective magnetic field." ..."Gradually, however, the Earth would have cooled off and become a dead rocky globe with a cold iron ball at the core if not for the continued release of heat by the decay of radioactive elements like potassium-40, uranium-238 and thorium-232, which have half-lives of 1.25 billion, 4 billion and 14 billion years, respectively. "http://www.physlink.com/News/121103PotassiumCore.cfm
 
" The Sun is the original source of all energy that has, is and will be used on Earth."
 
Nope. Geothermal energy is energy from the earth not the sun. The sun is responsible for the surface heat on the earth.
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1998-10/905866177.Es.r.html

Replies to this message:
• kernick (Oct 30, 2008 5:25 am)
  • avalon02wh (Nov 02, 2008 5:02 pm)
    • kernick (Nov 03, 2008 6:00 am)

Replying to: oldfarmer50 (Oct 28, 2008 5:27 am)

"Today here in upstate NY we are expecting a foot of snow. What's up with that? Where is all that wonderful GW I've been hearing about? "
 
Climate refers to the temperature, humidity, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorological factors in a region over long periods of time, as opposed to the term weather, which refers to current activity.
 
Focus people, focus.....

Replies to this message:
• oldfarmer50 (Oct 30, 2008 6:29 am)
  • kernick (Oct 30, 2008 8:04 am)

Replying to: avalon02wh (Oct 29, 2008 5:18 pm)

The heat from the sun does not penetrate very far into the planet. It is not what is keeping the core hot.
 
The article does not particularly state it - but the "given" is the physical environment now - which is thwe Sun keeps the outer surface 500F hotter then it otherwise would be. This is the differenc ebetween storing something in the oven at 500F or your freezer. Now if you're saying this makes no difference, then I'll ask you where you took your thermodynamics. Without the Sun the Earth freezes solid. Very little of the Earth's elements are radioactive. Iron will freeze solid.
 
Energy is not created from nothingness. The Sun is responsible for all gravitational energy, motion, and surface warming, which allows the core to stay molten.
 
It is the formation of the Sun that created the gravity that then allowed further dust to accumulate and form the planets. Thus the Sun is the source of the Earth and any geothermal energy. The Sun will also end all life on Earth in about 1 billion when it expands (Red Giant Stage) and it gets hot enough to boil away the oceans. That's about the time our Milky Way (galaxy, not candy) will be meeting up with the Andromeda Galaxy - could be a fun time - maybe we'll get caught in a second star's gravity and be a binary system?
 
That was and is, how much a factor the Sun is.
 
A great sun song - "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" - Pink Floyd

Replies to this message:
• avalon02wh (Nov 02, 2008 5:02 pm)
  • kernick (Nov 03, 2008 6:00 am)

Replying to: avalon02wh (Oct 29, 2008 5:32 pm)

"...Climate refers to..."
 
When you are freezing your fanny off, you don't care. Get in your SUV and start reving.

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• kernick (Oct 30, 2008 8:04 am)

Replying to: avalon02wh (Oct 29, 2008 4:56 pm)

Do you know why they were doing the research? I wonder if they were doing the research because of some government requirement.
 
I would imagine some of the research was paid for as a result of government arm twisting. You can apply to companies like BP for research grants. It most likely is in their best interest. No other good reason for them to spend the money. I would not expect any company to pay for research without potential gain. The government is the only entity that throws money away on worthless research. The last spending bill is loaded with those kind of wasted earmarks.
 
You being a scientist would not consider spending on most things as frivolous. As a tax payer I find the following pork unacceptable.
 
Representative Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) for $211,509 in olive fruit fly research in Paris, France.
 
Hope he and his family had a wonderful vacation

Replies to this message:
• avalon02wh (Nov 02, 2008 4:41 pm)
  • gagrice (Nov 02, 2008 5:39 pm)
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Replying to: oldfarmer50 (Oct 30, 2008 6:29 am)