D.I.Y Planet Cooling

[Little Bang]

Natural gas is methane and it produces CO2 on combustion so the only thing it does for us is stop putting other particulates into the atmosphere.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Little Bang

I do not understand how you could look at that show and not be scared to death for your children.

As if a parent needs any particular justification to be scared to death for their children. It is one thing to reason putting a helmet on a child riding a bike wherein the danger is understood, but quite another to attempt to change an entire planet's ecosystem which is so poorly understood. Humans can't even provide accurate 7 day weather forecasts, let alone quantify climate to such an end.

[CraigD]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

The government here is giving people a $2,000 grant to help convert their cars to natural gas.
Is this a good option?

Yes, it is.

I have read that natural gas produces methane on combustion .

Originally Posted by Little Bang

Natural gas is methane and it produces CO2 on combustion so the only thing it does for us is stop putting other particulates into the atmosphere.

Little Bang is correct: the amount of CO2/unit energy from natural gas combustion is comparable to gasoline or any petroleum product. However, the significance of nearly eliminating “other particulates” shouldn’t be understated – the majority of heath issues related to combustion, including premature death, are due to these other particulates.

Also, there exists a worldwide surplus of methane, and processes for producing equivalent fuels from nearly any source of carbon and energy either exists, are promising, so, though not currently a truly sustainable energy source, lighter hydrocarbon fuels like natural gas have clear advantages over heavier ones like gasoline and diesel, and a very mature distribution and use technology infrastructure.

[Michaelangelica]

Thanks for the clarification on Natural gass.

This was an interesting article:-
http://www.boston.com/news/local/art...root_on_roofs/

[QUOTE

]A new kind of shingle is taking root on roofs

By Tim Wacker, Globe Correspondent | October 15, 2006

IPSWICH -- When plants start growing atop a building, it usually means it's time to get a new roof.
But at the new housing complex for seniors next to Ipswich Town Hall, the grass is the roof, and the thicker the better.

A green roof without shingles will be taking root this winter on top of the 10-unit complex that the North Shore Housing Trust is building on the banks of the Ipswich River in the former Whipple School Annex.
It is an earth-friendly installation designed to protect the river and the building, according to those working on the project.

``It's like putting a blanket on the roof," said architect Ken Savoie, who lives in Ipswich . ``With a green roof, you don't have the high temperatures, you don't have the ultraviolet rays, you don't have all the elements that can do so much damage to a roof."

You also don't have as much rain washing off of it, and in these parts of the Ipswich River watershed, that's a big plus. A green roof is more than a natural alternative to tar paper and shingles; it also is an effective means of curbing polluted runoff, one of the biggest environmental problems facing communities across the country, Savoie and others have said.

This helped the project gain a $110,000 state grant that covered the installation costs. The state Department of Conservation and Recreation approached the North Shore Housing Trust about installing the roof, using money from a federal grant dedicated to improving rain run off conditions throughout the state.

The green part of the roof, where seedlings were planted last week, is like a large, shallow potted plant.
It lies on top of two synthetic liners.
A spongy mesh filters water before allowing it to pass on down to a thick rubber membrane, which keeps the building dry by directing the filtered water to a conventional gutter system.

The plants grow in 3 inches of light weight soil and crushed shale specially engineered to absorb as much water as possible.
The plants consist almost entirely of a hardy species of ground cover called sedum, which forms a dense root structure but grows only a few inches high.

There are a few other plants mixed in with the sedum, including chives, which will sprout a purple flower in March to make the roof a little more interesting visually.
Other varieties will produce other colors during the warm weather, according to Angie Durhman, who works for the Maryland-based roofing company, Magco Inc. , that is installing the green roof.

``It's not going to be a green roof per se; there's going to be a lot of diversity up there," she said. ``The flowers will just kind of pop up. It will be like a typical meadow."Continued...

[/QUOTE]
As I remember; various sedums and iris were once planted on English and Japanese roofs. Some were supposed to keep lightning at bay !

[maikeru]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

Yes you do use water but at least the plants transpire this back into the atmosphere. (You can save 17% water by using Terra preta potting soils see that thread).
There is some suggestion that plant exhudations actually cause rain. (see Weather thread
So the increasing lack of vegetation here (which is nearly as bad as Brazil for de-forestation) and worldwide might go some way to explaining the many droughts the earth is experiencing.
(Locally we are down to 15% water in the local dams, Sydney dams are down to 45%,
97% of the state is "Drought Declared" as the nation is going though its worst drought in history.)

Yeah, this is true. A lot of people don't seem to realize that plants themselves can store and release a lot of water. Trees are especially good at this. To fight desertification, you need plants to grab, store, and then release water back into the area. And besides helping with the water supply, plants also hold the soil, etc. Lots of benefits to them. In my valley, when I look at the rugged mountains of the Wasatch (part of the Rocky Mountains in the western US), I know they weren't always as bare and grey as they are now. When the pioneers came to my valley, they found a place, which although semi-desert, still had significant forests around the lake and mountains blanketed in pines and oaks, overflowing with crystal-clear streams, and teeming with wildlife. Isn't that way now. We just barely came out of a 6-year drought ourselves. Something which is only supposed to happen once every 500 years. But it seems like we've always been short of water, from what I remember.

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by maikeru

Yeah, this is true. A lot of people don't seem to realize that plants themselves can store and release a lot of water. Trees are especially good at this. To fight desertification, you need plants to grab, store, and then release water back into the area. And besides helping with the water supply, plants also hold the soil, etc. Lots of benefits to them..

Yes many people here poison trees because they interfere with their sea view (Most Australians live on the coast like mud on a big waggon wheel).
The electricity supply company just butchered three gum tress today in front of my neighbour's house (not pruned butchered). He is hopping mad and has asked if he can replace the sickand denuded gums with smaller growing natives. He will probably be tied up in red-tape for eons.
Planting gums under power lines is dumb

This was interesting.
Not so much DIY, on a personal level- a bit more like plankton farming:-

Fossil fuel burning releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which contributes significantly to global warming. Burning of fossil fuel also releases sulfur into the earth’s atmosphere, in the form of sulfate particles. Ironically, these sulfate particles help to cool down the planet by reflecting solar radiation back into space.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0727180326.htm

[maikeru]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

Yes many people here poison trees because they interfere with their sea view (Most Australians live on the coast like mud on a big waggon wheel).
The electricity supply company just butchered three gum tress today in front of my neighbour's house (not pruned butchered). He is hopping mad and has asked if he can replace the sickand denuded gums with smaller growing natives. He will probably be tied up in red-tape for eons.
Planting gums under power lines is dumb

That's too bad. Sounds similar to the tendencies of my neighbors to adore little ornamental trees and shrubs not more than 1-3 meters high. And they really like big green lawns. <slaps forehead.> Unfortunately, ornamental trees, shrubs, and green lawns probably use up a lot more water wastefully than having any water-saving benefits. And yes, not a good idea to plant things under power lines.

This was interesting.
Not so much DIY, on a personal level- a bit more like plankton farming:-

[/quote]

Wouldn't it alter regular rain into acid rain, a diluted sulfuric acid? Volcanic eruptions create acid rain, and so does heavy pollution, but I'm not sure we need to swap one evil for another. Given all the "quick fixes" for global warming, I like terra preta/biochar the best, which has few drawbacks like acid rain.

[Michaelangelica]

Today the council guy came to look at the trees the Electricity people had butchered. He was sad and resigned. I liked him. He said "They cost us so much money these guys. If you think this is bad you should see what they do to big beautiful trees."
He feels all three trees will have to go and something smaller growing planted.
Amazing how the Electricity Supply Company can supply free low energy light-bulbs one week and massacre trees the next
Go figure?
.

[Michaelangelica]

Can someone explain carbon credits and how this works to me?
Is it just sleight of hand which does not really change anything?
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release...ease_id=175656

Keep Your House Warm and the Planet Cool Through Carbon-Neutral Mortgage

SEATTLE, WA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- October 23, 2006 -- As Al Gore takes the stage in Seattle tonight to discuss ways to reverse global warming, Seattle has already taken a page out of his playbook.
Today, Seattle-based non-profit NetGreen (www.achievenetgreen.org) has announced partnerships with several local real estate and mortgage companies to offer the nation's first "Carbon Neutral Mortgage." EcoHomes NW.com, Network Mortgage Services, Inc., Home Realty Green Lake and Greenworks
Realty are all offering carbon offsets in conjunction with a home purchase or refinance in an effort to help environmentally conscious homebuyers and homeowners reduce the harmful greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of their homes.

Also this was avery interesting interview article

Fearnside believes saving the Amazon will require a fundamental shift in perception where the Amazon is recognized as an asset beyond the current price of mahogany, soybeans, or cattle, where its value is only unlocked by its destruction.
The Amazon is far worth more than this he says. It can play a key role in fighting climate change while providing economic sustenance for millions through sustainable agriculture and rational utilization of its renewable products.
It can serve as a storehouse for biodiversity while at the same time ensuring reliable water supplies and moderating regional temperature and precipitation. In short, maintaining the Amazon as a viable ecosystem makes sense economically and ecologically -- it is in our best interest to preserve this resource while we still can.

http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1023-i...fearnside.html
No one seems to mention or to worry about the rape of the ancient Tasmanian Old Growth Forests for woodchips
http://www.sprol.com/?p=202
http://www.acfonline.org.au/news.asp...d=417&c=244042

As for Papua well who knows what is happening there.?
I guess at least the US is close to Brazil and may have some chance of exerting pressure to saving something.
Maybe the Southern Hemisphere may not get Northern Hemisphere CO2???

[Michaelangelica]

The county is replacing incandescent bulbs and installing cool roofs on buildings, offering employees free bus passes and guaranteed rides home, buying solar power and hybrid cars.

Some programs save money. Some — like a guaranteed taxi ride home to carpoolers stuck at work when the carpool leaves — cost plenty. Today, the commitment adds upwards of $350,000 to the county's bottom line. But in six or so years the economics flip, and emissions savings become a moneymaker for the county, Kern said.

And the impact on global carbon emissions?

Minimal, Kern admits. Sonoma County government emitted 37,000 tons of carbon dioxide in 2002, the program's benchmark year. That's less than 1 percent of the 4.5 million tons pumped into the atmosphere by the county as a whole and 0.00005 percent of the world's carbon emissions.

http://www.orovillemr.com/news/bayarea/ci_4559355
What's a"cool roof"?

Scissor Sisters Halloween Gig To Be Broadcast Live

Those who missed out on tickets for the Scissor Sisters Halloween gig at Brixton Academy will still be able to watch the show live, if they make a pledge to reduce their carbon emissions.

The gig will be the first of many Global Cool events to take place worldwide to highlight the importance of off-setting avoidable carbon emissions.

http://www.clickmusic.com/articles/2954.html
Re above
I having been trying to reduce electricity consumption by turning off my TV/video stand-by mode etc. I still blow it, annoyingly, by leaving an outside light on occasionally (150W!); but I was in Sydney City the other night at about 9PM and every office building was lit up like a Christmas tree.
Most high-rise buildings had at least half or more floors ablaze. I know we are all working harder and cleaners need to see but I felt very dispirited and sad about my puny efforts seeing the city ablaze with light.

Carbon Country
Reporter: Mark Horstman
Producer: Albert Koomen, Mark Horstman
Transcript
Related Info

19 October 2006
It’s bushfire season in western Arnhem Land: Aboriginal people are reviving traditional burning patterns; Scientists are measuring how ecosystems are affected by fire; The developers of a gas refinery need to reduce their greenhouse emissions.

What do all these people have in common? Carbon.
Narration: It’s late May, and Arnhem land is still drying out after the big wet.

Aboriginal people start burning Arnhem land soon after the rains, as they’ve done for millennia, to regenerate useful plants and animals.

Narration: What their research revealed is astonishing.

A hectare burnt in May releases half the greenhouse emissions of a hectare burnt in a hot November wildfire.

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1769056.htm