Climate change: what are YOU doing to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand?

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Mad Scientist
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#1846764 14-Aug-2017 23:02

Geektastic: I'm in Vietnam as I write this. In two days, I've seen more vehicles than I see in a year in NZ.

China and India will doubtless be even worse. We could all start riding horses and living in caves in NZ but unless we can figure out how to get these billions out of their cars, trucks, buses, mopeds etc we may as well try and raise sea level by spitting into the ocean.

Exactly. And how many plastic bags do you see being used per person per day? Yeah go on lets all import those electric cars and buses from ... umm ... using ... umm ... electric ships and planes?

dramatic

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#1846900 15-Aug-2017 09:50

dickytim:

Interesting stats on 91 vs. 95 can you please provide more information on this? I have never seen this in all my time testing the differences between the 2. I always ended up with exactly the same usage in a car designed for 91. A car tuned for 95 however can see some results.

We got the figure from the AA's testing:

We're also using fuelly for our own comparison, but that's hampered by the fact that we can't always manage a fill, and partial fuel-ups muddy the figures.

We've certainly noticed the Premacy runs more smoothly up hills on 95, and up hills is important to us as we climb 450m each time we go home. A friend explained that preignition-compensation is the reason for higher consumption with 91. Fuel prices are quite volatile in Taranaki, with a Gull station opened early this year. A few weeks ago, 95 margins at Caltex (we use Smartfuel cards) were down at the 3-4% level, but since then we've seen 95 prices edge up so that 91 prices can go down.

The only consistently good pricing for 95 is our New World supermarket, where it's $1.89 (vs $1.80) which reduces to $1.83 if we buy a loaf of bread. Caltex is currently $2.00.9 (vs $1.80), so New World is beating the 7.5% benefit from smartfuel. We've told Caltex that we're not using them because their 95 prices are too high.

MikeAqua

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#1846957 15-Aug-2017 11:46

TBH my life is probably a disaster area from a greenhouse gas perspective

I fly often for work, drive long distance often to see family, eat animal protein often and operate a very thirsty boat on weekends (not as often as I would like).

I try and buy the cleanest tech that is both fit for purpose and affordable when I upgrade things.

I see tech as the ultimate solution: EVs when they meet my expectations at price I'm prepared to pay. Ditto solar power. Right now both are lacklustre and/or overpriced (because batteries still suck). When I'm done with SCUBA diving ... a smaller boat with an efficient engine will reduce my boating fuel use by 80%.

I'm not at all worried about the direct GGE of shipping, farming or aviation. If we can devise clean land transport (trains, cars and buses) and clean energy production - problem solved.

Mike

Rikkitic

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#1846996 15-Aug-2017 12:36

MikeAqua:

TBH my life is probably a disaster area from a greenhouse gas perspective

I fly often for work, drive long distance often to see family, eat animal protein often and operate a very thirsty boat on weekends (not as often as I would like).

I try and buy the cleanest tech that is both fit for purpose and affordable when I upgrade things.

I see tech as the ultimate solution: EVs when they meet my expectations at price I'm prepared to pay. Ditto solar power. Right now both are lacklustre and/or overpriced (because batteries still suck). When I'm done with SCUBA diving ... a smaller boat with an efficient engine will reduce my boating fuel use by 80%.

I'm not at all worried about the direct GGE of shipping, farming or aviation. If we can devise clean land transport (trains, cars and buses) and clean energy production - problem solved.

Enjoy it while you can. It may not last at the rate we are going. The ultimate problem, of course, is population. We only need to look for greener ways of doing things because there are so many of us. Disease or warfare may change that. Or maybe the whole thing will become so top-heavy that it will simply collapse under its own weight.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

MikeAqua

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#1847010 15-Aug-2017 13:00

Rikkitic:

Enjoy it while you can. It may not last at the rate we are going. The ultimate problem, of course, is population. We only need to look for greener ways of doing things because there are so many of us. Disease or warfare may change that. Or maybe the whole thing will become so top-heavy that it will simply collapse under its own weight.

Indeed I am - very much enjoying life (except the travel). Everyone should endeavour to enjoy life. It could end at any moment.

I've said it before: I don't worry about the planet at all. It has a way of correcting course over time and it's an inherently stable system. The post-human world will recover rapidly from an ecological perspective, with some short term hysteresis. There is (ecologically) no real problem.

There are probably significant humanitarian and financial problems coming (probably). But then maybe not: Doom-saying experts have predicted several of the last zero global catastrophe's.

I mostly believe the models and prediction of climate change but I would also argue that honest science encourages challenge and dissent.

Mike

Coil

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#1847011 15-Aug-2017 13:02

Took the catalytic converters out of my car on the weekend and deleted the PCV from the intake to a catch can. Seems to run way better.

MikeAqua

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#1847015 15-Aug-2017 13:12

Coil:

Took the catalytic converters out of my car on the weekend and deleted the PCV from the intake to a catch can. Seems to run way better.

Yep, catalytic converters steal power big time. They actually increase C02 per km, but reduce more toxic pollutants.

Mike

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Coil

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#1847024 15-Aug-2017 13:36

MikeAqua:

Coil:

Took the catalytic converters out of my car on the weekend and deleted the PCV from the intake to a catch can. Seems to run way better.

Yep, catalytic converters steal power big time. They actually increase C02 per km, but reduce more toxic pollutants.

Interesting about the C02, Thought they "reduced it" in that regard. But yeah mine with 220KMS on it i doubt its doing much bar blowing those trapped pollutants out now. So i probably did my part

MikeAqua

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#1847096 15-Aug-2017 14:50

Coil:

MikeAqua:

Coil:

Took the catalytic converters out of my car on the weekend and deleted the PCV from the intake to a catch can. Seems to run way better.

Yep, catalytic converters steal power big time. They actually increase C02 per km, but reduce more toxic pollutants.

Interesting about the C02, Thought they "reduced it" in that regard. But yeah mine with 220KMS on it i doubt its doing much bar blowing those trapped pollutants out now. So i probably did my part

The ideal of hydrocarbon combustion is fuel to C02 and water. Catalytic converters mostly convert toxic compounds to C02. They also convert nitrous oxide to nitrogen and oxygen. The other thing they do is make the engine less efficient - increasing the amount of fuel required per km - additional C02/km.

Mike

jmh

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#1847097 15-Aug-2017 14:50

After reading the actual scientific data measuring reality, rather than the politically-motivated data generated by models, I have discovered that we are approaching a period of global cooling due to a reduction in sun activity. I am investigating how I can grow food in a cooler climate when prices go up (it's started already actually), and investing in a greenhouse. In New Zealand, where the glaciers are already growing, we will see more snow in the South and more rain in the North which 1 - 3 deg C average drops in temperature. That's the best case scenario - hopefully we won't go colder as has happened in the past.

I have to say, I'm gobsmacked that people still believe this warming nonsense. Stock up on warm jumpers.

Rikkitic

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#1847117 15-Aug-2017 15:14

jmh:

After reading the actual scientific data measuring reality, rather than the politically-motivated data generated by models, I have discovered that we are approaching a period of global cooling due to a reduction in sun activity. I am investigating how I can grow food in a cooler climate when prices go up (it's started already actually), and investing in a greenhouse. In New Zealand, where the glaciers are already growing, we will see more snow in the South and more rain in the North which 1 - 3 deg C average drops in temperature. That's the best case scenario - hopefully we won't go colder as has happened in the past.

I have to say, I'm gobsmacked that people still believe this warming nonsense. Stock up on warm jumpers.

I would be interested in links to some of that scientific data. I am quite prepared to change my mind if the evidence is there.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

tdgeek

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#1847123 15-Aug-2017 15:22

jmh:

After reading the actual scientific data measuring reality, rather than the politically-motivated data generated by models, I have discovered that we are approaching a period of global cooling due to a reduction in sun activity. I am investigating how I can grow food in a cooler climate when prices go up (it's started already actually), and investing in a greenhouse. In New Zealand, where the glaciers are already growing, we will see more snow in the South and more rain in the North which 1 - 3 deg C average drops in temperature. That's the best case scenario - hopefully we won't go colder as has happened in the past.

I have to say, I'm gobsmacked that people still believe this warming nonsense. Stock up on warm jumpers.

Yes that happens, its cyclic. It has no effect on the fact that we have warmed the planet over and above any warm or cool cycles. Who knows, maybe the temporary cooling can mitigate global warming, while we are still moving away form FF to solar and wind and electricity

frednz

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#1847219 15-Aug-2017 17:26

Rikkitic:

jmh:

After reading the actual scientific data measuring reality, rather than the politically-motivated data generated by models, I have discovered that we are approaching a period of global cooling due to a reduction in sun activity. I am investigating how I can grow food in a cooler climate when prices go up (it's started already actually), and investing in a greenhouse. In New Zealand, where the glaciers are already growing, we will see more snow in the South and more rain in the North which 1 - 3 deg C average drops in temperature. That's the best case scenario - hopefully we won't go colder as has happened in the past.

I have to say, I'm gobsmacked that people still believe this warming nonsense. Stock up on warm jumpers.

I would be interested in links to some of that scientific data. I am quite prepared to change my mind if the evidence is there.

If people in online forums don't give links to the scientific data on which they base their opinions, it tends to dilute their arguments significantly.

However, there is this recent article that predicts global cooling, but it's really over to the person who made this claim to provide the links.

In the 1970's it was fashionable to predict global cooling, but if this is predicted today, it's usually regarded as fake global cooling news.

In any event, I'm sure the planet will eventually recover from global warming or global cooling, it's just everything that lives on the planet that may be in danger.

tdgeek

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#1847249 15-Aug-2017 19:33

frednz:

Rikkitic:

jmh:

After reading the actual scientific data measuring reality, rather than the politically-motivated data generated by models, I have discovered that we are approaching a period of global cooling due to a reduction in sun activity. I am investigating how I can grow food in a cooler climate when prices go up (it's started already actually), and investing in a greenhouse. In New Zealand, where the glaciers are already growing, we will see more snow in the South and more rain in the North which 1 - 3 deg C average drops in temperature. That's the best case scenario - hopefully we won't go colder as has happened in the past.

I have to say, I'm gobsmacked that people still believe this warming nonsense. Stock up on warm jumpers.

I would be interested in links to some of that scientific data. I am quite prepared to change my mind if the evidence is there.

If people in online forums don't give links to the scientific data on which they base their opinions, it tends to dilute their arguments significantly.

However, there is this recent article that predicts global cooling, but it's really over to the person who made this claim to provide the links.

In the 1970's it was fashionable to predict global cooling, but if this is predicted today, it's usually regarded as fake global cooling news.

In any event, I'm sure the planet will eventually recover from global warming or global cooling, it's just everything that lives on the planet that may be in danger.

Thats the problem, can it? The last time that it was fully ice covered, it eventually did. Tough job as the ice reflects most of the solar rays. But it did.

Now, warming is another matter. Look at Venus, next planet to us, its the hottest in the solar system, all due to greenhouse gas.

Earth, if it gets too hot will pass a tipping point. Up to the tipping point, if we ceased polluting, it will recover. Past the tipping point, we dont matter as the earth's atmosphere, warm seas, greenhouse gas insulation, decreasing ice caps that reflect, feed it without humans needed to feed it. Its a runaway problem. It will recover in time, as the gases dissipate, I assume. We will be long gone. Too hot to live, fresh water runs out, no room for food to grow, the big water tunnel that circulates water around the world, spreading cool and warm water, nutrients, oxygen, will stop, as the temp differential between cold and warm is too low. Stagnant. Marine life slowly dies as that happens as oxygen decreases in warm water, they decompose, more chemical released exacerbating that problem. Methane in the Russian tundra leaks hugely, it is now, as parts are barely freezing. Methane is a bad Greenhouse gas.

Think of earth as a large enough tropical fish tank to support the fish, hold enough oxygen, enough nutrients from the fish to feed the plants, plants to excrete oxygen, its in equilibrium. Doesnt take much to upset that, same with Earth, it just takes MUCH longer as its so big, and MUCH longer to resolve it.

Thats the science.

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#1847250 15-Aug-2017 19:35

frednz:

In any event, I'm sure the planet will eventually recover from global warming or global cooling, it's just everything that lives on the planet that may be in danger.

Yeah. "Recovery of the planet" is very anthropocentric. It suggests that some state is "good" for the planet, and another is "bad". But was it in a better state 1000 years ago? A million years ago? 100 million years ago? A billion years ago? 4.5 billion years ago?

For most of its existence, Earth was uninhabitable by human beings.

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