Thursday
Mar102011
by 
Bishop Hill
Bishop Hill Perpetual motion
A new blog on the block - Perpetual Motion is the online home of Colin McInnes, professor of engineering at Strathclyde University, and is focused on engineering, energy and the environment.
Reader Comments (27)
BH
I'm shocked. You mean you don't read the Caledonian Mercury?!
Very good site - found it in Jan when I had the flu. Being something of a nuclear-or-CO2 binarist I felt instantly at home.
Reading there about Earth Hour:
"The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) is asking for lights to be switched off in homes, public buildings and historic monuments for 60 minutes later this month during Earth "
Last year in my own futile gesture against sanctimonious idiocy and environmental fascism, I turned on every available electrical appliance in the house for the full hour. Dissidence will have a heavier price this year, I fear.
From PM. No comment, as it has temporarily rendered me speechless..
"In their G8 Climate Scorecard WWF curiously places nuclear powered France a lowly third. On reading the small print of their methodology it transpires that “WWF does not consider nuclear a viable policy option” and actual French carbon emissions for electrical energy production are artificially inflated by a factor of four as a penalty, dropping France from clear first place to third. WWF cannot simultaneously advocate sitting in the dark during Earth Hour to save the planet while keeping one hand tied by forcefully campaigning for the global prohibition of nuclear energy."
How to upset the WWF.
Governments are reluctant to make such commitments at a time when the worldwide race for economic recovery means every competitive inch is guarded jealously.
Hence, the re-wording of nuclear as "safe and sustainable low-carbon technologies", at the request of France and strongly backed by Britain.
Germany, Italy and Spain have already cut state aid allocated towards developing renewable energy sources and others can be expected to follow suit.
James P
Coincidentally, I had this very 'conversation' with a local 'environmental' activist only recently, and forwarded that very quote in support of my position. Which was that 'green' policy had nothing whatsoever to do with rational decision making and everything to do with 'passionately held convictions' (my interlocuter's favourite phrase).
Let's savour the rich aroma of absolute arrogance once more, shall we?
Who do these overweening buffoons think they are?
The WWF is now generally ignored by most people. Earth Hour will be its usual flop.
BBD
Does history record the reply? Or is your activist friend still working on it..?
I hope someone reminds me when Earth Hour approaches so that I can be ready to turn the oven and tumble dryer on.
Mac. Unfortunately the WWF is still one of the beeb's favourite quotable organisation, along with the other two technologically challenged organisations, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.
"The WWF is now generally ignored by most people. Earth Hour will be its usual flop."
Mar 10, 2011 at 3:17 PM | Mac
You really should be questioning the corner you've backed yourself into, when you end up fighting something as benign as the WWF. For Chrissake, their interest is in animals not dying. By opposing them, you're metaphorically wandering amongst the pandas with a shotgun.
"I hope someone reminds me when Earth Hour approaches so that I can be ready to turn the oven and tumble dryer on."
Mar 10, 2011 at 3:31 PM | Phillip Bratby
What are you, 8 years old? You don't like what they say, so you're going to needlessly waste power and money in some form of childish protest?
It does seem as though WWF wants to take us back to the Dark Ages, literally as well as metaphorically. To compensate, I will be joining Mr Hallam in boosting the electricity companies' profits on March 26 by turning on every light in the house plus the iron, kettle, washing machine, TVs, computers, microwave and anything else I can think of.
Zed
Do read the effing headpost before commenting.
The WWF is catching flak here for going a hell of a long way further than promoting animal welfare.
The crozier will fall...
James P
The 'answer' was waffle about bequeathing radioactive waste as well as climate catastrophe to future generations.
No acknowledgement (or apparent understanding) of the point: more nuclear = less CO2 = less climate 'catastrophe' for the nippers to deal with. Those that survive being poisoned by cereal packets, that is.
BH – repeatedly locked out of comments again. This is without doubt triggered by frequent, closely-spaced commenting.
Zed
Apologies.
I should have said, do read the effing THREAD before commenting. See James P @ 2:36pm.
BH – repeatedly locked out of comments again. This is without doubt triggered by frequent, closely-spaced commenting
My take too. I think BBD is on to some thing with resetting the IP number by rebooting his router. My IISP (ATT) only rarely reassigns an IP number nowadays, so dynamic IPs don't happen for me. But I suspect tthat the post comments code has queues based on IP/port number (used by NAT) which over fill and don't purge. I have to wait an half hour or so for it to purge.
"WWF does not consider nuclear a viable policy option."
I do not consider WWF to have any viable policy options
I don't like to respond to zebedee, but I will make an exception as I can't let more of her ignorance go by unanswered. Firstly, I can't waste power, it is energy I will be wasting. Anyway it is my money I will be wasting, and it is of no concern of yours what I do with my money. You may not realise it, but in my working life I calculate that my efforts have resulted in the production of in excess of 10TWh of electrical energy (clean and green). Since my household will have used only about 400MWh of that electricity in my lifetime, I have bequeathed about 10TWh of electricity to make the lives of others more comfortable and civilised. In case you are not aware, 10TWh is 10,000,000,000kWh. I won't feel any guilt if I waste a few kWh of my energy contribution to this country.
What is your contribution zebedee?
Don P
Yes - it's server-side cache overflow of some sort, and re-setting the dynamic IP gets you back in every time, which starts you a new queue... which then overflows... so you re-boot the router...
It's now clear what the problem is. What remains is for Squarespace to acknowledge it and FIX IT.
Zebedee, you have a wonderful talent for wandering in shouting inanities amd misinformation, very much in the manner of a person suffering from Tourettes Syndrome. Have you sought help?
It transpires that burning candles is bad for you and the planet.
Smoke produced by candles is laced with toxins linked to cancer, asthma and eczema.
Also for equivalent light output;
1. A 40W incandescent bulb produces around 40 grams of CO2 emissions each hour, if the power comes from a coal fired power station.
2. A 7W compact fluorescent lamp, equivalent to a 40W bulb, produces around 7 grams of CO2 emissions each hour, if the power comes from a coal fired power station.
3. 40 small candles generating light equivalent to a 40W bulb produces around 280 grams of CO2 emissions per hour (7 grams per candle).
So it makes more sense just to keep the lights on during WWF's Earth Hour and watch some prime time television. That way you are saving your health, the planet and preventing your house from burning down.
Mac: The WWF is now generally ignored by most people.
The WWF is/was a major source of citations for the AR4, from another scientifically impaired organization.
What are you, 8 years old? You don't like what they say, so you're going to needlessly waste power and money in some form of childish protest?
Mar 10, 2011 at 3:41 PM | ZedsDeadBed
Excellent summary of WWF Earth Day
Zed
You haven't read the OP, have you? If WWF was just interested in fluffy bunnies, why would it comment that "WWF does not consider nuclear a viable policy option"?
When it had more laudable aims it was called the World Wildlife Fund - it morphed into the Worldwide Fund for Nature a long time ago and is much more self-important nowadays.
Compassion in World Farming is a worthier cause, IMO. I just hope they don't get AGW-itis.
ZEDS
WWF benign ?
You need to get out more. These people are dangerous to our future.
Guys,
You need to *really* forget about this persona.
She says WWF benign, but then disappears.
If you notice carefully, most of her posts mostly consist of defending climate orthodox organizations - WWF, Bob Ward, CRU, NOAA - by setting off reactions, and nothing more.
Which is fine too (setting off reactions, that is) - WWF has every right to do what they do - but that is not the point.
The point is, if you constantly troll by setting off reactions and making fun of others, i.e., have access to these privileges - you have to occasionally put up your own ideas for comment, stand your ground and defend them too, i.e., do some hard work and contribute too.
Otherwise, one can be assumed to only be troubled by this forum - for whatever reason, - and to be working constantly at disruption.
Shub
Yes
Very disappointed by Zed's recent form. She occasionally used to engage, which I always welcomed, but of late it's been drive-bys only.
Lazy, puerile and saddening. Like throwing eggs at someone's car and running off.
I met Colin McInnes once. I have the greatest of respect for him.