Is anyone else buying carbon credits to offset CO2 from travel?

[marlboroughman]

Marl, how about all the obvious and absolutely proven pollution from burning and extraction of fossil fuel.

In US? Absolutely overblown. Look out the window. Do you have any symptoms? Why you live so long? And no, it doesn't cause asthma. Read this:

[marlboroughman]

Global Warming ended 20 years ago.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... anger.html

[Pemba]

Marlboroughman, there are lots of articles claiming that there is global warming as well. How do you choose which articles to believe ?

[Greenturtle]

Marl, how about all the obvious and absolutely proven pollution from burning and extraction of fossil fuel.

In US? Absolutely overblown. Look out the window. Do you have any symptoms? Why you live so long? And no, it doesn't cause asthma. Read this:

Are you saying that if pollution was bad enough to do something about we would all be dying? And since we are not then the current level must be ok?

What I see with my own two eyes is exactly what I am talking about Marl. I would ask you to do the same.
Just look around.

When I look out my window, I see clouds, clouds carrying vaporized mercury and other toxic substances that got there from coal fired power plants, and which now have contaminated basically all waterways on earth, which in turn has gotten into fish - which means now in the fishing regulation book you get when you buy a license in almost every state in the US there is a WARNING section that describes the risks from eating these fish.

When I drive a short distance down the road, I see coal mines, both active and old. Whole mountaintops removed. The current stricter laws requiring reclamation of the ladscape after mining are a joke in my opinion. The runnoff into all the surrounding waterways leaves these rivers and streams highly acidic (and orange) and kills the life in them. It does not come back. Obviously this all ends up in the ocean too. I posted a picture for you previously of a map of all the rivers here in Pennsylvania showing the ones that are now acidic and dead from acid mine drainage (coal mining). Here is the web address in case you missed it or still think its “overblown”. Take a closer look.

https://pa.water.usgs.gov/projects/ener ... amdmap.gif

Every state in coal country will have a similar, or worse situation.

I can only speak for what I actually see and have experience with. But the list of worlwide pollution from fossil fuel extraction and burning, is very long.

Marl, maybe when you look out your window you see a pristine environment that is healthy and not headed into ruin unless we make some changes. Good for you, that must be so nice.
But you would be wrong to assume thats what other people see with thier own two eyes every day.
I encourage you, and everyone, to leave the statistics and research and news sites and all else, and look at the world for yourself. If it looks a-ok to you, that is because you are used to it, because it is all we have known, and have accepted this level of pollution as normal.

[Greenturtle]

Marlboroughman, there are lots of articles claiming that there is global warming as well. How do you choose which articles to believe ?

I believe he is using the time honored system of hearing what you want to hear and ignoring the rest.

[Matteo V]

When I look out my window, I see clouds, clouds carrying vaporized mercury and other toxic substances that got there from coal fired power plants, and which now have contaminated basically all waterways on earth, which in turn has gotten into fish - which means now in the fishing regulation book you get when you buy a license in almost every state in the US there is a WARNING section that describes the risks from eating these fish.

Funny story >

So a while ago, the US implemented some mandates for going "all fluorescent" light bulbs. Florescents are great at saving energy and reducing carbon emissions - no question. The problem is that they all contain mercury. And when they do reach the end of their lifespan, they are disposed of.

Typically those used up lamps are thrown into dumpsters. They break as they fall in or when they are "compacted" by the rubbish truck. Upon breaking, they release the mercury into the dumpster, or into the trash truck. The dumpster then gets rained on and eventually leaks the mercury onto the ground since most dumpsters are not watertight. If the mercury makes it into the trash truck, then the mercury slowly leaks out along it's route. Since all roads have runoff drainage next to them, the mercury leaking onto the roadway has a fast track into nearby streams and lakes. And this problem gets no press. I personally would like to see a $10,000 fine for businesses and $1,000 fine for individuals not properly disposing of florescents.

If you know of any improper disposal of fluorescent lamps, step in and do something. Push your representatives for mandated recycling. And always "think through" your good environmental intentions. You may be doing in your own recreational waters if you just jump on some "band wagon environmental issue".

[wedge]

So a while ago, the US implemented some mandates for going "all fluorescent" light bulbs. Florescents are great at saving energy and reducing carbon emissions - no question. The problem is that they all contain mercury. And when they do reach the end of their lifespan, they are disposed of.

That's disingenuous Matteo. Or in Trump-speak, Fake News. The mandate was to "phase out incandescent bulbs" in favor of more energy efficient lighting options. Fluorescent lights suck. Nobody likes the garish light they produce. The markets responded and created more energy efficient incandescent bulbs and pushed LED technology. Oh and reduced mercury in fluorescent bulbs as well. Go into any Home Depot and you'll see an array of choices.

So in this case regulations seems to have worked. Look at all the new energy (and money) saving products and choices. Hardly a "band wagon environmental issue" as you describe it.

ps - it wasn't just the U.S. It was governments around the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out ... ight_bulbs

pss - Like you, I support fines for improper disposal of any hazardous material. We've only got one earth. Best take good care of it while we can.

[slim_charles]

When I look out my window, I see clouds, clouds carrying vaporized mercury and other toxic substances that got there from coal fired power plants, and which now have contaminated basically all waterways on earth, which in turn has gotten into fish - which means now in the fishing regulation book you get when you buy a license in almost every state in the US there is a WARNING section that describes the risks from eating these fish.

Funny story >

hmmm.... think you need to substantially up your game to top the pics

... they were f**king priceless!!!

[Greenturtle]

Interesting, and a good point that commomplace things often contain toxins and need to be disposed of properly.
There are lots of instances of give and take.
Nobody said the alternatives are 100% clean, at least I didn’t. The idea is clean-er.
In this scenario, I would guess the amount of mercury released from broken flourscent light bulbs is a teeny drop in the bucket vs the amount that didn’t get released by coal fired plants and mines as a result of saving the electricity.
But yeah, lets not break flourecent light bulbs, especially not just for the popping sound.

Some people argue that in order to have alternative energy, such as solar panels, = mining of materials to produce them, the power used in the facility that makes them, the by-products etc, still has to happen, and that pollutes, a lot. Sure.
But in the long view, it saves on pollution, a lot.

Imagine how a coal plant operates. Build the frigin thing and maintain it, stuff it full of fuel and burn the hell out of it, then you need more. Go mining. Stuff it full of fuel. Oh dang we need more already, ..go mine it... And these are no puny mines. Whole mountainsides- Rip em wide and the goodies (toxic heavy metals and acidity galore) flow off. Besides the gases that are the hot topic, burning coal also produces a helluva lot of ash, and the ash contains? things. Some harmless, some not. Ahem. what happens to it all? .. Probably not the “right” thing every time in every location I can tell you that much.

[Peert]

Marlboroughman, there are lots of articles claiming that there is global warming as well. How do you choose which articles to believe ?

And the ratio between articles confirming and denying global warming is changing rapidly.

Question is: will the Marlboroughmen believe the very last scientist that has to admit ge/she was wrong for the last 20yrs and still states nothing is happening to the planet, and thus no change is required from their side?
Probably they will, those Marlboroughmen...

It is hard to admit you had it wrong all the time.. for that professor and for Marlborough...