MetaFilter posts tagged with CO2

The 4th degree

Artw — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 17:38:04 -0800

80 percent of Americans say global warming is real and poses a threat to humanity. Which is good because if the global temperature raises by 4 degrees we're all dead. However only 44 percent would be willing to face any financial hardship in the name of a solution.

Be a Bloomer

netbros — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:19:57 -0800

Want to know what actions can have the biggest impact on your carbon emissions? Bloom helps you choose actions tailored to your home and lifestyle, then lets you compare them by how much CO2 they save and how cheap they are. With background guides for recycling, organic foods, energy ratings, and emissions. From the BBC.

Sucking CO2

stbalbach — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 06:08:34 -0800

Sucking CO2 out of the air has long been a holy grail for solving global warming; Richard Branson has promised $25m to anyone who succeeds. Of course it's already been done, but the amount of energy required doesn't make it net carbon positive. Now a team in Arizona, led by Klaus Lacknet under the company of Global Research Technologies, says it has made a significant breakthrough that massively reduces the amount of energy required - the "project has reached the stage where it is quite clear we can do it." The planned prototype, which will be finished in two years, will cost $200,000 USD, be smaller than a shipping container and be capable of eliminating around 1 ton of CO2. Even if it works many hurdles remain but it portends a cooler future for air-capture technology.

2007 equal second hottest on record

wilful — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:33:14 -0800

Climatologists at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies have found that 2007 tied with 1998 for Earth's second warmest year in a century (2005 being the hottest). More here. of course, others disagree.

Filtering our air

Glow Bucket — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 02:25:53 -0800

The University of Columbias Earth Institute has successfully demonstrated carbon dioxide air capturing. As to what could be done with the carbon dioxide after, the IPCC has some ideas (pdf). Unfortunately they don't state how much energy these machines consume or how expensive (toxic, etc.) their prodction is going to be.

The Objective Orbiting Eye in the Sky

trinarian — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 02:59:30 -0800

Live, From Outer Space: rural fires [1, 2], The Haze in China [1 ,2, 3] and its movement, aerosols, and the brothers carbon monoxide [a photochemical smog agent] and carbon dioxide.

US Energy Flows

pombe — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:12:55 -0800

Lawrence Livermore National Lab produces fascinating charts of energy flow in the US (more). More energy use statisitics can be found at the Energy Information Administration.

Cow 'emissions' more damaging to planet than CO2 from cars

stbalbach — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 06:57:41 -0800

Livestock's Long Shadow, a new UN FAO report (full report) says livestock (cows, pig, sheep, etc.) generate more CO2 than all forms of transportation (cars, planes, etc) combined, with the worlds live stock expected to double by 2050.

A million years

four panels — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 14:20:46 -0800

Ice bubbles collected from core samples in Antarctica reveal the biggest rise in CO2 in 800,000 years.

algae power

reklaw — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 17:10:15 -0800

Will algae defeat global warming? "Fed a generous helping of CO2-laden emissions, courtesy of the power plant's exhaust stack, the algae grow quickly... The cleansed exhaust bubbles skyward, but with 40 percent less CO2... The algae is harvested daily and a combustible vegetable oil is squeezed out: biodiesel".

CO2 'highest for 650,000 years'

Mr Bluesky — Sat, 26 Nov 2005 09:08:59 -0800

CO2 'highest for 650,000 years' Current levels of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere are higher now than at any time in the past 650,000 years. (Found via Treehugger) Sounds like it's time to buy that lovely oceanfront property in Kansas.

Chill, Toronto

stonerose — Tue, 17 Aug 2004 16:30:24 -0800

Cool! Toronto's Deep Lake Water Cooling System was launched today. The system cuts electricity consumption in commercial buildings by 75 per cent by drawing near-freezing water through pipes extending five kilometres out into Lake Ontario. According to the city, the system will save enough power to service more than 100 Toronto office towers or 4,200 homes per year, and it will eliminate 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Here's a public television segment explaining the process. Seems like it makes a nice complement to the lakeshore windmill.

Possible solution to global warming: bury the carbon dioxide

tranquileye — Tue, 09 Dec 2003 09:05:38 -0800

Possible solution to global warming: bury the carbon dioxide.

Canada Ratifies Kyoto

stevengarrity — Tue, 10 Dec 2002 15:00:01 -0800

Canadian Paliament ratifies the Kyoto Accord. Someone on this continent had to do it.

dong_resin — Sat, 16 Jun 2001 13:37:41 -0800

China pops back a collective Beano. (NY Times link. Free registration required.) One of Bush's main objections to the Kyoto protocol is China's exemption from regulation, but it seems they're doing their collective best to cut down on CO2 emissions, with success. Even with China's rapid rate of expansion, this weakens our administration's argument a bit by setting forward the number of years it will take China to match our own emissions. At what point do we start to play nice with the other kids?

palegirl — Thu, 17 May 2001 08:14:10 -0800

what should we be doing to voice our opposition to dangerous, gas-guzzling, CO2-emitting, vision-obstructing, environment-destroying conspicuously-consumed SUVs? what can one do to prevent others from driving these monstrosities? should we ticket them? should we stick "i'm changing the climate" stickers on them? should we stick potatoes in their tailpipes? should we shoot out their windows? is there any way to educate suburban families that SUVs are simply an unnecessary addition to their lifestyle? should we resort to retaliatory vandalism? can SUV owners ever have a meaningful discussion with those who object to their vehicles? i do my part by not buying an SUV, but could i do more? should i?