Articles by Gar Lipow
Gar Lipow, a long-time environmental activist and journalist with a strong technical background, has spent years immersed in the subject of efficiency and renewable energy. His new book Solving the Climate Crisis will be published by Praeger Press in Spring 2012. Check out his online reference book compiling information on technology available today.
All Articles
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Helpful hints for global warming deniers
Many global warming deniers have moved on from denying the existence or human causes of global warming to denying it's worthwhile to do anything to mitigate it. "Burn all the fossil fuels you want", they suggest, "and adapt to the changes. Doing anything to reduce global warming is too expensive."
In a spirit of reconciliation, I thought I'd put forward some specific proposals to implement their approach.
On a planet with unchecked greenhouse warming, we would have a less predictable climate, warmer on average, but with unpredictable frosts and snowstorms -- some of them in places we currently don't get snow. Drought would alternate with floods. Insects would flourish on a warmer planet, and pests of all types would migrate. And of course storms would be worse than at present, as the average wind speed increased.
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It’s the society, stupid
Andrew Dobson posted a thoughtful and useful piece in yesterday's issue of OpenDemocracy.org:
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Dave Morris summary on problems with carbon trading
Dave Morris: "Problems with Carbon Trading."
An outline of his argument:
- Buying offsets encourages complacency.
- Carbon trading is inherently susceptible to fraud and manipulation.
- Carbon trading encourages cheating and rewards low-cost cosmetic changes while undermining higher cost innovation.
- Carbon trading separates authority and responsibility, undermining coherent, holistic, community-based efforts.
- We have alternatives -- carbon taxes, and caps without trading.
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See me in Seattle
I'm giving a presentation Wed., Mar 28 to the Green Builders Guild on Solutions to climate chaos for Green builders, homeowners, and citizens. Location below the fold.
