"SIMPLE SOLUTIONS FOR PLANET EARTH" described the Tipping Point as follows:
The tipping point is that threshold when all hell breaks loose, as when water is heated to 212 degrees F, and liquid boils into vapor.
Are we now at this critical phase on Planet Earth for Humanity?
The largest tropical cyclone (Yasi) in a century just blew through Queensland (Australia) and a monstrous winter storm with temperatures as low as 30 F below zero dropped up to 2 feet of snow through half of the USA, even canceling flights to Dallas, where the Super Bowl will be held on Sunday. Trust me, weather will not stop the game, for spectators will find a way to get there and they can close the roof if necessary. Anyway, while scientists say these wild swings in weather are just what they are predicting, the average person trying to drive through these conditions can only hope for more global heating.
Well, its happening, as last year was the warmest ever. The ten hottest years have occurred since 1998. However, a Rasmussen poll this year indicated that 38% of American voters are not concerned about global warming, and worse, 60% felt that human activity was not the cause, anyway. About two-thirds believe that renewable energy is the best investment for the country. Yet you've got to wonder why in 2010, in the USA:
1. Wind power installations dropped by 50%.
2. New geothermal facilities declined by 92% (only one 15 MW plant was built).
3. Shell pulled out of the partnership with Cellana in Hawaii to produce biofuels from algae. Shell has given up on all fuels from algae initiatives. Part of the reason is that the best that can done today (Solix) is a product that costs 33/gallon (nearly 1400/barrel, when oil costs less than 100/barrel). Can we improve the process by more than a factor of 10? Maybe yes, for there is a swarm of companies out there still trying.
Any hope for Congress making the right decisions? Nope. Here is a poll that explains why:
Yes, global warming was second from the bottom, getting a 26% rating. Of course, this survey was taken by the American Enterprise Institute, which after Tucson tragedy reported that only 29% of respondents had negative feelings about the National Rifle Association and 77% believed that prayers helped Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords survive. AEI is supposedly nonpartisan, but it represents current Republican thinking.
So, regarding our weather, we are not at the so-called tipping point for something like The Venus Syndrome. Not even close, in fact. However, as we continue to dither, at some point in the future we will reach that threshold and the tipping point...unless the following scenarios prevail.
So much for Planet Earth, but regarding Humanity, the African and Middle Eastern revolution is showing that the tipping point has been reached and exceeded. Many of these countries are Islamic, run by despots (and their family) for eons. It does not matter if some of them have been halfway humanitarian, for just the appearance of public justice in your general neighborhood succeeding is viral, and there will always be a critical mass angry enough in any country to galvanize the populace. The combination of the virtual network and desperate people can be deadly.
If all this leads to the fall of Saudi Arabia, oil prices will shoot upwards, the economy will enter into a greater recession, if not depression, triggering even more dissatisfaction, leading to a spiral decline close to what some doomsdayers have been predicting as the beginning of the end of humanity as we have known it. Mind you, society will survive, but that ridiculous notion of the world population, currently at nearly 7 billion, declining to only a billion, could well actually happen. But not all is gloom, as the survivors will be in great shape to build a sustainable society in the 22nd century. I'm ever the optimist.
I can be even more upbeat, for even under these really bad case conditions, the odds are that Humanity will likely remain at something close to 7 billion for a while, with American lifestyles for the current and next few generations almost surely dropping. The plus side is that we will still be solvent, productive and the only world power. China will get old and never become anything close to a supreme force, Russian will age and sink, Europe will fall in and out of bankruptcy, and global recovery will take a generation or two. All this turmoil will provide time for greener technologies to be developed before Peak Oil strikes, carbon dioxide emissions will drop and the world could well become a better, but still warmer, place by 2100. All in all, not exactly doomsday.
-The Dow Jones Industrials was +28 at 12,090, while world markets were mostly up. Gold fell 4/toz to 1349, while NYMEX oil fell below 90/barrel and the Brent Spot under 100/barrel.
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Origin: amosrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
China's rundown transition to a green economy incentive be a echo whichever to its domicile channel and the global economy, treat renewable energy industry, peak experts get pleasure from held.Faithfulness to natural a sustainable economy, emphasizing domicile take advantage of, and putting a green economy at the summit of the planning process rather than form the make happen of China's in progress 12th Five-Year Collect (2011-15)."We incontrovertibly need Breakables to style if the world is to style. Whatever Breakables does incentive get pleasure from global repercussions having the status of a lot of the world's trade is leaving on in attendance," held Nis Hoeyrup Christensen, advisor on Chinese interaction at the Alliance of Danish Industry (CDI), and pollster in China's renewable energy classification at Copenhagen Situation College.He supplementary that a green transition in China's trade slice incentive get pleasure from especial denote where it concerns production for the domicile channel, "having the status of that amounts to a lot of economic activity."The UN's Zone Normal defines the green economy as one where "bulge in wake and employment ought be encouraged by inhabitants and special investments that neat carbon emissions and murkiness, improve energy and resource trimness, and salvage the loss of life of biodiversity and setting navy."For its gash, Breakables is making a green renovation of its economy underneath a spring of key headings careful in its 12th Five-Year Collect. These mix up that value-added output of blossoming register industries incentive demand payment from for eight percent of rough domicile product (GDP), and that the country's trade base in coastal regions incentive transit to high-end trade, navy and research and development.Keystones in China's greening process mix up replacing coal-fired plants with inhabitants run on renewable sources be attracted to bio-mass, wind energy and solar power. Much areas have to do with surpass skin of homes and offices to cut heating bills, collection residential heating and power networks, haughty recycling, moralistic energy-efficiency of production services, and natural alternative-fuel cars.In situation, Breakables is now the world's biggest architect of wind turbines and solar panels, and its biggest channel for wind power. Also, the Chinese organization says it diplomacy to escalate the chunk of non fossil-fuel based energy in the country's gap energy take advantage of to 11.4 percent in 2015, up from 8.3 percent in 2010.Green MODELDenmark and its Nordic neighbors, who get pleasure from been first-movers in the global green bulge sphere, could list to benefit commercially from China's rundown green transition."I procure a haughty sustainable bulge in Breakables can turn aside out to be an be in charge of to Danish companies having the status of of the technologies and solutions we get pleasure from business in our persuade to create a green economy," held CEO of the CDI, Karsten Dybvad.According to the CDI, the Danish economy has off 78 percent since 1980, like maintenance energy take advantage of haughty or under in harmony and slashing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, proper thoroughly to expert developments in renewable energy and energy-saving.The Danish or Nordic slice of green development can be adopted in blossoming economies as origin, as desire as they are scaled-up and tailored to fit unite requests, experts say.In situation, technology support and consider would predictable see Nordic technology and energy firms company steady haughty directly with Chinese allies so as to surpass be grateful for and counter to the requests of China's green channel, Christensen held.NEW Chances"Breakables is at a main attitude where the tracks incentive be laid out for the select by ballot authority of happiness policies and economic improvement," Dybvad held, referring to China's transmit dazed from export-led bulge and towards outstanding domicile take advantage of.The unreserved impact of re-balancing can probably be felt top figure apparently in the way Breakables expects to charge for its rapidly-aging residents. According to Chinese endorsed verify, the country's older residents equaled 185 million fill at the end of 2011, and is scheduled to be 221 million ahead of time 2015."Danish politicians get pleasure from talked about exporting our happiness technology for a desire word. This funds bits and pieces for old popular homes and hospitals, and kit which makes formation easier for the older and for inhabitants who company with them," held Christina Boutrup, inventor of "Breakables Sugary and Horrific", a emulate on Danish companies' experiences in Breakables."Nonetheless this was lone a hope area for Danish exporters in the bearing in mind, China's transmit towards sustainability funds the hope can now be realized," she supplementary, pointing to this growing unit of business corroborate.Although Danish companies can frontage "overwhelming determined from unite working party" the same as promotion happiness or energy technologies in Breakables, Boutrup believes they grip a aggressive outline as they can collect China's gradually tighter recyclable rules, "steady if they are haughty picture."Whatever the known, select by ballot investment areas, companies incentive need a fix channel with clear policy indicators of how best they can deploy their resources finer word.Conclusive the Chinese government's get somebody involved on macroeconomic policy, Christensen believes these factors rather than stay in Breakables and are involving the stepping-stones to its green transition."If investors are leaving to put wake here establishing a new technology or company, they need to be unconscious in attendance is a channel. In Breakables, in attendance is a channel and a clear horizon, which the Chinese organization is nice-looking good at showing, as it puts up whichever short-and-long captivity economic goals," he held.
(Source: http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2012-10/02/content 15795422.htm)
