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Post by ltfred on Apr 29, 2010 6:49:29 GMT -5
Moar nuclear power. Windmills and solar panels can't sustain current energy use at their current efficiency. Nuclear is the best option until they can. We're always going to need petroleum for plastic products, but that's why there needs to be a focus on recycling it specifically. Nuclear power is too expensive and uranium too rare for it to be a long-term solution. Uranium will run out in a handful of decades. And it takes too long to set up nuke stations to be a short-term one. The solution is partly solar, partly wind and mostly new technologies like Geothermal energy. If the United States and other big western powers (and I include Australia in that) are serious about ending climate change, they have to agree to South America's position at Copenhagen. Climate debt: nations that produce greenhouse gasses damage nations that do not. Ergo, those carbon-producing nations owe the poorer countries money in damages. Those nations will (hopefully) use the cash to pay to skip coal in their developing energy markets.
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Post by ltfred on Apr 29, 2010 6:52:57 GMT -5
Man it is about time they find new trade secrets, because some secrets need to be made public for advancement in quality of the product. Okay then, you spend multiple months of labor, as well a thousands of dollars worth of money on equipment, and thousands of dollars of equipment developing something new and then give it away for free. Because that is what you're asking them to do. Your own sig makes a convincing argument that patents are completely useless.
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Post by m52nickerson on Apr 29, 2010 7:20:37 GMT -5
Nuclear power is too expensive and uranium too rare for it to be a long-term solution. Uranium will run out in a handful of decades. And it takes too long to set up nuke stations to be a short-term one. I have said before, Breeder Reactors would be the way to move. They are more efficient and can use Thorium as a fuel source. Thorium is around four times as more abundant than Uranium.
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Post by Vene on Apr 29, 2010 14:26:19 GMT -5
Okay then, you spend multiple months of labor, as well a thousands of dollars worth of money on equipment, and thousands of dollars of equipment developing something new and then give it away for free. Because that is what you're asking them to do. Your own sig makes a convincing argument that patents are completely useless. Actually, it doesn't, the author of the book isn't arguing against patents, per say, he does see the need to protect intellectual property, the issue is that other options should be explored.
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Post by katz on Apr 29, 2010 15:13:43 GMT -5
We're always going to need some nuclear reactors around for awesome stuff like medical purposes anyway. Breeder reactors are a great advancement, and increased safety and productivity would come with a widespread use of it.
I'm not saying use nuclear power as a primary power source forever, just until we get more efficient windmills, solar power devices, tidal bores, etc.
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Post by renaissanceblonde on Apr 30, 2010 0:33:06 GMT -5
Thorium...
We've harnessed the power of storms now?
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Post by Ian1732 on Apr 30, 2010 17:16:32 GMT -5
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Post by stormwarden on Apr 30, 2010 21:37:25 GMT -5
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Post by perv on Apr 30, 2010 21:48:15 GMT -5
Tree huggers also thing that GE foods are going to turn their children into tentacle monsters, They can do that? Because I'm pretty sure there are some people who... never mind, I've said too much.
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Post by The_L on Apr 30, 2010 21:58:33 GMT -5
Tree huggers also thing that GE foods are going to turn their children into tentacle monsters, They can do that? Because I'm pretty sure there are some people who... never mind, I've said too much. No, perv, you haven't said nearly enough. *directs you to the NSFW forum*
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Post by booley on May 1, 2010 1:06:57 GMT -5
.... I'm thinking of doing my undergrad thesis on the backlash against the Green Revolution. I will call it "Why Hippies Hate Africans". Well be sure to include the parts about those GE'ed plants are made to be MORE tolerant of herbicides and pesticides so more can be sprayed on them. I mean, why would Monsanto make a product that would cut into the profits from many of it's other products? Oh and how many of those african hating hippies.. are Africans.
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Post by The_L on May 1, 2010 8:29:30 GMT -5
.... I'm thinking of doing my undergrad thesis on the backlash against the Green Revolution. I will call it "Why Hippies Hate Africans". Well be sure to include the parts about those GE'ed plants are made to be MORE tolerant of herbicides and pesticides so more can be sprayed on them. \ Forgive me, but, wouldn't it be better to GE them to have better defenses against the pests, so we don't have to, you know, spray poisons on food that people are going to eat?Making them more tolerant of herbicides and insecticides only increases the chance that we will inadvertently end up with pesticide-resistant pests, if we don't all poison ourselves in the process. I have nothing against GE'd plants. But in terms of actual growing methods, I prefer organic, simply because I don't want pesticide residues on my food.
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Post by Vene on May 1, 2010 10:03:05 GMT -5
Well be sure to include the parts about those GE'ed plants are made to be MORE tolerant of herbicides and pesticides so more can be sprayed on them. \ Forgive me, but, wouldn't it be better to GE them to have better defenses against the pests, so we don't have to, you know, spray poisons on food that people are going to eat?How? How do you make a plant defend against a bug biting it? A virus or bacteria, sure, but biting? That's like asking for a vaccine against knife wounds. It's not as serious as with antibiotics, actually. Bugs evolve at a much slower rate (what with longer generations and no horizontal gene transfer). Not to mention there really isn't another effective tool. Organic food is incredibly inefficient and without pesticides we wouldn't be able to feed the growing human population. Also, you still have to wash organic fruits and veggies simply because of bug shit. You wash the shit and pesticides off at the same time, no problem. Then you have to deal with how organically grown food has much less yield, which really isn't good when you have a nation of 300 million and a planet of over 6 billion.
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Post by Jodie on May 1, 2010 14:39:22 GMT -5
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Post by Ian1732 on May 1, 2010 17:36:41 GMT -5
Shut the fuck up, Palin. It's this "Drill baby drill" attitude that got us into this fucking mess, and we don't need you rubbing salt into the wound.
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