Greenland ice cap melting 28 June 04

In great part as a result of your website I am planning to make a lot of changes to my house to ensure the it is not using fossil fuels at all (currently using oil). One of my neighbours is moving to geothermal. Since starting this investigation I have been amazed at the new technologies that are becoming available to help with this – and the good news is that there is government money to help.

So, I think in many parts of our lives there are alternatives for the things we want to do that do not contribute to Global Warming. Yet – this does not include flying. If we feel we need to travel longhaul, there really isn’t an alternative – is there? I would be interested in comments.

One thing, I wish there were increased government taxes on flying / aircraft fuel to help use the market to reduce the number of flights (though it is not really an alternative!).

I can testify to my experince flying over Greenland in the Month of September off and on for 25 years. First 25 years ago going over at that time of year one saw nothing but vast ice fields and mountains coverd in ice and snow. Two years ago, I saw vast meltwater lakes everywhere! I asked the flight attendent to confirm we were indeed over Greenland. It has changed that much. I wasn’t looking for changes, they jumped out at one so as you can’t not notice. But the media has been nice and quiet, only witnesses can testify to whats happening. Wonder why ??

I’ve despaired over the last few years, every time I read of Arctic or Greenland ice melt. That cold, clear water is going to kill the Gulf Stream current one of these days—and Europe, at present sweltering and having earlier springs as a result of GW-triggered climate change, will cool off to the extreme! And Greenland is closer to the current than the Arctic is. So when Greenland’s ice melts at faster and faster rates, the potential for a second Little Ice Age gets ever closer. Pity that Europe will suffer most from this, as they are the continent doing the most to change course. But they won’t be alone…you’ve heard about the current heat wave in Alaska, right? On top of permafrost melting, temperatures rising, and flora and fauna dying out, now this. Yet their only concern seems to be getting ahold of enough fans and A/C, shoring up their tilted, sunken homes, and getting the yearly dividend from the happy, prosperous oil pipeline profits. Little wonder human interference is forcing changes at a far rapider than normal rate! Thanks for the update, Mark!

Personally I feel that a lot of technology, such as air con, becomes “bad” when we know that its use is (currently) likely to be contributing to global warming. The good news is that it needn’t be that way – electricity generation should be coming from non-fossil fuel sources.

I am convinced that (if it really isn’t too late!) in a 100 years from now people will think of fuel generation from oil, coal etc. as just a passing phase. There is so much energy from the sun coming to the earth the whole time – we just need to open our eyes to this opportunity.

Perhaps an idea for a future piece, Mark, about advances in this area?! It looks as though you are getting some despairing readers! ;-)

There’s an old adage that says “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean that they’re not out to get you.” It’s how I often feel. My despair is deep, even for a cynic like me, but it’s hard to be much else when governments, peoples, and “the system” don’t give you much reason to hope the planet will survive—at least, not in any way with which WE are familiar! Naturally, the fight is worthy, and I’ll be the happiest one if I’m proved to be wrong!

I did not want to make a recent flight for New Years but the economics in the USA pushed me there. The flight plus the rent a car combination was actually cheaper for me than by using bus transportation.

The kicker for me is the bus lag. On the bus, they always travel at night and kick everyone off the bus when refueling so you get no sleep and loose 2 extra days from sleep deprivation plus the extra long bus trip compared to a flight. On a short trip, this ruins your experience. My only rationalization is more time to spend with proactive friends and help one friend weatherproof her home to use less energy.

If the economics saved me more to go the bus way, I may have suffered through it but the incentives pushed me the other way and the extra money I can use plus have more funds to spend on helping my friend’s energy efficiency. Incentives are important as you shared before.

In the USA, I think our government is helping too many airlines to stay in business when the natural order is for some of them to go out of business. So, the incentives are with the airlines and then the incentives get passed to the people.

My trip is using planes full of passengers. I am not a frequent flyer at all and it has been years when I last made a flight. The trip, I need, is to rejuvenate my soul with friends I desperately need to see in person. I wish someone would post something on flight miles compared to bus miles and car miles when talking about the relative emission contributions. I think it may be fair to assume a full plane since many of us can travel during times when these conditions exist.

Does it depend on a person’s own weight and what are the extra fuel costs with that?

How does it compare with 5 years of a house replaced with compact fluorescent lights?

For us who truly care and do experience guilt for our compromises, it would be nice to really know the answers to these questions. I try to answer them all the time when I think what I can do and what I must give up. Knowing this for myself, I may be able to advise others.

Sometimes, I feel the need to give in for my own sanity. At least Mark and I feel guilt. Others do not know enough to know they should have some guilt. Hopefully each of us will compensate by our pro-activity. I know Mark already has and I hope I do the same.

It is always a dilemma when you want to be proactive yet not live isolated in a cave.

I admit that I am spoiled to a degree and there are not too many people as dedicated as Lynn. The best way through guilt is to make amends.

I wish I had a way to compare an infrequent flight to other measures to reduce emissions through conservation. If you can help me with that, then we can all be more responsible with our compromises.