Global Warming Failure

Albert Einstein supposed wrote:

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results"

Considering the issue of global warming, much of the developed world, and states like Washington and California, are acting kind of insane.

Western nations and the U.S. have spent trillions of dollars on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  Washington State has spent billions through the controversial CCA (Climate Commitment Act) pushed by Governor Inslee and friends.     Solar arrays and wind turbines have been distributed across the nation.

Did all this effort and loss of treasure accomplish anything significant?

Hard evidence suggests the answer is definitively no.

Consider the trends of the two main greenhouse gases, CO2 and methane (see below).  (Remember, that a greenhouse gas warms the planet by absorbing and emitting infrared radiation.)

CO2 concentrations (and emissions) are going up steeply, with no reduction of the upward climb.  Methane gas is going up faster than ever.     

We are making no progress in reducing the upward climb of these two gases.

None. Zero.  Zippo.

NOAA has a nice website that describes this lack of progress (here).  On that website they show the net rise of all greenhouse gases (black line) and the total radiative influence of these gases (red line, shown below).   Going up very fast with no lessening of the rate.

Mankind has made no progress at all. 

The reason for the unabridged continued rise in greenhouse gases is clear: while the Western nations are spending lots of cash attempting to reduce emissions, many second and third-world countries are rapidly increasing their use of fossil fuels to facilitate modernization and the improvement of the lives of their citizens.

Here in the U.S., many folks who think they are following the low-carbon lifestyle, by driving electric cars and using heat pumps, have huge carbon footprints due to all the flying they do and all the stuff they buy.    Electric cars require large amounts of fossil fuels to create and often the electricity is from fossil fuel sources.  Electric bicycles have the same problem.

Heavy, big tires, big battery.  Not good for the environment

Furthermore, many of the attempts to reduce emissions in places such as Washington State have been wasteful and ineffective.

The poster child of such ineffective waste is Washington's CCA (which is being voted on next week).   Billions are spent on a range of projects, without any requirement for reducing emissions or demonstration of reduced emissions.  Most of the projects will have no impact on CO2 emissions.  This waste is one reason I am voting for Initiative 2117 and so should you.   The CCA is also profoundly regressive, hurting low-income people the most.

So What Do We Do?

In some places, solar energy and wind can be useful, but they are too intermittent and limited to solve the problem.

Want proof?  During the past two days, solar and wind (green line), have produced less than our one nuclear plant (red line), and MUCH, MUCH less than hydro (blue line).

Only nuclear power is viable for a massive replacement of fossil fuels.   Fission is available now and is not being applied sufficiently.   Fusion power will be available within a decade or two.

MIT Fusion Project

Once we have fusion power, virtually limitless amounts of clean energy will be available.  Such energy can be used to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

Problem solved.  

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NOTE:  I will hold a special online zoom session at 10 AM on Saturday for Patreon supporters.  I will discuss the forecast for the upcoming winter and answer your questions.