Carbon emissions of twitching

[Jan]

The article in Scientific American quoted above by David, which is attempting to downplay the worst model of warming used by the ICCP, actually isn't at all sure about it. It admits that permafrost warming will result in conditions that no-one can predict, the changes in high atmosphere weather drivers like the jetstreams are getting 'worser and worser' and i can't take the same sense of optimism from it, I'm afraid.
The authors admit it is a useful model even now, as it gives an upper possibility of disaster and claims the other models can be measured against it. Lets hope that's true.

[Michael Szabo]

Following on from George Monbiot's comments on the scale of an individual person's carbon 'footprint' vs large-scale society-level emissions, I see there's a new group at COP26 in Glasgow calling for greater action from world governments to mandate greater cuts in carbon emissions, called "Scientist Rebellion". While here in NZ some of us can choose to use electrified public transport and install rooftop solar panels, that will never reach the levels of cuts needed, which can only be achieved with legally binding large-scale sociey-level cuts.

Here's their statement:

"Scientists have spent decades writing papers, advising government, briefing the press: all have failed. What is the point in documenting in ever greater detail the catastrophe we face, if we are not willing to do anything about it?

Academics are perfectly placed to wage a rebellion: we exist in rich hubs of knowledge and expertise; we are well connected across the world, and to decision-makers; we have large platforms from which to inform, educate and rally others all over the world; and we have implicit authority and legitimacy, which is the basis of political power. We can make a difference. We must do what we can to halt the greatest destruction in human history.

We are in Glasgow because COP has run 25 times before and has failed to make any measurable impact on the emissions curve. It does not exist to create the necessary transformative change, it exists to create the illusion of change."

Website: https://scientistrebellion.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ScientistRebellion

[andrewcrossland]

Back on the topic of carbon footprints from twitching - the 7 Nov Sunday star times had a feature story on AirNZ’s ATR aircraft which says that these aircraft burn 2.8 litres of fuel per 100km per seat. Yes I know that’s fuel use, not carbon emissions and it’s injected into the atmosphere rather than at ground level, but it doesn’t sound like much when compared to a car travelling the length of the country down to Invercargill, or a horse chewing grass and belching gases out it’s behind as it pulls a cart the whole way there and back? For a CHCH to Invercargill flight Air NZ’s optional carbon offset fee was just over $5. So is that the equivalent of the actual damage done or is it infinitely more?

[Jan]

You sound so defensive here, Andrew, it's like you know your argument is weak from the start. Aircraft fuel isn't taxed/monitored [Whatever they call it], for its contribution to carbon emissions, so an airline can claim all sorts of under-representative figures. Indeed it is possible that flying might be better than driving an internal combustion vehicle the same distance, but how about a) not going, or b)hiring an electric car?

Everyone with a all-absorbing [sp] hobby will claim 'their' travel is not doing anything like as much damage as it will be doing in totallity. Fishing, rally driving, watching sports teams, all those things you mentioned before are as important to them as twitching is to you. To claim that you can be allowed the priviledge [sp] coz you are an environmentalist is nothing but elitist, in fact. The workers on the ground travelling for other bird-related reasons, like predator control, monitoring and atlassing can claim the allowance, but twitchers? Nah.

[andrewcrossland]

Yes I am being a wee bit provocative but only just to test if there’s not a tad of unconscious bias toward twitchers which seems to be an imported prejudice from overseas.

Twitching isn’t all that all consuming for me personally as I only go to see a lifer out-of-town maybe once every two years. And calling me an environmental elitist can’t be right - I don’t even own an e-vehicle or an e-bike, and I won’t until they get rid of lithium batteries, stop using exploited labour in their construction, stop making them so expensive and luxurious that they’re obviously intended for an elite wealthy upper middle class customer base, and stop powering them through electricity generated by burning coal imported from Indonesia. Balanced against all that, I reckon the $5 carbon on the Air NZ plan isn’t too bad a choice?

[Jan]

I only said you're being elistist as you want to go twitching and claim it's ok coz you promote bird conservation and environmentalism, not coz you have a Tesla! Yes electric cars may be a problem to produce, but no more so than the other sort and the batteries are getting better and better. We don't have one either. The future is going to be many fewer private cars and vehicles, and far more public transport. It has to happen if emissions will ever stop rising one day. Like maybe 70 yrs ago, which I can just remember......we travelled everywhere by train [powered by coal then, but no longer] and then bus or private car to where we were going. Dad had a car, but it was garaged a way away and he had to walk a mile or so to get it, so we didn't use it much. Back then I suppose it was the moneyed classes who did the birding, unless you were in the rural areas and had birds on your doorstep. Like my Gran, who was one of the first members of the RSPB. Up north, Manchester people went by train and other public transport to walk on the fells, and started the Rambler Association [if I remember the name right], so it wasn't just well-heeled who got out there.

[Michael Szabo]

Wellington has a growing fleet of electric buses, due to reach 108 in 2023, that also connects to the region's 83 electric trains, so there are many opportunities to go birding using the public transport system both within the city and further afield up the Kapiti Coast to Mana/Pauatahanui, Plimmerton, Paekakariki, Paraparaumu, and Waikanae, and to Eastbourne and the Hutt Valley. The Zealandia Ecosanctuary also runs a regular free shuttle service from the city centre using its own electric vans, which are popular with out of town visitors and local birders alike, and e-scooters are also an option here for shorter trips. People can also take a bike on the trains which helps getting to sites like Waikanae estuary which is several kilometres from Paraparaumu train station, and Lake Wairarapa which is several kilometres from the Featherston train station.

A new study shows that recycled lithium batteries can be as good as - or even better than - those using new state-of-the-art materials.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/recycled-batt ... ewly-mined

[Michael Szabo]

I commented on the issue of personal carbon 'footprint' vs large-scale societal emissions yesterday when I was interviewed by RNZ Nights host Bryan Crump. The interview was about a recent digital educational project that I worked on for the Greenpeace Educational Trust, as well as my interest in bird photography. You can listen to the interview and view a gallery of my bird photos via this link: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programm ... s-MXyJc8Bs