What could we do to make the world a better place

Small scale...invest in renewable sources of energy, limit the use of motor cars, and except cultural differences.

Um, anyway. Eat more veg. Love the tofu, love it!

Revive!

Because I am so fed up of reading - 'oh no, the world is going to crap!'

I knew this would not be a popular idea.

start at home, that's what i say.

cos boy do i hate my fucking neighbours.

Bush. Just get rid of fucking Bush.

I'm not even in that country and the cunt still makes my life a misery.

Spike yr local reservoir.

I like fucking bush.

Oh wait, now I understand, never mind.

Also fewer cheery people.

trite predictable answer goes here

http://www.history.com/minisites/life_after_people/images/THC-LifePeople_hptop.jpg

Assume that everyone you deal with is good until proven fully otherwise.

Understand that the political (small and large scale) solutions which work are most often compromises.

the world won't really be better without Bush, it's just worse with him

Stop being so adament about being RIGHT.

One good thing I read was that solar power will be cheaper that fossil fuels in 5 more years and the films will be so thin, cheap and cheap that it will be realistic to build it into building materials.

The idea that solar power is going to be viable in the next few years is really cool.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/02/25/080225fa_fact_specter

I'm about halfway through this. It's rather depressing me, although I don't think it's supposed to. I get now why Christianity has heaven and hell. Repairing the world seems so fucking futile sometimes.

Spend more time thinking about what you can do to make the world a better place, and less time thinking about what everyone else should do to make the world a better place.

[ / jewish version of tombot ]

One good thing I read was that solar power will be cheaper that fossil fuels in 5 more years

uh, this is highly unlikely

although at some point fossil fuels will become SO EXPENSIVE that that will be true. it won't make solar power any cheaper/more effective though.

Put coasters under coffee cups.

I'd think solar power would become cheaper with scale though, and if fossil fuels become more expensive that will push more people to solar power, no?

solar power is roughly $9/watt right now in the US. The payback (ie, time it takes to make back investment with savings) on most installations is over 20 years.

I'd think solar power would become cheaper with scale though, and if fossil fuels become more expensive that will push more people to solar power, no?

-- Hurting 2, Wednesday, February 20, 2008 6:59 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

not that I can say whether the five year figure is accurate - that does sound a bit optimistic.

I'm not really arguing that we shouldn't aggressively pursue solar power - we should, absolutely - just that overoptimistic projections about solar power's capabilities and costs have been floating around for about 30 years.

Still, after three decades of the technology, installations are ridiculously expensive because so much is required to build them - inverters, siting analyses, etc. and in the end they don't produce very much energy. These costs are not related to the scarcity of fossil fuels, they're built-in to the nature of the technology. That's the key problem, photocells just don't generate the kind of power we expect from, say, a natural gas-fired plant. The start up costs are huuuuuuuge, and the energy returned is small.

seriously the output of a photocell is pretty pathetic. our energy demands far outstrip the capability of current photocell technology.

Seven Point Plan:

1) Move to a large coastal city.
2) Live in an apt. or condo. Do not live in or own a house.
3) Take public transportation everywhere. Sell your car.
4) Eat very few animal products. Complain bitterly about those who do.
5) Use as little water as possible. Like maybe put extra shower water in toilet? Toilet doesn't care.
6) Install solar panels & windmills everywhere. Eventually, these will come in handy.
7) Stop masturbating. Excessive masturbation leads to global warming.

live hedonistically until age 30 then die

Go placidly amid the noise and haste.

become a sniper

Be polite and cheerful. Be helpful. Make good choices for yourself and be a good example to others. Be generous of spirit. Plant some trees. Try not to be greedy, envious or spiteful. Forgive someone who did you wrong (but don't let them do it again, if you can help it).

solar power is roughly $9/watt right now in the US. The payback (ie, time it takes to make back investment with savings) on most installations is over 20 years.

-- Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 21 February 2008 11:01 (2 hours ago) Bookmark Link

Don't they have to be replaced though?

Like maybe put extra shower water in toilet?

okay explain this

duh, Toilet doesn't care.

One way solar power may become more affordable than fossil fuels:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4243793.html

um, what the hell is 'extra' shower water and how do you keep it for the toilet?

and why would you put it in the toilet?

great threat..I feel guily about being such a misanthrope by instinct

The New Yorker article is very good. Shocked to see what used to be my local branch of Tesco featured.

I find the article optimistic because it gives me hope that if political considerations allow it, economists could actually come up with a workable system that would properly incentivise people to adopt low carbon and that would also generate innovative technological solutions.

*great thread

*...adopt low carbon behaviours..

(I think I'll give up trying to type today)

grey water