Scientist rings climate change alarm at Tahoe
By Kathryn Reed
STATELINE – “The threat of climate change is not from what we have done in the past, but what we do in the future.”
Those are the words of Ken Caldeira, the keynote speaker at last week’s annual Operation Sierra Storm conference, a gathering of television meteorologists hosted by Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. Caldeira is with the Department of Global Energy at the Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford.
His concern is that most of the carbon dioxide emissions are going to come from infrastructure that is not built. That prospect also offers him hope because it means there is still time for change.
“We need to stop using the sky as a waste dump for our CO2 pollution,” Caldeira said.
Ken Caldeira is worried not enough is being done to stop climate change. Photo/LTN
He was at the international climate conference in Paris last month. On the one hand Caldeira is encouraged that the world is acknowledging climate change to the point leaders want to do something about it. At the same time he is skeptical about the agreements that were made because he believes those actions were going to happen any way so in many ways nothing new came from the gathering.
“There is a mismatch in what is politically feasible and what is necessary,” Caldeira said.
Previous conferences – this was the 21st – sought binding agreements. The problem any president of the United States has with this is needing Congress to approve it.
President Obama committed to reducing emissions to 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. Using the Environmental Protection Agency is how he can circumvent Congress.
Caldeira’s repetitive mantra is stop building smoke stacks and tail pipes. He’s taking that call to the average person with the hope individuals will put pressure on elected officials to create the change he believes is needed to curb global warming.
He said the rate things are going now the Arctic ice will melt, sea levels will continue to rise, coral reefs will disappear and the world as we know it going to be very different – even if it’s not in our lifetime.
“It’s not too late to do something, but we need to start doing it now,” Caldeira said.
…..The PROBLEM any President of The United States with this is his need for the Congress to approve it…..
……Using the EPA is how he can circumvent the CONGRESS.
Oh Oh really…circumvent Congress
“The sky is falling.” I’ve heard this somewhere before.
Shocking how many of these so called conferences (located in resort areas) are filled with bogus papers created by the MIT word generator.
https://pdos.csail.mit.edu/archive/scigen/
Remember the director of STPUD recently admitted that we have NO water shortage in his district. The TTD disclosed that powering buses at this altitude with LNG was a joke.
My all time favorite was during the MTBE trial it was disclosed that if oxygenated gas has no benefit or at least it’s so small it can’t be measured.
What is shocking to me is how many people can continue to hold on to cherished political beliefs in the face of a wall of verifiable and repeatable facts refuting that belief. Sunrise, is it shocking? Please, what IS the number of bogus papers that are created by the word generator? Surely you must know. These are papers that are created for fun to submit to BOGUS conferences, not real ones.
These people are to the environment what banana republic dictators are to hunger relief. Yes the word generator started as a joke but it’s use has turned into a common practice.
I have spent decades interacting with these people. I always need to go home and shower after being in the same room with them.
Those that can do produce, those who can’t teach, those who can’t teach consult.
Lisa you should spend some time in Sacramento with the Army Corps. It would make you sick.
Needless to say, people that have been wrong about the environment, politics and any fact-based scientific discussions for their entire lives are never the smartest person in the room at any meeting with real climate experts.
Sunrise, I am amused that lay-folk, with no scientific training, generally less educated, who work from a political ideology as their “evidence” are consider by you to have a better understanding of how the natural world operates. Just so you know, the Republican Party is the only major political party in the world, that denies climate change – and even some Republicans are bailing the loosing ship as reality hits them in the face.
Next time someone you know goes in of surgery why don’t you tell the surgeon to move over you are going to do it.
Rick
Why attack me? Give me some facts about the carbon footprint of a yard of concrete used to make sidewalks.
Facts about high altitude lng efficiency or lack thereof.
Money and time wasted on commercials lying about water shortages in Tahoe.
TRPA officials who made me remove my bootlegged driveway in the 1980’s who want me to install one now.
TRPA officials who stopped me from cutting down diseased tree. Then I had city employees sending me notices to remove all the dead trees.
Ever try to buy a seeding from Tahoe Regreen?
For sures I needs me some learen from thems big green thinkers. You knows the ones tryin to sells them books and scam on early retirement, tenure and private consulting contracts.
PS
I have forgot more of this BS than most people will ever learn. I was Gene Snowden’s assistant in the early 1980,s conducting the tests on the incinerator at Harrah’s.
Gene was the man at USBS who developed the cascade particulate matter test.
Again check out reports by your friends, the Pentagon and the insurance industry. Both these entities are protecting themselves from the inevitable fallout of global warming.
But then I forgot, you’re smarter than all those folks (combined).
Still just insults. Why not try to answer my questions?
Whether man made global warming exists or not the response has been a joke/tragedy. Educators and so called scientists chasing after the money like starving Ethiopians cashing a food truck.
PS
I have no friends at the pentagon or in the insurance industry.
1,645 ft deep;)~ Lake Tahoe has plenty of water…no need for speeches and books.
USBS, COS, LTCC, LTUSD, STPUD, TRYP, TTD, EDC, BOS, SLTPD, ZCES, the list is endless.
Anyone want to go through one article and add to this
How does one read anything with clarity or certainty anymore?
‘Whether man made global warming exists or not…’, here’s a clue Mr.’Ive forgotten more than you’ll ever know”, that ship has sailed- The only questions that need to be answered now are concerning what to do about it- Here’s another clue- There’s an entire big wide world outside of the Tahoe Basin-Insults?-willful ignorance is an insult to those that get their info from sources that deal with reality-
Still just insults. No one can answer ANY of my questions?
Just one.
How about trying to justify enlarging the parking lot at our Cadillac green high school with declining enrollment.
If the world is coming to an end next week how come we’re still paying or at least subsidising people to have children?
Sunriser 2:
I’d be happy to attempt an answer to a cogent question as soon as you pose one. . .why attack me (?) is the 1st I saw, the 2nd was “ever try to buy a seed[l]ing (sp ?) from Tahoe Regreen” (?). . .and the 3rd/4th, “Why not try to answer my questions (?)/No one can answer my questions (?). . .
What specifically would you like to know, beyond the reactive blather that goes on here. . .I’m qualified to offer answers…
And to Robin: Just because the Lake has 14 trillion gallons in it, doesn’t mean anything to your groundwater. aquifer, or drinking water. . .they are distinctly different; that’s where the problem lies. . .
Rome is burning and Nero is fiddling.
Sunriser, I tried to find a question to answer, but all I found were sarcastic comments. Did you actually have a real question? See, in English, questions are followed by a “?” question mark. Are you including rhetorical questions? No one is “attacking” you. Facts and information are readily available online for your perusal, no one is obligated to do your research for you.
The one I did find, I can answer. No, I have never tried to buy a seedling from Tahoe Regreen. I have planted dozens of trees though.
If you want to criticize the article, fine. But to claim that no one will answer your questions, when there aren’t any is a bit absurd, don’t you think?
Gary,
1) What is the kilocalorie load to produce, transport, install and maintain a yard of concrete used in the new sidewalks?
2) How long is the projected life span of the new sidewalks.
3) How much money did STPUD spend on commercials and ads warning about the water shortage in our area?
4) Why did the high school expand their parking lot when the focus of the multi million dollar remodel was to be green?
5) How could the TRPA have made such large mistakes regarding driveways and dead trees?
6) Why is our country still paying or subsidizing people to have children?
It sounds like some people here have a chip on their shoulder about local government.
Being a cynic about government should have no bearing on the fact that the human-induced rise in greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, the immediate spike in the relatively near past, the present and the future, have a negative affect on our ecosystems.
Anyone is entitled to be pissed at government, to vote Republican, to post what they want on this small news blog etc etc. But human-induced climate change and its negative impacts and (for example) being a Republican are not mutually exclusive events. At least they should not be, anyway.
Everyone has an opinion. Regardless the powers that be an opinion is as good as gold in this society. The prevailing opinion is that the government is corrupt and not doing the job they are paid by the people to do.
Conversely the people are being robbed blind by a bunch of thugs and crooks and it needs to stop.
NATURE DOES NOT RESPECT HUMAN NATURE.
One volcano…one asteroid….and all your $MILLION$ phffft Cycles……..Nature does not respect human CYCLES.
Totally scary and sad that anyone thinks the government has NOT run amok. That these multi $MILLION$ scandals are somehow to be ignored by the CHILDREN and GRANDCHILDREN that are going to be made to suffer the consequences thereof.
Selling ones children into the hands of these miscreants is NOT going to happen.
…small news blog eh? We’ll see about that;)
Robin, if I told you that your assertion about volcanoes is wrong by a factor of 100 would you reconsider your position?
Probably not.
billy,
GR8 comment and some thought would probably been given had you been able to resist the “probably not” part:(
Deniers are predictable.
Sunriser. I am not Garry but…
Cost to produce & transport concrete is about 4.8MJ/kg; steel is 23.7MJ/kg by comparison.
Concrete driveways/walkways have a useful life of 20-30 years; depends on maintenance.
I found a 2013 budget online. I could not find a line item for Water Shortage Advertising in the S.T.P.U.D. budget. What I did find was that the their average rate was $88 lower then the Tahoe Basin Average.
Your last three questions require opinions and are therefore not quantifiable.
Robin. As it turns out, there is analysis done on corrupt Governments around the world and America is ranked 19th best. So, your opinion is not fact or moot.
Some results…
1st Denmark & New Zealand tied
3 Finland & Sweden tied
5 Norway & Singapore tied
7 Switzerland
8 Netherlands
9 Australia & Canada tied
106 Mexico
177 (last) Somalia, North Korea & Afghanistan tied
So, R4T, who did the ranking and are they totally unbiased? Hmm?
Dog. You don’t care about your own question because you are an Anarchist. But, it is easy to find on that Gubment internet thingy.
rock…”So, your opinion is not fact or moot.”
So, my opinion is not fact or moot…what the H*** is it…LOL
Rock, why bother?-You can’t fix wingnut teabagger
Robin. Yes, there is a difference between Science/Math/Physics and opinion.
ex. There is a difference between these two statements:
The speed of light is corrupt.
The speed of light is 671 million miles per hour.
TeaTotal. I suppose hope springs eternal.
If Trump is elected they will get “fixed.”
As Pastor Martin Niemöller said,
“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.”