JS

eBay sends me a note. They want me to get “eco-friendly essentials for less”. Their slogan is: “to go green - to save the planet - and your budget”.

They have a list (see below). Clearly, item one, two and some other items fit the list. Solar panels are expensive, but they produce renewable energy so that is fine (as long as the energy produced by the solar panels outweighs the production cost).

Then there are some strange items as well. For example, exactly how do I save the planet and my budget by buying vintage knobs?

Eco-friendly essentials
1. Fluorescent Bulbs
2. Solar Panels
3. Seeds & Plants
4. Tankless Water Heaters
5. Motion Sensor Lights
6. Vintage Knobs
7. Stone Tiles
8. Energy Efficient Appliances
9. Programmable Thermostats
10. Air Purifiers

I believe this is just the beginning of how companies try to make money off our guilt and fear of global warming. That is perfectly alright. However, sometimes it seems like the efforts people make are similar to having a diet coke with a big pizza. In the end, we need to make substantial lifestyle adjustments rather than simply buying motion sensor lights. Small adjustments are fine, but it is important not to lose sight of the bigger picture.

Another interesting suggestion from eBay is that people should get a Segway. A Segway costs about $5,000. That does not save my budget, it hurts it bad. A regular bike costs a fraction of the Segway. Ever since G.O.B. in Arrested Development used a Segway, I have a hard time to take them seriously.

written by Jacob \\ tags: climate change

“There is no scientific consensus. There is no human caused global warming.” (Climate Hypochondriac) This position is hardly unique as we can see here.

I grew up playing a lot of Civilization so I know that if you build too many factories without at the same time building recycling centers and enabling mass transit transportation, global warming is bound to create problems. I remember this phase of the game as very frustrating since factories were great for production. You could only have them in a few select cities, otherwise the global warming meter would eventually become bright yellow ( = bad things). Nuclear power plants were no solution either since they sometimes had meltdowns (Bang! City population/2 and nuclear waste around it). The discovery of fusion power always came as a relief. So that is my position on global warming. Sid Meier brainwashed me.

Back to our climate change discussion. Some people seem absolutely certain that humans are not behind global warming. I am perplexed by the apparent certainty, that they do not even see the possibility that humans are behind climate change - in spite of all the evidence that is pointing in this direction. I do not think skepticism is bad (it is usually a good principle) it is just that this certainty is odd, especially now that the burden of proof seems to have shifted to those that do not think humans are behind global warming.

written by Jacob \\ tags: climate change, games

A story/video by the National Geographic gives the impression that polar bears are threatened in Finland because of climate change. Finland might be cold (or at least used to be), but it has never been known for its population of polar bears.

I hear that National Geographic will run a story tomorrow about the penguins in Scotland that nowadays face extinction.

Crazy stories like this one might make it harder for people who care about climate change to be taken seriously.

written by Jacob \\ tags: climate change, Finland, misunderstandings, polar bears