Thirty 'Then and Now' Photos That Show Dramatic Changes on Earth

[palmislandRandy]

I saw these dramatic photos & thought I should share. Click on the photos for before/after. Wow!

http://www.accuweather.com/en/features/trend/30_then_and_now_photos_climate_change_earth_melting_glaciers/45986679

-Randy

[trioderob]

too much CO2.

guess how many pounds of CO2 one car produces per year ?

Then guess how many cars there are ?

Edited May 8, 2015 by trioderob

[displaced_floridian]

I know it's a staggering amount. Do you have the numbers handy?

[Josh-O]

yikes!!

[trioderob]

so the average car puts out around 5 tons of CO2 per year.

so that is per car 9737 lb

there are approx 1 BILLION cars in the world

1,000,000,000 x 9737= 9,737,000,000,000 lbs per year

then we have natural factors increasing the CO2 along with factory emissions , etc.........

[Bill H2DB]

For me , a way to express our effect on the environment is to put the total daily production of

Carbon based fuels etc into a single unit .

This is the BOE :, that is Coal , and Natural Gas , and Crude Oil put into Barrel of OIL Equivalent .

The world is producing in the vicinity of 220 Million BOE's per day.

Everyday.

Picture a field with 220 million barrels sitting on it , with each barrel holding 42 gallons.

Picture another tomorrow , and the next day , and the nex................

Wow .

[Dypsisdean]

too much CO2.

guess how many pounds of CO2 one car produces per year ?

Then guess how many cars there are ?

Why are cars and industry always mentioned first as the culprits of global warming - but never meat in the diet? How many of those who wish to clamp down on transportation and industry's use of fuels would be unwilling to eliminate their unnecessary consumption of meat?

Would you be in favor of outlawing meat consumption to combat Global Warming? Or why not put a meat tax, equivelent to the gas tax, on meat products? Why is everyone so focused on fossil fuels?

From the UN, and an article in Scientific American: THE GREENHOUSE HAMBURGER

Some excerpts:

…our diets and, specifically, the meat in them cause more greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide, and the like to spew into the atmosphere than either transportation or industry.

It turns out that producing half a pound of hamburger for someone's lunch a patty of meat the size of two decks of cards releases as much greenhouse gas into the atmosphere as driving a 3,000-pound car nearly 10 miles.

[amazondk]

In Brazil there are about 200 million people and the cattle population is about 200 million. In Amazonia there are about 25 million people and there are about 75 million head of cattle. The major cause of deforestation in Amazonia over the past 50 years has been conversion of forest to pasture land. Since the land is burned after deforestation a lot of carbon is then released to the atmosphere. Then come the farting cows.

[Dypsisdean]

In Brazil there are about 200 million people and the cattle population is about 200 million. In Amazonia there are about 25 million people and there are about 75 million head of cattle. The major cause of deforestation in Amazonia over the past 50 years has been conversion of forest to pasture land. Since the land is burned after deforestation a lot of carbon is then released to the atmosphere. Then come the farting cows.

And don't forget the methane from the giga-tons of decomposing manure - it's not just the farts.

Why do you suppose those who are promoting changes to industry, transportation, and energy production in order to combat Global Warming rarely mention this major source of greenhouse gases. Could it be that giving up their hamburgers would just be too much to sacrifice? It is much easier to go after and control those things that don't hit so close to home.

[amazondk]

Dean, there is a lot of money in meat. Brazil exported 7.2 billion USD of beef meat in 2014. This was 16 percent of the total meat production of the country which was 9.4 million tons of beef. It is interesting that the major exporter and producer of beef in Brazil is a company called JBS. The JBS-Friboi group now owns Swift meat of the USA. The brand Swift was purchased by JBS in 2007 for 1.4 billiion USD. Swift at that time was the 3rd largest beef and pork processor with 9.4 billion USD in annual sales. The main market for JBS has been the middle east and asia. Most cattle in Brazil are grass feed not feed lot. This may actually result in less pollution as the management practices have improved dramatically in past years. This is especially true in Amazonian where integrated forest management has become common integrating forestry, agriculture, and cattle into a system which enhances the soil, increases the production of head per hectare greatly and preserves and actually have been recovering large areas of forest. This includes vital watershed protection by enhancing the recovery of forest cover along stream banks and the decrease in pollution to the watershed. One of the regions worst areas of destruction Paragominas, Para has been removed from the eco offenders list and has received much acclaim for the sucess of integrated forest management which includes a high production of cattle.

The other big impact on Amazonia is the production of soybeans. And, the soybeans go mostly to make animal feed from chickens to cattle. But, even with this 85 percent of the amazon forest is still forest. And, it still plays an important role in the worlds climate. The change is agricultural practices which have lessened the impact on the forest and even reversed it in cases has been motivated mostly by the profit motive and it is more lucrative to produce more on an area and in a sustainable fashion that otherwise.

Cattle and the forest do not have to be in conflict.

dk

[Josh-O]

[DoomsDave]

Hmm.

You can only eat so much meat.

Seems like there's a much higher threshold for burning fossil fuels.

The SA article indicates that beef production contributes to between 14 and 22% of the overall greenhouse gases; that means cars, etc., produce the remaining 86 - 78%.

Beef production is significant but far from the largest. Where would a tax on beef go? Who would be paid?

In theory you could use revenue from a tax on cars to help pay for public transport, or bikeways, etc.

[amazondk]

How much green house gas does the worlds human population produce?

[Dypsisdean]

The SA article indicates that beef production contributes to between 14 and 22% of the overall greenhouse gases; that means cars, etc., produce the remaining 86 - 78%.

Beef production is significant but far from the largest.

Depending on what sources you use, all transportation (planes, trucks, ships, and cars) account for 27%. So cars are much less than that. So it is conceivable cars and beef are equal offenders.

My point was that I found it interesting that the first thing usually mentioned when Global Warming is discussed (as Rob did above) is to dump on cars. When in fact, as an indivdual, if you are really concerned about Global Warming, cutting beef out of your diet would do as much good as getting rid of your gas guzzler. But it is never mentioned. I was curious as to why???

[DoomsDave]

The SA article indicates that beef production contributes to between 14 and 22% of the overall greenhouse gases; that means cars, etc., produce the remaining 86 - 78%.

Beef production is significant but far from the largest.

Depending on what sources you use, all transportation (planes, trucks, ships, and cars) account for 27%. So cars are much less than that. So it is conceivable cars and beef are equal offenders.

My point was that I found it interesting that the first thing usually mentioned when Global Warming is discussed (as Rob did above) is to dump on cars. When in fact, as an indivdual, if you are really concerned about Global Warming, cutting beef out of your diet would do as much good as getting rid of your gas guzzler. But it is never mentioned. I was curious as to why???

Well, not as much good, especially if the 14% figure is true. If cars etc. account for 27% and cattle for 14%, that's a big difference. I'm curious for the reason for the uncertainty.

[Dypsisdean]

The SA article indicates that beef production contributes to between 14 and 22% of the overall greenhouse gases; that means cars, etc., produce the remaining 86 - 78%.

Beef production is significant but far from the largest.

Depending on what sources you use, all transportation (planes, trucks, ships, and cars) account for 27%. So cars are much less than that. So it is conceivable cars and beef are equal offenders.

My point was that I found it interesting that the first thing usually mentioned when Global Warming is discussed (as Rob did above) is to dump on cars. When in fact, as an indivdual, if you are really concerned about Global Warming, cutting beef out of your diet would do as much good as getting rid of your gas guzzler. But it is never mentioned. I was curious as to why???

Well, not as much good, especially if the 14% figure is true. If cars etc. account for 27% and cattle for 14%, that's a big difference. I'm curious for the reason for the uncertainty.

Dave - you have to take that 27% and subtract the planes, ships, trains, trucks, and buses - thus leaving a smaller percentage of just cars.

I'm guessing that would then place that figure (for cars) within the 14-22% range.

[Bill H2DB]

The carbon based fuel figures also include the amount used for purposes other than cars.

I'm a car guy , so I'm not blaming cars for everything. Due to emission/ mileage regulations , the

car industry has made great strides. Not necessarily voluntarily , but they've done it. New standards phasing in

over the next few years will do even more. Problem is that the " Third World" is getting off of bicycles

and into cars, at a rate of many thousands per day. They want them , and now are able to do it .

Power production uses huge amounts of Coal , natural gas , etc , add in Heat production

and industrial/ agricultural use and it is the staggering number of approx 220 Million BOE's per day

World population is now at over 7 Billion , and varying projections of around 10-11 Billion by 2050 .

[amazondk]

The sun is the only solution in sight for carbon emissions. I have become a fan of Elon Musk lately. When he introduced the Tesla battery pack he made a point of what kind of foot print putting the entire US on solar would be. It would be a small piece of Texas if all the panels where put together. The development of ever more robust batteries coupled with more efficient solar panel technology should be a major upset to the current power generation industry. As more people and companies go off grid the impact will be enormous. Solar power has the potential to do to the conventional power generation industry what cell phones have done to fixed lines. I wish that I had a Tesla car.

The sun shines every day and will for billions of years to come.