Quite.

Indeed.

Fancy some Earl Grey?
I do suppose the Canucks have got the right idea.

>>19249
Much obligied.
Yes, yes I guess they do at that.

Now how about that weather, eh? Simply dreadful I must say.

These crumpets are simply marvelous.

>>19254
I must say, our normally harsh autumn weather has been unusually warm as of late. Could this travesty be somehow related to this "Global Warming" thing I've witnessed on the telly?

>>19257
Unlikely old bean, while global temperature increases make extreme whether swings more likely, they have little short-term effect on local weather patterns.

>>19254
All fog and rain here, no proper snow like we had when I was a child.

>>19257
I must say, I'm not convinced the warming trend will have any substantial effect at all. We're looking at a single degree over the next century, after all. It will allow us to spend slightly less energy on food production and will raise sea levels by a very minor amount, but really the hubbub over the topic is a bit disproportionate to the situation. Of course, some of our fellows across society find that hubbub to be a very useful tool in motivating ecological improvements, so it's understandable that the excitement is being encouraged to continue.

Bob 2011/12/03(Sat)14:35 No. 19265 ID: d6ae01
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>>19259
>>19264
Fascinating! Indeed, I realize I am not very knowledgeable about this subject. Rather than bore you gents with failed attempts at arguing a point I don't understand, I will simply take in the knowledge you have presented to me and consider myself a smarter bloke. Cheers.

Also, during one of my many tea breaks, I have made a modified icon that I believe could well represent this thread, were the OP image not doing such a fine job itself.

Indeed. Instead of a serious problem like many seem to believe, it's really more of a minor inconvenience.

Much like how I can't find any Green tea, a trifle, but not one that I feel requires much attention.


What I'm curious about is this odd little news about the British considering using the cremation of corpses as an energy source. I can see this will start a bit of controversy, both on moral grounds, and economic. That being said, does anyone know where the blueberry scones went? I'm quite partial to those you see.

Bob 2011/12/03(Sat)17:24 No. 19268 ID: 6f38fa
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>>19231
>>19245
Indubitably.

>>19266
I'm not certain it will be even an inconvenience, overall. There are certainly minor inconveniences associated with it, but historically the human race has tended to prosper more when the average global temperature has been higher.

I've not heard of corpse-burning as an energy source. It seems like an all-around poor choice as, quite apart from anything else, burning a corpse requires a substantial energy input, far in excess of the energy output. It seems likely to be a hoax, to me.

There might be no blueberry scones remaining, but there are a few boysenberry scones here which I'm rather partial too myself.

Interestingly, an increase in the levels of the oceans by a scant few centimeters globally would result in a shocking tally of square kilometers across the global coastline turning from land to sea. I nearly lost my monocle in the tea when I saw the number, though without leaving the parlor to engage in some remedial research, I regret that I cannot recite it for you gentlemen now. There are those who worry that such a difference would cause further changes in the heat absorption of our little planetary sphere in a way not unlike the toppling of those small bespeckled black rectangles the help is so fond of, though I find the notion that they can prove such a concern to be highly suspect.

I find myself little concerned however, because I suspect that the uproar these worrywarts have raised to be sufficient to cause the fine gentlemen at the Academy of the Sciences to look into the matter, and I am confident that we shall be able to stand firm in the face of any dreadful problems in potentia, should they crop up.

As to the matter of the consumption of corpses in support of the nation's needs, I find myself recalling the writings of Mr. Swift, and wonder if this modest proposal was intended to be taken in seriousness, or in jest. Then I must regretfully inform you, sir, that I myself have consumed the last of the blueberry scones but a moment ago. Surely the help can be sent to fetch more, however.

>>19271
I rather suspect that the figure you saw didn't include a measure of total land on the earth or even total coastline, for perspective. Except in extremely unusual circumstances, we're looking at no more than a few linear feet of beach recession. For the few places where this might matter, building a dike a few centimeters tall within the upcoming century is a fairly minor concern. After all, the sea rose three inches in the last century, and it wasn't a huge deal. Even with a substantial acceleration in the rise of sea level, it's unlikely that we'll face significant hardships from this source.

There's some merit to the concerns regarding the relative albedos of glacial ice and sea, though. The difference is somewhat lessened by the atmospheric albedo and by the position of the polar ice caps relative to the sun, but it probably will still have some measurable effect. Even so, it will undoubtedly be minor and gradual enough as to be of little detriment to humanity.

>>19271
I'm honestly not surprised you haven't heard, the news is very recent. There is some serious consideration to this issue. Some articles are considering that with the 'Baby Boom' generation nearing their golden years, this may seem to be means of utilizing the energy released from all those bodies getting the old crisp treatment.

http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/12/uk-crematorium-generate-electricity-made-burning-dead-people

From this many are considering it a step away from soylent green, as silly as that may sound. Cannibalism of all things...I prefer my meat to come from a lesser intelligent creature. Less likely to outwit me when alive.

>>19274
Ah, I see. Yes, it seems to be a practical proposal. They're not exactly burning the dead for power though, so much as recapturing some of the massive amount of energy that goes into a cremation. It seems a bit out there on the initial knee jerk, but from a practical standpoint it's not much different than if they were to acquire a more energy-efficient furnace.

>>19276

Well it certainly raises an interesting issue. The pursuit for alternative energy sources.

Nothing large scale so far: France has a business which collects the dog leavings their owners refuse to pick up, and utilizes the gas released by the bacteria breaking it down to heat peoples homes.

Small towns in American are planning to have their landfills burned into slag and use the resulting energy for power and the charred remains as asphalt.

And now this. Creative ideas all, but it still draws attention to the need for energy, and the fact that energy sources remain the same, or dwindle away, while the number of people needing that energy only increase...

>>19279
My apologies good sir, but I am afraid I must offer a correction on a single point, lest others dismiss the idea needlessly. While in the broadest of strokes you have the right of it, this is not simply a case of small towns considering casually burning their trash. Alas, mere fire is insufficient to break down some of the more exotic and troubling compounds present in the common landfill. Likewise, small towns suffer less from landfill over-filling and are less equipped to front the sizable initial investment required to build such a device. Instead, it is largely the cities pondering facilities capable of rendering their refuse into plasma, and harnessing a great deal of energy in the process. (The fact that the glassy black remnants are suitable for inclusion in the common asphalt mixture is an afterthought.) As I understood it, New York City was considering installing seven of the facilities to handle its daily waste management needs before the global financial markets turned regrettably sour. I found the technology sufficiently intriguing that I made a small financial investment into the company responsible some years ago, though I fear with the current state of things, they will be unable to turn a profit before their patent expires.