Out of the mouths of babes

[klondike]

This young chap seems to have some radical ideas. About 5 minutes.
..

[Michael Rolls]

exactly

[Ashy]

For the record I haven't been convinced that we owe a greater responsibility to the rest of the world than to our own people, especially as the rest of the world is actually here.

[JBR]

This man talks a lot of sense.  Basically, the government's 'nett zero' and 'global warming' policies have resulted in our no longer being a manufacturing country and now being reliant on buying in the raw materials from other countries.  I wonder whether this situation is now beyond changing.

I remember retired miners at a coal mine, now a museum I used to visit regularly, talking about the nonsense of closure of all our mines and the stupidity of failing to use what we still possess underground for our own benefit.

I can only assume that the politicians responsible are completely oblivious to the impossibility of changing our climate by closing down all of our productivity.  It is already obvious that doing this has not prevented climate change which is a natural phenomenon beyond any control by man.

Even if it were possible, we still have coal mining and other such 'naughty' things over in China among other places, and they are far too sensible not to benefit from their natural resources.  It is as if Britain has lost all common sense although, of course, not all of us; only our glorious leaders.  And I thought they were educated people.

[dextrous63]

"Educated" JB?  I think there's a curious subset of educated people defined by "selfish, oblivious, heads in cloud cuckoo land, deceitful" that these numbskulls are members of.

[klondike]

I thought he was more or less saying what just about everybody here has been saying. It is clearly wrong or or government would surely have taken this path 

[muddy]

Surely we must have advanced enough to use 'scrubbers' - sort of industrial filters -to clean the coal used in the power stations therefore reducing any greenhouse gases .

[klondike]

I think they can scrub the SO₂ out to some extent as there were moans about acid rain and efforts taken to stop that decades ago but there is no commercially viable CO₂ capture in place yet.

TBH I now have my doubts that climate change is entirely or even in any way caused by human use of fossil fuels but coal is a dirty fuel and does cause air pollution as evidenced by China and probably India too but China is the one we hear about most.

IMO nuclear is the way forward for energy. Oil is valuable for chemicals and maybe coal would be too. Coal is needed for steelmaking. For energy gas is better than coal. We need to conserve coal and oil for their uses other than energy production where possible.

It seems clear that electric cars are inconvenient and cause environmental problems as well as consuming fossil fuels both to produce the batteries and the electricity that powers them. They are not the way forward and are causing the collapse of the western motor industry.

[Ashy]

This may be a silly question but when they put a CO2 generator in a greenhouse to promote plant growth, where does the CO2 come from? 

[klondike]

ChatGPT says

CO₂ enrichment in greenhouses is a technique used to boost plant growth and yield by increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air. This enhances photosynthesis, leading to faster growth, improved quality, and higher productivity. There are several methods to enrich CO₂ in greenhouses:
1. CO₂ Generators

• These burn natural gas, propane, or kerosene to produce CO₂.
• They also release heat, which can be beneficial in colder months but may require ventilation in summer.

2. Compressed CO₂ Cylinders

• CO₂ is stored in high-pressure tanks and released through a distribution system.
• This method allows precise control over CO₂ levels.

3. Liquid CO₂ Systems

• Liquid CO₂ is stored in large tanks and converted to gas before being released.
• More expensive but provides better control and is free from unwanted byproducts.

4. Organic Decomposition (Composting or Bio-Reactors)

• Composting organic material inside or near the greenhouse releases CO₂ naturally.
• Bio-reactors using microbial activity can also generate CO₂.

5. Flue Gas from Boilers

• Some greenhouses use CO₂-rich exhaust from boilers.
• The gas must be filtered to remove harmful pollutants before use.

6. Dry Ice (Solid CO₂ Sublimation)

• Dry ice releases CO₂ as it sublimates.
• Not commonly used due to cost and handling difficulties.

Key Considerations for CO₂ Enrichment:

• Target CO₂ Levels: Most plants benefit from levels between 800–1,200 ppm, compared to ambient air (~400 ppm).
• Ventilation: Proper air circulation ensures even CO₂ distribution and prevents depletion.
• Timing: CO₂ should be enriched during daylight