
Guest essay by Eric Worrall
Entrepreneur Bill Gates has announced a one billion dollar green tech fund, to try to make renewables fit for purpose.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald;
If successful, the Paris meeting could spur a fundamental shift away from the use of oil, coal and gas to the use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. But that transition would require major breakthroughs in technology and huge infrastructure investments by governments and industry.
Where that money would come from has been a question leading up to the Paris talks. Developing countries like India, the third-largest fossil-fuel polluter, have pushed for commitments by developed nations to pay for their energy transition, either through direct government spending or through inexpensive access to new technology.
India has emerged as a pivotal player in the Paris talks. The announcement by Mr Gates appears intended to help secure India’s support of a deal.
As US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton pledged that developed countries would send $US100 billion ($139 billion) annually to poor countries by 2020 to help them pay for the energy transition. Indian officials have demanded that the Paris deal lock in language that the money would come from public funds — a dealbreaker for rich countries.
This summer, Mr Gates pledged to spend $US 1 billion of his personal fortune on researching and deploying clean energy technology, but the people with knowledge of his plans said the new fund would include larger commitments.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/world-business/microsofts-bill-gates-to-start-multibilliondollar-fund-for-clean-energy-20151128-glacw0.html
This isn’t the first time a project to make renewables viable has been attempted. Back in 2014, WUWT reported about a similar attempt led by Google, which was a total failure.
At the start of RE<C, we had shared the attitude of many stalwart environmentalists: We felt that with steady improvements to today’s renewable energy technologies, our society could stave off catastrophic climate change. We now know that to be a false hope … Renewable energy technologies simply won’t work; we need a fundamentally different approach.”
Read more: http://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/renewables/what-it-would-really-take-to-reverse-climate-change
I applaud Bill’s enthusiasm – who wouldn’t want cheap magic solar panels, which eliminated the need to ever pay another electricity bill. But if the Google experience is any guide, it seems unlikely that another billion dollars will make a significant difference.
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
So, in other words , Gates and his fellow socialists have realized too late that they are losing the war against Humanity and have decided to go All In !!
His old college roommate has said with a laugh ” Bill never could play poker ” !!!
I’m not sure he can play Freecell either.
It would be a sad way for Bill to spend all his money, since it’s a bottomless pit. But stupid is as stupid does.
Well the way to go ” all in ” on renewable energy, is to pick your power plant site, and put a fence around it.
And then you prohibit ANY non renewables from entering the plant site.
You have to run the entire operation from its purely renewables production.
What is allowed OUT of your wizard plant, is the net energy (or other resource) over and above what it takes to run the operation.
Of course, your plant site also has to deal with the refuse that is generated inside your plant.
Now we would in practice allow you to trade tit for tat. So you could buy steel or concrete etc, but it would cost you energy wise, as much energy as it takes to get those from natural sources in their in situ state.
Many so-called renewable energy schemes are not able to pass this reality check test.
So have at it Bill, let’s see you make more renewable energy available, than it takes in any energy form to run your demonstration, in a zero based budgeting system.
g
You are off you meds? Gates is not nor will ever be a Socialist.
Take him up on the challenge, decentralize power and clean water generation. This is the key to saving billions of souls and it doesn’t require the UN!
I have watched with interest Mr Gates efforts in Africa. He uses his “tax protected” foundation to fund projects with him being personally promoted for his philanthropy. What Africans need are good jobs. What I want to see is Mr Gates move Microsoft to Africa and hire native Africans. Then, Mr Gates will be putting his money where his mouth is.
Twaddle.
“You are off you meds? Gates is not nor will ever be a Socialist.”
If I remember correctly, Gates was one of the early proponents of software copyright, thereby offloading the cost of enforcing his software licensing onto the taxpayer. He made his money from a government-granted monopoly on software distribution at a time when most software was given away for free, or written to order for individual customers.
Mr. Bill is a perfect example of live right, vote left. He is a socialist, just not when it concerns his own profit.
Mark
Mr. McClure,
1. If Marcus is “off his meds” — I hope he stays off.
2. Just do a little research into the politicians and political causes Bill Gates, Jr. has supported GENEROUSLY and you will discover that they are largely socialist (Note: some would use the term “statist” instead). In the U.S., a “socialist” backs government control of the economy to a degree that cannot by any means be called “free market.” Usually, they run under the title: “Democrat.” There are many RINOS who run as “Republicans,” too.
Janice
“If I remember correctly, Gates was one of the early proponents of software copyright, thereby offloading the cost of enforcing his software licensing onto the taxpayer. He made his money from a government-granted monopoly on software distribution at a time when most software was given away for free, or written to order for individual customers.”
No, that is incorrect.The topic of software copyright first arose in the early 1960s, and it was companies like IBM and the other computer mfrs who lobbied for software to be allowed copyright protection. A major law was passed in the late 70s, at that point in time MS barely existed as a company, and had no influence on the law. http://digital-law-online.info/lpdi1.0/treatise17.html
As far as the point that most software was given away for free at that time, that is also incorrect. It was often bundled with the hardware (as with the IBM System 360), but it was hardly free. The entire freeware/open source movement did not take off until the late 90s/early 2000s, long after Gates made his fortune.
John McClure
Wind and solar can’t supply the energy to do those things on a local or national level. To believe they can is not science but science fiction. Oh, yes, improvements can be made but that is just putting lipstick on a pig.
Nuclear seems the only workable option but fortunately we have a couple hundred years of gas, oil and coal left — plenty of time for all the environmental luddites to die off.
Eugene WR Gallun
PS — In a number of my posts today I have been somewhat negative about Bill Gates. Actually he personally has been a big plus for humanity and i respect him. But projects like this, he needs to rethink.
Software isn’t useful without hardware to run it. In the early years of computing, the money was made on the hardware, and the hardware wasn’t much use without the software that came with it. It might not have been ‘free’, but it wasn’t something you could just copy and run on another machine with different hardware.
“The entire freeware/open source movement did not take off until the late 90s/early 2000s, long after Gates made his fortune.”
Not even remotely true. There was a ton of free software before the 90s, and Gates’ BASIC was one of the first attempts to make money on software in the early personal computer market, where most people gave it away for free.
“Software isn’t useful without hardware to run it. In the early years of computing, the money was made on the hardware, and the hardware wasn’t much use without the software that came with it. It might not have been ‘free’, but it wasn’t something you could just copy and run on another machine with different hardware.”
In the early days, the OS (operating system) was bundled with the hardware, that is how IBM, DEC, Honeywell, etc sold their systems. But plenty of companies made company off of external software that was sold to complement that – transaction processing software, systems management tools, etc. CSC, SAP, BMC, Computer Associates are all examples of companies founded in the 60s to late 70s that sold commercial software. That model was well established before Microsoft was even incorporated.
“Not even remotely true. There was a ton of free software before the 90s, and Gates’ BASIC was one of the first attempts to make money on software in the early personal computer market, where most people gave it away for free”
Microsoft BASIC came out in 1976 – please tell me all the free compilers that were available for the ALTAIR before MS came out with their version. Lots of other companies were making money off PC software from the very earliest days – Lotus Software, Word Perfect, and Ashton-Tate are just a few of the companies that sold commercial software for PCs starting in the late 70s to early 80s. While there were some free tools, the market share of those was small, and more to the point, the commercialization of software you blame Gates for started long before Microsoft.
Maybe not a Socialist but absolutely a corporate elite who thinks democracy has failed us. Not much difference is there?
“Chris
November 30, 2015 at 7:30 am”
Under IBM MVS circa 1972.
you can accomplish quite a bit by buying fossil fuel plants and shuttering them.
Billionaires and big government partnering? Hold onto your wallets taxpayers!
Bingo! We have a winner! Think of Soros buying up coal his funded faux green movements help depress the price on.
Think of Buffet supporting the faux greens while his railroads rake in the profits for moving the Canadian crude on dangerous inefficient rail lines.
No. It means that if the US throws $100 billion at the renewables industry, Bill Gates will “invest” $1 billion to be in a position in the renewables industry to sell the govt whatever technology they want him to supply.
That’s not what is being proposed by Gates. He’s putting his own money where his mouth is, not your money or mine. I doubt that he’ll have much success, at least as far as wind and solar are concerned, but I wish him well in this endeavor.
I would believe Gates if he wasn’t positioning himself in an industry with significant levels of subsidies. Like Warren Buffet, you won’t find Gates chasing investments that don’t have significant taxpayer backstops involved.
Break Through Energy Coalition
Parties involved listed here:
http://www.breakthroughenergycoalition.com/en/who.html which also includes Bill Gates.
Well, there’s two more Solyndra’s, I suppose. At least it’s not coming from the public dime.
Don’t believe Bill Gates promise until you see it. If history is a guide he will want more than matching funds from the taxpayers directly or indirectly.
What specific historical guide are you referring to?
Chris –
The fact that he said that the private sector has never developed anything useful and the best R&D outfit in the world is the US Department of Energy. It’s right there in his Salon interview on October 29, 2015.
laughing target – I just don’t get the criticism of Gates here. As someone who has worked for many years with VCs and PE investors, I can tell you that almost all private money is short term – by short term I mean expecting a return in a maximum of 10 years. There is no way nuclear, hydrogen, fusion or other risky potential energy sources are going to get private money because the investment return horizon is beyond 10 years. Look at nuclear – after TMI, the US nuclear industry essentially mothballed their research. So there needs to be a government role in this, otherwise let’s just stop talking about all these technologies.
This is how it should have been done in the first place. Private money, not public. I genuinely wish him well in the enterprise, provided it is done honestly (a big ask for someone who ran Microsoft). If we can all get access to cheaper and more effective energy than we can get from coal, gas and nuclear that would be wonderful. Unfortunately, there’s a looong way to go before that happens. I doubt $1bn will be enough, but of course others may put in.
IF Green technology was doable, it would not need taxpayers money !!
Indeed, I don’t think Mr Rossi has taken one dime from any government regardless of whether his idea works or not.
I personally don’t begrudge Bill Gates one brass razoo of his fortune. I think he and M$ have benefited more people on this planet than did many of the giants before them.
But it would be nice if he kept his social theories to himself, and concentrated on what he earned my respect for.
g
“IF Green technology was doable, it would not need taxpayers money !!”
The US nuclear industry would not exist without government funding. Even oil fracking relied on critical US government support in its early days: http://thebreakthrough.org/archive/interview_with_dan_steward_for
Your both right and more importantly partnering is happening as we speak.
I did a little wanderlust meandering for the Paris Agenda and came across a couple of goodies. This is the better one. A previous poster turned us onto to http://newsroom.unfccc.int/financial-flows/.
That led me to http://www.c2es.org/us-states-regions/regional-climate-initiatives
Which led me to http://www.c2es.org/business/belc
All nuke friendly http://www.c2es.org/search/common?text=nuclear%20power
If Green Technology was viable it wouldn’t payments equally to more the cost of research, development and production. No other technology needs that much subsidy.
I’m increasingly seeing that classic green tech (wind/solar) isn’t viable without subs.
What I am seeing is that China will have molten salt SMR within 5 years and we’ll imitate within 10.
Feels like the oligarchs are trying to bridge us there.
Do I think it’s a stupid way to get us there. Yup
Do I think it’s based on a climate hoax. Yup
Do I think we’d be better off burning fossils to bridge us to SMRs. Yup
Do I think we would have built SMRs on our own. Not without being pushed.
Anyway, tomorrow I’ll wake up, go fishing for the last mermaid and see how you guys tare into those thoughts. Btw, the genesis of my thought process was reading about how Thatcher wanted to never have to deal with the miners up her skirt or beholden to oil she didn’t have. She wanted nukes and couldn’t get there so she was tacitly a fan of the whole C02 nonsense. Obviously, she ended up with strange bedfellows.
as long as Microsoft books revenue for developments and holds the patent/copyright on them.
Bill Gates could do us all a favor, by telling his software writers to get his “Office ” products, such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, etc to all use the same user interface language.
I do mathematics, and science writing and plotting and graphing, and I want to be able to do any and all of those things in all of those products.
And stop moving stuff around so we can’t find where you hid it.
It used to be that you could INSERT a page break under the INSERT tab in WORD. Dunno where it is now. It would be nice if you could also delete a page break in the same place.
It would be nice if when you do insert and get the Greek alphabet table to do some scientific or math writing, that they would leave the Greek table up there till you are finished with it. Now they erase the table every time you select one character, and you then have to go and get the table again to type a second Greek character.
Totally childish.
I want to do super and subscripts in ALL Office programs, and I want to have an icon to select those like WORD has, but the others don’t.
If I was Gates, I’d fire the managers in their Office suite department, and hire someone, who can make tem all taqlk the same language.
And speaking of language; I’d like an icon that says 360 or IBM360, so that when I click on it, it turns M$Word into an IBM 360 selectric typewriter, that actually types the character I key, and does nothing but that.
I don’t need a spell checker that has an English vocabulary suitable for a smart parrot or minah bird. MS Word spell checker or thesaurus, has maybe 5% of all of the words, I regularly use.
g
george,
Simple solution: get a Mac. ☺
+1000 Dave. It’s good kit and it just keeps on doing what it says it will. All of the derogatory comments about fanboys are by the by. Apple products just keep on keeping on.
George, you delete a page break by highlighting it and pressing delete (you can see it by pressing the paragraph button to show the formatting symbols), and it’s still under insert, but it’s labeled “Insert blank page” now.
You can remap your characters on the symbol button (I have mine to type Greek when I press alt and the corresponding letter), or insert an equation that gives you quick access to all the common symbols.
Finally, all of the programs aside from Access, which has very limited formatting at all, accept control-= and control-+ for super and subscript.
While it’s not optimum user interface, these features do exist.
“george e. smith
November 30, 2015 at 8:43 am”
Maybe Star Office under Linux?
Microsoft Wind 1.0
Now that should work almost as well as Windows 1.0 right 🙂
“Now that should work almost as well as Windows 1.0 right :)”
There wasn’t actually a ‘Windows 1’ as such, it was just ‘Windows’.
Not long ago while rooting in the attic, I found my ‘Windows SDK’, complete with all its documentation and its 1.2MB five & a quarter floppies!
The best version of ‘Windows’ was M$ DOS 3.2.
g
You know, I like your sentiment. It’s a shame that Gates is wasting his money on research almost certain to end in a dead end, but it’s his money to waste, and perhaps they will find the miracle needed to make it viable. At the very least, it’s his money and his decision, not a politician spending other people’s money.
Hey Bill, just imagine how many poor children’s lives around the world could be saved with that Billion dollars !!
Well….. a lot for awhile then they grow up and breed and you get more poor people.
When I was a kid half the world was poor. 1.5 billion people. Now half the world is still poor. 3.5 billion pathetic souls. Get the picture?
Course maybe some rich folks will figure out how to turn them into Caucasians and they’ll then take care of themselves.
The hypocrisy of the left is mind numbing !!!
Keep up the clarion call Mr Watts.
Handouts from the rich don’t change the realities of subsidized markets.
Eventually, the scheme falls apart unless “someone(s)” are willing to continue paying.
Meanwhile millions in developed lands with access to fossils are prevented from developing them and they die. This whole nonsense is needlessly killing the very people they are supposed to be helping.
Btw, an excellent documentary on you tube.
The video is dated as May 2015, but it seems older.
Can use an update.
I’m amazed that it has under 2000 views.
Good video to cite, Knute — thank you. It was published more than once on youtube, apparently. This link {without the { } gap in the middle between “you” and “tube” — to prevent a video control window from appearing here} goes to a version with over 250,000 views (originally aired in 2007 — yes, it is older than 2015).
https://www.you { } tube.com/watch?v=52Mx0_8YEtg
Janice
Evidently the gapless version sent me to the no load zone.
I felt microharassed. I’m pretty sure I suffered brutal harm and won’t be able to find immediate happiness.
Is it possible to send me a better link to the 250K plus viewers version ?
Hi, Knute,
I posted the link to the video in my comment addressed to you at 8:48pm tonight, here:
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/11/29/bill-gates-announces-green-tech-fund-to-make-renewables-viable/#comment-2082876
I clicked on it and it worked (went to youtube and video was there).
Janice
Janice
What did you think of https://medium.com/@pullnews/what-i-learned-about-climate-change-the-science-is-not-settled-1e3ae4712ace#.qmo57t781
It was posted here on WUWT and seemed to boil things down nicely for common consumption.
Would it be an effective 15 minute doc ?
Hi, Knute,
Re: “What I Learned About Climate Change…” by David Siegel
It is full of lots of great facts and links to excellent resources to create a video, but, no. I do not think it would be advisable to try to boil his encyclopedia article (with editorial comments) down to a 15 minute video. His article would be a good resource.
The best type of video that Mr. Siegel’s material could help produce is one aimed at a narrowly limited target audience of those who: 1) tend to vote Democrat; 2) think “environmentalism” and “vegan” are great ideas and who disagreed strongly with former President Bush; and 3) who think “liberalism” is great (etc…). These people need to be reached and Siegel, as “one of us,” will be listened to. It will not be very persuasive with those who: 1) think “vegan” is not “better for the environment” and is just a pseudo-religious practice; 2) who think voting for Obama (especially the second time) was a sign of intellectual impairment; and 3) who have studied windpower/solar/”sustainability” industry enough to know that such alternative power sources are nowhere close (i.e., Siegel’s cautions optimism would be seen by this audience segment as ignorant, thus, undermine his credibility to speak to other topics like CO2 science) to supplying the needs of developed economies, much less lift poor Africans and Indians and the like out of energy poverty (etc…).
Siegel can really get into the minds of what would persuade one of the most hostile audiences: the true believers (in AGW and the “save the planet” stuff). More power to him!
Hoping your day is going well, Knute,
Janice
Thanks as usual Janice.
Thorough, thoughtful and forthright.
Typical busy Monday.
Too much busywork interfering with moments of creativity.
If it was easy, anyone could do “it”.
Hope yours is swimming along.
Don’t know if you’ve seen this.
Figured I’d share.
Looking forward to the unveiling.
http://www.climatehustle.com/
I sense that penetrating the cognitive dissonance will be the heavy lift concerning CAGW.
The untruth is slowly being overwhelmed with the reality, but many will cling and many more will feel lost and betrayed. Even worse will be the unraveling of bad investments and monies lost. Some will be left holding a bag of little value. WUWT has been an excellent resource and I’m very thankful for people like you and others who exhibit impressive character, expertise and a self check based on minimizing fallacies.
I probably need to go fishing and hunting for an extended time, remove the noise … get a better feel for what’s next. Maybe never come back to the real world … I say that but always do. Eventually, the pleasures of solitude run their course.
There is always some next mass movement in the works.
A fomenting sense of “injustice” has been fed to grow and if it’s not satiated by things like faux CAGW, it will find a home in some other movement. I think that’s the real change that we have witnessed in the past 10 years. Thinking out loud …
What do you think ?
Hi, Knute,
Thanks. Today is going okay. Thanks for the link to a video I was sent in a CFACT e mail awhile back. Haven’t watched it — likely very good.
I think… you are a pleasure to “talk” to, but feel I ought to end our sort of off-topic conversation for this thread.
I hope… you find a likeminded buddy and GET OUT OF TOWN…. into the real world of mountains and streams and meadows. Peace and quiet all day, then, jovial conversation and good food (heh, even just sauerkraut and wieners is good food! And Pepsi!) at night.
Take care, out there,
Janice
Thanks Janice
Appreciate the inputs and pleasant demeanor, esp the blow by blow on the 2007 doc.
I’m sure I’ll refer to that a few times as I craft my own message.
Gates is a smart guy and willing to spend his own money. That takes some guts and has my respect.
It’s very different from the well intentioned idiot who wants to spend gobs of other peoples money!
LOL, promises mean nothing to a liberal , just look at Obama for proof !!!
Agreed – if Gates wants to spend a billion dollars of his own money, on what is most likely a wild goose chase, its his money to spend. And there’s always an outside chance he will actually discover a useful breakthrough.
Right, Mike. How many readers of WUWT are aware of the contributions, of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, made towards the eradication of Polio?
To date, since 1988, it totals more than US$1 billion! The Foundation has partnered with Rotary International to provide fee oral vaccines to the world’s poorest children in some very dangerous places.
Credit where credit is well and truly due!
Polio is a problem with a very cost effective solution. Good for Bill gates.
Producing electricity is not a technical problem. Providing clean water is not a technical problem. It is a public service provided to the rich and poor in the US and developed countries.
However, when it comes to providing the equipment to produce electricity; one billion would not build a coal plant for small city. Bill Gates is an idiot or grandstanding to think that renewables are what the poor need.
“However, when it comes to providing the equipment to produce electricity; one billion would not build a coal plant for small city. Bill Gates is an idiot or grandstanding to think that renewables are what the poor need.”
How exactly do you propose providing electricity for remote villages in Africa? Forget about coal or nuclear, the distribution costs would dwarf the costs of the power plants. Even in the wealthy US, it wasn’t until the Rural Electrification Act of 1935 that remote locations in the US got electricity, it wasn’t cost effective for the utilities to distribute power to those locations.
The money thrown away on “Green” initiatives are ridiculous. Solar panels have been the subject of government-funded-research since the mid 1970s. We are at 25% efficiency for the best-of-the-best panels out there.
If you invested this $1b into transmission mediums for power to those remote locations and then left the maintenance up to the utilities, it would be cost effective all of the sudden. After all, that is what the Rural Electrification Act did. Then you could build a few nuclear plants and have the electricity actually start to reach the rural parts of the African countries instead of self-righteous people swooping in, installing a few solar panels with a water pump and a water heater, taking a photo-op, and then fluttering away.
The villages that get this think it’s great until they decide to do anything else but have their water pump without manual pumping or a little bit of hot water – like hooking up a refrigerator to store their food without spoiling. Suddenly, they want real – and reliable – electricity.
Follow the money. Billions will be promised for ‘green’ power generation…..I’d like some too please.
Keep in mind, that all Bill Gates earned and did came ultimately off the back of massive government funded research carried from the latter days of WWII, and more so during the cold war:
A great slide show here:
http://steveblank.com/secret-history/
Some background here:
http://steveblank.com/2009/03/23/if-i-told-you-i%E2%80%99d-have-to-kill-you-the-story-behind-the-secret-history-of-silicon-valley/
Also don’t forget that all this technological bounty was brought to the masses by a couple of college dropouts like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Would or could these research projects or even big companies like IBM have done this?
Hey Bill, if you would like to subsidize my power bill so that I may get my energy from renewables without costing me any more than I currently pay, the only person stopping you is yourself. If you do however, I bet even you would be surprised at how quickly you piss away your billions. And then what?
They’ve run out of other peoples’ money and are now going to throw their own away! Imagine how much good that money could do if it was intelligently utilised
HMMMMMmmmmm… Cold kills , who would have thunk it ????
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4636633626001/deadly-ice-storm-crosses-texas-and-oklahoma-/?intcmp=hpvid1#sp=show-clips
A fool and his money are soon parted.
“Bill Gates announces Green Tech Fund to Make Renewables Viable”
…because they can’t stand on their own.
THAT is the key…..finally, an admission.
Still the same
A fool and his money are soon parted.
He has so much it will just take longer and more input from him.
Reality and liberal thought are not compatible !!
Marcus
Conservative, liberal .. to be fair they all lie.
One’s agenda merges with the needs of another and they become strange bedfellows.
The big con here is that elites are scamming the world’s people and quite possibly denying them a better life via cheap, reliable and affordable forms of energy.
It’s disgusting.
Mr Gates wrote: “If we create the right environment for innovation, we can accelerate the pace of progress, develop and deploy new solutions, and eventually provide everyone with reliable, affordable energy that is carbon free. We can avoid the worst climate-change scenarios while also lifting people out of poverty, growing food more efficiently and saving lives by reducing pollution.”
With regards to growing food(plants) more efficiently. Greenhouses are the best at this because they can manipulate the environment to make it best for growing.
They use carbon dioxide enrichment generators to boost CO2 levels to triple the atmospheric levels, which currently, are still much too low for optimal plant growth and crop yields.
It’s great if Mr. Gates wants to make renewable energy affordable and have it replace fossil fuels but the best thing we can do for growing food more efficiently is to INCREASE CO2………….so he has that backwards.
Sunshine + H2O +CO2 +Minerals = O2 +Sugars(Food)
You can state that CO2=pollution if you want based on a speculative theory but you can’t deny the irrefutable law of photosynthesis and the real world(not modeled or speculative) massive increases in world food production from just the increase in CO2.
The Social Benefit of Carbon: $3.5 Trillion in Agricultural Productivity!
http://www.co2science.org/education/reports/co2benefits/MonetaryBenefitsofRisingCO2onGlobalFoodProduction.pdf
Mike, great comment and link to CO2 science. The known benefits of the atmospheric increase in CO2; feeding close to one billion people with no additional water or land required, is overwhelming!
Reminds me of Ted Turner pledging a billion dollars to the UN several years ago.
What actual good did he do?
What good will this do?
Bill, don’t start a fund that others will need to support. Invest in it directly. Your personal money minus the tax shelters. Don’t start a “Rockefeller Foundation”. Start a “Bill Gate’s Own Personal Wallet” foundation.
Carnegie built libraries. What would you build? A means to tear down what they contain?
If I understand the proposal, governments will fund basic research and the billionaires will select, productize and scale the technology for profit. Seems like business as usual.
1. Gates’ brilliant intellect is blinded by an emotional** attachment to “sustainability.”
**(gotta be, for all the evidence is, so far, is against the conjecture about human CO2 which “sustainability” tech hustlers need to sustain their con game)
and/or
2. Despite knowing “sustainability” (largest hustles are Big Wind and Big Solar) is a bunch of baloney, his other investments require a BIG CASH INFUSION to keep them viable.
In other words, he’s doing what his buddy Buffet did in 2013:
http://www.energyandcapital.com/articles/warren-buffetts-bet-on-siemens-nyse-si-wind/4129
Private investment IS TERRIFIC, but…. highly likely the industries invested in by Gates will still be ultimately, intrinsically, dependent on tax subsidies and power rate surcharges to be non-negative ROI investments. It’s his money, yes, but, its basically extortion of public funds: “Here ya go, taxpayers! A big lump sum — now, you do your part… don’t want to? Ha! Statist regulations / tax policy says you are comin’ along for the ride! Wheeeee!” Whee.
A short-term get-rich-quick opportunity for a few, unprincipled, Envirohustlers, but that’s like all that will come of it (and the propping up of Gates’ investments). As Mike Jonas already noted, $1 billion is unlikely to come close to solving the ENORMOUS technical failings of current wind, solar, and other “green” tech. The long-storage battery, windmill bearings, and solar inefficiency just to name a FEW tech issues are a long way from being solved.
aaaaa! I BLEW THE BLOCKQUOTE!!!!!!! sorry about that — mods, if you have the time, PLEASE REPLACE BOLD of: “Warren Buffett’s utility company { } just ordered more than $1 billion worth of wind turbines for the state of Iowa.”
WITH
BLOCKQUOTE of the same text.
So sorry!
[We are confused. Is a blown blockquote a blewcoat, or is a bluecoat one who rebeled against the redcoats? .mod]
[Fixed OK? mod2]
Yes, you would have thought WordPress might have managed some sort of basic editing facility by now, we are well into the 21st century after all.
Even Disqus have managed it.
Thanks, Cat Weazle. Your sympathy was appreciated. I don’t know how to write my edit request to the mods any more clearly, so, (sigh), apparently I’m stuck with my mistake. Oh, well! I’ll just use the opportunity this reply to you affords to say that ALSO, I meant to write “likely” not “that’s like all” — lol.
My Christmas Wish: WUWT gets a major gift of first-class software support (another company than WordPress? — whatever it takes — yes, it would take some cash — that’s why it’s on my “wish list!”)
Yes! Thank you, mod2!!
Bill Gates hates me too! While I will admit to computers helping me more productive. However, beta testing software was an unattended consequence.
Janice
Yes, stop the meshing of agendas. It’s getting shriller by the day.
Give me cheap, reliable power that I don’t have to bow to via someone’s sorry, misguided ego.
What’s next ? Do I have to pay homage to the Pope in order to receive my daily allotment of fossil energy in Knuteville ?
Here ya go Bill. Nanotech says they can provide spray on solar collectors. I’ll take two cans worth.
And I want my money back if it doesn’t work.
You seem to have an eye for communications. Please check this doc out and see what you think.
How would you improve it ?
Thanks for your time if you do.
Dear Knute,
Thank you for your kind words. Okay. I will. …. heh, heh….. just trying to get rid of me for a couple of hours, eh?
#(;))
I’ll watch it — take notes, and post them here (if I come up with anything worth your while to read, yes, yes, Rrrrobert in Calgary, in MY opinion, worthwhile…. how could you confuse me with John Cleese? I’m much shorter… different hair color, too… hm 😉 ).
Bye for now….
Janice
Thanks Janice
Don’t mean to impose and only if you have the time.
I saw potential in the video.
I see weakness in the movement and the timing may be ripe for the counter doc to Gore’s.
This is a great documentary that did not get the play it should have because of its stupid conclusive title.
You neversomething with what you want the audience to come away with. It’s like actors on a stage who start crying about whatever they are saying, hoping the audience will react the same way. Audiences laugh instead. It turns into farce or comedy.
It should have been named something innocuous, like ‘Global Warming Issues in 2010 (date whatever)’ or ‘The Great Global Warming Debate’. Then the remarks from the scientist who actually gave newly-minted PhD Gore the results from the ice cores for his film, and which Gore misrepersented would have a sobering reaction. Gore either lied or he was incapable of understanding the data. Because of that stupid title, millions of people will not bother to click on this excellent film.
Thanks MRW
Appreciate the feedback.
I liked the overall style and themes of the doc, but you are right about the title.
Could be time for a reboot and update with so much that has happened, yet so much the same.
Typo corrections (where is the edit feature?):
You never name something . . .
which Gore misrepresented
Notes on: “The Great Global Warming Swindle” (2007) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52Mx0_8YEtg
– with a view to making it more persuasive to open-minded, but relatively ignorant of the evidence, seekers of truth about human CO2 emissions.
11/29/15
Applause Section:
– Nice attention-grabbing intro.
– Nice sound-bites from genuine scientists
– British accent of narrator very good: 1) other British people find American accent annoying; 2) Americans’ ears will perk up and listen more carefully to the “different” sound (used in advertising all the time – little kids or a woman with a husky, little boy voice, and British accents – we LIKE that sound, unless overdone … or snobbish-sounding).
– Use of term “lies” is GREAT – it is true and it is a powerful word.
– Shikwati quote at [7:09] very powerful – “… African dream is to develop…”
– And the African plow-and-ox segment is VERY effectively juxtaposed with following video of bustling developed world city
– passim clips of airliner flying overhead bringing 911 to mind = GOOD. Don’t take out if someone says, “poor taste.” It nicely, silently, reminds us that something else (here, Isl@ur momisuglym) and not “climate change,” is a real threat to the world.
– Ian Clark is excellent, “rock star,” teacher – good to feature him much (if do a revised, shorter, more succinct, version of this video).
OVERALL – Full of much good information. What is needed is a brand new video – shorter, different music. The CO2 storyline a bit less rambling. This video is a fine REVIEW for already well-informed viewers (who know enough to correct any small omissions/slightly mis-stated parts. LEAVE OUT THE SOLAR PART and the HERE’S OUR THEORY OF CLIMATE part (from about 28:00 on). Not strong argument – at least, not yet. Good speculation, unlike AGW, reasonably plausible speculation, but, still just speculation.
@ur momisugly Future Film Maker:
Remember: the BURDEN OF PROOF IS ON THE AGWers. They have not yet made a prima facie case. You dignify their conjecture by countering it with conjecture of your own. Don’t go there. You only muddy the water. Stick with the basic, data-backed, facts: e.g., CO2 lags temperature by a quarter cycle; CO2 UP. WARMING STOPPED; and the like.
[00:27] Add Name/Title of speaker (not leave until second appearance of speaker).
Comment: Otherwise, “Who is this dude?” (= “who cares what he says”) is all audience will think.
[00:35], [00:41], [00:45], [00:50] “ “
[00:50] Corrected script: “[Anthropogenic global warming advocates say that] if the CO2 goes up… . *** The fundamental assumption of the whole theory of [conjecture about] climate change … .”
Comment: Without first correction, it is less clear and audience may mis-remember Dr. Ball’s remark as supporting AGW (even though his overall remarks clearly do not). Dignifying AGW with the word “theory” is inaccurate and lacking the scientist’s precision needed to make the speaker more credible to a technically saavy audience member’s mind. AGW is not a “theory” as science defines it. AGW does not even rise to the level of a falsifiable “hypothesis.” It is pure conjecture. This is a “keep your WHOLE audience in mind” edit: both non-tech and technical people will be listening.
[1:10]
ManmadeAnthropogenic global warming … is no longer just atheoryabout climate …Comment: To be persuasive with those under 60 or so, gender-neutral terms should be used whenever possible; AGW should not be dignified with the term “theory,” it gives unspoken, but powerful, legitimacy to the AGWer’s fly-in-the-face-of-the-data speculation.
[1:49] [1:55] [3:14] [4:10], [8:15] and passim — “…
manmadehuman made or otherwise;” “manmadeanthropogenic global warming…” Note that it is not the scientists, the intellectuals, who use the sexist term…, but the narrator.[2:00] REPLACE Henry Mancini/”Pink Panther” sounding muzak music – sounds dated and to a younger person, just “weird” (not in a cool way).
[3:19] “…
scientific basis for the theory is crumbling[ there is no scientific evidence for the speculation of global warming].”[4:48] (Paul Reiter) – “… bibliographies… there are
quite a number ofdozens of non-scientists …[5:35] “…
a theoryunsupported conjecture about climate … “[6:20] ADD to Patrick Michael’s quote about jobs depending on global warming, specific industries: ”wind turbine manufacturers such as Siemens,” “solar cell makers such as __.”
Note: For such add-in script, USE YOUNGER SCIENTISTS (under 35) – The older, wiser, look is GREAT, but, need to add 3 younger ones to keep the keep the film from appearing (to under-30 audience almost-not-listening-to-you members) to be “just a bunch of old guys who aren’t up on the latest.” MOST audience members, young and old, will not need the younger “look,” – but, this particular demographic does.
[6:45] “… spitting fury…” – INSERT: video clip of an AGWer “scientist” harshly criticizing a skeptic scientist
[~7:52] “… heretics… “ – ADD in (use one of the younger, added, scientists) a line or two about “den1ers” here.
[10:16] REPLACE the 1920’s jazz music (yes, it was before “Let It Snow” in time as was the Medieval Warm Period before the “Little Ice Age” – but it is nonsensical – use instead, music from that era to “sound Medieval” (lutes and dulcimers)) – even “Let It Snow” is a bit jarring – better to use 1700’s merry-sounding melodies on fife and drum and the like.
[10:48] GET RID OF THE GENUFLECTING BY THE SCIENTIST. Oh, boy. While I personally think what he did was just fine (though I do not do this myself), it is not at all a help to persuade the bulk of the audience and likely to undermine his credibility (and the film’s) with many.
[10:58] GET RID OF “We’re Having a Heatwave” – this was a tune which nicely describes a real heat wave in the U.S. in the 1950’s, but NOT for Medieval times.
Re: Church as stage: A bit is okay, for the wealth due to warmth of medieval time funded grand buildings, but, better to use a museum or other lovely building… or artwork depicting medieval prosperity as backdrop. TOO MUCH CHURCH (for this type of audience)
[11:25 ] Back off and show ALL of climate history chart – need for perspective for it would show (and quite persuasively, I think) just how relatively cool temperatures are now. The stair steps get lower and lower as time progresses, never recovering the warmth of the past.
And the chart itself is too crude.
[11:50] Re: polar bear adaptation – ADD: “Thus, even if the human CO2 speculation turned out to be correct, it isn’t really a problem.”
[12:01] GET RID OF THE 1960’S MUZAK! — Need some rock!! Here, could use from 12:01 through the industry busy-busy-busy scenes – e.g., Eddy Van Halen track from “Panama” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxA4WgIZmO8 – Yes, Mr. Van Halen is from my era, however… when we got to talking about good guitar players, I asked the young man under 25 serving me at Red Robin not long ago whether he had heard of Eddy Van Halen and he lit up, “Oh, yeah!” (big smile) So, even if the rock isn’t the latest, good classic rock will do.
[12:01 – fade in rock guitar music in under narrator] “… the culprit is industrial society.” [by here, music almost drowning out narrator, then, music only] CUT OUT ALL NARRATION – just use video (too much talking overwhelms …) WITH GUITAR – yea! until…
… [12:39] … Narrator back (over music, faded): “Industrial progress has changed our lives. But, has it also changed the climate?”
[12:41] “According to the
theory of manmadeconjecture about human CO2 and global warming, …”[12:52] (P. Michaels) “…
most of thewarming …” – “…hasn’t looked at the basic numbersclosely examined the data.”Comment: Leave out “most of” – this un-proven qualification of his statement greatly weakens his argument. There is no evidence that ANY of the 1900’s warming was caused by human CO2. Only speculation. – Remember: this video is about PERSUASION, not subtle nuances like, “Well, in laboratory conditions, CO2 seems like it might cause a little warming; not proven, but, we just can’t say for sure it doesn’t do SOMETHING.” Yeah, well, the burden of proof is STILL on the AGWers to prove CO2 DOES significantly drive the climate of the earth. This is not the venue for speculating by lukewarmers.
Better to use “data,” than “numbers” – to better underscore the lack of evidence for human CO2 as a driver, i.e., the data does not support AGW at all.
[13:35 – 14:18 and at 14:39] Great narration and scientist testimony – need to BACK OFF FOR LARGER PICTURE VIEW OF CHART.
[14:48] (Dr. Ball) “Temperature went up until 1940 [. When Before this, CO2 production was relatively low. …
and then in the post-war years … human CO2 production just soared, the temperature was going down.”After WWII, human CO2 production was increasing significantly,{pause – for – emphasis} but the temperature was going {short pause and emphasize next word} DOWN.” Dr. Ball in general needs someone to write a script for him to memorize (or read from teleprompter) – “fireside chat” style is NOT appropriate for this type of production. Need to be SUCCINCT and POWERFUL in words and in expression (volume, tempo, etc…). He has good content, though.[15:08] (Dr. Ball) “In other words, the facts did not fit the
theoryclaim.”[15:28] Shorten other remarks/narration to INSERT: clip from Leonard Nimoy 1978 video sternly warning of the coming ice age: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUq0JnaIock
[15:35-16:35] Calling CO2 a “greenhouse gas” is going to do more to confuse than to enlighten. Just hit the high points: 1) human CO2 is tiny percent of total CO2 which is tiny percent of total atmospheric gases; 2) WATER is 95% of total and, to boot, has evidence proving it drives climate. There is only speculation that CO2 boosts that effect in the open system we call “earth.”
[17:10 – ~17:40 “… if it weren’t for
greenhouse gaseswater vapor…greenhouse gaswater vapor…” … “warming should be highest if it’sgreenhouse gasCO2 that’s causing it… .”Comment: This section about “greenhouse effect” needs to be re-done. Water vapor is the only KNOWN effective “greenhouse gas.” This creates more confusion about the role of CO2 than clarity. Then, CO2 needs to be stated explicitly as the alleged cause, for that is what the AGWers are falsely asserting (to, thus, limit human CO2 emissions and sell more windmills, etc…).
[18:00 +] John Christy bio – HENRY MANCINI-type MUSIC NEED TO BE REPLACE WITH ROCK. – Nice teaching sequence… however, need to replace
“theory”with “[notion] that climate models are expressing… .”… With some criticisms, the film was fine from here until about 28:00 when Piers Corbyn starts to talk about his sun-weather predicting. After that, the film’s content quality deteriorates. (See my remarks above under “OVERALL”).
THEN, film gets back on track with insights about politics, anti-consumerism, then, about ice caps, etc… .
This comment is getting too long, so I’ll stop.
If I were actually going to be involved in writing for/producing a “revised version,” I would take the time to keep on going … .
Hope this was of interest to you, Knute. Your own observations would be just as good or better than mine. Thanks for paying me the compliment of asking. You’re a rare treat.
Your WUWT pal,
Janice
P.S. I used a lot of bold, italic, and strike html code – likely blew some. I hope you can understand what I wrote in spite of any blown html tags.
[12:01] GET RID OF THE 1960’S MUZAK! — Need some rock!! Here, could use from 12:01 through the industry busy-busy-busy scenes – e.g., Eddy Van Halen track from “Panama” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxA4WgIZmO8 – Yes, Mr. Van Halen is from my era, however… when we got to talking about good guitar players, I asked the young man under 25 serving me at Red Robin not long ago whether he had heard of Eddy Van Halen and he lit up, “Oh, yeah!” (big smile) So, even if the rock isn’t the latest, good classic rock will do.
[12:01 – fade in rock guitar music in under narrator] “… the culprit is industrial society.” [by here, music almost drowning out narrator, then, music only] CUT OUT ALL NARRATION – just use video (too much talking overwhelms …) WITH GUITAR – yea! until…
… [12:39] … Narrator back (over music, faded): “Industrial progress has changed our lives. But, has it also changed the climate?”
[12:41] “According to the
theory of manmadeconjecture about human CO2 and global warming, …”[12:52] (P. Michaels) “…
most of thewarming …” – “…hasn’t looked at the basic numbersclosely examined the data.”Comment: Leave out “most of” – this un-proven qualification of his statement greatly weakens his argument. There is no evidence that ANY of the 1900’s warming was caused by human CO2. Only speculation. – Remember: this video is about PERSUASION, not subtle nuances like, “Well, in laboratory conditions, CO2 seems like it might cause a little warming; not proven, but, we just can’t say for sure it doesn’t do SOMETHING.” Yeah, well, the burden of proof is STILL on the AGWers to prove CO2 DOES significantly drive the climate of the earth. This is not the venue for speculating by lukewarmers.
Better to use “data,” than “numbers” – to better underscore the lack of evidence for human CO2 as a driver, i.e., the data does not support AGW at all.
[13:35 – 14:18 and at 14:39] Great narration and scientist testimony – need to BACK OFF FOR LARGER PICTURE VIEW OF CHART.
[14:48] (Dr. Ball) “Temperature went up until 1940 [. When Before this, CO2 production was relatively low. …
and then in the post-war years … human CO2 production just soared, the temperature was going down.”After WWII, human CO2 production was increasing significantly,{pause – for – emphasis} but the temperature was going {short pause and emphasize next word} DOWN.” Dr. Ball in general needs someone to write a script for him to memorize (or read from teleprompter) – “fireside chat” style is NOT appropriate for this type of production. Need to be SUCCINCT and POWERFUL in words and in expression (volume, tempo, etc…). He has good content, though.[15:08] (Dr. Ball) “In other words, the facts did not fit the
theoryclaim.”[15:28] Shorten other remarks/narration to INSERT: clip from Leonard Nimoy 1978 video sternly warning of the coming ice age: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUq0JnaIock
[15:35-16:35] Calling CO2 a “greenhouse gas” is going to do more to confuse than to enlighten. Just hit the high points: 1) human CO2 is tiny percent of total CO2 which is tiny percent of total atmospheric gases; 2) WATER is 95% of total and, to boot, has evidence proving it drives climate. There is only speculation that CO2 boosts that effect in the open system we call “earth.”
[17:10 – ~17:40 “… if it weren’t for
greenhouse gaseswater vapor…greenhouse gaswater vapor…” … “warming should be highest if it’sgreenhouse gasCO2 that’s causing it… .”Comment: This section about “greenhouse effect” needs to be re-done. Water vapor is the only KNOWN effective “greenhouse gas.” This creates more confusion about the role of CO2 than clarity. Then, CO2 needs to be stated explicitly as the alleged cause, for that is what the AGWers are falsely asserting (to, thus, limit human CO2 emissions and sell more windmills, etc…).
[18:00 +] John Christy bio – HENRY MANCINI-type MUSIC NEED TO BE REPLACE WITH ROCK. – Nice teaching sequence… however, need to replace
“theory”with “[notion] that climate models are expressing… .”… With some criticisms, the film was fine from here until about 28:00 when Piers Corbyn starts to talk about his sun-weather predicting. After that, the film’s content quality deteriorates. (See my remarks above under “OVERALL”).
THEN, film gets back on track with insights about politics, anti-consumerism, then, about ice caps, etc… .
This comment is getting too long, so I’ll stop.
If I were actually going to be involved in writing for/producing a “revised version,” I would take the time to keep on going … .
Hope this was of interest to you, Knute. Your own observations would be just as good or better than mine. Thanks for paying me the compliment of asking. You’re a rare treat.
Your WUWT pal,
Janice
P.S. I used a lot of bold, italic, and strike html code – likely blew some. I hope you can understand what I wrote in spite of any blown html tags.
[15:28] Shorten other remarks/narration to INSERT: clip from Leonard Nimoy 1978 video sternly warning of the coming ice age (take the {gap} out to use link): https://www.you { } tube.com/watch?v=vUq0JnaIock
[15:35-16:35] Calling CO2 a “greenhouse gas” is going to do more to confuse than to enlighten. Just hit the high points: 1) human CO2 is tiny percent of total CO2 which is tiny percent of total atmospheric gases; 2) WATER is 95% of total and, to boot, has evidence proving it drives climate. There is only speculation that CO2 boosts that effect in the open system we call “earth.”
[17:10 – ~17:40 “… if it weren’t for
greenhouse gaseswater vapor…greenhouse gaswater vapor…” … “warming should be highest if it’sgreenhouse gasCO2 that’s causing it… .”Comment: This section about “greenhouse effect” needs to be re-done. Water vapor is the only KNOWN effective “greenhouse gas.” This creates more confusion about the role of CO2 than clarity. Then, CO2 needs to be stated explicitly as the alleged cause, for that is what the AGWers are falsely asserting (to, thus, limit human CO2 emissions and sell more windmills, etc…).
[18:00 +] John Christy bio – HENRY MANCINI-type MUSIC NEED TO BE REPLACE WITH ROCK. – Nice teaching sequence… however, need to replace
“theory”with “[notion] that climate models are expressing… .”… With some criticisms, the film was fine from here until about 28:00 when Piers Corbyn starts to talk about his sun-weather predicting. After that, the film’s content quality deteriorates. (See my remarks above under “OVERALL”).
THEN, film gets back on track with insights about politics, anti-consumerism, then, about ice caps, etc… .
This comment is getting too long, so I’ll stop.
If I were actually going to be involved in writing for/producing a “revised version,” I would take the time to keep on going … .
Hope this was of interest to you, Knute. Your own observations would be just as good or better than mine. Thanks for paying me the compliment of asking. You’re a rare treat.
Your WUWT pal,
Janice
P.S. I used a lot of bold, italic, and strike html code – likely blew some. I hope you can understand what I wrote in spite of any blown html tags.
[15:28] Shorten other remarks/narration to INSERT: clip from Leonard Nimoy 1978 video sternly warning of the coming ice age.
[15:35-16:35] Calling CO2 a “greenhouse gas” is going to do more to confuse than to enlighten. Just hit the high points: 1) human CO2 is tiny percent of total CO2 which is tiny percent of total atmospheric gases; 2) WATER is 95% of total and, to boot, has evidence proving it drives climate. There is only speculation that CO2 boosts that effect in the open system we call “earth.”
[17:10 – ~17:40 “… if it weren’t for
greenhouse gaseswater vapor…greenhouse gaswater vapor…” … “warming should be highest if it’sgreenhouse gasCO2 that’s causing it… .”Comment: This section about “greenhouse effect” needs to be re-done. Water vapor is the only KNOWN effective “greenhouse gas.” This creates more confusion about the role of CO2 than clarity. Then, CO2 needs to be stated explicitly as the alleged cause, for that is what the AGWers are falsely asserting (to, thus, limit human CO2 emissions and sell more windmills, etc…).
[18:00 +] John Christy bio – HENRY MANCINI-type MUSIC NEED TO BE REPLACE WITH ROCK. – Nice teaching sequence… however, need to replace
“theory”with “[notion] that climate models are expressing… .”… With some criticisms, the film was fine from here until about 28:00 when Piers C0rbyn starts to talk about his sun-weather predicting. After that, the film’s content quality deteriorates. (See my remarks above under “OVERALL”).
THEN, film gets back on track with insights about politics, anti-consumerism, then, about ice caps, etc… .
This comment is getting too long, so I’ll stop.
If I were actually going to be involved in writing for/producing a “revised version,” I would take the time to keep on going … .
Hope this was of interest to you, Knute. Your own observations would be just as good or better than mine. Thanks for paying me the compliment of asking. You’re a rare treat.
Your WUWT pal,
Janice
P.S. I used a lot of bold, italic, and strike codes – likely blew some. I hope you can understand what I wrote in spite of any blown tags.
Wow Janice
You are a no nonsense do as you say type person.
I’m honored you took the time to review the piece.
I bookmarked the review.
The next big question is do you think the impact of a 15 minute version is worth the effort ?
Dear Knute,
My pleasure (and, thank you (smile, smile)). You are important. Answering you was also a good mental exercise for me (not that my thoughts were deep, just good exercise). So, win-win.
15 minutes is too short. I do think that a 30 minute video would be worth the effort. Yes, indeed, the shorter the video, the article, the harder it usually is to write. It can, nevertheless, be done!
Good night from the west coast of the United States,
Janice
Guys, do not assume that Bill will pour this money into wind and solar. I believe he understands the fundamentally limited nature of those power sources. I think and hope he’s pursue things rather more out-of-the-box including some of the newer nuclear technologies:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/06/26/gates_renewable_energy_cant_do_the_job_gov_should_switch_green_subsidies_into_rd/
What I assume is that Bill doesn’t want me to use fossils if I have them at my ready.
I’m fine with nuke power. Also fine with solar and wind and fairies blowing gas in the night.
I am NOT fine with these pompous wealthy egos telling the little people how to live.
Correct. He is going to invest in projects that the US federal government will be funding. Why this isn’t apparent to everyone is because no one in the US understands the US monetary system.
@MRW , and he needs the write off’s.
Good for him. It’s his own money, and he’s donating it. While I’m a fellow skeptic, cheaper energy would help in tremendous ways. I’d love to have my own set of solar panels. Cost and storage are the two major limiting factors why I don’t.
If you’re an alarmist, this helps too, as regulations will never make a dent in the supposed CO2 problem. The only way they can get there is through technology breakthroughs.
Don’t be naive, he has no intention of spending HIS money for this project , promises mean nothing to a liberal !! ( look at Obama )
You’re right, Marcus. If everything at COP21 goes as planned, the US federal government will be funding this. Again, I reiterate, because no one in this country understands how the US federal government monetary system works–and that includes over 95% of the posters here–it is the soi disant 1%that will benefit, courtesy of the UNFCC. Just check out their website. They certainly don’t give a s**t about the remaining %.
MRW
I’m sure you meant 97%, not 95%.
http://newsroom.unfccc.int/financial-flows/
Nice site. Follow the money, esp money that requires a ROR.
Relatively new opinion for me … there really is SO much money tied up in green energy that it’s becoming too big to fail. IF the plug is pulled too quickly, if at all, a similar failure to the propped up mortgage industry will occur. It’s rather eery. I track RYDEX funds and see the same overall money flow out market signals I saw in the internet and mortgage bubbles. Crashes don’t occur when everyone expects them. Anecdotally, my institutional house contacts tell me that they are chomping at the bit looking for new green investments and at the same time that are accumulating hedge by buying coal and overleveraged oil.
“Speaking on the eve of the Paris climate conference, the Fund’s Executive Director Héla Cheikhrouhou stated: “This publication will give our partners helpful guidance on the kinds of projects the Fund is seeking. The Fund’s mandate is ambitious, so we need to make sure that each of GCF’s investments really count. The Fund is targeting innovative, paradigm-shifting projects that will help drive the transition towards low-emission, climate-resilient development,” she said.”
All the above being said, climate change is bull. Investors know it. They will however go along for the ride as long as the getting is good. Power brokers for the Dems see it as a way to bolster their voting core. Power brokers for the GOP don’t want to alienate any possibility of carving off Dem voters, so they play the uncommitted date.
Wicked web.
The science is dumb.
The politics makes sense if you are into power.
I wonder how long the economic charade will continue.
Testing: am I on m0deration?? (tried THREE times to post same post and no “bad” words!)
[Nothing in the queue. .mod]
Dear Janice, if any Mod tried to sensor you there would be a revolt on WUWT !!!
(Or even if they tried to censor her… -mod)
Dear Marcus,
Thank you for that kind support!!! #(:))
Janice
…if any Mod tried to sensor you there would be a revolt on WUWT !!!
I would join that revolt!
Yea, but what about your 2 cats ???? LOL
Dear Mod …..DOH !!!! LOL, one too many beer !!!!!
Thanks, Mark (and your two cats, heh).
Lol, if anyone used a sensor on me it would likely read: {{{ZANY ALERT!}}
And, hey, Marcus, I didn’t even note the “sensor” thing — my brain just converted it instantly into the right meaning and I was “blind” to the misspelling (and no beer at all!! just my wonderful brain, oh, I like me!!! lolololo, well, no, NOT lololol — I am serious!).
#(:))
If anyone here thinks Bill will not require federal money, or Obama jumps on board with fed grants, I got a bridge to sell you.
Here’s a suggestion for Mr Gates. Pick 10,000 private homes owned by average people, fit them with solar panels and all the required equipment to run off the grid. Follow the progress of how that works. If it is a good thing you would have proof to invest in that as a business. If it turns out badly you have proof that it is a fool’s errand.
This snake oil salesman is at it again. He wants to force us to buy only what he’s heavily invested in – despite the fact that renewables do not work for the rest of us and aren’t even necessary since our earth contains all the natural energy we need until the end of time – coal, gas, oil is OURS. We don’t want no stinking substitutes. Let THEM eat cake. They can afford to. But the irony is that he uses more gasoline and oil than all of the poor people in America put together. I’m so sick of this scam and insulted that they think we’re that stupid.
priceless (and true)
We need a non-fossil oil source to substitute for fossil fuels. I have identified just such a source.
Harvest the Great Cetaceans
It’s Environmentally Sound
It’s Ecologically Responsible
It’s Gaia Friendly
And most importantly, It’s Sustainable
What could go wrong?
India is playing the victim card skilfully at COP21. From this article from the Independent:
Now let’s look at India’s record. In 1973 India produced 6.3 million tonnes of steel and I don’t have a figure for aluminum. In 1973 the US produced 115 million metric tonnes of steel and 5 million tonnes of aluminum, or 23% and 42% respectively of world totals (figures for USSR and PRC for that year are not available or not reliable).
Fast forward to 2013 and India produced 87.3 million tonnes of steel and 1.7 million tonnes of aluminum while the US produced 88.2 million tonnes of steel and 4.9 million tonnes of aluminum [aluminum figures are for N, America, including Canada. In 2013 Canada produced more than the US]. In other words, US steel production has gone down by 23% while India’s has risen by 1,385% in that period. US aluminum production has stayed flat (actually dropped, while Canada’s has risen by about the same amount) while India’s rose from negligible to about one-third that of the US and Canada. During the entire era of pending climate doom major carbon-emitting industries have largely moved out of the US and into China and India.
Of the roughly 1,200 new coal-fired power plants current planned, nearly 75% are in India and China with 455 planned for India and 363 for China. See here.
Getting back to Mr. Goyal’s statement above, to paraphrase the great Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride:
[Fast forward to 2103?? Chgd to 2013. Pls advise if that’s not right. mod]
Nice, informative, post at 3:58pm, Mr. Watt (and I think you’ve been promoted to a 9 by now 🙂 )
re: “India is playing the victim card skillfully … .” {with sarcasm ON}
Thanks mod, you are correct.