after reading this article i started to think about the importance of lowering greenhouse emmisions and the kyoto accord. i'm sure many people think it is a great idea and many countries have adopted it but what actions have they taken.
would you be willing to pay more for a 'cleaner' running vehicle. or woudld you give up your car completely and take a bike to school?

There are so many sides to a question like this. I love my gas-hog '69 Camaro, but I only drive it in the summers (if at all!). My regular car is a very fuel-efficient Corolla. During summer school I ride my electric bike to school (ask me in class and I'll show you a picture). My wife and I are talking about selling one of our vehicles so we can buy a hybrid. There are many choices, but with those choices comes the question of $$$.

Well we were talking about this a little in chem with Drew about a week ago. Except it was geared more towards home heating. Solar heating is more expensive to have than natural gas I believe. However it is much better for the environment since the pollution it presents is very little when compared to the damage natural gas can produce. It comes down to do you want to pay more to help the environment? Many people would say no. And sometimes the environmentally sound options just aren't practical. In Edmonton, whoever says that solar heating on its own is practical, needs to be caught with a butterfly net The Sun isn't reliable. You never know for sure how hot it will be or how long the sun will be out for. And in the winter? Have fun freezing for at least 6 months of the year!

Sometimes it isn't feasible to be environmentally efficient. Such as what Mr. C said about the whole issue with $$$. A low-income family could not afford a hybrid because they simply do not have the disposable income. Same with what Heather said about having solar heating in Edmonton. The sun is so inconsistent that it would very hard to keep homes constantly heated for the duration of our long, cold winters. Lowering greenhouse emissions is very important and we have the money to do it. I think one of the biggest factors that keep it from happening is all the gigantic corportions that are opposed to it because they do not want to spend money on it. Those people are more focused on profit and not attaining a profit while maintaining an approximate equilibrium with the environment.

But I think the problem also lies not with people's greed and laziness, but sometimes with the inefficiencies and unreliable methods to improve the environment. If you used a bike instead of a car, good luck riding through 30cm of snow during our long winters. Same with solar heating, have fun freezing because the sun isn't hot enough or out long enough to adequately heat the home. On the other hand, instead of a bike, take the bus or car pool during the winter. This is a practical method that maybe not eliminates greenhouse gas emissions, but it does cut them down. To protect the environment, I think you have to employ a variety of methods when adjusting to the weather or other circumstances.

Yes these are the exact conditions people are not willing to accept. We have some basic technology to reduce GHG's but no one is willing to adopt them becuase of the cost factor. Sure, if everyone could afford to invest in geothemal heating, solor housing, and hybrid vechicles than everyone would do it. But the reality is that it costs more to make the right choice that to go along with whats working. Currently the population does not feel the need becuase we are not experiencing direct consequences in our everyday life. However in the future when people start devoping illnesses and have difficulties breathing becuase of GHG emissions, then hopefully countries around the world 'see the light' and pour some money into reasearch and developement of GHG reducing technologies and make them more affordable to the common person with the average income and standard of living.

if it was warmer climate...i'm sure more people would ride bikes...and i heard that in the long run electric cars are more expensive....and so does that mean it actually works?

I don’t think people are conscious of the implications of green house gases emissions, and even if they were, the powerful leaders and multinationals in the world are the ones that take drastic decisions on how to deal with it. As all of you have said the cost factor and the unreliability of other methods are reasonable excuses to ignore the environmental problem we are facing. Most Industries and factories greatly contribute to GHG emissions, but their objective is focused on profits not in what is best for the environment. In general, we are giving money priority over the environment (it’s pretty sad). Until we don’t see the devastating consequences of GHG emissions , govt’s will not act, and by that time it might be too late.

For the leaders of the world's powers, it all boils down to a question of what the country's priority is, economy or environment?


Right now it looks like economics has a big lead on enviroment in North America.

Website http://www.caouette31.4t.com

well money is and isnt an issue.... really if the prime minister was lets say David Szsuki (unsure of spelling) then im sure not matter what the cost he would be able to find a way for everyone...rich or poor to be able to help save the environment.... so really we cant use money as an excuse...i agree with that...so that jsut leaves it to the people in power now..and which they take into priority...economics or environment... cha

Yeah, I see what you mean, I guess what we need to find in the balance between helping the enviroment and still retaining our title as a world leader in industry.

Remember a few years back when all the media talked about was the Kyoto Accord? I think something along the lines of international treaty whereby countries agree to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases they emit if their neighbours do likewise may harm the economy, and if they worry too much about economy, they will hurt the environment. The Alberta Government have strict legislations about what you can emit and how much of it. If there is a faint smell of something in the air, I know they must have members of their plant and Alberta Environment.

This is just what I think but here it is, I think per capta, Canada has WAY lower emissions than the USA, Britain and several other industrial giants. I guess I feel this way because my dad works at Agrium Redwaterwhich happens to be the second biggest nitrogren producer Agrium owns. Check out Agriums site at Agrium.com

I know this is older but it still carries a point. Remember, it's per capta

Website http://www.caouette31.4t.com

Personally i dont believe the leaders or the general population have much to do with this issue at all. The problem is the corruption in the system. I believe that there were many MANY different technologies that were already created and are more efficient and much better then our classical combustion vehicles we use today. But because of the income in the petrochemical industry, there is enough money to be thrown around to keep people quiet, also to keep them from sharing their breakthroughs. I mean think about it, your a scientist and you finally come out with a breakthrough technology, but the rest of your life will be used to prove to everyone that this is the way to go and yet theres no guarantee that the idea will fly. You decide that this is what u must do, but then Mr. Suncore comes up to you and says, "heres a check for 100 million dollars, if you want it then come sign this and hand over your patents". I dont know about you, but i believe money talks, and anyone smart would take the check. Hence why we still drive ford explorers and not ford fusion reactors.

yes but if that scientists new developments were actually worht fighting for..then he wouldnt take the money right...and plus why would we work so hard to try and make a difference then blow it all on a lowsy...but yes a lot....of money?


i think that sceientist would start kicking himself if someone actually came out with his idea and was being paid 100 million every other day

Sometimes the sure thing is the way to go, besides, theres no way someone could make that much money through a technology because of the limits a person can obtain because of the supply/demand/distribution properties involved in the sale of a new technology. Only point is that a person could be so driven that money couldnt tempt them, but there are lawyers and many other ways a person could be stopped from being able to sell a product. Legal or illegal, money is key, whether it goes into the pocket of the scientist or into someone elses, they can be stopped.

well thats terrible...so all that new helpful technology has gone to waste...obviously

haha well i dunno about that, im just supporting my theory. You never know... i could be wrong.

I think one of the problems is that people believe that they would have to make huge and $$$ changes in their lives in order to have a positive impact on the environment. The truth is that you can make many small and inexpensive changes that make a big difference in the end. As a family, maybe you could consider making one change a month in your home, and build up your energy saving over time. Some ideas would be:
1) Change to compact fluorescent light bulbs (especially in rooms where the lights are on a lot).
2) Buy a programmable thermostat.
3) Use a drying rack instead of your dryer for items like towels and jeans (give 'em a quick 10 minutes in the dryer after they are dry to loosen them up).
etc etc etc....

Other actions which you could do to decrease global warming would be:
1.Switching from coal and charcoal to a lower carbon fuel such as propane(clean, efficient, reliable and less expensive)for say, barbecuing.
2.Switching from incandescent to more efficient compact fluorescent or LED lighting like Mr. Clintberg said.
3.Choosing a more fuel-efficient car, and using alternatives as often as possible.

Is it really benifical right now to buy a hybrid vechile. Granted, gas prices are extremly high I heard on the news that it was about $4000 more exepsive in the long run to buy a hybrid.

So Tyler said it costs $4000 extra to own a hybrid. I am assuming this is taking into consideration the money saved on gas. Not a lot of middle class families have $4000 kicking around. Maybe if they really budgeted and saved up that much. It's possible but too people with poor money management skills(which is a pretty big chunk of the population) it's tough to save that much money for something that they may see as not that beneficial.

If you have $30 000 to buy a hybrid i think that you can affford to pay the extra $4000.

hmm i feel and argument coming on about money and thats not what this is about..come on...you already forgot about the environment...thats a classic example of whats actually going on

Kudos to that observation... its true

yay hybrids.. yay yay yay.. BOOO it broke down.. BOO it costs more for you to have it fixed.. but yes i would buy one.. who cares? eventually everyone will be buying new ones and better to buy one now while they're cheap before everyone wants one and the production company jacks the price up

Well if you guys dont care about money why dont you all go out and buy a solar panel system for your house. so that your house can run off solar panel. Oh ya thats right because its costs $10 000. At this point in time it is cheaper to pollute using gas running cars and gas powered houses.

Yes that is right it does cost an outrages amount of money for a solar power system for your house. But if you were to spend the money think of the benefits. You could be making money because on nice sunny days you would be producing more energy then you could use. So you would end up putting the extra energy back into the power grid so your energy bill would be a lot less and if you were really luck the power company might just end up giving you money instead of you giving them the money. And solar panels are getting cheaper just look Canadian tier has those portable ones that can charge cell phones and run other electronics. Just wait some time the cost of the solar panel systems will go down.

I am sure that the price will go down but for now its too expensive. And if you do produce more energy than you consume on sunny day they energy is stored in batteries and does not go back into the power grid. and those solar panels that can run your cell phone and small things only can charge a cell phone for a couple of hours.I bet in 10 years most houses will run off solar power but not anytime soon.

i was wondering if solar pannels would be a good alternative to natural gas in edmonton. we all know that we don't have the longest days or brightest days.

I don't believe solar panels are the way to go UNLESS you do solar panels in the summer, but have other methods during the winter because it is so COLD!!! Back to the environment vs economics, since when have major govt decisions ever been purely about the environment... Some philosphers believe that human beings are naturally greedy and I have to agree. There is no human being that is 100% purely giving. I know some people may argue Mother Teresa, but I still think that there is at least a teensy tiny part of everyone that is greedy! But I do hope that more and more people begin to conserve energy and become more environmentally aware!

Here are a few more ways to conserve energy!
1) Keep curtains and blinds closed at night to keep cold air out, but open them during the day to let the sun warm the room

2)For hardwood or tile floors, add area rugs to keep your feet warm

3) If on vacation, lower the thermostat to 55 degrees. This will save energy while preventing water pipes from freezing

4) This one may seem simple but plant a tree. One well-placed shade tree can reduce your cooling costs by 25 percent. To achieve the maximum benefit, place leafy shade trees to the south and west, and evergreens to the north

5) Use ceiling fans to help circulate air throughout the house. A ceiling fan should run clockwise during the summer, and counter-clockwise during the winter.

6) For all us females who enjoy our bubble baths...take showers, not baths! A five-minute shower will use about 7.5 gallons of hot water, while filling a bathtub can use up to 20 gallons!

7) Use lids on pots and pans to reduce cooking times, and don't put a small pan on a large burner.

Clean the lint screen on the dryer every time you use the machine. A clogged lint screen can make your dryer use up to 30 percent more energy - and it can be a fire hazard!

9) Dry one load of clothes immediately after another. This will minimize heat loss, reducing warm-up and drying times.

10) Dust light fixtures regularly. A heavy coat of dust can block up to 50 percent of the light output!

These are really simple ways to not only cut the energy bill but help the environment...so it is a win win situation! And...they are not inconveinent or inpractical!

well in the long run we should try using renewable and clean energy now before its too late.. i mean eventually we are going to HAVE to use renewable energy because we would have wasted all the dirty power

Exactly we have to smarten up and get with it. We have to start using better more fuel-efficient cars like a hybrid. And the way technology goes for pricing I bet it will be about 5 years till most people will start running there homes off of solar panels. And what I said about the power going back into the grid there is a guy in Edmonton what was on the news about 2 years ago that did that and on sunny days he would put powered back into the grid but once the batteries were charged.

I totally agree and think that it is so true that we should be smarter about the energy and waste us humans use..but it isn't going to be that easy to just say "ya I'm going to buy a hybrid car." Most people do not have that kind of money to spend. Some people are barely making their car payments on time, and now we have to worry about emissions and all that jazz? But it is so true that when you buy that hybrid, you are probably saving sooo much money with the lack of needed gas and all. It would probably be a super smart thing to do...but I honestly do not know anyone who has done it. How much do these hybrids sell for? I heard that they were super expensive..do any of you know? Do you also think that there is limited seating inside of it?

In the long run a hybrid costs less! I am not speaking hypothetically. My uncle has a Toyota Prius. Yes, it cost more to initally buy it, but he immediately saw a savings in gas. He gets (on average) about double the clicks that I do on my Toyota Corolla with a tank that is almost exactly the same size. A repair bill could be higher, but there hasn't been anything out of the ordinary for him yet (he's had it for about 3 years I believe). The big cost will come in about 5 more years when the main batteries have to be replaced at a cost of a couple grand. All said, he's done the math (and he's a nerd like me so I trust it), and it will be costing him less (by a bit), while at the same time giving smiley faces to the environment.

hmmm maybe i'll ask my parents for a hybrid for a grad/birthday present. its a long shot but maybe. i'll tell them i want to be a good enviromentalist

Haha that is a good idea!! Maybe I will try that too.....mommy, daddy....I want to save the environment, so please buy me a hybrid car!! Haha.....Mr.C, how many seats does your uncle's car have? Are the hybrids built smaller than a regular car? Would it be good for a family to own....if there is limited space inside the car?