Mineral Future


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  • #98159 Reply
    michael norton

      It looks like the National Grid of Britain became effective by 1933.

      “Work was completed in September 1933, ahead of schedule and on budget.”

      #98161 Reply
      Fat Jon

        Certain low voltage parts of the grid might have been completed in 1933, but the much higher voltage ones were constructed in the 1960s. How do I know this? Because one line ran very close to the village where I grew up, and on a quiet Sunday afternoon, me and a few mates would cross the fields and climb the pylons while the workmen were having a day off.

        One ‘leg’ of each pylon had bolts protruding from the metal, presumably for the workers to climb. We used to dare each other to go higher than the last, but it became rather frightening after a certain height, as the ground was a long way away and there was only the metal ‘leg’ to hang on to.

        #98162 Reply
        Fat Jon

          Fibreglass is fully recyclable, according to this article.
          https://recycling-revolution.com/is-fiberglass-recyclable.html

          #98163 Reply
          Fat Jon

            ….and finally – maybe people need to read this
            https://www.nationalgrid.com/the-great-grid-upgrade

            #98171 Reply
            michael norton

              This is disgusting

              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-JnAlXWGrY
              Rich hypocrites
              https://www.google.com/search?q=hypocrite+meaning&rlz=1C1CHBD_en-GBGB790GB790&oq=hipocrypt

              telling ordinary people to turn their gas heating down and only drive a battery cycle while they constantly fly round the world, living it up, like the Archbishop of Canterbury.

              #98219 Reply
              michael norton

                In 1823, British sailor James Weddell discovered the Weddell Sea.

                It looks like the Russians are stating that this is United Kingdom Antarctic sphere of influence, South of The Falkland Islands.
                Weddell Sea.

                https://www.forbes.com/sites/saleemali/2024/05/25/russias-oil-foray-in-antarctica-threatens-science-diplomacy/?sh=406bd370cc20

                Recent documents from a U.K. House of Commons Environmental Audit Committe have revealed that Russian geologists had found massive oil reserves within the waters of the British Antarctic Territory in the Wedell Sea region.

                #98220 Reply
                Clark

                  Michael, I agree that elite hypocrisy is disgusting. However, Talk TV is denialist, and therefore smears Extinction Rebellion even though XR actually takes action against such hypocrisy. Members of XR subgroup Scientist Rebellion such as climate scientist Peter Kalmus get arrested and risk their employment, by blockading airfields for private jets:

                  Activists block private jet terminals around the world to protest ‘super rich mega polluters’ – Yahoo News:

                  “It is time to ban private jets and tax frequent flyers to the ground”, says NASA climate scientist Dr Peter Kalmus from Scientist Rebellion. “We cannot allow the rich to sacrifice our present and future in the pursuit of their luxury lifestyles.”

                  Extinction Rebellion target private luxury yachts as well:

                  “The activists wanted to put the spotlight on mega-yachts because on a global scale the richest 1% of people on the planet still pollute more than the poorest 50%.”

                  Extinction and Scientist Rebellions take on the mega rich and their yachts: Luxury tourism is killing us – The Canary.

                  Just think about that – emissions could be almost halved, just by bringing the wealthiest 1% down to average emissions levels.

                  “Billionaires are primarily responsible for the eco-social crisis, as they maintain an unjust and unequal economic system that is responsible for the current climate crisis.”

                  Michael, you often stress how expensive transition will be, but to be a fair comparison you must also consider how expensive the current system is, including costs to taxpayers that are rarely highlighted in the ‘news’ media. From the Canary article:

                  “By 2023, at least €405.1bn in subsidies have been allocated to the fossil industry in the EU, both direct (direct transfers, tax exemptions) and indirect (in the form of environmental damage without any financial compensation). For reference, this is ten times more than the amount spent on climate policies (less than €40bn per year).”

                  #98230 Reply
                  michael norton

                    Bottom falling out of EV
                    EV Fire Sale: Prices SLASHED by up to $20k, as demand EVAPORATES

                    Apparently they need replacing every few years.

                    My small diesel car is twenty years old.
                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01pgw9DZ-Rg

                    #98236 Reply
                    Clark

                      Michael, is your position to just keep burning fossil fuels? To keep increasing fossil fuel combustion?

                      #98167 Reply
                      michael norton

                        “It is important to note that the recycling process for fiberglass can be energy-intensive and may produce emissions. Some companies are working on developing more environmentally friendly methods for recycling fiberglass.”

                        Also i note lots of clean water is used, when that water is returned to a river, have they removed all the fibres?

                        #98235 Reply
                        michael norton

                          Mozambique
                          https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-africa-69056369

                          Mozambique forests are being cleared to sell to China. China are taking most of the forest wood.
                          Then it does not rain as much and the rivers dry up.
                          This is not Global Warming but it is probably more harmful.

                          #98237 Reply
                          michael norton

                            My position is to keep my little twenty year old car going, it uses diesel but is quite efficient, I have just had all new suspension and a new clutch fitted, it does me.
                            How many battery cars will keep going for twenty years?
                            Probably the most stupid thing ever to have been invented, they save no planets.
                            I doubt if most people who drive EV have any idea how bad they are for the planet, the open cast mining is terrible, especially for the people who try to live their lives near this stuff.

                            #98244 Reply
                            Clark

                              Michael, most of the points you make have considerable validity, but human society can’t just carry on as it is now, it is already breaching global limits, and the damage is accelerating. Earth’s capacity to sustain life is being degraded, ever faster, in many different ways, and the common cause is ever-accelerating human activity.

                              You’re right that the political-media class stress global heating and neglect all else. That’s probably because unlike ecological damage, global heating does have technological ‘solutions’ – more like stopgaps really, they only delay the inevitable – but these ‘solutions’ can be sold, they can be and are being turned to a profit. Economic growth, which politicians apparently worship.

                              The ‘solutions’ for fossil fuels all do ecological damage, and so do fossil fuels, and so do nearly all human activities. Economic growth makes the damage faster and faster. So it is inevitable that human society will change – nature will force it to change. Nature will bring humanity back down to Earth, and we’d best figure out how to soften our landing.

                              #98245 Reply
                              Clark

                                Michael, 11:16 above:

                                “…Russian geologists had found massive oil reserves…”

                                Just out of interest, quantify “massive” and divide it by daily or yearly global oil demand, tell us how long it comes to.

                                #98254 Reply
                                michael norton

                                  Clark

                                  The Weddell Sea

                                  In 1823, British sailor James Weddell discovered the Weddell Sea.

                                  “The Weddell Sea is, according to the testimony of all who have sailed through its berg-filled waters, the most treacherous and dismal region on Earth”

                                  Apparently estimated as ten times more Hydrocarbons than in the whole of the North Sea before extraction.

                                  The House of Commons has been told about the Russian knowledge, of no interest to the BBC, as usual.

                                  It starts to make sense that the newest military base constructed by the U.K. is on the South of West Falkland, opened by Prince Andrew. There is also a Naval base, nearby.

                                  This is a phenomenal construction, no way has this been done, just to dissuade Argentina.
                                  More British troops on the Falklands, than all the islanders put together.

                                  “The reserves uncovered are said to contain around 511 billion barrels worth of oil, equating to around 10 times the North Sea’s output over the last 50 years.

                                  The discovery, per Russian research ships, was revealed in evidence submitted to the British Commons Environment Audit Committee last week.”

                                  https://www.offshore-mag.com/geosciences/article/55039736/russia-reportedly-finds-vast-oil-and-gas-reserves-in-british-antarctic-territory

                                  #98257 Reply
                                  michael norton

                                    Wideawake

                                    “The facility is home to a U.S. Space Force ground tracking station”

                                    “RAF Ascension Island is normally the refuelling point for the Ministry of Defence’s South Atlantic air bridge flights to RAF Mount Pleasant, on the Falkland Islands, from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, in the U.K. ”

                                    recently visited by Duke of Edinburgh, on behalf of U.K. Government.
                                    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Ascension_Island
                                    The base was re-garrisoned by the RAF in 1982 and used extensively as a staging airfield during the Falklands War. At one stage, Wideawake became the busiest airport in the world for the number of aircraft movements. A series of long-range bombing raids was carried out from there under the name Operation Black Buck.

                                    Also home to much targeting infrastructure.

                                    I guess the RAF base in East Falklands if the most heavily protected military base in The South Atlantic.

                                    All this planning and infrastructure is not just to put of Argentina, most probably to put off China, same as AUKUS.

                                    #98260 Reply
                                    michael norton

                                      No. 1435 Flight
                                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._1435_Flight_RAF
                                      Eurofighter Typoon
                                      this is our newest top airfield based twin engined aircraft
                                      Permanently based in the Falkland Islands, the aircrew and groundcrew from the U.K. are cycled through No. 1435 Flight, providing a 365-day, 24-hour alert.

                                      We must has something we do not want to lose?

                                      #98286 Reply
                                      michael norton

                                        Clark, would half a trillion barrels of oil-equivalent be massive?

                                        #98288 Reply
                                        michael norton

                                          Clark, I wonder how long it will be before the World will wake up and understand that, perhaps the most destructive choice of saving the planet has been the introduction of EV?

                                          #98327 Reply
                                          Clark

                                            511 billion barrels of oil – daily global consumption is about 100 million barrels per day, so I make that 14 years worth at current usage rates; call it a decade to account for economic growth. That is an unusually large find; when I’ve quantified previous “massive” finds, they’re usually a year or so.

                                            I guess there’s about an additional 1 centigrade of global heating right there, and it’d take nature about a millennium to get its CO2 back out of the atmosphere, let alone the oceans.

                                            #98346 Reply
                                            michael norton

                                              Clark, I agree with your figure of fourteen years at current consumption.
                                              However if half of vehicles will be battery powered, maybe we could spread that find out to last another twenty or more?

                                              #98347 Reply
                                              michael norton

                                                Probably not enough economically recoverable Copper for the energy transition

                                                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8Nar1s5UgM

                                                #98350 Reply
                                                Clark

                                                  “All this planning and infrastructure is not just to put of Argentina, most probably to put off China, same as AUKUS.”

                                                  If China (or rather Chinese companies) want to extract those hydrocarbons, they can just bid for the extraction licenses – same as in the North Sea, where Chinese companies are among the extractors. The extracted hydrocarbons become property of the extraction company, not any country.

                                                  This is a legal matter; it becomes a military matter only in war.

                                                  Michael, I think you should review your use of the word “we”. “We”, as in you, me and other UK voters, have zero control over the UK’s military or weapons; they are not “ours” in any meaningful sense. The RAF provides daily reconnaissance flights to Israel and probably weapons and troops as well; with 75% of the UK population wanting a ceasefire in Gaza, Israel seems to have far more control over UK military policy than UK voters do.

                                                  #98352 Reply
                                                  Clark

                                                    “…maybe we could spread that find out to last another twenty or more?”

                                                    It doesn’t remotely approach a long-term future – a fraction of a lifetime, not even a generation. And then there’s economic growth, driving exponential increase in demand – for everything.

                                                    It’s like a “balloon debate” – what can we chuck out of the balloon so we won’t crash as hard?

                                                    #98355 Reply
                                                    Clark

                                                      “I wonder how long it will be before the World will wake up and understand that, perhaps the most destructive choice of saving the planet has been the introduction of EV?”

                                                      Decades – if the political and media response to global heating is anything to go by. In the meantime, there are vast profits to be made!

                                                      Policy formulation and public spin are entirely different things; what we are told policy is for generally bears little resemblance to the real reasons.

                                                      Example 1 – I live in Essex, which has very comprehensive recycling collections. This was developed decades ago. All Essex households are regularly sent the publicity paper from Essex County Council, which invariably trumpets Essex’s high level of recycling, and invariably spins it as how much Essex is doing to “save the planet”.

                                                      But that’s not the reason for Essex’s recycling policy at all. Back in the 1980s or 1990s Essex contracted with Greater London to take a large proportion of London’s waste. Economic growth did what it does and London’s waste output went through the roof – and with Essex obliged to take it, Essex fast ran out of landfill sites.

                                                      Example 2 – you may notice that various EU vehicle manufacturers have set an earlier date for ending internal combustion engine manufacture than the EU Parliament has. This is always spun as “commitment to net zero”, but the real reason is that the data about health damage from vehicle pollution is now public. If manufacturers continue to make internal combustion engines when alternatives are available, they would become liable to be sued by the public. The same goes for London’s ULEZ.

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