Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

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nsew
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Re: Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

Post by nsew »

Those Wright brothers have a lot to answer for

“Capitalizing on the national bicycle craze (spurred by the invention of the safety bicycle and its substantial advantages over the penny-farthing design), in December 1892 the brothers opened a repair and sales shop (the Wright Cycle Exchange, later the Wright Cycle Company) and in 1896 began manufacturing their own brand. They used this endeavor to fund their growing interest in flight.”
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Ron
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Re: Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

Post by Ron »

Dascmo wrote: 12 Aug 2021, 11:22pm A few questions:
- Do you know of any organized groups doing this ride?
https://pedalonparliament.org/were-peda ... u-join-us/
slowster
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Re: Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

Post by slowster »

The Paris Agreement requires countries to implement measures to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. The effects of climate change below that threshold are bad, but above it they are catastrophic.

There are various sources and websites with statements, figures and data on the subject - the ones I have used below are taken from a UK website, https://www.carbonindependent.org:
The IPCC has estimated the limit on further burning of fossil fuel that would give us confidence of keeping global warming to 1.5 deg C.

This remaining carbon budget is 400 billion tonnes CO2.

This is equal to a lifetime budget from Jan 2020 of 50 tonnes CO2 per person on the planet.
The average per capita CO2 emissions in the UK are currently around 10 tonnes (and possibly as much as over 13 tonnes once the effects of Methane and Nitrous Oxides equivalent to CO2 are factored in). These estimates vary somewhat between the different methodologies used and the criteria (e.g. UK production emissions are lower than UK consumption emissions, because we import a lot of goods), but the bottom line is that, at the present rate, by around 2025 we will have emitted all the CO2 permissable between now and 2050 if the global temperature rise is to be limited to 1.5 degrees.

We simply cannot achieve a zero carbon economy by that point. We need to eke out our lifetime carbon budgets as much as we can beginning right now, in order to give ourselves time to develop and implement the technologies and strategies to go zero carbon. Major step changes in average carbon emissions are probably unachievable, and instead we need to make year on year reductions. The chart below illustrates how a 20% reduction each year of the average per capita CO2 emissions would eke out our lifetime budgets to the mid-2030s, which is probably the soonest we could hope to achieve a zero carbon economy. Even a delay of one year makes achieving the target much more difficult: we all of us need to start now.

To put flying into that context, the website advises 1/4 tonne CO2 equivalent per hour flying. Therefore a couple of return flights to Singapore (13 hours x 4) is equivalent to 13 tonnes of CO2. A return flight from Washington DC to London (7 hours x 2) is equivalent to 3.5 tonnes of CO2. In other words 26% and 7% respectively of a person's lifetime budget.

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Tyre Lady
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Re: Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

Post by Tyre Lady »

@slowster. - think your consideration is a blinkered outlook

A tree consumes CO2 and also releases CO2. What is its overall balance? Depends on weather conditions, temperature, species.

Likewise there are choices each individual will make that will reduce CO2 emissions (carbon handprint) and produce CO2 emissions (carbon footprint). After that, depending on the individual, there will be the individual's impact (influence) on others.

Overall there needs to be a more holistic look with regards to carbon emissions & environmental pollution.
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Tyre Lady
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Re: Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

Post by Tyre Lady »

Incidentally the UK is only trying to be Carbon Neutral by 2050..... 20 years too late. And they are not the only country going for that aim. The world is an interesting place at the moment.
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pwa
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Re: Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

Post by pwa »

Tyre Lady wrote: 6 Sep 2021, 10:49pm Incidentally the UK is only trying to be Carbon Neutral by 2050..... 20 years too late. And they are not the only country going for that aim. The world is an interesting place at the moment.
The longer people exclude the impact of their flying from their efforts to reduce their carbon emissions, the further that ball gets kicked into the distance............
Oldjohnw
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Re: Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

Post by Oldjohnw »

I must say I didn't think the UK (government) was trying to be carbon neutral by any date. 2050 is just a date they drew at random to boast about. Nothing is really happening.
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slowster
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Re: Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

Post by slowster »

Tyre Lady wrote: 6 Sep 2021, 10:47pm @slowster. - think your consideration is a blinkered outlook

A tree consumes CO2 and also releases CO2. What is its overall balance? Depends on weather conditions, temperature, species.

Likewise there are choices each individual will make that will reduce CO2 emissions (carbon handprint) and produce CO2 emissions (carbon footprint). After that, depending on the individual, there will be the individual's impact (influence) on others.

Overall there needs to be a more holistic look with regards to carbon emissions & environmental pollution.
1. Do you accept the IPCC assessment that it essential to limit future global CO2 emissions to 400 billion tonnes?

2. If you do, how is that achieved without the level of personal reductions in CO2 emissions that I have outlined above?
Vorpal
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Re: Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

Post by Vorpal »

It is clear that most people in industrialised nations need to use *many* fewer resources in daily life, and generate *much* less CO2 and other green house gasses.

I'm not sure what the answer is. GHG budgets? Pollution/GHG taxes?

Science & technology need to help us with making things that are more environmentally friendly. Marketing needs to be limited. Demands on individuals need to be reduced. Supermarkets need to stop wrapping everything in plastic, etc. The Oil & gas industry have to be forced to zero emissions.

But some decisions have to be left to the individual. Unless you are going to take that away, and just not allow anyone to travel ever again by anything except trains, bikes, and sailing ships?
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
thirdcrank
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Re: Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

Post by thirdcrank »

I thought that the crux of this was people making international flights to persuade others to reduce their consumption.
mattheus
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Re: Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

Post by mattheus »

thirdcrank wrote: 7 Sep 2021, 9:09am I thought that the crux of this was people making international flights to persuade others to reduce their consumption.
Yup. So we're increasing our footprints (by using our gadgets and the internet infrastructure) to prattle on about it!

Should everyone that makes green posts also swear off 4G, and buying more than one internet-enabled device every 10 years? :- P
Carlton green
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Re: Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

Post by Carlton green »

An interesting thread. I wish the OP well and applaud his local activities and his personal commitments in seeking ways to improve they way that humanity is treating the World.

I’m amazed by and saddened by the views of Zealots and thankful for the constructive comments of (in particular) Tyre Lady. Some people have just got a pragmatic handle on things that enables them to make constructive change and other people appear to live in a little world all of their own. Vorpal has usefully challenged many of the puritanical attitudes and does so in a well informed way, perhaps being a Mum has honed her skills in dealing with ‘people’ - originally the term children came to mind but that’s a bit rude and a bit insulting to children too - and seeing how things actually interact.
Last edited by Carlton green on 7 Sep 2021, 10:44am, edited 1 time in total.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
Vorpal
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Re: Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

Post by Vorpal »

thirdcrank wrote: 7 Sep 2021, 9:09am I thought that the crux of this was people making international flights to persuade others to reduce their consumption.
The crux of this was the OP wanted advice on cycling from London to Glasgow. :lol:
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Carlton green
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Re: Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

Post by Carlton green »

Vorpal wrote: 7 Sep 2021, 10:44am
thirdcrank wrote: 7 Sep 2021, 9:09am I thought that the crux of this was people making international flights to persuade others to reduce their consumption.
The crux of this was the OP wanted advice on cycling from London to Glasgow. :lol:
Plus one. :lol: :lol:
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
slowster
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Re: Riding to the COP26 climate meetings from London

Post by slowster »

mattheus wrote: 7 Sep 2021, 10:04am
thirdcrank wrote: 7 Sep 2021, 9:09am I thought that the crux of this was people making international flights to persuade others to reduce their consumption.
Yup. So we're increasing our footprints (by using our gadgets and the internet infrastructure) to prattle on about it!

Should everyone that makes green posts also swear off 4G, and buying more than one internet-enabled device every 10 years? :- P
The OP's flight will be equivalent to a third or more of the annual carbon emissions of many people reading this thread.

In contrast this thread has had over 2000 views for a tiny consumption of electricity, so it is probably a very sustainable way of discussing the issues and raising awareness. People who read it can make their own judgement about the merits of the arguments.
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