Comments for Environmental Coalition at Virginia Tech http://theecvt.com Inspire, Motivate, Empower: The Student Environmental Movement in Blacksburg, VA Sat, 28 Apr 2012 04:34:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ Comment on Thoughts From Bill McKibben… From the Earth Week Kick-off by Bill Sprague http://theecvt.com/2012/04/15/thoughts-from-bill-mckibben-from-the-earth-week-kick-off-23/#comment-78 Sat, 28 Apr 2012 04:34:42 +0000 http://theecvt.com/?p=569#comment-78 One other thought worth pondering. Bill McKibben is a journalist. He is not a scientist. He is not an environmental scientist, a chemistry scientist, a geophysicist, an atmospheric scientist and has no training in the scientific method. He is a guy with an opinion, that is not backed by science. Science is not a democratic process. Scientists gather data, make a hypothesis to predict what they think will happen, run carefully constructed experiments, and compare the results of the experiments to the prediction. No model of Global warming has accurately predicted what actually occurred.

Science is also based on replication of experiments by other scientists and getting the same results. None of the major figures in Global warming, Mann, Jones, etc will release their original underlying data, nor will they release the computer algorithms that they used to make statistical adjustments to the data. It is therefore currently impossible for a different scientist to take the data, and reproduce the results. This is not science.

The foundation of science is doubt. Is Newton’s law of gravity accurate? It works on a macro scale, but on a micro scale its not quite right. Then we bring in quantum mechanics, and Einsteins theory of relativity. with experiments specifically designed to cause the theory of relativity to fail. It did not fail, but it still does not prove that Relativity is correct. It is just correct so far.

Global warming should never be accepted as a basis on which to make hugely expensive policy changes, which will necessarily lower your future standard of living, until it has been proven by standard scientific methodology.

Assume that Global Warming is occurring, and that man is the cause. The next huge leap of faith is that Global warming is a bad thing. Warmer temperatures and higher CO2 increase crop yields, decreasing hunger and starvation. Like everything else in life, everything decision requires trade offs. The key is to properly understand the risks. costs, and rewards of the available choices. in order to make good policy decisions.

]]> Comment on Thoughts From Bill McKibben… From the Earth Week Kick-off by Bill Sprague http://theecvt.com/2012/04/15/thoughts-from-bill-mckibben-from-the-earth-week-kick-off-23/#comment-77 Sat, 28 Apr 2012 04:02:10 +0000 http://theecvt.com/?p=569#comment-77 Just a couple of questions from your essay.
1) Please identify the subsidies that you claim energy companies are receiving, the dollar amounts, and how these “subsidies” are different from deductions from income that every other American manufacturing company receives.
2) What percent profit margin do energy companies make on average compared to Apple?
3) Coal companies provide 50% of of the fuel for electricity in the US. What is the cost per megawatt for electricity produced from coal, what do you suggest we replace it with, and what will the cost per megawatt of the alternative be?
4) You claim that the coal companies change the chemical composition of the atmosphere just to make money. Coal companies make money selling coal to power companies to produce electricity, which powers your mac, your i pad, your i phone, the server cloud, provides light for you to read at night. How much are you willing to pay for electricity to keep the lights on, and continue to use these modern conveniences vs supporting domestic energy production and keeping energy prices down?
5) Without the keystone pipeline, Canada will ship its crude oil from tar sands to China on ships, which add more to the danger of environmental damage, additional carbon in the air etc, than running a pipeline. In addition, the US will be more dependent on the Middle East for crude oil. The keystone pipeline provides jobs for Americans, revenue from taxes to the US Gov., reduces the chances of environmental damage, reduces CO2 compared to ships to China, and reduces the cost of energy, reduces the chances of supply disruption because of geopolitical unrest in the middle east, and reduces the petrodollars sent to middle eastern dictatorships, and if you believe that we went to war in Iraq over oil, reduced dependence on middle east oil reduces the likelihood that the US will become involved in a middle east war over oil. What are the disadvantages of the Keystone pipeline that make not building the pipeline a better overall outcome, than the advantages just cited provide? What are the environmental problems that concern you, What is the potential magnitude of the problems in environmental degradation and in dollars? What is the cost of the environmental problems that you believe justify not building the pipeline? What would have to happen to solve these issues to your satisfaction?

I appreciate your thoughtful response.
Bill S

]]> Comment on Happy 2012 – Resolutions for a Greener Earth by Abby Hays http://theecvt.com/2012/01/05/happy-2012-resolutions-for-a-greener-earth/#comment-65 Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:06:29 +0000 http://theecvt.wordpress.com/?p=462#comment-65 ^^ that sounds like Adam!

]]> Comment on Happy 2012 – Resolutions for a Greener Earth by Marco http://theecvt.com/2012/01/05/happy-2012-resolutions-for-a-greener-earth/#comment-64 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:18:34 +0000 http://theecvt.wordpress.com/?p=462#comment-64 My new years resolution is to acquire every Justin Bieber record on vinyl, meet Justin Bieber, have him sign the records, and then have a baby and name him/her Justin Bieber.

]]> Comment on Happy 2012 – Resolutions for a Greener Earth by xandimusic http://theecvt.com/2012/01/05/happy-2012-resolutions-for-a-greener-earth/#comment-63 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:01:20 +0000 http://theecvt.wordpress.com/?p=462#comment-63 great ideas! I always try only to eat meat twice a week and going by bike, and of course I grow plants! Hope many people will read this!!!
Peace
xandi

]]> Comment on New Projects & Halloween Celebration by Abby Hays http://theecvt.com/2011/10/23/new-projects-halloween-celebration/#comment-54 Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:31:50 +0000 http://theecvt.wordpress.com/?p=439#comment-54 This is going to be such a fun AND productive meeting! :)

]]> Comment on If you have not registered for powershift and have not invited three of your best friends – you’re not doing your part. by Abby Hays http://theecvt.com/2011/09/22/if-you-have-not-registered-for-powershift-and-have-not-invited-three-of-your-best-friends-youre-not-doing-your-part/#comment-40 Sun, 25 Sep 2011 02:43:06 +0000 http://theecvt.wordpress.com/?p=400#comment-40 Such a fun icebreaker! Everyone worked really hard!

]]> Comment on Park yourself at meeting 4 by Abby Hays http://theecvt.com/2011/09/19/park-yourself-at-meeting-4/#comment-39 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:50:18 +0000 http://theecvt.wordpress.com/?p=390#comment-39 I love the yoga! haha. It was a great time!

]]> Comment on Park yourself at meeting 4 by James Wade http://theecvt.com/2011/09/19/park-yourself-at-meeting-4/#comment-38 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 02:34:56 +0000 http://theecvt.wordpress.com/?p=390#comment-38 A very crisp day to hang outside with good people!

]]> Comment on Events. Projects. Bonding. Oh MY! by theecvt http://theecvt.com/2011/09/12/events-projects-bonding-oh-my/#comment-37 Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:13:42 +0000 http://theecvt.wordpress.com/?p=384#comment-37 Thank you Rial! We can’t WAIT for the next on-campus farmers market. See you tonight!

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