this post was submitted on 24 Feb 2024
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Discussion of climate, how it is changing, activism around that, the politics, and the energy systems change we need in order to stabilize things.

As a starting point, the burning of fossil fuels, and to a lesser extent deforestation and release of methane are responsible for the warming in recent decades: Graph of temperature as observed with significant warming, and simulated without added greenhouse gases and other anthropogentic changes, which shows no significant warming

How much each change to the atmosphere has warmed the world: IPCC AR6 Figure 2 - Thee bar charts: first chart: how much each gas has warmed the world.  About 1C of total warming.  Second chart:  about 1.5C of total warming from well-mixed greenhouse gases, offset by 0.4C of cooling from aerosols and negligible influence from changes to solar output, volcanoes, and internal variability.  Third chart: about 1.25C of warming from CO2, 0.5C from methane, and a bunch more in small quantities from other gases.  About 0.5C of cooling with large error bars from SO2.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (5 children)

PP member Guillermo Mariscal explained that he believes the initiative is “ineffective” because it would only result in a 0.06 per cent reduction in emissions according to data from the College of Aircraft Engineers (COIAE).

Really? Just 0.06%? How can it be so low?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 months ago

It depends on what the 100% represents. Does it represent the emissions of just Spain or the whole world? If the latter, then it makes sense.

But every bit counts, so this is a welcomed change - to an extent. Family and work emergencies will have to wait longer with this, for example.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

It says in the article, the number of flights this would affect might be very small. They originally wanted to ban flights with a train alternative under 4 hours, but that didn't get through.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago

Because he's from the college of aircraft engineers, who may have a vested interest in flight, and is therefore paid to make that number look as small as possible.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

The article talks about a plan, which depending on what it includes would vary. In the article one optimistic prediction says 10% the other more pessimistic says 0.06%. Until more decisions are made the real number will be unknown.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Also because aviation is actually not a big part of the CO2 emissions

https://ourworldindata.org/emissions-by-sector

We should still try to fly less, but there are other sectors that can make a much bigger impact.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Would passenger aviation be included in transport or "aviation and shipping"?

I feel like the latter definitely includes goods transport, but passenger could fit into either category arguably

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

https://theicct.org/publication/co2-emissions-from-commercial-aviation-2013-2018-and-2019/

Based on that graph it's 85% of aviation, so I think it's under aviation, because passengers make up 85%

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

Awesome, thank you!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

It might be a low number, but then again this also seems like a initiative that will affect an even smaller number of people and is targeting something where a completely valid alternative exists, that has lower emissions.

It might not be the end it all solution, but there won't be one of those. So measuring it by that standard seems pointless to me.

I'd rather look at things like: Is there an alternative (and if so, what compromises does it make), what are the relative gains, and how easy is it to implement? And banning short distance flights seems to check those marks in my book.