Bill Nye is an idiot

a reply to: TheLotLizard

While his statement is probably widely exaggerated. This doesn't sway away from the fact that Alberta Canada's trees are being cut down at an astounding rate. Here are some figures.

That is not an accurate statement. It is the law in Alberta that trees harvested on public lands be re-grown. The replacement of diverse forests by “monocultures” is a common misconception. Typical regeneration plans involve replanting species that are natural to the site because they are best adapted to that area. When one tree is harvested in Alberta, on average, more than two trees are planted. This ensures that the forest is growing faster than it is being harvested.

Exaggeration and sensationalizing has always been a tool of the activists. If only they understood how that undercuts them and started using truth and rationality, they might get somewhere.

The largest lie of all is that rationality is a sign that the opposition is for destroying the environment which is just utter nonsense.

Activism has had at it's roots the idea of "the ends justifies the means" and "repeat a lie enough times and it will be believed", when in fact more progress could be made by having an honest dialogue. So much lying has gone on that one side no longer listens to the other.

He's a pretty smart guy really. He's spent his whole life trying to get children into Science and spreading scientific knowledge out to the rest of us in a very easily understood fun way.

Just because you don't like his position on Global Warming doesn't mean he's an idiot, right?

I mean, Scientists and scientific organizations from all over the world have been telling us that Global warming is happening and a large part of it is man made. How could you call someone an idiot if they actually listened to actual scientists? LOL

originally posted by: D8Tee
a reply to: TheLotLizard

While his statement is probably widely exaggerated. This doesn't sway away from the fact that Alberta Canada's trees are being cut down at an astounding rate. Here are some figures.

That is not an accurate statement. It is the law in Alberta that trees harvested on public lands be re-grown. The replacement of diverse forests by “monocultures” is a common misconception. Typical regeneration plans involve replanting species that are natural to the site because they are best adapted to that area. When one tree is harvested in Alberta, on average, more than two trees are planted. This ensures that the forest is growing faster than it is being harvested.

I agree that Bill Nye is lying, I agree that it's not denuded, and I agree it's a non-issue, but really?

Time to cut down a tree, a couple hours, time to grow 2 trees from seed -- 40-100 years. The forest is definitely not growing faster than they cut it down, they are planting more than they cut, but it grows very slowly -- your statement is disingenuous at best and just as hyperbolic and wrong as Bill Nye's claim that it's denuded at worst.

originally posted by: amazing
He's a pretty smart guy really. He's spent his whole life trying to get children into Science and spreading scientific knowledge out to the rest of us in a very easily understood fun way.

Just because you don't like his position on Global Warming doesn't mean he's an idiot, right?

I mean, Scientists and scientific organizations from all over the world have been telling us that Global warming is happening and a large part of it is man made. How could you call someone an idiot if they actually listened to actual scientists? LOL

So it's ok for him to tell the world that 1/4 of Alberta has been denuded of forest to make way for the oilsands?
Shall i change the title to Bill Nye is a liar?
What kind of intelligent person who says they have visited the oil sands and seen them first hand decides to decry that 1/4 of the province they are in is denuded of forest due to them?
He's either an idiot or a liar, take your choice.
Alberta is a big place, it's not much smaller than Texas.

a reply to: D8Tee

He's all those things but, most importantly, an establishment goon.

Simply look on google earth people lol ... People are so gullible oooh I read it on facebook I saw it on tv must be true It is that little brown patch inside the circle




edit to add a pic

originally posted by: D8Tee

originally posted by: amazing
He's a pretty smart guy really. He's spent his whole life trying to get children into Science and spreading scientific knowledge out to the rest of us in a very easily understood fun way.

Just because you don't like his position on Global Warming doesn't mean he's an idiot, right?

I mean, Scientists and scientific organizations from all over the world have been telling us that Global warming is happening and a large part of it is man made. How could you call someone an idiot if they actually listened to actual scientists? LOL

So it's ok for him to tell the world that 1/4 of Alberta has been denuded of forest to make way for the oilsands?
Shall i change the title to Bill Nye is a liar?
What kind of intelligent person who says they have visited the oil sands and seen them first hand decides to decry that 1/4 of the province they are in is denuded of forest due to them?
He's either an idiot or a liar, take your choice.
Alberta is a big place, it's not much smaller than Texas.

Well that's just one statement and let's take it...what is the fact? How much of Alberta has been denuded? Any? 1%, 25%? I really did about 7 different google searches and wasn't able to find a good reliable source or even a non reliable source with any kind of number. I don't think Google Earth is what we're looking for either. We generally don't know how often those photographs are updated? Am I wrong there?

a reply to: D8Tee

Just want to point out that Bill Nye actually IS a mechanical engineer. He worked at Boeing in Seattle before he became "The Science Guy". He also taught for a few years at Cornell University. My friend's daughter was going to school there at the time, and we just thought it was cool that he was teaching kids that watched him when they were younger.

Bill Nye Bio

I'm not saying he isn't wrong, however. Just wanted to clarify.

originally posted by: Urantia1111
a reply to: D8Tee

He's all those things but, most importantly, an establishment goon.

Funny...is he really an establishment goon? Because if you really look into it..the oil and coal guys are the establishment goons, right?

originally posted by: D8Tee
a reply to: TheLotLizard

While his statement is probably widely exaggerated. This doesn't sway away from the fact that Alberta Canada's trees are being cut down at an astounding rate. Here are some figures.

That is not an accurate statement. It is the law in Alberta that trees harvested on public lands be re-grown. The replacement of diverse forests by “monocultures” is a common misconception. Typical regeneration plans involve replanting species that are natural to the site because they are best adapted to that area. When one tree is harvested in Alberta, on average, more than two trees are planted. This ensures that the forest is growing faster than it is being harvested.

Yea its pretty pathetic by alarmist. Most western nations have tree replacement rules.
Tons and tons of trees are felled every year and replanted, where do people think the wood comes from to build buildings? There are way more people demanding wood than back in the clearcutting days over 100 years ago, yet US forest loss has been minimal the past 100 years due to policies.

And having only a few species is not even a big deal, forest tend to become dominated by a few species. There are various maps that label forest types by the two dominating trees, Such as Oak-Hickory or Maple-Beech.

originally posted by: ColdWisdom
a reply to: D8Tee

Don't forget to mention that Bill Nye isn't a real scientist.

Just like Bernie isn't a real liberal.

HAHAHAHA I love this comment

originally posted by: amazing

originally posted by: D8Tee

originally posted by: amazing
He's a pretty smart guy really. He's spent his whole life trying to get children into Science and spreading scientific knowledge out to the rest of us in a very easily understood fun way.

Just because you don't like his position on Global Warming doesn't mean he's an idiot, right?

I mean, Scientists and scientific organizations from all over the world have been telling us that Global warming is happening and a large part of it is man made. How could you call someone an idiot if they actually listened to actual scientists? LOL

So it's ok for him to tell the world that 1/4 of Alberta has been denuded of forest to make way for the oilsands?
Shall i change the title to Bill Nye is a liar?
What kind of intelligent person who says they have visited the oil sands and seen them first hand decides to decry that 1/4 of the province they are in is denuded of forest due to them?
He's either an idiot or a liar, take your choice.
Alberta is a big place, it's not much smaller than Texas.

Well that's just one statement and let's take it...what is the fact? How much of Alberta has been denuded? Any? 1%, 25%? I really did about 7 different google searches and wasn't able to find a good reliable source or even a non reliable source with any kind of number. I don't think Google Earth is what we're looking for either. We generally don't know how often those photographs are updated? Am I wrong there?

with google earth there is a timestamp on every image so u know exactly when it was taken. the imagery used in the pictures above is from 4/10/2013. so not the newest pictures but at the same time, it would be impossible to denude the forest to the point that bill nye is saying in the last 4 years.

originally posted by: SRPrime

originally posted by: D8Tee
a reply to: TheLotLizard

While his statement is probably widely exaggerated. This doesn't sway away from the fact that Alberta Canada's trees are being cut down at an astounding rate. Here are some figures.

That is not an accurate statement. It is the law in Alberta that trees harvested on public lands be re-grown. The replacement of diverse forests by “monocultures” is a common misconception. Typical regeneration plans involve replanting species that are natural to the site because they are best adapted to that area. When one tree is harvested in Alberta, on average, more than two trees are planted. This ensures that the forest is growing faster than it is being harvested.

Time to cut down a tree, a couple hours, time to grow 2 trees from seed -- 40-100 years. The forest is definitely not growing faster than they cut it down, they are planting more than they cut, but it grows very slowly -- your statement is disingenuous at best and just as hyperbolic and wrong as Bill Nye's claim that it's denuded at worst.

Albertas forestry industry is managed as a sustainable resource. That is in fact legislation.

Harvest rates that exceed the growth in annual productive capacity indicate that the forest is being harvested more quickly than it is being replaced, which is not sustainable in the long run.
Alberta is at 73 per cent of it's annual allowabe cut in 2013, which is under 100 right?
So no, I did not include any hyperbole in my statements to you.
I don't like forestry, it tends to destroy the ecosystem with it's clear cutting, but the fact remains, it's being managed as a sustainable resource.

originally posted by: amazing

originally posted by: D8Tee

originally posted by: amazing
He's a pretty smart guy really. He's spent his whole life trying to get children into Science and spreading scientific knowledge out to the rest of us in a very easily understood fun way.

Just because you don't like his position on Global Warming doesn't mean he's an idiot, right?

I mean, Scientists and scientific organizations from all over the world have been telling us that Global warming is happening and a large part of it is man made. How could you call someone an idiot if they actually listened to actual scientists? LOL

So it's ok for him to tell the world that 1/4 of Alberta has been denuded of forest to make way for the oilsands?
Shall i change the title to Bill Nye is a liar?
What kind of intelligent person who says they have visited the oil sands and seen them first hand decides to decry that 1/4 of the province they are in is denuded of forest due to them?
He's either an idiot or a liar, take your choice.
Alberta is a big place, it's not much smaller than Texas.

Well that's just one statement and let's take it...what is the fact? How much of Alberta has been denuded? Any? 1%, 25%? I really did about 7 different google searches and wasn't able to find a good reliable source or even a non reliable source with any kind of number. I don't think Google Earth is what we're looking for either. We generally don't know how often those photographs are updated? Am I wrong there?

It's 760 square kilometers of surface disturbance, works out to 0.1% of Alberta.
If we wish to take it in the context of only the boreal forest lands, it comes out to 0.2%.
Disturbed oil sands surface minable area equaled to about 895 km2 in 2013 accounting for less than 1 per cent of total oil sands area and about 0.2 per cent of Alberta boreal forest which covers over 381,000 km2

a reply to: Masterjaden

Yes. I know the difference.

Which is why I said I liked Mr. Wizard better.

911 made me dislike him.

originally posted by: TheLotLizard
While his statement is probably widely exaggerated. This doesn't sway away from the fact that Alberta Canada's trees are being cut down at an astounding rate. Here are some figures.

The information was compiled and processed by scientists and technicians at the University of Maryland and Google Earth. It used Landsat imagery from 2000 to 2012 to study how forest cover has changed globally. Lee used that information to look at Alberta, where previous studies had already found the most industrially affected forests in Canada. He found that in those 12 years, the eastern slopes of the Rockies lost 6.8 per cent of their forests that weren't in a protected area. That outpaced the rate of deforestation in the oilsands region, which came in at 5.5 per cent. The Canadian average was 3.1 per cent. Brazil's average was 4.3 per cent, the U.S. was 2.9 per cent and Russia came in at 2.2 per cent.

Link

Oh, and by the way, google mountain pine beetle, you will find the reason why the Eastern slopes of the Rockies are losing timber....

originally posted by: D8Tee
a reply to: TheLotLizard

While his statement is probably widely exaggerated. This doesn't sway away from the fact that Alberta Canada's trees are being cut down at an astounding rate. Here are some figures.

That is not an accurate statement. It is the law in Alberta that trees harvested on public lands be re-grown. The replacement of diverse forests by “monocultures” is a common misconception. Typical regeneration plans involve replanting species that are natural to the site because they are best adapted to that area. When one tree is harvested in Alberta, on average, more than two trees are planted. This ensures that the forest is growing faster than it is being harvested.

That does not include survivability. Only in a perfect world will the trees grow back double what is harvested.

originally posted by: TheLotLizard

originally posted by: D8Tee
a reply to: TheLotLizard

While his statement is probably widely exaggerated. This doesn't sway away from the fact that Alberta Canada's trees are being cut down at an astounding rate. Here are some figures.

That is not an accurate statement. It is the law in Alberta that trees harvested on public lands be re-grown. The replacement of diverse forests by “monocultures” is a common misconception. Typical regeneration plans involve replanting species that are natural to the site because they are best adapted to that area. When one tree is harvested in Alberta, on average, more than two trees are planted. This ensures that the forest is growing faster than it is being harvested.

That does not include survivability. Only in a perfect world will the trees grow back double what is harvested.

Never said it did. I'll leave the sustainable forestry plans to the biologists.

Did you google pine beetle yet? You'll find the reason for your 'deforstation' on the Eastern slopes that you posted. It's not man cutting down the trees, it's a beetle that is killing them. You might want to do your research better.

The current MPB outbreak started in British Columbia in the early 1990s. The insect has since killed about 50% of the total volume of commercial lodgepole pine in the province. While isolated records of MPB had been noted in Alberta before, it was the massive migration of beetles into that province from outbreaks in British Columbia during 2006 that fuelled the spread eastward.

www.nrcan.gc.ca...