Oh Noos: Marijuana causes global warming

[cali]

Marijuana causes global warming, uses 1% of U.S. electricity
San Francisco Business Times - by Steven E.F. Brown

People growing marijuana indoors use 1 percent of the U.S. electricity supply, and they create 17 million metric tons of carbon dioxide every year (not counting the smoke exhaled) according to a report by Evan Mills, an energy analyst at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

After medical pot use was made legal in California in 1996, Mills says, per-person residential electricity use in Humboldt County jumped 50 percent compared to other parts of the state.

In order to produce some 17,000 metric tons of marijuana this year, Mills estimates authorized growers will use $5 billion worth of energy. That works out to the output of seven big electric power plants.

Much of the carbon dioxide produced by the industry comes from transportation, though the need for lights “500-times greater than recommended for reading” also uses a lot of power and generates a lot of pollution. Air conditioning, ventilation and humidity control also contribute.

Read more: Marijuana causes global warming, uses 1% of U.S. electricity | San Francisco Business Times


http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2011/04/12/marijuana-causes-global-warming.html?ana=e_pft

[99th_Monkey]

1. I'm suddenly very curious about who bankrolled Mr. Mill's "research & findings". ~nt

[karnac]

3. He did it on his own.

I'm surprised he has the time working at LBL. I looked at his resume and he is a nobel prize winner(with gore) and merely the list if his publications is over 10 pages long. writes about climate change and energy use.

http://eetd.lbl.gov/emills/pubs.html

Here is his study

http://evan-mills.com/energy-associates/Indoor_files/Indoor-cannabis-energy-use.pdf

It really shouldn't be surprising. the power costs are so high for growing pot indoors that the cultivators have to steal it.

two pounds of carbon emissions per joint...

[99th_Monkey]

6. Of course, the main reason so much is grown indoors ...

... is to hide it ... to avoid detection because of our precious <:sarcasm:> War on Drugs.

[Democracyinkind]

2. Let's do the math for Tobacco, Sugar, Chocoloate, Alcohol etc. too

The bullshit that passes for "science" on DU these days - it keeps astounding me. I'm not disputing the math; I'm disputing the language - "causes global warmin" - what a load of dung.

(Almost) every human activity "causes" global warming in this narrow sense - and I bet allot of the Marijuana that is produced in the US compares favourably to other activities among the 99% category. Then again; if Marijuana weren't illegal, it could be farmed on an industrial scale much more efficiently and wouldn't waste as much energy. In the dishonest terminology of this article this would read the following way: THE WAR ON DRUGS CAUSES GLOBAL WARMING !!!!111!!!!111

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. Breaking news: Purity Bowls cause global warming

A study by the Quazimodo Chair of Abstinence Studies, of the East Chicago University reveals that abstinence parties, in which fathers receive ownership pledges over their dsughters' vaginas, turn out to greatly increase energy use and global warming.

Because the rates of STD transmission are so much greater among the pledged teens, increased demands on medical services, normally in secret, even clandestine locations (like Planned Parenthood, as part of the 10% of their non abortion services) force female health care facilities to remain open at odd hours, long after normal business hours.

Additionally, efforts to cure the STDs through prayer, also increase energy use at religious centers like baptist and evangelical churches.

[karnac]

7. Your rant just caused

.398 grams of carbon emissions.. :D



http://www.seanbluestone.com/wordpress-carbon-footprint
(dont read it, just kidding)

[ChairmanAgnostic]

10. I blame last night's beans

sorry it was so loud.

[Tunkamerica]

5. if it wasn't necessary to be clandestine a large portion would be solar powered

[99th_Monkey]

9. Exactly. Largely we have a "War on Drugs" 2 thank for that 1% by driving it so far indoors...

...where the energy costs skyrocket.

[99th_Monkey]

8. Given all the amazing health benefits of Cannibus that have recently come to light ...

.. and the AMA's recent advocacy for medical MJ,
I'm totally not surprised by this ever-so-timely hit piece.

Personally I think Mr. Even's 1% calculation is sketchy at best.

[stuntcat]

11. not as mush as meat does though

hey don't shoot me, I'm just sayin!! Look it up.

[Distant Observer]

12. Good argument for LEGALIZING canabis to maximize use of natural light growing

[pintobean]

13. K&R for the humor factor

[pipi_k]

14. I guess they don't get it, do they?

If marijuana were legal, people wouldn't have to set up big old "farms" in their attics, basements, garages, and wherever.

People could just grow the stuff right out in their gardens along with the tomatoes and brussels sprouts.