I1 Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 Most people have a computer (in that they are reading this) and much of the time your computer is sitting idle (even whilst you are reading this it is not doing much).There are serious global warming issues the world needs to face and investigate. Research into Climate Prediction involves a lot of computer power, which can either be few big very expensive computers (not affordable for academic establishments) or loads of smaller Personal Computers. There is a academic project called Climate Prediction.net (run by several universities) that provide software you run on your computer in background that carries out climate prediction research. You download it over the internet, then download a “project” which takes a month or so to calculate, at the end of which results are sent back (over the internet) to the research establishment and a new project downloaded. Its very easy to do.It is actually quite nice software in that it runs a climate world model and you can (if you want) look at the weather over the world for the time the model is currently checking.It doesn’t slow the computer (as it runs at a lower priority that everything else).To be useful you need to leave your computer on most of the time (if you turn it off occasionally it is no problem but 1 or 2 hours a day would mean a single model would take many years to complete). Whilst some may think this is a waste of electricity, you don’t need the monitor left on and modern computers use very little electricity. Also, leaving your computer on is far better for it (i.e. it is far less likely to break) and manufacturing computers is very environmentally polluting. Check their web site as this has info about such things.I raise it only as people might not be aware of it and may like to participate.The organisation is not a commercial organisation (it is various universities) and I am in no way connected to it (other than I have run the models for several months now) – thus this is not an advertisement and I thus hope (and do net intend) to break any forum rules or practice.If interested look at http://www.climateprediction.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixietoadstool Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 Thanks for the info. I have just one query - I bought a new state of the art computer in February and it puts out enough heat to warm my office with the door closed - so much so that I don't need to have the central heating on there. I have been meaning to turn off all the other appliances in the house to gauge its consumption - I would anticipate it must be at least 1KwH! I never noticed my old Dell (now 6 years old) doing this!Valerie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Trollope Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 And the power generation needed for all that processing has some global warning implications of it's own, no?There is very little that is "green" about computers. Perhaps we should all turn them off and go and dig the garden... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 Usual crap - only runs on PCs, 'too many other platforms' - what! You've only prepared for one? And the OU used to be a Mac environment until the bean counters took over...So you'd rather have some Tiny PC than a 64-bit G5? OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 Use your PC and internet connection to look at:http://www.junkscience.comhttp://www.john-daly.comhttp://www.co2science.orghttp://www.nhes.comto try and get a handle on how over-hyped global warming is.Stew(after a week and a half of rain - bring on the global warming!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I1 Posted October 21, 2004 Author Share Posted October 21, 2004 [quote]Usual crap - only runs on PCs, 'too many other platforms' - what! You've only prepared for one? And the OU used to be a Mac environment until the bean counters took over...So you'd rather have some Ti...[/quote]Maybe I didn't make it clear; this project is nothing to do with me except that I participate in it by running models.They have had quite a lot of discussion about platform and probably justifyably decided to develop the windows platform first as this would give them most computer power fastest (like it or not there are more windows based PCs out there than Mac's and Linux (and I am not commenting on good or bad, quality/reliability, etc., just quantity). They have been working on a Mac version for some time (but being acedemic, have limited resources and, in my opinion, have been spending too long optimising it for 64 bit platform. They felt that spending loads of time optimising the MAC version for 64 bit platform would make the model run faster (though of course, each day they spend optimising the code is a day less when people with MACs might have been running it).I can fully appreciate that different people prefer different platforms and which is best for anybody will depend on a wide variety of factors - there is no right or wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I1 Posted October 21, 2004 Author Share Posted October 21, 2004 [quote]Use your PC and internet connection to look at:http://www.junkscience.comhttp://www.john-daly.comhttp://www.co2science.orghttp://www.nhes.comto try and get a handle on how over-hyped global warming is...[/quote]Not being an environmental scientist I am not in a position to comment on the nature of Global Warning from a scientific perspecive. One of the great problems (to my mind) is that it has become a political issue. Americans are so dependant on their cars, etc. that they would go through great "lifestyle pains" to reduce their carbon emmissions and that is where the politics starts. Some politicians seem to accept that there is an effect whilst others (mainly US) seems to deny it. I'm probably too synical but I mistrust quite a lot of information put out on US based web sites as I have this feeling that the have too may "other agendas" (probably quite unfair).From what I have read, Global Warming does not actually mean that everyhere will get warmer. In fact the UK will get colder and it is likely that the seas could freeze round the UK waters. This is an effect of the gulf stream stopping (I am told it is already slowing).One aspect to the ClimatePrediction.net is that as a researgh based project, I guess it will help scientists actually find out if there is a problem, if so how serious is may be, etc. etc. I can certainly believe that any Global Warming effects will be slow to occur though, I can also believe that once their effects are clearly seen, it will be too late to change things (both to reduce the effects that have already happened and to change fuel sources, etc. to reduce the causes).Certainly reducing carbon emissions will have other "spin-off" benefits anyway (e.g. helping the world petroleum resources last longer whilst viable alternatives, etc. are found). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I1 Posted October 21, 2004 Author Share Posted October 21, 2004 [quote]Usual crap - only runs on PCs, 'too many other platforms' - what! You've only prepared for one? And the OU used to be a Mac environment until the bean counters took over...So you'd rather have some Ti...[/quote]A nice quote and one of the few I can ever remember:"The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to chose from/between". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I1 Posted October 21, 2004 Author Share Posted October 21, 2004 [quote]And the power generation needed for all that processing has some global warning implications of it's own, no? There is very little that is "green" about computers. Perhaps we should all turn them off...[/quote]I actually agree (as I don't like computers although I work with them and I would much rather be outside). However, if we have them (for whatever personal reasons we might have), we might as well use them for something beneficial whilst we are not using them. After all the environmental damage in their manufacture has already been done. I have seen some figures somewhere about the irony of power used to drive the computers and that effect on global warming and using the computers for research is definately ok (I think its discussed on the Climate Prediction web site somehere - though might take some finding).Also (totally unrelated) saw something about electric hand dryers in public loos - environmentally that same as paper towels - electricity (carbon generation) against trees, etc for the paper makes the environmental impact about the same. Not my research nor figures so don't worry about telling me I'm wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Sorry, I1 (how about a name to talk to?) - not having a go at you. Yes, there are more PCs than Macs. But then, there are more******oaches than people... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Having just sat through extremely nasty typhoon number 24 the 10th to hit Japan, caused apparently through high temperature seawater in the Pacific, I am very interested in helping regarding global warming. I am also interested in getting the h*** out of here!!France here I come!Coral - soon to be in the Ariege - I hope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Trollope Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 [quote]Sorry, I1 (how about a name to talk to?) - not having a go at you. Yes, there are more PCs than Macs. But then, there are more******oaches than people...[/quote]Dick, I'm so glad you don't have c***roaches. When will they fix this (obviously Sun-based) software? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David584 Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 According to their website, there are 17973 computers in the UK already participating in this.That being so I think that I will give it a miss and nort make mine 17974.Got problems with Sun based software Nick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leschenauds Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Pleased that Stew has brought a grain of perspective to this topic.If one airline cut out one flight, enough energy would be saved to run every non-govenment PC for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I1 Posted October 22, 2004 Author Share Posted October 22, 2004 [quote]Sorry, I1 (how about a name to talk to?) - not having a go at you. Yes, there are more PCs than Macs. But then, there are more******oaches than people...[/quote]Didn't take it that way. I use Windows based PC's not because I like the (nor dislike other platforms), but for commercial reasons in the market place I work in. A bit like others have made their choice and to be commercially viable I have to follow.I have no axe to grind on platforms, they (mostly) all have their merits (the mostly being because I know between "a lot less" and "virtually nothing" about the wide range of other platforms). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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