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WE ARE 812 YEARS OLD

2011-02-23 · explainer · John · 3:27 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Science & nature (also: Nerdfighteria) · mode: Explainer · tags: community lore, civic or action cta

John estimates Nerdfighteria's total viewing time (812 years) and carbon emissions (more than an average Swede's lifetime) and argues that if even an idea like Nerdfighteria emits this much, the climate problem is huge.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Three notes: Hank's mayor interview, a year since Ningmaster Tom's accident, the unbuttoned shirt

  • ★★ John loved Hank's interview with the mayor of Missoula and wishes he could be his mayor without moving there. — 00:00:04 · Missoula, Montana
  • ★★ A year ago today, John notes, their friend Ningmaster Tom almost died in a bicycle accident and was long in a coma, but survived and is here. — 00:00:10 · Ningmaster

00:00:23 — Re-carbon-neutralizing: 122 million views at 3.5 minutes make Nerdfighteria 812 years old

  • ★★ John recalls carbon-neutralizing Nerdfighteria in October 2007 for about 30 dollars and sets out to do it again now that views have grown. — 00:00:23 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★ John says, with a pointed pause, that it is 'fine' if viewers don't believe carbon dioxide emissions contribute to climate change. (satire) — 00:00:29 · climate change
  • ★★ John says vlogbrothers videos have been viewed about 122 million times, with an average video length of about 3 minutes 30 seconds. — 00:00:36 · Vlogbrothers
  • ★★★ Guessing that partial viewing and other Nerdfighter activity average out to 3.5 minutes per view, John gets 427 million minutes, which at 525,600 minutes a year (from Rent) is more than 812 years. (playful, hedged) — 00:00:52 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★ John jokes that the 812 years of viewing time make Nerdfighteria more than 812 years old. (joke) — 00:01:15 · Nerdfighteria

00:01:20 — Aside: Nerdfighters in Your Pants investigate the mystery of Gussie Manlove

  • ★★ John points to Nerdfighters in Your Pants who are currently trying to solve the mystery of Gussie Manlove, Walter Manlove's wife; link in the description. — 00:01:20

00:01:30 — Hours to watts to pounds of carbon: more than an average Swede's lifetime; why John won't buy the $5,000 offset

  • ★★ John says about 7,116,667 hours of viewing, at an average 120 watts per hour for a computer browsing the internet, comes to about 854,000 kilowatts. (playful) — 00:01:30 · Nerdfighteria
    • a number in question (doubtful): "120" — check against the recording
    • a number in question (slip of the tongue): "854,000.04" — check against the recording
  • ★★ At about 1.35 pounds of carbon per kilowatt in the US, John calculates Nerdfighteria is responsible for 1,152,900 pounds of carbon. (playful) — 00:01:56 · Nerdfighteria
    • a number in question (doubtful): "about 1.35" — check against the recording
  • ★★ John says that in four years Nerdfighteria has emitted more carbon than the average Swede will in a lifetime, though it is not a person but an idea. (playful) — 00:02:00 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ Having offset 23,000 pounds in 2007, John says 1.13 million pounds remain, which would cost just over $5,000 to offset at carbonfund.org. — 00:02:26
  • ★★ John says he won't pay the $5,000 offset because someday Henry is going to want to go to college. (playful) — 00:02:37 · Henry Green

00:02:47 — If even Nerdfighteria emits this much, the problem is huge; be aware of the price of awesome

  • ★★★ If Nerdfighteria, which most people have never heard of, is responsible for a million pounds of carbon, John says, it shows how huge the problem we face really is. — 00:02:47 · climate change, Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ John says YouTube's carbon emissions amount to trillions of pounds of carbon. — 00:02:53 · YouTube
    • check: trillions — doubtful
  • ★★★ John still thinks YouTube and Nerdfighteria are awesome, but says we need to be aware of the price of that awesome. — 00:03:05 · YouTube, Nerdfighteria

00:03:12 — Post-sign-off: worldsuck in Bahrain, New Zealand, Libya and Morocco; pay attention and help

  • ★★ John says Nerdfighters from Bahrain to New Zealand to Libya to Morocco face mega-worldsuck for different reasons, and asks Nerdfighteria to pay attention and help where they can; links in the description. — 00:03:13 · world suck, Nerdfighteria

In the description and comments

  • ★★ John points viewers to the New Zealand Red Cross to help victims of the earthquake in New Zealand, and to the Red Crescent to help victims of the violence in Libya. — video description

Humor (significant)

  • John notices his shirt is unbuttoned. — 00:00:18

    “We're running a video blog here, not a porn studio.”

  • Many viewers don't watch whole videos, particularly the giraffe sex ones, where they find only a guy talking. — 00:00:43

    “I hate this guy! Click!”

  • Nerdfighteria has emitted more carbon in four years than an average Swede will in a lifetime. — 00:02:17

    “Nerdfighteria is already... a Swede.”

  • Offsetting the carbon would take just over $5,000 at carbonfund.org, but John won't do it. — 00:02:37

    “because someday, Henry is gonna want to go to college.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: carbon footprint · carbon offset · climate change

Also: People: Gussie · Henry Green · John Engen · Ningmaster Tom · Walter Manlove

Projects: Nerdfighter Ning · Your Pants

Works: Rent

Organizations: Carbonfund.org · YouTube

Terms: world suck

Concepts: giraffe

Places: Bahrain · Libya · Missoula, Montana · Morocco · New Zealand · Sweden

Only in the description or credits: 2011 Christchurch earthquake · Al Jazeera · NASA · New Zealand Red Cross · Red Crescent · Scientific American · Wikipedia

Also centred on carbon footprint: Brotherhood 2.0: January 10, 2007 · Week 2 Condensed Highlight Reel · Brotherhood 2.0: Carbon Neutralizing Youtube · October 12th: Carbon Re-Neutralizing Brotherhood 2.0

Also centred on carbon offset: Week 2 Condensed Highlight Reel · Brotherhood 2.0: Carbon Neutralizing Youtube · October 12th: Carbon Re-Neutralizing Brotherhood 2.0

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