Climate Change - Bad News

[Knight of Albion]

Global warming: Humans are dominant cause, say climate experts

BBC News - Global warming: Humans are 'dominant cause', say climate experts

 

[Willamena]

I thought Al Gore made it obvious in 2006, with all his graphs and pretty pictures.

 

[Chalant]

Over hear, everyone is so unanimous on climate change that it is hard to believe that the world doesn't think climate change is real.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Global warming: Humans are dominant cause, say climate experts

BBC News - Global warming: Humans are 'dominant cause', say climate experts

And topsoil depletion.

And ocean acidification.

And the depletion of our major aquifers, or saltwater intrusion of potable groundwater aquifers at our coastal cities.

And deforestation.

And the extinction of many species throughout the world.

But, you know, people will still buy their cars and drive to their jobs, pick up some packaged food that has thousands of food miles on them, and **** in their indoor toilets that have fresh water in them. And some nights every now and then they'll watch a documentary on these very issues and what's causing them in the first place, but they'll get up the very next day and do it all again because we just don't know any other way of living.

I muse jokingly every now and then that the hippie communes and the Amish are going to experience the rapture and be whisked off to heaven to be with Jesus while the rest of us are going to suffer a tribulation period. You know, since they're the ones who are living mindfully and caring for God's creation while we continue to rape the planet at will.

 

[Falvlun]

Over hear, everyone is so unanimous on climate change that it is hard to believe that the world doesn't think climate change is real.

To be fair, I think the tide is turning here where people do agree that "climate change" is occurring. The big brawl is whether humans are the dominant cause or if it's just "natural".

The other problem, as Mystic points out, is that even those who agree that humans are causing irreversible damage to our planet, its biodiversity, and its climate, are unwilling to make the sacrifices to change. It's very politically driven, which is to say, it's very money driven: It's not profitable for a politician to make a strong stand on the environment, and therefore, they don't, even the liberals.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I muse jokingly every now and then that the hippie communes and the Amish are going to experience the rapture and be whisked off to heaven to be with Jesus while the rest of us are going to suffer a tribulation period. You know, since they're the ones who are living mindfully and caring for God's creation while we continue to rape the planet at will.

The planet will be just fine after we're gone. Environmental conditions change, species die off, others evolve and thrive. This endless dance played out for hundreds of millions of years before us, and will do so afterwards. The biosphere has survived worse than what we can dish out, and I suspect will also do so again. Collectively, as a species, we're not developed or aware enough to plan for our long-term survival - so we'll eventually go the way of billions of species before us.

 

[Willamena]

To be fair, I think the tide is turning here where people do agree that "climate change" is occurring. The big brawl is whether humans are the dominant cause or if it's just "natural".

Considering that scientists can track climatic conditions back 10's of thousands of years by burrowing into ice glaciers, it's kind of a no-brainer to see the numbers jump off the chart only in the last 60 years.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

The planet will be just fine after we're gone. Environmental conditions change, species die off, others evolve and thrive. This endless dance played out for hundreds of millions of years before us, and will do so afterwards. The biosphere has survived worse than what we can dish out, and I suspect will also do so again. Collectively, as a species, we're not developed or aware enough to plan for our long-term survival - so we'll eventually go the way of billions of species before us.

Except maybe Gary Busey. Does he ever stop?

 

[metis]

And how many people will suffer immensely or die during this process of doing nothing?

 

[Quintessence]

Bad news?

More like extremely old news. The science on this was settled at least ten years ago.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Except maybe Gary Busey. Does he ever stop?

Stop? Well STOP simply stands for Smack Talking Owl Posse. And since we all know that owls are the universal symbol of wisdom, then love is the answer to all life's questions. Besides, have you ever tried to stop an owl? It's impossible unless you understand the inner spirit of nocturnal, winged hunters.

 

[Quintessence]

And how many people will suffer immensely or die during this process of doing nothing?

As far as I'm concerned, whatever suffering humans face is fully deserved given our rampant disregard of the non-human world and shoving our biosphere into a sixth mass extinction. That non-human suffering - which is already catastrophic - is barely if ever mentioned in this entire equation rather highlights this point.

 

[metis]

And a large part of the trouble is that the people who are most likely to feel the worst effects had nothing to do with making the non-decisions that keep making things gradually get worse.

 

[Falvlun]

Considering that scientists can track climatic conditions back 10's of thousands of years by burrowing into ice glaciers, it's kind of a no-brainer to see the numbers jump off the chart only in the last 60 years.

You would think.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

And a large part of the trouble is that the people who are most likely to feel the worst effects had nothing to do with making the non-decisions that keep making things gradually get worse.

Yet there's little reason to think that they would have done anything differently if the positions had been switched.

 

[Willamena]

Yet there's little reason to think that they would have done anything differently if the positions had been switched.

Well, if we're talking, say, Africans rather than Americans, yes, there's a world of reason (the New World, to be precise). It was our philosophies that lead us to this point.

 

[metis]

Yet there's little reason to think that they would have done anything differently if the positions had been switched.

I tend to agree. Steven Hawking's comments on this can be brought into play here as he thinks our "selfish gene" is so powerful that in the long run we probably will have to eventually look for a different planet to live on.

 

[BSM1]

Hey, what happened to "global warming"? It's a shame it was debunked, I miss it. I guess "climate change" will disappear as soon as I get use to it.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Well, if we're talking, say, Africans rather than Americans, yes, there's a world of reason (the New World, to be precise). It was our philosophies that lead us to this point.

The positions wouldn't have been switched then.

 

[metis]

Hey, what happened to "global warming"? It's a shame it was debunked, I miss it. I guess "climate change" will disappear as soon as I get use to it.

Sorry, but it has been overwhelmingly supported through on-going research. Let me suggest going through recent copies of "Scientific American", which is peer-reviewed btw, and actually read what the research is indicating. Or one can access this on-line.