This is What Global Warming Looks Like

[Ace Otana]

We have two very epic problems to deal with. Both considerably serious, global warming which will lead to more bad weather, droughts and death. Then there's the overpopulation problem. With a changing environment, without a doubt it'll affect food production and could even reduce land mass with rising sea levels. Less land, less food and yet more people?
If that's not a disaster waiting to happen, I don't know what is.

[Justtristo]

I think it's far more likely that we would find a way to slow ACG than to stop it. If we're looking for honest debate and practical solutions we have to set reasonable goals. We are not going to be able to exist in "equilibrium with nature" -as it were, I can't see that as anything more than a pipe-dream. I don't even know why we would want to -consider that once upon a time we did just that, and our situation has since greatly improved-. This is obviously a personal opinion, but there will always be some issue where we will need to prioritize ourselves or our environment, and in those areas I will always side with us. So, seems to me, that the best course of action would be to mitigate damage in those areas where the compromise is bearable so as to shift the weight of damage across the aggregate of all of our activities.

From what I know of climate science, climate change is usually not a gradual thing. Rather it is quite sudden, for example changes from glacial to interglacial and vice versus periods happen over a period of several years.

I shudder to think that the consquences would be for global civilization if the climate were to warm a few degrees quite suddenly. Because our global civilization is very dependent on a quite stable climate or at least gradual climate change, not a sudden big change in the climate.

[ib.me.ub]

Thats ok though. As long as it dosen't happen in my lifetime! In 100 years I will be long gone.

[Justtristo]

Thats ok though. As long as it dosen't happen in my lifetime! In 100 years I will be long gone.

There is a chance that if things continue as they are, it could happen in our lifetimes.

[ib.me.ub]

Aparently, its already happening and has been for quit a while.

[The Grand Nudger]

Except that it appears to be gradual at the moment doesn't it? It didn't just get hotter one day. Now there may be a threshold that we're approaching which, once crossed, would trigger something drastic (and that's an argument that's made-obviously, and also that we've already crossed it) Slowing the climb towards that threshhold, or further past it, is a reasonable and achievable solution, whereas stalling completely is not, at least at present -no matter how much we throw at it. There's nothing wrong with buying time. rgr?

Buy time, plan a more sustainable future, phase out the big hitters as we can, as solutions arise. Remediate. Above all, deal with the consequences of our actions in a level headed manner.
(I had to add the last bit, can't have an ACC discussion without population control rearing it's ugly head-forgive me for suggesting that it will be more practical to solve infrastructure problems than to prevent people from fucking)

[Ace Otana]

Thats ok though. As long as it dosen't happen in my lifetime! In 100 years I will be long gone.

I think the effects of climate change is already here. It's pretty much just started compared what we're due to face.
I think you and me are due to see some nasty shit within the next 30 years. Before 2050, they have predicted that if we continue at our current rate, we will be around to watch the sea swallow up lots of land. And to see some of the hottest weathers and worst storms ever recorded.

[ib.me.ub]

In my opinion, that point has already been crossed. It will be interesting to see what happens.

edit: YES, storms, bring it on :-).

[The Grand Nudger]

Okay....here we go. I'm going to suggest something heretical......

Whenever we end up on this topic Day After Tommorrow shit seems inevitable. We assume the worst, talk about the droughts and the storms etc. It's almost as if we're assuming that climate change is a unilateral bad scenario. That sounds a bit like the earth punishing us, don't you think? All bad, all the time, never any other side of the coin. You know we'd suffer much more if we went deep freeze -aridity- than we would by any amount of warming. Warming has historically fostered the greatest explosions of life ever seen on this planet...the densest flora, the greatest amount of fauna. I can't help but notice that there is something not altogether reasonable going on when we start to flirt with climate apocalypse. The psuedo apocalypse bit should be the canary in the mines..that's just my opinion. Storms and droughts and tornadoes and famine...why not just invoke the locusts already ffs?

-late edit- Okay, I grew up in S. Florida, when you guys think of "stronger storms" I have a sneaking suspicion that it doesn't even approach the shit a great many people ride out on their porch beer in hand- and yet civilization remains-food production continues. The temp was over 100 and over 90% humidity for nearly three decades of my life more often than it was under 90 or 70%humidity - despite their being a record decade long drought smack dab in the middle of that......even with that much moisture in the air..interesting isn't it? Sure, areas get devastated time to time, but that's the cost of living here. I'm not trying to downplay natural disasters or our effect on the environment in the least, both are priority concerns as far as I'm concerned. I just don't see how the chicken little approach does anything to alleviate any problem whatsoever.

[Nine]

Good or bad I hate the heat. Luckily British summers only last a few weeks then its back to cold and wet