Why Climate Change Won't Matter in 20 Years

[Canibul]

Well, by golly, the Americans should just pay to clean up every mess the rest of the world flushes down their rivers.

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by Canibul

you could get similar graphs by plotting the number of tire revolutions in a month.

Or the number of diapers produced. Or nails driven. Or Reebocks worn out. Or in fact anything.

And of course those graphs are produced by totally objective people......
whose livelihoods just happen to depend on people buying their snake oil.

Well, I don't think you will see graphs like that for things like new species evolving or for natural resources being replenished. Do you?

Please explain to me how someone's livelihood could depend on extinction rates going up? I would think the contrary for anyone living on the planet.

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Climate change won't matter in twenty years because we will be too busy worrying about more immediate concerns, like how screwed up the environment got while we were too busy worrying about climate change and ignored the myriad of other ways we were destroying our planet.

Want some swordfish tartar to go with your northern white rhino steak? Good luck with that!

Your view mirrors my own. I am somewhat agnostic about the "dangers" of climate change and the extent to which it is anthropogenic. But I am absolutely damn sure we are causing direct mechanical damage to our planet in so many other ways it makes me dizzy just thinking about it. I worry that the focus on CC causes these other, far more immediately pressing and obvious problems to be ignored. How much of Borneo will be left in 10 years, much less 100, for just one tiny example?

[bobofthenorth]

Originally Posted by motion30

Funny, the rest of the advanced world except for the Republican Party believes in climate change. I guess everybody else is wrong

Real science isn't a democracy. The most revolutionary scientists are always outliers in their own time. Fortunately we no longer physically burn them at the stake but their current punishment is severe nonetheless.

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by transmitterdan

Ken,

Thanks for finding the article. I am directly involved in this research. If the world does not lose its resolve then fusion power will be a reality before this century is over. The US should increase its commitment to this project. One would think that the present government would be a strong advocate but sadly the other countries involved such as India and Korea are much more committed than the US. I read about India being maligned in the media because they rely on coal for their increasing energy needs. But they are one of the strongest players in fusion research. They know that the sooner fusion becomes a reality the sooner they can dump coal.

For example: L&T dispatches first consignment of ITER cryostat - The Economic Times

Wind and solar are for dreamers. Unlimited energy that does not pollute, does not clutter the landscape with huge windmills that need constant maintenance and does not require millions of flying creatures to die every year. The math is clearly in favor of fusion.

How do we know fusion works? Answer: The sun comes up every morning.

Another excellent post. I am all for nuclear in general. What is your opinion on pebble bed reactors?

[transmitterdan]

Originally Posted by Muckle Flugga

Another excellent post. I am all for nuclear in general. What is your opinion on pebble bed reactors?

I have devoted about 20 years to the fusion side because I believe that is the truly unlimited energy resource. Uranium based fission systems are ok but they don't have the long term potential of fusion. We have plenty of petroleum based energy reserves to last another couple hundred years and efficiency improvements may be able to extend that to 400 years. We should use that cheap energy and invest in the end game which is fusion. The solar system is after all fusion powered. I find it kind of pointless to argue with mother nature?

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by transmitterdan

I have devoted about 20 years to the fusion side because I believe that is the truly unlimited energy resource. Uranium based fission systems are ok but they don't have the long term potential of fusion. We have plenty of petroleum based energy reserves to last another couple hundred years and efficiency improvements may be able to extend that to 400 years. We should use that cheap energy and invest in the end game which is fusion. The solar system is after all fusion powered. I find it kind of pointless to argue with mother nature?

Both pointless, and impossible. It would be interesting to consider whether, having begun, like the stars, with Helium to Hydrogen, we may one day, like the Novas, fuse the heavier metals and other elements, perhaps creating altogether new ones? Meantime it would be nice simply to be able to use the vast hydrogen resources on the planet, and to allay the fears of helium depletion

[bobnlesley]

In the greater scheme of things climate change really doesn't matter, as pollution, over-population, et-al are not destroying the planet, but merely changing it; the planet doesn't have a problem, just it's population.

These changes brought about by the human animals will eventually - probably sooner rather than later - render the earth uninhabitable for themselves, or at least in the large/urbanised populations which we have currently and more sadly, for the many other species too; perhaps fortunately few if any of these other species have the cognitive powers to realise/worry about what's heading their way.

However, the planet itself is not going to be destroyed, it will continue to spin and remain sustaining for some forms of life; there may even be a small population of the more resilient and self-reliant humans remaining, who will no doubt begin the whole cycle once again? But the planet remains safe.

[Delancey]

I prefer the notion of Transhumanism over Artificial Intellegence dominating the post-human world but maybe I am just sentimental.

[zeehag]

and what is it that the govts are trying to change?? change?? or the thickness of their individual wallets.
planet changes all the time. its/our only constant is change.
humans are not the root cause of change.
get over it, arrogant bastids. hell, there is even a beer named for ye. only thing gained by govt alleged intervention with planetary change is money in pockets of fat cats causing the troubles in the first place.
sheeple. ptuey.

yeah ignorants throw trash. trash. isnt cause of climate change--is proof that folks are bar none, the rudest most arrogant animals on this planet. that is all.

[Delancey]

Zee, luv ya. Reely due! Butt if ewe thnkn humenz arent responsilly for the deklin in world shark populations then their reely iz no hope.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List...eatened_sharks

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by meirriba

Because we want be around by then?

I still plan on being around in twenty years.... giddy up!

Just cruising around on a 32 year old boat.

[Liam Wald]

Originally Posted by motion30

Funny, the rest of the advanced world except for the Republican Party believes in climate change. I guess everybody else is wrong

99% of all climate scientists believe that climate change is occurring.
100% of sheep do not.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Liam Wald

99% of all climate scientists believe that climate change is occurring.
100% of sheep do not.

What if 99% of your climate scientists are revealed to be the sheep?

Meanwhile... I'm going to enjoy the unusually warm weather we're experiencing here in New England this winter which definitely helps to forget the record cold and high snowfalls of last winter. The forecast is for 65 degrees on Christmas!

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by Liam Wald

99% of all climate scientists believe that climate change is occurring.
100% of sheep do not.

Nobody really disputes that it is occurring. The disputes are centred on whether and to what degree it is mediated by human activity. I belive it is, to some degree. I also believe that it is, as Delancey has been trying to point out, very far from the most pressing environmental issue we currently face.