adam wrote:

Rising concentrations of greenhouse gases may have more serious impacts than previously believed, a major scientific report has said.
...
In the report's foreword, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair writes that "it is now plain that the emission of greenhouse gases... is causing global warming at a rate that is unsustainable."

Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett said the report's conclusions would be a shock to many people.

rather a contrast to Bush who's having scientists gagged (see nyt)

Currently, the atmosphere contains about 380 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas, compared to levels before the industrial revolution of about 275ppm.
...
"We're going to be at 400 ppm in 10 years' time, I predict that without any delight in saying it," he said.

"But no country is going to turn off a power station which is providing much-desired energy for its population to tackle this problem - we have to accept that.

"To aim for 450 (ppm) would, I am afraid, seem unfeasible."

i've never seen the figures before OMG
plus see the arctic retreat
we're in trouble

There's lots of documentation coming out of major cities where they're citing much higher numbers (450ppm - 600ppm). The numbers are coming out of studies conducted to determine the elevated rates of cancer, respiratory, and cardiac disease in children. There's also a serious drop in school attendance due to asthma attacks and other maladies due to poor air quality (which - surprise! - affects parent's attendance at work). There are now certain areas in LA and San Diego that on very warm days, the air is basically poisonous. Imagine what it's like in Mexico City, Rio de Janero, or Shanghai?! So we're beyond trouble at this point.

We're not in trouble. We'll be dead by the time this becomes unpleasant. I don't care about people I'll never meet. I've always disliked winter, anyway.

adam wrote:

Rising concentrations of greenhouse gases may have more serious impacts than previously believed, a major scientific report has said.
...
In the report's foreword, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair writes that "it is now plain that the emission of greenhouse gases... is causing global warming at a rate that is unsustainable."

Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett said the report's conclusions would be a shock to many people.

rather a contrast to Bush who's having scientists gagged (see nyt)

Currently, the atmosphere contains about 380 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas, compared to levels before the industrial revolution of about 275ppm.
...
"We're going to be at 400 ppm in 10 years' time, I predict that without any delight in saying it," he said.

"But no country is going to turn off a power station which is providing much-desired energy for its population to tackle this problem - we have to accept that.

"To aim for 450 (ppm) would, I am afraid, seem unfeasible."

i've never seen the figures before OMG
plus see the arctic retreat
we're in trouble

adam wrote:

Rising concentrations of greenhouse gases may have more serious impacts than previously believed, a major scientific report has said.
...
In the report's foreword, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair writes that "it is now plain that the emission of greenhouse gases... is causing global warming at a rate that is unsustainable."

Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett said the report's conclusions would be a shock to many people.

rather a contrast to Bush who's having scientists gagged (see nyt)

Currently, the atmosphere contains about 380 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas, compared to levels before the industrial revolution of about 275ppm.
...
"We're going to be at 400 ppm in 10 years' time, I predict that without any delight in saying it," he said.

"But no country is going to turn off a power station which is providing much-desired energy for its population to tackle this problem - we have to accept that.

"To aim for 450 (ppm) would, I am afraid, seem unfeasible."

i've never seen the figures before OMG
plus see the arctic retreat
we're in trouble

"We're killing the planet! We're killing the planet!" Folks, I have some news for you, the planet is going to go cheerfully spinning around the sun just like it has for eons. It is simply going to do so with many fewer of us on it.

While "The Day After Tomorrow" scenario is (probably) bad science, the shutdown of the Atlantic current (which appears to actually be happening) has two big effects. One, the north pole is going to react to that funny warming thing by getting colder. A LOT colder. As in Europe and a lot of the northern hemisphere gets covered by a great big block of ice colder. Second, All of that water has to come from somewhere, guess where? Think the drought conditions ramping up across America's breadbasket are going to improve?

We're not killing the planet, the planet wants to kill us for being bad stewards.

Mike the Usurper wrote:

adam wrote:

Rising concentrations of greenhouse gases may have more serious impacts than previously believed, a major scientific report has said.
...
In the report's foreword, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair writes that "it is now plain that the emission of greenhouse gases... is causing global warming at a rate that is unsustainable."

Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett said the report's conclusions would be a shock to many people.

rather a contrast to Bush who's having scientists gagged (see nyt)

Currently, the atmosphere contains about 380 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas, compared to levels before the industrial revolution of about 275ppm.
...
"We're going to be at 400 ppm in 10 years' time, I predict that without any delight in saying it," he said.

"But no country is going to turn off a power station which is providing much-desired energy for its population to tackle this problem - we have to accept that.

"To aim for 450 (ppm) would, I am afraid, seem unfeasible."

i've never seen the figures before OMG
plus see the arctic retreat
we're in trouble

"We're killing the planet! We're killing the planet!" Folks, I have some news for you, the planet is going to go cheerfully spinning around the sun just like it has for eons. It is simply going to do so with many fewer of us on it.

While "The Day After Tomorrow" scenario is (probably) bad science, the shutdown of the Atlantic current (which appears to actually be happening) has two big effects. One, the north pole is going to react to that funny warming thing by getting colder. A LOT colder. As in Europe and a lot of the northern hemisphere gets covered by a great big block of ice colder. Second, All of that water has to come from somewhere, guess where? Think the drought conditions ramping up across America's breadbasket are going to improve?

We're not killing the planet, the planet wants to kill us for being bad stewards.

so is the answer to say that this little experiment in sentient life should just be wrapped up or "Do not go gentle into that good night,...Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
Dylan Thomas

adam wrote:

Mike the Usurper wrote:

adam wrote:

Rising concentrations of greenhouse gases may have more serious impacts than previously believed, a major scientific report has said.
...
In the report's foreword, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair writes that "it is now plain that the emission of greenhouse gases... is causing global warming at a rate that is unsustainable."

Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett said the report's conclusions would be a shock to many people.

rather a contrast to Bush who's having scientists gagged (see nyt)

Currently, the atmosphere contains about 380 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas, compared to levels before the industrial revolution of about 275ppm.
...
"We're going to be at 400 ppm in 10 years' time, I predict that without any delight in saying it," he said.

"But no country is going to turn off a power station which is providing much-desired energy for its population to tackle this problem - we have to accept that.

"To aim for 450 (ppm) would, I am afraid, seem unfeasible."

i've never seen the figures before OMG
plus see the arctic retreat
we're in trouble

"We're killing the planet! We're killing the planet!" Folks, I have some news for you, the planet is going to go cheerfully spinning around the sun just like it has for eons. It is simply going to do so with many fewer of us on it.

While "The Day After Tomorrow" scenario is (probably) bad science, the shutdown of the Atlantic current (which appears to actually be happening) has two big effects. One, the north pole is going to react to that funny warming thing by getting colder. A LOT colder. As in Europe and a lot of the northern hemisphere gets covered by a great big block of ice colder. Second, All of that water has to come from somewhere, guess where? Think the drought conditions ramping up across America's breadbasket are going to improve?

We're not killing the planet, the planet wants to kill us for being bad stewards.

so is the answer to say that this little experiment in sentient life should just be wrapped up or "Do not go gentle into that good night,...Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

The answer is this little try at sentient life better get it together. The other option is 30 million years from now the cockroaches saying "There is no such thing as evolution!"

"We're killing the planet! We're killing the planet!" Folks, I have some news for you, the planet is going to go cheerfully spinning around the sun just like it has for eons. It is simply going to do so with many fewer of us on it.

While "The Day After Tomorrow" scenario is (probably) bad science, the shutdown of the Atlantic current (which appears to actually be happening) has two big effects. One, the north pole is going to react to that funny warming thing by getting colder. A LOT colder. As in Europe and a lot of the northern hemisphere gets covered by a great big block of ice colder. Second, All of that water has to come from somewhere, guess where? Think the drought conditions ramping up across America's breadbasket are going to improve?

We're not killing the planet, the planet wants to kill us for being bad stewards.

so is the answer to say that this little experiment in sentient life should just be wrapped up or "Do not go gentle into that good night,...Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
Dylan Thomas

The answer is this little try at sentient life better get it together. The other option is 30 million years from now the cockroaches saying "There is no such thing as evolution!"

which means as advanced thinking tool users, as Bush said in the State of the Union, we need to reduce our dependence on Persian Gulf oil but not just for short term reasons. We also need to cut our reliance on Mexican Gulf oil, cut our reliance on oil full stop. Cut dramatically carbon emissions and look towards technical solutions eg nanotechnology by locking up released carbon as graphite or diamond. These are achievable goals if we face the consequences of our actions and react sensibly and intelligently. With China and India developing fast we need to be able to give them better options than simply saying they can't develop their economies and must remain in poverty for the good of the planet. We need to start colonising the solar system so we're not just confined to this globe and to start extracting the solar system's physical resources and we need to build solar power stations in space. We have a huge power station a few light minutes away which won't run out of fuel for billions of years. We must find a way to start exploiting it. At the moment this is all science fiction but I believe it is all doable before the greenhouse effect really kicks in and we have nuclear exchanges in an ever more bitter fight over dwinderling food and water, particularly food as crops fail and rainfall patterns shift and consequently the global grain belts shift and the staple crops that we rely on to feed the planet are interrupted.
Fuck the cockroaches I want our species to live up to its name of "wise man".