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Antarctic CO2 Hit 400 PPM for First Time in 4M Years

scientificamerican.com

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Re: Antarctic CO2 Hit 400 PPM for First Time in 4M Years

#71

Post by JoeDaDude »

andrewstuart2 wrote: post #48
jakeogh wrote: post #10

Nice visualization from NASA: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011700/a011719/11719-...

Am I reading the visualization right that CO2 practically disappears every summer? Wouldn't it logically follow then that we're not actually too late to fix our CO2 levels? If we can reduce emissions, plant consumption during the summer months for the northern hemisphere appears to be incredibly effective at basically demolishing the built-up CO2. Or is the "too late" aspect more about the melting polar caps, and tha…

"I think we're going to be a planet covered in trees. I wonder what that would be like". https://youtu.be/YxJLyPSRusc?t=52m4s

Re: Antarctic CO2 Hit 400 PPM for First Time in 4M Years

#72

Post by MikeHolman »

I've been having a bit of an existential crisis about this recently. Is sustainability even possible anymore? We are obviously living beyond the capacity of the earth to cope right now. But is it even possible to sustain this many people (at current standards of living with foreseeable technology)?

Re: Antarctic CO2 Hit 400 PPM for First Time in 4M Years

#73

Post by School-Cotton »

MikeHolman wrote: post #72

I've been having a bit of an existential crisis about this recently. Is sustainability even possible anymore? We are obviously living beyond the capacity of the earth to cope right now. But is it even possible to sustain this many people (at current standards of living with foreseeable technology)?

Nah.

Re: Antarctic CO2 Hit 400 PPM for First Time in 4M Years

#74

Post by agumonkey »

lossolo wrote: post #2

The worst thing is that we can't stop it when it will be too late. This doesn't work like a switch. Even if we would drastically cut all CO2 emission those levels would not drop in our lifetimes.

There is no pipeline flush in nature CPU.

Re: Antarctic CO2 Hit 400 PPM for First Time in 4M Years

#75

Post by lprubin »

MikeHolman wrote: post #72

I've been having a bit of an existential crisis about this recently. Is sustainability even possible anymore? We are obviously living beyond the capacity of the earth to cope right now. But is it even possible to sustain this many people (at current standards of living with foreseeable technology)?

Not having kids may be one of the biggest forms of environmental activism.

Re: Antarctic CO2 Hit 400 PPM for First Time in 4M Years

#76

Post by toomuchtodo »

willholloway wrote: post #55
lisper wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Am I reading the visualization right that CO2 practically disappears every summer? No. The concentration does drop seasonally, but not even close to zero. See: http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/ Click on the "full record" tab and note that the Y axis starts at 320 (compared to the preindustrial level of 270). The seasonal drop is about 5PPM, and we're at about 400 now, roughly 50% over pre-industrial levels.…

We can fix this, we can take the carbon out of the atmosphere [1]. There is reason for optimism. We. Are. Not. Doomed. The optimum level of carbon is probably slightly above pre-industrial levels. We definitely need to get back below 350ppm to keep human civilization... civilized. 400ppm+ is a trajectory to anarchy. The chimpanzee raiding impulse is alive and well in our DNA, a survival adaptation for stagnation and…

You're on the right track, but ditch fusion and flywheels. It'll be battery storage, wind, and solar:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-13/we-ve-almo...

Re: Antarctic CO2 Hit 400 PPM for First Time in 4M Years

#77

Post by m_mueller »

MikeHolman wrote: post #72

I've been having a bit of an existential crisis about this recently. Is sustainability even possible anymore? We are obviously living beyond the capacity of the earth to cope right now. But is it even possible to sustain this many people (at current standards of living with foreseeable technology)?

The way I see it, sooner or later it will come down to atmospheric engineering (i.e. managing reflective airborne molecules, like an artificial volcanic winter). The question will be wether we have this technology sorted out until the situation becomes desperate and whether the world will be politically stable enough for an entity to take responsibility over this - it's going to be like a sword of damocles over everyone's heads and once we've started with this we can't go back (because everyone will keep burning fossil fuel until it has run out).

Re: Antarctic CO2 Hit 400 PPM for First Time in 4M Years

#78

Post by m_mueller »

baddox wrote: post #46
hyperbovine wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have no doubt at we will try this, plus a lot of even dumber ideas, once the shit really starts to hit the fan. The world is not going to just sit back as Manhattan, Mumbai, Shanghai, Sydney, Rio, etc. disappear under a foot or two of water. Politicians (the same one who spent 50 years failing on this issue) will demand action. It's the best argument I can think of for putting serious research effort into geoengine…

It's probably a lot cheaper for those cities to build flood control systems.

Will still be a wakeup call. And I seriously doubt that flood control (and/or relocation) for all major costal cities will be cheaper than climate engineering.

Re: Antarctic CO2 Hit 400 PPM for First Time in 4M Years

#79

Post by throwaway5752 »

m_mueller wrote: post #77
MikeHolman wrote: post #72

I've been having a bit of an existential crisis about this recently. Is sustainability even possible anymore? We are obviously living beyond the capacity of the earth to cope right now. But is it even possible to sustain this many people (at current standards of living with foreseeable technology)?

The way I see it, sooner or later it will come down to atmospheric engineering (i.e. managing reflective airborne molecules, like an artificial volcanic winter). The question will be wether we have this technology sorted out until the situation becomes desperate and whether the world will be politically stable enough for an entity to take responsibility over this - it's going to be like a sword of damocles over every…

How does that address ocean acidification?
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