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Climate Change Is Hell on Alaska's Formerly Frozen Highways

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Re: Climate Change Is Hell on Alaska's Formerly Frozen Highways

#21

Post by sliverstorm »

vkou wrote: post #15
superswordfish wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like we're discovering a bunch of technologies that involve removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere now (and even using it as a resource). That isn't the only problem gas, but I'm optimistic that we will solve the "greenhouse effect" problem through this sort of climate engineering before the real disaster of rising sea levels gets too far. In a century people will probably be freaked out by a host of is…

The real disaster isn't rising sealevels (except in Bangladesh). Homes can be rebuilt. Its just a question of money. The real disaster is agricultural collapse in the tropics and subtropics. Either way, it would be far cheaper to switch our energy production to renewables, then to geo-engineer on a planet scale. We aren't doing that in any meaningful way. Instead we pat ourselves on the back for reducing US coal ener…

Never mind that this entire reduction comes from burning natural gas...

It's still a huge improvement, cutting CO2 output by half and eliminating other byproducts.

Re: Climate Change Is Hell on Alaska's Formerly Frozen Highways

#22

Post by dragonwriter »

hx87 wrote: post #18
mc32 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree climate change has to be taken seriously and we need to study ways to mitigate the effects of our GHG output. No doubt. On the Japan question. No, I think and hope they continue to be uniquely stubborn. Why? Because we are all going to be there (we would have been there if we'd be as strict as Latin American countries are about their own immigration). Japan can lead the way for us and for others on how to dea…

Besides, population decline could very well be a large part of the answer to the problem of automation and labor redundancy. Who cares if you have less workers if you /need/ less workers?

> Besides, population decline could very well be a large part of the answer to the problem of automation and labor redundancy. Who cares if you have less workers if you /need/ less workers?

Its only a short-term answer (sure, natural population contraction and population aging means your workforce to total supported population ratio is shrinking, which can delay the need to address the retooling society to deal with lower labor-hours:population requirements, but it only delays the need, and eventually creates other problems.)

Re: Climate Change Is Hell on Alaska's Formerly Frozen Highways

#23

Post by parsnips »

Classic propaganda. Fissures on the Alaskan highway are caused by temperature variance. This has been happening since the highway was built in the 40's.

Example:

>Winter frost is extremely hard on the roads. Do not be surprised to see deep fissures across the highway.

http://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/canada/747-alask...

So when the author says:

>Scientists say they’re the crystal-clear manifestation that permafrost -- slabs of ice and sediment just beneath the Earth’s surface in colder climes -- is thawing as global temperatures keep rising.

I become extremely skeptical. This is the danger of lazy journalism and ultimately lazy readers confirmation bias.

Re: Climate Change Is Hell on Alaska's Formerly Frozen Highways

#24

Post by dragonwriter »

vkou wrote: post #15
superswordfish wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like we're discovering a bunch of technologies that involve removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere now (and even using it as a resource). That isn't the only problem gas, but I'm optimistic that we will solve the "greenhouse effect" problem through this sort of climate engineering before the real disaster of rising sea levels gets too far. In a century people will probably be freaked out by a host of is…

The real disaster isn't rising sealevels (except in Bangladesh). Homes can be rebuilt. Its just a question of money. The real disaster is agricultural collapse in the tropics and subtropics. Either way, it would be far cheaper to switch our energy production to renewables, then to geo-engineer on a planet scale. We aren't doing that in any meaningful way. Instead we pat ourselves on the back for reducing US coal ener…

> The real disaster isn't rising sealevels (except in Bangladesh). Homes can be rebuilt. Its just a question of money. The real disaster is agricultural collapse in the tropics and subtropics.

Homes aren't the only thing destroyed by rising sealevels. Arable land that is under saltwater is a lot less arable.

Re: Climate Change Is Hell on Alaska's Formerly Frozen Highways

#25

Post by colmvp »

intopieces wrote: post #19
mc32 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree climate change has to be taken seriously and we need to study ways to mitigate the effects of our GHG output. No doubt. On the Japan question. No, I think and hope they continue to be uniquely stubborn. Why? Because we are all going to be there (we would have been there if we'd be as strict as Latin American countries are about their own immigration). Japan can lead the way for us and for others on how to dea…

In what way is importing workers "defraying the issue"? Also, why would the population of the US decline? White people aren't having babies like they used to, but other groups don't show the same trend. It's the reason why the US is on track to become a majority-minority country long before the original estimated 2050. California's already there. People are still clamorimg to get into the US, and fighting tooth and n…

If you look at the stats of immigrants in the U.S. other groups aren't having as many babies like they used to. Look up birth rate by minorities on Pew Social Trends.

Re: Climate Change Is Hell on Alaska's Formerly Frozen Highways

#26

Post by mc32 »

intopieces wrote: post #19
mc32 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree climate change has to be taken seriously and we need to study ways to mitigate the effects of our GHG output. No doubt. On the Japan question. No, I think and hope they continue to be uniquely stubborn. Why? Because we are all going to be there (we would have been there if we'd be as strict as Latin American countries are about their own immigration). Japan can lead the way for us and for others on how to dea…

In what way is importing workers "defraying the issue"? Also, why would the population of the US decline? White people aren't having babies like they used to, but other groups don't show the same trend. It's the reason why the US is on track to become a majority-minority country long before the original estimated 2050. California's already there. People are still clamorimg to get into the US, and fighting tooth and n…

Japan, by some measures, is over populated. But regardless. World population is stabilizing, at least in mature economies. The US would be in a pop decline, if not for immigrants. If we only count US born newborns, the US pop is in decline.

Japan facing this issue we will all face is good for them and for us as their solutions will pave the way for other countries which will follow (much of western Europe and east Asia).

Re: Climate Change Is Hell on Alaska's Formerly Frozen Highways

#27

Post by fweespeech »

vkou wrote: post #15
superswordfish wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like we're discovering a bunch of technologies that involve removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere now (and even using it as a resource). That isn't the only problem gas, but I'm optimistic that we will solve the "greenhouse effect" problem through this sort of climate engineering before the real disaster of rising sea levels gets too far. In a century people will probably be freaked out by a host of is…

The real disaster isn't rising sealevels (except in Bangladesh). Homes can be rebuilt. Its just a question of money. The real disaster is agricultural collapse in the tropics and subtropics. Either way, it would be far cheaper to switch our energy production to renewables, then to geo-engineer on a planet scale. We aren't doing that in any meaningful way. Instead we pat ourselves on the back for reducing US coal ener…

> The real disaster isn't rising sealevels (except in Bangladesh). Homes can be rebuilt. Its just a question of money. The real disaster is agricultural collapse in the tropics and subtropics.

A good chunk of arable land and aquifers will be affected by rising sea levels as well.

Really, our only hope is somehow all that land that is too cold to farm now...becomes more practical to farm. :/

Re: Climate Change Is Hell on Alaska's Formerly Frozen Highways

#28

Post by hedgew »

JustUhThought wrote: post #3

We are in for a shtt-storm. But go over to Bloomberg news, and they're wondering why the Japanese won't make the tough cultural sacrifices needed to increase immigration, to stave off stagnant GDP caused by declining population and the accompanying demographics. (I get the workers to non-workers issues in play. Even with that, I believe it is telling, which solutions are put forth. Increase immigration. Not, decrease…

Increased immigration from poor countries to rich countries will increase consumption and pollution.

Third world aid has a similar problem. The more wealthy people become, the more they eat meat and pollute.

Cases like Sweden where more than 90% of third world immigrants stay unemployed are likely the worst of all.

Re: Climate Change Is Hell on Alaska's Formerly Frozen Highways

#29

Post by vkou »

sliverstorm wrote: post #21
vkou wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The real disaster isn't rising sealevels (except in Bangladesh). Homes can be rebuilt. Its just a question of money. The real disaster is agricultural collapse in the tropics and subtropics. Either way, it would be far cheaper to switch our energy production to renewables, then to geo-engineer on a planet scale. We aren't doing that in any meaningful way. Instead we pat ourselves on the back for reducing US coal ener…

Never mind that this entire reduction comes from burning natural gas... It's still a huge improvement, cutting CO2 output by half and eliminating other byproducts.

Except that overall CO2 output has been steady since 2008.

Yes, there has been GDP growth since then, which is great... But the atmosphere doesn't care about GDP. What it needs are reductions.

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