Why wouldn't we preemptively pump them out? Draw them down.
Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic
211–220 of 384 posts
Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic
#212If we can't fix, if we can't prevent, and if we cannot prepare either, then maybe we could at least preserve? • Digitize all human knowledge and as much art/literature as you can gather (books, music, movies, shows, games, even porn and random YouTube videos and discussions on online forums :) Most of that work has already been done. • Store it on the most resilient (and simple/repairable) storage media you can, • Bu…
We've constructed a society which is incapable of responding effectively to even ultimate crisis, and faced with that realization all we can think to do is devise a way to preserve the leavings of that dead-end paradigm. Very nice.
Others can and could still learn or be inspired, if not from at least SOME of the things we've made or thought of, then from our mistakes.
Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic
#213This is the first time I've heard about this issue. If this is as severe and terrifying as these comments are making it seem, why has this not been covered more?
Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic
#214Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's not a particularly good candidate I would think. For example we know what's happening and could theoretically have stopped it but didn't/don't have the will. The Fermi paradox requires it to be extremely unlikely to survive, but you could imagine scenarios on other worlds where the right kind of political situation was around to stop it.
> but you could imagine scenarios on other worlds where the right kind of political situation was around to stop it. I can't imagine that. The only evidence I have to date (from a sample size of 1 planet) is that there is next to zero real political will, even if the politicians of the world create additional heat saying they have in fact found the political will.
Because we are not unified and working towards the same goal. Tribalism is our roots and they will be our ends. That is the problem with too many sentient beings-everyone believes they deserve something. Thus no intilligent life unless they are a single entity.
Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic
#215Earlier quoted context omitted.
Oh so it's not the end of the entirety of human beings, instead it's just the end of civilized modern society as we know it! Phew THAT was close!
Unchecked GW may possibly very well kill millions of people, and destroy quality of life for millions more, but it won't be the end of civilization.
Define "civilization". I could see a return to the dark ages (or at least, pre-electricity civilization) as totally possible.)
Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic
#216Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic
#217This is the first time I've heard about this issue. If this is as severe and terrifying as these comments are making it seem, why has this not been covered more?
What do you think climate scientists have been screaming about for the past several decades?
Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic
#218Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can you elaborate on the optimistic assumptions in robotics that may enable accelerated silicate weathering? Or could you point me to some readings on the matter?
A search on Google Scholar for "accelerated silicate weathering" will be more informative than my comment. But here's the shortish version... Naturally occurring silicates of magnesium, calcium, sodium, and potassium are thermodynamically prone to weather to carbonates in ambient conditions, when water absorbs CO2 and passes over rocks. In the case of magnesium and calcium in particular, the weathering leads to stabl…
Sooo.... we need solar-powered, sand-grinding/blowing machines in the Great Deserts (Sahara, Gobi, etc)?
Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic
#219So, assuming we're screwed, where's the best place to move preemptively? I know Boston isn't that place. - I assume the coasts are a nonstarter. - Moving inland could be nice, but the ground would need to be pretty arable to restart civilization there. I'm guessing somewhere in Africa is a safe bet, given the lack of resource exploitation there, but then again, there's not much infrastructure at the moment.
> I'm guessing somewhere in Africa is a safe bet, given the lack of resource exploitation there, ...what?
AFAIK Africa has a ton of natural resources still available compared to the rest of the continents (other than Antarctica)
Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic
#220The majority of the population does not care about this one bit. They're going to carry on driving their gas guzzlers. The only change we can make is if we, who understand what is at stake, invest in renewables to bring their price down. When the backwards people will see us all in our cheap to run, fast to accelerate and cheap to maintain electric pass them on the highway will they feel dumb buying gallons of gas to…
Consumer gas vehicle make up a TINY fraction of the cause of greenhouse emissions worldwide. Everyone changing to EVs isn't going to fix anything, especially when that electrical power can come from dirty power plants. The big changes need to come from agriculture, commercial, and industrial industries. The world also needs to quickly phase out coal and gas power plants and switch to all renewable so new "green" elec…
> Consumer gas vehicle make up a TINY fraction
According to [1], transportation is 26% of greenhouse emissions, of which over half is passenger cars and light-duty trucks.
[1] https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emis...