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Scientists In Alaska Find Mammoth Amounts Of Carbon In The Warming Permafrost

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Re: Scientists In Alaska Find Mammoth Amounts Of Carbon In The Warming Permafrost

#151

Post by arca_vorago »

leggomylibro wrote: post #109
cgh wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> crushing the frantic penguins There are no penguins in the Arctic (Antarctica only) so nothing to fear.

Oh, then we're probably safe - he was only worried about the Ant arctic: "I am forced into speech because men of science have refused to follow my advice without knowing why. It is altogether against my will that I tell my reasons for opposing this contemplated invasion of the antarctic — with its vast fossil-hunt and its wholesale boring and melting of the ancient ice-cap — and I am the more reluctant because my war…

This was always one of my favorite lines of Lovecraft. It's the sense of hopelessness that he manages to get into his writing that really sets the atmosphere more than just about any other writer I know of, other than perhaps Clive Barker.

Re: Scientists In Alaska Find Mammoth Amounts Of Carbon In The Warming Permafrost

#152

Post by autokad »

goatlover wrote: post #39
jjoonathan wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are there credible models that suggest Earth will turn into Venus or something? It would take a hell of a lot more to end humanity than it would take to "merely" hurt/kill the most vulnerable segments of our population (which is what I thought the stakes were).

No, the Earth has been a lot warmer and colder in the past. We've had massive volcanoes going off for thousands of years, we've had iceball earth, we've had crocodiles and palm trees in the arctic. The Earth's systems always balance out over the long run. We don't stay trapped in ice ages or hot phases.

agree, but in the long long run it will lean towards hotter as the sun changes phases. eventually earth will be a scorched rock without anyone's help.

you have to consider, the earth is about 4.5 billion years old, and we only have 1 billion left, but life will be wiped out much 'sooner' then that.

Re: Scientists In Alaska Find Mammoth Amounts Of Carbon In The Warming Permafrost

#153

Post by oh_sigh »

bsaul wrote: post #12
kregasaurusrex wrote: post #7

There could be anything underneath all the permafrost, including new biodiversity which we haven't catalogued yet. NPR ran a story[0] where Russian animals such as reindeer infected with Anthrax had thawed out, and caused outbreaks where people had to get preventative treatments against it. As a future threat model, what if there's new viruses or bacterium contained under previously frozen earth for which modern medi…

Or, what if every of those bacteries whose evolution stopped thousands of years ago are simply completely inapt to compete with the ones we've got today, because those had much more time to evolve ?

That's not really how it works. You could equally argue that those ancient bacteria have attack methods that our modern bacteria has forgotten about, making them even more dangerous

Re: Scientists In Alaska Find Mammoth Amounts Of Carbon In The Warming Permafrost

#154

Post by smnplk »

SEJeff wrote: post #100
FeteCommuniste wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would bet on a medium-sized to big, healthy dog against a velociraptor. Raptors were around the size of a turkey. Might not be an easy fight, though.

Velociraptors have two rows of teeth in addition to a 2.5" retractable middle claw theorized to be used for slashing or stabbing attacks. Many dogs would have a size advantage, but all would have fewer teeth and generally soft padded paws with no serious claws. Even with the smaller size, the Velociraptors seemingly have the advantage. The "Fighting Dinosaurs" fossils give some credence to the claw being used to pier…

what about titanoboa vs modern tiger ?

Re: Scientists In Alaska Find Mammoth Amounts Of Carbon In The Warming Permafrost

#155

Post by conanbatt »

twostoned wrote: post #97
goatlover wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, the Earth has been a lot warmer and colder in the past. We've had massive volcanoes going off for thousands of years, we've had iceball earth, we've had crocodiles and palm trees in the arctic. The Earth's systems always balance out over the long run. We don't stay trapped in ice ages or hot phases.

There's a really good George Carlin bit in one of his stand-ups about how the earth will be fine. Something along the lines of what you're saying; earthquakes, volcanoes, solar flares, etc. She's been around for a looong time folks. It's humanity that might be in for a bad day.

"Save the earth? The nerve, the arrogance. Now the people? The people are f"

Re: Scientists In Alaska Find Mammoth Amounts Of Carbon In The Warming Permafrost

#156

Post by pdeuchler »

sulam wrote: post #140
skrowl wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is definitely no shortage of doomsday climate models. CREDIBLE models is a different story. Look back at ones from 20+ years ago to see what they predicted would be happening by now. It's pretty funny actually.

I don't need models when I have the historical record. The historical record says mean sea level is going to be hundreds of _meters_ above current levels in the not-too-distant future.

This is why people don't listen to the scientists, because absurd FUD like this gets spread and it discredits the entire movement. Even the most doomsday predictions are on the order of inches, maybe over a foot in the next 50 years. Such a rise would still be incredibly devastating, don't get me wrong, but it would take about a hundred years of a completely runaway warming cycle to raise the seas a single meter, much less hundreds.

Re: Scientists In Alaska Find Mammoth Amounts Of Carbon In The Warming Permafrost

#157

Post by crgt »

mc32 wrote: post #146
SEJeff wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Velociraptors have two rows of teeth in addition to a 2.5" retractable middle claw theorized to be used for slashing or stabbing attacks. Many dogs would have a size advantage, but all would have fewer teeth and generally soft padded paws with no serious claws. Even with the smaller size, the Velociraptors seemingly have the advantage. The "Fighting Dinosaurs" fossils give some credence to the claw being used to pier…

Do wild turkeys have spurs like fighting cocks, and how do they fare against dogs, i would wonder.

We have wild turkeys near us. My chocolate lab went a couple rounds with a mother turkey this spring. First couple of encounters went to the mama turkey as she was defending her babies and my dog was just terrified of her. She would spread her wings (6-8 feet wide or so?) and then hover above him. He would freak out and back away, terrified. Eventually the dog got brave, chased her off and ate a couple of turkey babies. But based on that interaction, I definitely would NOT bet on a lab taking down a velociraptor. The raptor would have gone for the kill when the dog was still scared..

Re: Scientists In Alaska Find Mammoth Amounts Of Carbon In The Warming Permafrost

#158

Post by Spooky23 »

matte_black wrote: post #78
xyzzyz wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You prefer mass death?

Since I do not like government intervention in people’s lives, yes, a natural mass death would be better, especially if it leaves behind a stronger genetic pool.

Sounds like a great idea. You first.

Re: Scientists In Alaska Find Mammoth Amounts Of Carbon In The Warming Permafrost

#159

Post by cr0sh »

thrillgore wrote: post #116
matte_black wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is something we can do. We can enjoy what we have here and now, for as long as it lasts, for as long as we can.

As long as I have a guarantee we can preserve our culture, I can care less about my future. Even if we lose our species, we should leave something behind that indicates we mattered.

I think we have - between the Pioneer and Voyager probes, plus the various probes on Mars and Earth's moon.

Re: Scientists In Alaska Find Mammoth Amounts Of Carbon In The Warming Permafrost

#160

Post by Cyberdog »

cgh wrote: post #91
leggomylibro wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>There could be anything underneath all the permafrost, including new biodiversity which we haven't catalogued yet. Hey, that was the plot of H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness ! http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/mm.aspx Spoilers: "...But we were not on a station platform. We were on the track ahead as the nightmare plastic column of foetid black iridescence oozed tightly onward through its…

> crushing the frantic penguins There are no penguins in the Arctic (Antarctica only) so nothing to fear.

Oh, the Arctic penguins were frozen under the ice too.
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