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What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so here are the pictures

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Re: What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so here are the pictures

#201

Post by bigbugbag »

g_simonsson wrote: post #95
gremlinsinc wrote: post #79

Too bad we can't create a dyson sphere that we could partially close to limit sun exposure enough to refreeze parts of the planet as needed and also use the sphere to power everything on earth.

This reminds me of the Sun-Earth-L1 Lagrangian point, where we have deployed several spacecrafts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrangian_point#Spaceflight_a... An international effort could easily deploy reflective materials here to reduce solar radiation on Earth. Though I wonder how much it would cost to achieve even a 0.01% reduction in radiation, as well as what material would be most cost-effective to deploy.

This is an old idea and it is very difficult and incredibly expensive to realize while not actually fixing the issue.

https://www.livescience.com/22202-space-mirrors-global-warmi...

Re: What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so here are the pictures

#202

Post by bigbugbag »

yters wrote: post #89

So if the earth heats up, and more water evaporates, and more clouds form to block the sun, will this lead to a global cooling effect? My understanding is this was the old worry, that all our pollutants were going to block out the sun and lead to a new ice age, or at least the Matrix.

There is a positive feedback loop, more water vapor in the athmosphere double the CO2 greenhouse effect, and factoring in other feedback loops we get over 3 times more greenhouse effect, which warms the earth and increase water vapor in the athmosphere, etc.

This process could lead to oceans boiling out (though not on Earth, but it may be the case for Venus).

Re: What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so here are the pictures

#203

Post by bigbugbag »

Gupie wrote: post #149
Sharlin wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably because it’s a ridiculously trivial problem in the context of the full seriousness of climate change.

Possibly, but I thought he/she was putting serious point in a light hearted manner. Expected sea level rises are .5 to 2m by then end of the century. Anyone with property less than 2m above the current sea level should be concerned.

There is a common misunderstanding in sea level rise. When the number says .5 to 2m it is a planetary global average, but sea level rise distribution is not uniform across the planet.

Some places, such as the US east coast[1][2], are expected to have to deal with sea level rises 3-4 times the global average or 2m to 8m of sea level rise. So property up to 8m or more from the current sea level may be concerned.

[1]: https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate1597

[2]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/20...

Re: What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so here are the pictures

#204

Post by bigbugbag »

username223 wrote: post #24
codecamper wrote: post #8

next the tundra melts and releases an insane amount of methane. we are so screwed.

It seems like we keep discovering new positive feedback loops for global warming. Less ice means less reflection. Warmer arctic means more methane from permafrost. Desertification means less carbon capture. There was a recent article in Scientific American about likely changes in cloud formation from AGW. Some clouds reflect sun (cooling), while others trap heat (warming). Guess which are likely to increase? I doubt…

Out of curiosity what makes you doubt human will go extinct.

It is quite obvious that we are collectively failing to deal with climate change and that this could be the great filter according to the fermi paradox where humans disappear. Climate change sure has the potential to remove current condition favorable to human life on the planet as it has already happened in the past.

https://twistedsifter.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/mother_gai...

Re: What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so here are the pictures

#205

Post by bigbugbag »

andygates wrote: post #158
codecamper wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm of the opinion that all of life on Earth evolved over a long period of time to match the more or less steady state environment. When you go and disturb that steady state by say releasing a million years worth of carbon sequestration over a century, you destabilize the whole thing. Like a top spinning it all of a sudden collapses. And then humans realize that we were really just along for the ride & do not have a…

I can smell the Gaia daisies in that opinion. But this is a big perturbation and it'll take a long time to settle back down again. Fine for life overall, but troublesome for hairless monkeys and their agricultural base.

are we talking about those daisies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisyworld ?

and this gaia: https://twistedsifter.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/mother_gai... ?

Re: What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so here are the pictures

#206

Post by bigbugbag »

mkempe wrote: post #2

I read the weather report (in Danish). [1] The local warming in Greenland has already happened in previous years at that particular weather station. The spike in temperature was caused by a foehn-like wind -- same as a chinook wind in the Colorado or Wyoming Rockies; the temperature in Boulder CO can easily climb 10-20 C over a few hours and rapidly melt the snow, then return to a deep freeze the next night. [1] http…

you've been seconded: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16461676#16463992

Re: What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so here are the pictures

#207

Post by ghthor »

ImaCake wrote: post #84
pwarner wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looks like this fern fixed it last time? So no worries then. Might take a while... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azolla_event

Reading about the interglacials makes me worry about what happens when the interglacial ends and we lose half of our farmland.

Lots of suffering and death. Unless we act using our ability to make predictions about the future. Act now, speak out, reach for common ground with critics, avoid spending to much energy on trolls and lost causes.

Re: What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so here are the pictures

#208

Post by ghthor »

a_imho wrote: post #148

Assuming we need to worry about climate change in the short term, what are the best mitigations on individual level? What can a person do to prepare for climate change? Move somewhere less affected? Hoard money/resources?

Reuse reuse reuse, Prefer glass over plastic and walking more are my personal ways of offsetting my footprint.

Re: What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so here are the pictures

#209

Post by ghthor »

b1daly wrote: post #164
username223 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like we keep discovering new positive feedback loops for global warming. Less ice means less reflection. Warmer arctic means more methane from permafrost. Desertification means less carbon capture. There was a recent article in Scientific American about likely changes in cloud formation from AGW. Some clouds reflect sun (cooling), while others trap heat (warming). Guess which are likely to increase? I doubt…

Define screwed. I’m not sure what I think about the “climate change” issue, but I maintain a reserve of skepticism towards proclamations of apocalyptic doom. A) Humans, and all living things, are screwed from the get go. A guaranteed calamity awaits us all. I think contributes to a lack of perspective that is not helpful, and possibley harmful. On a number of levels, personal and political. B) The fact that climate c…

I love this type of analysis and call to action. If each person following this type of reasoning in their own lives, our societal issues would start clearing themselves up pretty quick.

Re: What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so here are the pictures

#210

Post by bigbugbag »

snowwrestler wrote: post #62
krautt wrote: post #53

So it's going to get warmer, sea levels will rise. coastlines will move inland as sea levels rise. Typically colder areas will become more tropical. Other than displacing a large number of people who live on coastlines, what's the big deal? Insult me for my niavety if it makes you feel better, but I honestly don't know the answer.

> Other than displacing a large number of people who live on coastlines, what's the big deal? "Other than that, how did you enjoy the play, Mrs. Lincoln?" The displacement of large numbers of people will cause immense strife. Just look at the nasty reaction to the relatively small migration away from the Syrian civil war. The problem is basically that all the land near populated coastlines is already owned, and those…

Though the Syrian civil war can be used to illustrate this, a better example is the india - bangladesh fenced wall. Bangladesh is one of the first country and most severely impacted by climate change and this wall has been put in place to stop people bangladesh migrating away from climate change consequences into India.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/indias-fence-o...

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/laser-walls-smart-sen...

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