11–20 of 236 posts
It feels like the earth is dying. I wonder if the human population has longer than 20 years of tolerable existence left on this planet.
The planet is fine. What would make you believe that, based on 5 billion years of geological history?
I've heard smoke inhalation cited as a possible cause for this, but it looks too early for a definitive explanation.
I've heard smoke inhalation cited as a possible cause for this, but it looks too early for a definitive explanation.
“Climate crisis” is starting to become the laziest explanation for why anything unusual happens in this country. Are you telling me these birds never did their migration above forest fires? Tell us why it’s different.
This article is about noting its happening and looking at what's visibly different right now, while the actual investigation goes on.
“Climate crisis” is starting to become the laziest explanation for why anything unusual happens in this country. Are you telling me these birds never did their migration above forest fires? Tell us why it’s different.
In this case, a real climate crisis would have incredibly broad effects. It could very plausibly be pointed to as the cause for the many things people are pointing to as being related to a "climate crisis."
So the idea that climate change as at least a significant factor in many unusual happenings in the country (and the world) is a "lazy" explanation doesn't follow logically. Either significant climate change is happening, in which case it is affecting basically everything, or it isn't, in which case it's not "lazy", it's just wrong, but based on a premise that makes it reasonable. (And also, we would need a whole bunch of new explanations for why all these previously-extremely-unusual events were happening, which, honestly, isn't that actually even scarier than the idea that it's climate change? We can see all these crazy things happening; if we don't even have a clue what's causing them, how is that not much scarier than what we already know?)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The planet is fine. What would make you believe that, based on 5 billion years of geological history?
There's always a comment like this. How about "The habitability of this planet is dropping like a brick."
I've heard smoke inhalation cited as a possible cause for this, but it looks too early for a definitive explanation.
We have a lot of hummingbirds in our yard usually. We do a lot of planter boxing farming and gardening. For the past three days we’ve seen most of the hummingbirds on the ground in clover instead of in our trees where they normally are.
We’ve been wondering if they are flying low to avoid smoke or if they are being impeded by smoke inhalation. :(
“Climate crisis” is starting to become the laziest explanation for why anything unusual happens in this country. Are you telling me these birds never did their migration above forest fires? Tell us why it’s different.
Scope and scale. A larger part of the country is on fire than is typical, and the resulting smoke is denser and deadlier.
But to broadly address your question, the answer will usually be "Scope and Scale" (and occasionally quantity), with both being larger for a given natural phenomenon.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The planet is fine. What would make you believe that, based on 5 billion years of geological history?
The planet may be fine; humanity's place on the planet might not be. That's typically assumed when a human comments about the planet.
I don't think everyone understands this, and I also think it is a key to reaching more people with the message - of why we need to make changes to the status quo.
But then events like this happen, and no one reflects on how fatally pessimistic this community can be. Are we ourselves not capable of forecasting the effect of a burning state on migration patterns? Are we as a society not blessed with enough resources to intervene? If we could all agree to do something—no matter how trivial—to minimize the destruction, instead of doing nothing and attacking the ideas of those who do anything, maybe the aggregate effect would be that events like this are avoided.
If you’re in this fight, please let me know how else I can help. I’m going to check on my bird feeders in the meantime.