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World surpasses key warming threshold across an entire year

cnbc.com

11–20 of 160 posts

Re: World surpasses key warming threshold across an entire year

#11
post #8

I'm a technological accelerationist simply because I'm certain, with the 30 years of warming baked in from this point + the impossibility of carbon emissions lowering on average anytime soon, the only way to save the world's species, our state and growth of civilization and such is through technological advances, AI, terraforming, etc. There's no hope simply through austerity, things are too screwed already.

How on earth is AI going to help?

AGI will make the economy far more efficient, increase the rate of scientific innovation, etc. For example, some ancestor of alphafold could spark a revolution in genetic engineering, creating crops which are far more efficient and resilient, etc.

Re: World surpasses key warming threshold across an entire year

#12

So tell me how they actually measured global mean temp back in 1850?

There are things called 'proxies'. The same way you can assess the crime rate of a certain area by the amount of littering by the side of the road.

>The same way you can assess the crime rate of a certain area by the amount of littering by the side of the road.

You mean incorrectly?

Also, if I had to guess, proxies that show global warming to be bad are widely publicised, whilst proxies that show global warming not to occur are ignored.

Re: World surpasses key warming threshold across an entire year

#14
post #7

I'm a technological accelerationist simply because I'm certain, with the 30 years of warming baked in from this point + the impossibility of carbon emissions lowering on average anytime soon, the only way to save the world's species, our state and growth of civilization and such is through technological advances, AI, terraforming, etc. There's no hope simply through austerity, things are too screwed already.

Can you connect the dots a bit more than that? To me this just sounds like self-serving hand-waving.

Technological innovation allows the same amount of consumption with far less collateral impact. For example, before AC, electrification required 1000x more wire than it does now. Streets were covered in poles and electrical wire. Cars produced far more and worse pollution. Every technological innovation in the aim of efficiency reduces the negative collateral impact of human civilization. Likewise, more recently, the lowered cost of solar, EV's, etc are all made possible through forward-thinking innovation.

Re: World surpasses key warming threshold across an entire year

#15
post #8

I'm a technological accelerationist simply because I'm certain, with the 30 years of warming baked in from this point + the impossibility of carbon emissions lowering on average anytime soon, the only way to save the world's species, our state and growth of civilization and such is through technological advances, AI, terraforming, etc. There's no hope simply through austerity, things are too screwed already.

How on earth is AI going to help?

It will deliver great shareholder value.

Re: World surpasses key warming threshold across an entire year

#16
post #5

So tell me how they actually measured global mean temp back in 1850?

With help from sea sponges as recently discussed in https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39268387

More discussion on the sponges and ocean warming: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39275272

Re: World surpasses key warming threshold across an entire year

#17

I'm a technological accelerationist simply because I'm certain, with the 30 years of warming baked in from this point + the impossibility of carbon emissions lowering on average anytime soon, the only way to save the world's species, our state and growth of civilization and such is through technological advances, AI, terraforming, etc. There's no hope simply through austerity, things are too screwed already.

The IPCC models require both, so use a lot less energy to get to get to net zero by 2050 and then a period of some decades where we emit net negative CO2 through tech, to keep the planet somewhat liveable.

Tech alone takes too long to develop, if it is feasible at all.

Re: World surpasses key warming threshold across an entire year

#18
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How on earth is AI going to help?

AGI will make the economy far more efficient, increase the rate of scientific innovation, etc. For example, some ancestor of alphafold could spark a revolution in genetic engineering, creating crops which are far more efficient and resilient, etc.

how, be specific & based in objective reality, without VC hype words & cultist like language

Re: World surpasses key warming threshold across an entire year

#19
post #8

I'm a technological accelerationist simply because I'm certain, with the 30 years of warming baked in from this point + the impossibility of carbon emissions lowering on average anytime soon, the only way to save the world's species, our state and growth of civilization and such is through technological advances, AI, terraforming, etc. There's no hope simply through austerity, things are too screwed already.

How on earth is AI going to help?

[Deleted the comment. Seems like I unwittingly answered a rhetorical question.]

Re: World surpasses key warming threshold across an entire year

#20
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How on earth is AI going to help?

AGI will make the economy far more efficient, increase the rate of scientific innovation, etc. For example, some ancestor of alphafold could spark a revolution in genetic engineering, creating crops which are far more efficient and resilient, etc.

Technology won't save us.

Hoping that someday soon^tm someone will come up with something that makes all the current mess go away is a dangerous path.

In germany they call it 'Technologieoffen' - and even some political parties have written it on their flags. 'No need to implement changes now - someday God will decent and absolve us from all of our sins - until then party hard! #yolo'

I'm all for accelerating research/tech. But it can't be an excuse to just let sh*t happen. Yet most people will do this - it's expected human behavior.

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