Mysterious Siberian crater attributed to methane • Hacker News Board

Re: Mysterious Siberian crater attributed to methane

#11

Post by CalRobert » Wed, Aug 06, 2014, 8:51 AM UTC

jonah wrote: post #9

CalRobert wrote: post #5

I don't see how civilization as it is currently organized on this planet can exist if climate change accelerates due to positive feedback. It seems geoengineering, or rather ghoulishly, a massive die off of humans, are the only possibilities for preventing this. Antibiotic resistance may provide the latter, but I can hardly countenance it. We really need another planet.

Wouldn't it be more likely that we can figure out how to stop/reverse what's happening to this planet than organize and advance enough to leave for another. (Which we'd just go about ruining as soon as we got there.)

I agree, but we could use a backup planet anyway.

Re: Mysterious Siberian crater attributed to methane

#12

Post by CalRobert » Wed, Aug 06, 2014, 8:52 AM UTC

crpatino wrote: post #7

CalRobert wrote: post #5

I don't see how civilization as it is currently organized on this planet can exist if climate change accelerates due to positive feedback. It seems geoengineering, or rather ghoulishly, a massive die off of humans, are the only possibilities for preventing this. Antibiotic resistance may provide the latter, but I can hardly countenance it. We really need another planet.

And how would that exactly benefit the 6+ billion people in the receiving end of that cringing events? Even assuming that a suitable planet is found in a time frame that matters, and the required space travel technology is developed in a time frame that matters... how many thousands of people would we be able to send in the Colonizing ships? That might save Humanity-the-species... Humanity-the-Actual-population would…

Oh it wouldn't - and I think it's 7+ now too. The vast majority would be doomed.

Re: Mysterious Siberian crater attributed to methane

#13

Post by crpatino » Wed, Aug 06, 2014, 2:55 PM UTC

CalRobert wrote: post #12

crpatino wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And how would that exactly benefit the 6+ billion people in the receiving end of that cringing events? Even assuming that a suitable planet is found in a time frame that matters, and the required space travel technology is developed in a time frame that matters... how many thousands of people would we be able to send in the Colonizing ships? That might save Humanity-the-species... Humanity-the-Actual-population would…

Oh it wouldn't - and I think it's 7+ now too. The vast majority would be doomed.

Precisely!!!

More over Humanity-the-Species is most likely not at risk anyways. Our ancestors went through multiple, radical and relatively rapid climate shifts during the Ice Ages, so a plausible argument can be made that some remnant of our species will get through the current round no matter what.

If this is the case, deep space travel is at this time a pretty escapist fantasy. During times of economic expansion it is harmless enough, but right now it is a dangerous diversion of limited resources. We should be focusing in two things: Mitigating the worst effects of Climate Weirding in the short term (specially with an eye towards humanitarian crisis), and Arresting the long term climate disruption through bioremediation/geoengineering. I am not even sure which one of those has the most priority.

What is very clear is that building escape probes for the rich and well-connected to escape all consequences of their own actions ranks pretty low on the list.

Re: Mysterious Siberian crater attributed to methane

#14

Post by CalRobert » Wed, Aug 06, 2014, 3:45 PM UTC

crpatino wrote: post #13

CalRobert wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh it wouldn't - and I think it's 7+ now too. The vast majority would be doomed.

Precisely!!! More over Humanity-the-Species is most likely not at risk anyways. Our ancestors went through multiple, radical and relatively rapid climate shifts during the Ice Ages, so a plausible argument can be made that some remnant of our species will get through the current round no matter what. If this is the case, deep space travel is at this time a pretty escapist fantasy. During times of economic expansion i…

For what it's worth I think we're largely having an agreement. Ensuring our planet remains reasonably habitable should be the highest priority. That part of me which desires to see humanity survive even if we fail in this endeavor would like to see a backup planet (presumably Mars) at the species' disposal.

Re: Mysterious Siberian crater attributed to methane

#15

Post by crpatino » Wed, Aug 06, 2014, 5:44 PM UTC

CalRobert wrote: post #14

crpatino wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Precisely!!! More over Humanity-the-Species is most likely not at risk anyways. Our ancestors went through multiple, radical and relatively rapid climate shifts during the Ice Ages, so a plausible argument can be made that some remnant of our species will get through the current round no matter what. If this is the case, deep space travel is at this time a pretty escapist fantasy. During times of economic expansion i…

For what it's worth I think we're largely having an agreement. Ensuring our planet remains reasonably habitable should be the highest priority. That part of me which desires to see humanity survive even if we fail in this endeavor would like to see a backup planet (presumably Mars) at the species' disposal.

Given that Mars would be orders of magnitude harder to terraform than, well... Terra. Why do we even have to consider it?

There's no plan B. Each of us is part of The Red Thin Line (href = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thin_Red_Line_%28Battle_of_... ), whether we like it or not. The only question worth asking is: Am I going to hold my ground or not?