JP Morgan economists warn climate crisis is threat to human race • Hacker News Board

Re: JP Morgan economists warn climate crisis is threat to human race

#31

Post by roenxi » Sat, Feb 22, 2020, 3:49 AM UTC

eximius wrote: post #13

chrisco255 wrote: post #4

I wonder how our ancestors made it through the early Holocene, where it was 2-3C warmer, with just stone age technology?

Oh, humans, as a species, will survive. I don't think the race is in danger of dying out. Our way of life? Billions of lives? Yea, those are in danger.

But the reason we have our way of lives and all these billions of lives is because of our highly effective utilisation of fossil fuels. And with those fuels humans manage to live civilised and comfortable lives in conditions ranging from temperate to tropical.

In all seriousness, if you assume the next 200 years looks anything like the last 200 years there is no forecast of the future that doesn't include billions of lives being lost and changes to people's way of life. But climate change doesn't need to be invoked; just the ongoing rise in population and the depletion of fossil fuels.

COVID-19 is the current reminder that that there are much bigger risks out there than climate.

Re: JP Morgan economists warn climate crisis is threat to human race

#32

Post by kccqzy » Sat, Feb 22, 2020, 4:03 AM UTC

Not just JP Morgan, but plenty of economists and even fund managers and traders know of this threat. Here's another example: https://www.barrons.com/articles/jeremy-grantham-called-the-...

The problem has never been whether most people believe in climate change and its damaging effects. The problem has always been politics.

Re: JP Morgan economists warn climate crisis is threat to human race

#33

Post by eximius » Sat, Feb 22, 2020, 6:30 AM UTC

roenxi wrote: post #31

eximius wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, humans, as a species, will survive. I don't think the race is in danger of dying out. Our way of life? Billions of lives? Yea, those are in danger.

But the reason we have our way of lives and all these billions of lives is because of our highly effective utilisation of fossil fuels. And with those fuels humans manage to live civilised and comfortable lives in conditions ranging from temperate to tropical. In all seriousness, if you assume the next 200 years looks anything like the last 200 years there is no forecast of the future that doesn't include billions of…

I don't disagree that climate change is not the only threat to our way of life.

I am highly skeptical of disease being a cause. COVID-19 has killed 2,000+ people so far. It is dangerous and we have to handle it appropriately, but its simply not on the same order of magnitude.

Re: JP Morgan economists warn climate crisis is threat to human race

#34

Post by Melting_Harps » Sat, Feb 22, 2020, 7:27 AM UTC

chiefalchemist wrote: post #21

A few weeks ago I read Naomi Klein's "This Changes Everything." She specifically mentions how the bailout - after the 2008 crash - was a missed opportunity; that WS' behavior could been nudged or more. Given what was at risk, it's difficult to disagree. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/sep/22/this-changes-e...

> I read Naomi Klein's "This Changes Everything.

The The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism is another insightful book of hers, I highly recommend it, it was written in 2008 as the financial crisis happened: https://www.amazon.com/Shock-Doctrine-Rise-Disaster-Capitali...