Nine climate tipping points now 'active,' warn scientists • Hacker News Board

Re: Nine climate tipping points now 'active,' warn scientists

#61

Post by LessDmesg » Thu, Nov 28, 2019, 2:14 PM UTC

wayoutthere wrote: post #41

LessDmesg wrote: post #8

Human civilizations have always blossomed in warmer climate. All this scaremongering about global warming ending human civilization and destroying nature is just laughable.

The sociological impact will be immense and likely bankrupt most of the world. We're going to have to move people out of low-lying areas in a pretty short amount of time. There will be billions of refugees but the inland areas don't have the infrastructure or water sources to absorb that many people. There will be food shortages as farmable land becomes inundated or dries up. Wars will happen as desperate people / na…

Sounds like fearmongering with no basis. There are lots of areas which would benefit from warming and become food producers (Siberia and Canada come to mind). As for Southeast Asians: they're already used to living on water, with stilt houses, rice terraces etc. Humans can cope, as tgey always have. Overall, there will be more water, more warmth and more civilization.

Re: Nine climate tipping points now 'active,' warn scientists

#62

Post by ptah » Thu, Nov 28, 2019, 2:14 PM UTC

rayiner wrote: post #49

Lutger wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article you link to does not back up your claim about scientific consensus at all. In fact, it's rather biased and bad from that point of view.

What bias? > Michael Shellenberger is a Time Magazine “Hero of the Environment” and Green Book Award Winner. He is also a frequent contributor to The New York Times, Washington Post Additionally, the author cites and links to specific facts in IPCC and UN reports regarding population displacement, sea levels, crop yields, and economic impact.

that is still a blog post containing his personal opinion

Re: Nine climate tipping points now 'active,' warn scientists

#63

Post by IanDrake » Thu, Nov 28, 2019, 2:15 PM UTC

perfunctory wrote: post #36

IanDrake wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Young people are less on board than you think. They're just young and, frankly, haven't thought their proposition through. Once they realize they won't be shuffled back and forth to Europe on multi-million dollar yachts like their leader, they'll change their tune. In fact, once they realize most proposals require them to become serfs living in unheated hovels while the Lords live in mansions and fly private jets eve…

> they'll change their tune Like this guy for example, right? [My hunger strike could be deadly. But I am willing to risk that for climate action] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/27/hunger...

This guy needs a psychologist.

He's willing to die over data models that have been predicting dire consequences in ten years, but they've been doing that for the last 30 years.

It's sad to think what that kind of commitment could have produced if it was directed at real problems.

Re: Nine climate tipping points now 'active,' warn scientists

#64

Post by ptah » Thu, Nov 28, 2019, 2:15 PM UTC

vixen99 wrote: post #57

melonkidney wrote: post #17

One thing I find encouraging is how many people (particularly young people) are now understanding the seriousness of the climate situation. I would really like to see a public pledge from companies, universities, etc that people who risk their education/career by pushing for real change will not be disadvantaged. If anyone is interested in helping to make this a reality, shoot me an email at together@highestsupport.c…

Getting it into perspective, emissions of CO2 in the UK are now at a level last seen in 1890 and that contribution to world CO2 is around 1% with US at 16% with a bit more than half that from Europe. https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-carbon-emissions-in-... https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/each-countrys-share-co2- Meanwhile it's widely understood that all major fossil fuel-producing nations—including the United…

the UK has outsourced its CO2 emissions

Re: Nine climate tipping points now 'active,' warn scientists

#65

Post by perfunctory » Thu, Nov 28, 2019, 2:19 PM UTC

spodek wrote: post #42

perfunctory wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It took me a very long time (years) to come to terms with the idea that as a techie I can't do anything to help climate. Tech projects is just an excuse to stay in my comfort zone. A very uncomfortable realization.

Do you not think about living by your values as a matter of integrity? I don't not steal to stop others from stealing. I don't steal because I don't want to hurt others. If everyone in the world stole, I still wouldn't. If the whole world pollutes, I'm still going to avoid polluting as much as I can.

> Do you not think about living by your values as a matter of integrity?

I am not sure I understand the context of the question. Does my comment somehow imply I don't?

Re: Nine climate tipping points now 'active,' warn scientists

#66

Post by imtringued » Thu, Nov 28, 2019, 2:22 PM UTC

IanDrake wrote: post #31

melonkidney wrote: post #17

One thing I find encouraging is how many people (particularly young people) are now understanding the seriousness of the climate situation. I would really like to see a public pledge from companies, universities, etc that people who risk their education/career by pushing for real change will not be disadvantaged. If anyone is interested in helping to make this a reality, shoot me an email at together@highestsupport.c…

Young people are less on board than you think. They're just young and, frankly, haven't thought their proposition through. Once they realize they won't be shuffled back and forth to Europe on multi-million dollar yachts like their leader, they'll change their tune. In fact, once they realize most proposals require them to become serfs living in unheated hovels while the Lords live in mansions and fly private jets eve…

What ploy? Serfs in unheated hovels can't build private jets.

Re: Nine climate tipping points now 'active,' warn scientists

#67

Post by imtringued » Thu, Nov 28, 2019, 2:23 PM UTC

IanDrake wrote: post #63

perfunctory wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> they'll change their tune Like this guy for example, right? [My hunger strike could be deadly. But I am willing to risk that for climate action] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/27/hunger...

This guy needs a psychologist. He's willing to die over data models that have been predicting dire consequences in ten years, but they've been doing that for the last 30 years. It's sad to think what that kind of commitment could have produced if it was directed at real problems.

It would be equally ineffective because there is no interest in solving problems.

Re: Nine climate tipping points now 'active,' warn scientists

#68

Post by rayiner » Thu, Nov 28, 2019, 2:35 PM UTC

ptah wrote: post #62

rayiner wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What bias? > Michael Shellenberger is a Time Magazine “Hero of the Environment” and Green Book Award Winner. He is also a frequent contributor to The New York Times, Washington Post Additionally, the author cites and links to specific facts in IPCC and UN reports regarding population displacement, sea levels, crop yields, and economic impact.

that is still a blog post containing his personal opinion

It’s an article (he interviews someone) collecting facts from sources that represent the scientific consensus.

Re: Nine climate tipping points now 'active,' warn scientists

#69

Post by goodcanadian » Thu, Nov 28, 2019, 2:40 PM UTC

gus_massa wrote: post #45

goodcanadian wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is the whole point of the article. It lists NINE that the authors believe we have already passed.

No. The list has nine tipping points that the authors are afraid we will pass in the future. From the article: > Nine active tipping points: > [...] > The rainforests, permafrost and boreal forests are examples of biosphere tipping points that if crossed result in the release of additional greenhouse gases amplifying warming.

Well . . . I have now read the source article (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03595-0), and I would say that the authors fear that we have already passed or will pass these tipping points in the near future. I.E. they are basically inevitable, but we may be able to affect the rate of change.

Re: Nine climate tipping points now 'active,' warn scientists

#70

Post by ptah » Thu, Nov 28, 2019, 3:07 PM UTC

rayiner wrote: post #68

ptah wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

that is still a blog post containing his personal opinion

It’s an article (he interviews someone) collecting facts from sources that represent the scientific consensus.

not as authoritative as the nature journal article that OP is based on: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03595-0

it is clearly based on a consensus