A few thoughts about the future of this planet

Rich O Brien

@baz said:

The fact of the matter is: The fucking Planet is damaged now.

Good facts: Planet stuffed by 2200. (75 years). For many reasons.

Bad facts: Glacial melting will release so much Methane in the next 10 years that the Ozone Layer will essentially collapse. (Extinction by drought will be the main cause).

C'mon Guys. Acknowledge the truth even though you cannot see a way fwd.

Yes, we're up shit's creek because we bled the planet of minerals and poured alot of shite into the environment. All for making our lives easier.

But I still hold onto some hope that young bright minds will hack a way to reverse the process or at least halt it.

I can't rely on g20 nations to agree to unify on carbon emissions. Here in Ireland our tax on Cigarettes pays the fine for exceeding Carbon emmissions. Our Govt has no intention of making changes to our fossil fuel approach. It's easier to tax smokers.

As a civilisation we are risk takers by nature. As long as there's any element of doubt we tend to hedge our bets. Sad that the wager we are considering now is annihilation with no one nearby to learn from our mistakes.

Maybe Santa will be us the kick up the arse we need. Failing that a nice pair of Yeezys so I look good in my self driving electric car as I stream Netflix wirelessly and binge watch Stranger Things.

Mike Amos

Stinkie, the EU may be salvable but not until the whole thing is root and branch revised. Overspending, growing beyond reason and a standing army suggest the Nazi "Grosser Europa" or whatever they wanted to call it. A standing army too? That is not a group of trading nations which is what we joined but a European NATION and that we definitely did NOT sign up for. As far as forcing ever larger debt on Greece, how is THAT sensible and fostering cooperation?

Stinkie

@mike amos said:

As far as forcing ever larger debt on Greece, how is THAT sensible and fostering cooperation?

It isn't.

Mike Amos

Sorry, I talk before engaging brain. Moving on?

Stinkie

@mike amos said:

Sorry, I talk before engaging brain.

Maybe you ought to write speeches for the president-elect. (I kid, I kid.)

Still can't believe that mean-spirited bigot got elected. A buffoon who believes climate change is a Chinese hoax, is going to run the most powerful country in the world.

andybot

@stinkie said:

Still can't believe that mean-spirited bigot got elected. A buffoon who believes climate change is a Chinese hoax, is going to run the most powerful country in the world.

Here we were in the US all these years laughing from a safe reserve at all those tin-pot dictatorships across the globe. Now we'll get to see it up close and personal

pbacot

@andybot said:

@stinkie said:

Still can't believe that mean-spirited bigot got elected. A buffoon who believes climate change is a Chinese hoax, is going to run the most powerful country in the world.

Here we were in the US all these years laughing from a safe reserve at all those tin-pot dictatorships across the globe. Now we'll get to see it up close and personal

Yeah and I thought Bush was as bad as it would ever get. I feel guilty not seeing it coming--like global warming--though for so long it was off the average person's radar. I can't look. I'll just try to do good in my world and ignore him. Protest yeah, but don't expect reason from that ... let me stop here.

Stinkie

@andybot said:

Here we were in the US all these years laughing from a safe reserve at all those tin-pot dictatorships across the globe. Now we'll get to see it up close and personal

The US won't turn into a dictatorship overnight (I hope!). But the country might very well become even more of a plutocracy over the course of the next few years than it already is. In any case, the amount of sheer stupidity Trump and the GOP, which has become a downright caricature of itself (Rick Santorum, Sarah Palin, the list goes on), will inject into the system will, I fear, be unequalled. There will be considerable damage. And the average Joe, will he come out on top? Nah.

Things over here -Europe- are somewhat better, politically speaking, but not that much. Right-wing nationalism is on the rise. As are anti refugee sentiments, and, of course, islamophobia. And Trump's weird bromance with Putin is causing skittishness in the east of the Union. The EU, which, yes, is imperfect, seems to be slowly crumbling. I don't like that one bit. I am critical of the EU, but its advantages don't evade me.

Am I optimistic? No. Climate change, war, refugees, terrorist attacks, Pegida, Alternative für Deutschland -there's a sh*t storm coming. Do I nonetheless believe we, the people, should adhere to morality and decency? Yes, oh yes. There's nothing else that stands between us and downright barbarism.

Aspire to kindness, help those who need help, don't be a d*ck. That pretty much sums up my moralischer Imperativ. Good God, I sound old. And unlike Baz I only turned 40!

Music used to be better.

Here's a pic:

CvvH1EkVYAQ2exi.jpg_large.jpg

ken

**By uninhabitable I mean...

Europe freezing because of the ocean currents.
Equatorial becoming arid.
3 to 5 metre sea rise.
Massive climate migration overwhelming others.
Mass extinction OF Flora, Fauna and Humans.**

Each of these has happened in the past. And the earth survived.

Note: I am not a denier, I just think that some of this doomsday crap is overplayed. I really get tired of hearing that climate change is settled science. When not to long ago Italy sent a satellite into orbit to determine if Einstien theory about gravity affecting different masses the same is correct or not. If you can challenge Einstien, we should be able to challenge climate change without being made a punching bag. There is no settled science, none, nada.

To my knowledge, there has never been a good discussion with scientists from both sides on climate change. If your not a believer your and ignorant ass. Kind of reminds me of the Pope and Galileo.

Also, all the carbon in fossil fuel in and on the earth started out on this planet as CO2. The planet survived. Plants grow, large ones at that, animals came and went.

Now, I am ready for the sticks and stones and name calling. Have fun.

Ken

Stinkie

@unknownuser said:

Each of these has happened in the past. And the earth survived.

The earth will survive climate change, sure. But we might not.

@unknownuser said:

I really get tired of hearing that climate change is settled science.

Science, by its very nature, is never 'settled'. Which is a good thing.

@unknownuser said:

There is no settled science, none, nada.

There's data and hypotheses. Science doesn't deal in certainties.

@unknownuser said:

If you can challenge Einstien, we should be able to challenge climate change without being made a punching bag.

There isn't anyone stopping you from challenging anything. If you were to provide irrefutable evidence the climate isn't changing, your name would end up in the history books. Go for it.

@unknownuser said:

To my knowledge, there has never been a good discussion with scientists from both sides on climate change.

You're joking, right?

@unknownuser said:

If your not a believer your and ignorant ass. Kind of reminds me of the Pope and Galileo.

To equate scientific consensus to religious dogmata, is to belie the vast difference between science and religion.

baz

There ya go Ken, very civilized people around here. Stinkie got you on every point.

So deny this...
The planet, by any scientific or empirical measure, is damaged now.
Do you accept that?

Mike Amos

The thing is, I sort of understand where he comes from. Scientists are telling us two sides of the same coin is going to happen. We are moving into a new ice age and at the same time global warming is right under our noses. Scientists will say different things, at the same time and wonder why people are skeptical. The religious zealots of all kinds are just politicians with a different version of the same message too. Believe in what I say or you will go to hell in a hand basket, perhaps a prettier one than the next faith but all the same. With a bit of luck and squinting with both eyes, perhaps we can unite enough to make a difference, just not under a political, nationalistic, scientific or religious singularity. Perhaps we should all go to the pub, but, wait a minute.......

Stinkie

Did someone say 'pub', as in 'beer'?

Non-related pic:

CtJc9j0UkAAyoEB.jpg_large.jpg

Box

backspace backspa

Mike Amos

When it all comes down to it, the most eloquent politicoreligiouspropogandacult statement ever was made by Homer J Simpson, "Beer, Arghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghgh". Make mine a ten gallon hat.