Comments on: Robert Waide: ‘We’re seeing unprecedented and rapid change’ http://earthsky.org/human-world/scientist-sees-rapid-change-in-ecological-systems A Clear Voice for Science Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:20:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Benjamin Napier http://earthsky.org/human-world/scientist-sees-rapid-change-in-ecological-systems/comment-page-1#comment-6680 Benjamin Napier Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:34:23 +0000 http://208.96.63.114/?p=4402#comment-6680 <p>Our climate is fine. We do face some daunting challenges though. Socially, economically and politically. Do we want to be a free people? Do we want to be responsible for ourselves? Do we want to be able to see what our own potentials can create?</p> <p>Or, in the converse: Do we want to have a nanny government? Do we wish to have our lives scripted? Do we want to live at the whim of a bureacrat? </p> <p>These are the real problems.</p> <p>Our climate has changed forever. Right after the forming of the earth, the earth was extremely hot and there was likely no life. As the atmoshphere cooled, it was very high in CO2. No animal could have survived. Plants with photosynthesis and sea creatures with calcium carbonate shells developed and over many eons, the carbon dioxice was removed from the atmosphere and fixed in the mantle of the earth as coal and limestone. If you believe in the biotic theory of oil, you may include oil and natural gas as well. Long term, the trend for CO2 has been down. However, fossil evidence shows that there have been periods when the CO2 levles increased to around 2000ppm. Without an increase in temperature.</p> <p>The little ice age destroyed the Viking civilization. Then it warmed again and life once again flourished. Life willl adapt, folks.</p> <p>If a “tipping point” occurs, it won’t be mankind at fault. It will be the sun flaring or dimming, an asteroid or comet hitting earth or a super volccano erupting. That will throw things into a tizzy! We may or may not survive something like that! Now, here are some questions: If man isn’t here to observe it, will it be an environmental disaster? How will no one define it? And, will it matter?</p> Our climate is fine. We do face some daunting challenges though. Socially, economically and politically. Do we want to be a free people? Do we want to be responsible for ourselves? Do we want to be able to see what our own potentials can create?

Or, in the converse: Do we want to have a nanny government? Do we wish to have our lives scripted? Do we want to live at the whim of a bureacrat?

These are the real problems.

Our climate has changed forever. Right after the forming of the earth, the earth was extremely hot and there was likely no life. As the atmoshphere cooled, it was very high in CO2. No animal could have survived. Plants with photosynthesis and sea creatures with calcium carbonate shells developed and over many eons, the carbon dioxice was removed from the atmosphere and fixed in the mantle of the earth as coal and limestone. If you believe in the biotic theory of oil, you may include oil and natural gas as well. Long term, the trend for CO2 has been down. However, fossil evidence shows that there have been periods when the CO2 levles increased to around 2000ppm. Without an increase in temperature.

The little ice age destroyed the Viking civilization. Then it warmed again and life once again flourished. Life willl adapt, folks.

If a “tipping point” occurs, it won’t be mankind at fault. It will be the sun flaring or dimming, an asteroid or comet hitting earth or a super volccano erupting. That will throw things into a tizzy! We may or may not survive something like that! Now, here are some questions: If man isn’t here to observe it, will it be an environmental disaster? How will no one define it? And, will it matter?

]]>