This isn't well studied in terms of how likely or certain this would occur in that circumstance, but it is possible (maybe likely, don't know) and an "all the marbles" type scenario that can't be ignored. We are bumping into human end game stuff on climate change, as we have with nuclear weapons.
Thank you. So are we doing this now? I ask because I read something about a "looming aerosol termination shock". I'm planning to look into it further but was curious what it actually meant.
I want to reiterate that it is not well studied as to what the thresholds or probabilities for this occurring are. But in addition to GHG's, burning stuff releases other things including sulfates and such which act as net reflectors. I assume they are talking about if coal burning and diesel fuel use stops, we risk a shock. But some cynically use that as an argument for business as usual. Pay day loan, using my previous analogy.
These are the kind of things that don't get talked about a lot because they are very scary but if they don't happen then people think it is all made up. But is more of a choose your own adventure situation and we are choosing "[uck fay] around."
Understood. This was from a guy named Ben See for reference. He was commenting on latest statement by UN Sec-Gen. The coal and diesel sulfates makes sense when making the 'looming' statement, accurate or not.
This is partly what is behi Ya, that is what he is talking about. We are getting pinched from our emissions on both sides. Potentially.
Yikes! So COVID-19 may be the first in a new parade of pandemics on the horizon. Just lovely. It's pretty clear much of humanity will be gone in the next century or two. Only question is do we survive at all.
We will, barring nuclear war. Then all bets are off. Survive as an advanced tech species? Perhaps not, but humans will survive. I think we will survive as a tech species as well, but I'm an optimist.
Hard to imagine getting completely wiped, but if we are no longer in the billions and globally communicating then our civilization is over. I think most people assume they will be okay in the West, but I think there are possibilities that are much more grim than they imagine.
Not as sure about that as I once was. Think it might take off-planet migration and we're not nearly there.
I can't say we "will." We probably will. And advanced tech species can come off the table even easier. And our civilization as we recognize it even easier than that. Things can change VERY fast, when they do.
True. Underground or undersea are more plausible options. Food and freshwater are the major challenges. The planet will simply no longer support large numbers of humans.
We know of no planet that can support a single human. Even the most messed up radioactive and super hot or cold Earth would be infinitely better for supporting human life than the moon or Mars. When we have tech to sustainably and indefinitely exist in those places without supply, those same solutions work on Earth.
I understand this and am not speaking of Mars/moon colonies. I meant finding an earth-like planet and means to get there in the next couple hundred years. I don't see it happening, but would be a better option than surviving on a possible hellscape Earth.
And I guess what I am saying is that if we were capable of moving people faster than the speed of light, none of our problems would exist anymore on Earth.
Unless when we reached that point the damage to the planet was irreversible or would take centuries to correct. I get your point, though.
I personally don't think we will ever discover a FTL system, and will have to rely on generational ships, but it is possible. I think we just need to concentrate on making the Solar System as inhabitable as possible. Or make a Ringworld.
As I understand it what we understand about physics today indicates FTL travel for humans is not possible. Folding space or wormholes might be plausible for humans, if even possible. Likely all science fiction, though.