Climate Change

[Percy Rideout]

https://www.climate.gov/news-feature...rths-ever-been

We need to do better as humans.

We are also coming out of an ice age. Most of earth's history is too warm for polar ice caps.

Climate does change on its own, but yes we need to do better.

[k2skier112]

https://www.climate.gov/news-feature...rths-ever-been

We need to do better as humans.

We are also coming out of an ice age. Most of earth's history is too warm for polar ice caps.

Climate does change on its own, but yes we need to do better.

meaningless statistic
most of earths history was before ANY life, animal or vegetable

[Bunion 2020]

Hey at least he got it right about "an" ice age. I see so many dolts saying we are coming out of "the" ice age.

And he does concede that "we" could do better.

https://www.climate.gov/news-feature...rths-ever-been

One thing is certain, humans inhabiting this rock is a mere speck in the grand scheme of time.

[jonesy]

.

[jonesy]

[thefortrees]

Next thing you’ll be telling us is that we evolved from monkies, fake news

[jonesy]

Next thing you’ll be telling us is that we evolved from monkies, fake news

It's on the Internet so it's true.

[geomorph]

Hey at least he got it right about "an" ice age. I see so many dolts saying we are coming out of "the" ice age.

And he does concede that "we" could do better.

https://www.climate.gov/news-feature...rths-ever-been

One thing is certain, humans inhabiting this rock is a mere speck in the grand scheme of time.

Not to be too pedantic but we are still in an ice age, just in an inter-glacial period. Sorry, couldn't help myself.

[Bunion 2020]

Not a worry in the world. Lot of people (including me) throw these terms around as if we completely understand them.

[WMD]

One thing is certain, humans inhabiting this rock is a mere speck in the grand scheme of time.

When people say they want to "save the planet," usually they mean "save humans" or "save current ecosystems and wildlife."

The planet doesn't need to be saved from climate change, but we do! The planet will be here whether we are or not.

[thefrush]

When people say they want to "save the planet," usually they mean "save humans" or "save current ecosystems and wildlife."

The planet doesn't need to be saved from climate change, but we do! The planet will be here whether we are or not.

The World Without Us ​by Alan Weisman is a phenomenal book.

[spanghew]

The World Without Us ​by Alan Weisman is a phenomenal book.

he really doesn't like cats.

[The SnowShow]

Recent flooding in Germany and London has been crazy.

[WMD]

Recent flooding in Germany and London has been crazy.

China and Flagstaff too

[Bunion 2020]

No no no totally normal. Meanwhile parts of Italy go up in flames.

[PB]

I've always thought that environmentalists missed the boat by not heavily emphasizing the direct impact of ecological degradation on human health and well being. Unfortunately, I assume that as long as a few people get obscenely rich from raping the habitat, we're all good.

[Percy Rideout]

When people say they want to "save the planet," usually they mean "save humans" or "save current ecosystems and wildlife."

The planet doesn't need to be saved from climate change, but we do! The planet will be here whether we are or not.

This. We are so selfish as a species we do manage to make it all about us.

Most species on this earth (over 90%) have lived, died, and are now extinct without human intervention.

Humans always want to preserve a snapshot in time. Climate doesn't work that way.

We aren't special, we are the scourge of the earth we are trying to save.

[old goat]

This. We are so selfish as a species we do manage to make it all about us.

Most species on this earth (over 90%) have lived, died, and are now extinct without human intervention.

Humans always want to preserve a snapshot in time. Climate doesn't work that way.

We aren't special, we are the scourge of the earth we are trying to save.

Speak for yourself.

[bodywhomper]

I've always thought that environmentalists missed the boat by not heavily emphasizing the direct impact of ecological degradation on human health and well being. Unfortunately, I assume that as long as a few people get obscenely rich from raping the habitat, we're all good.

Murray Bookchin

[tetzen]

This Australian article really hits home visually on how we are standing on the precipice at this very moment.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-...ange/100020944

Human society is basically a stage 3 cancer patient at the moment that is unwilling to undergo the necessary treatments because they are too painful. I hope our leaders are better than I think they are, but the general climate and environment situation is about to get so much worse.

[Percy Rideout]

Speak for yourself.

Thought you were an old boomer that doesn't need coddling...

Sorry, you're special!

[neufox47]

This Australian article really hits home visually on how we are standing on the precipice at this very moment.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-...ange/100020944

Human society is basically a stage 3 cancer patient at the moment that is unwilling to undergo the necessary treatments because they are too painful. I hope our leaders are better than I think they are, but the general climate and environment situation is about to get so much worse.

I’m more and more convinced the only way out of this mess is geo engineering. We are going to have to make significant efforts to geo-engineer the planet. At minimum replant forests and rainforest, but probably through iron seeding oceans, and other industrial efforts to remove carbon. We aren’t going to just need power for normal uses we are also going to need vast amounts of energy to de-carbon the oceans and atmosphere.

At this point I think it is geo-engineer or 3-4 degrees c of temperature increase by 2125, meters of sea rise, etc.

[tetzen]

Geo-engineering might be the way to go, but I sincerely doubt there is anyway to reach a consensus at this point on the best solution for that. In fact, we have been geo-engineering over the past century and a half, just unknowingly for the first half, and negligently for the remainder of time. The question is always going to be, what are the consequences for whatever bandaid we try in the near term to reverse our colossal fuckup?

[bodywhomper]

Like iron fertilization

[abraham]

I have been listening to this podcast for a bit, trying to see a more optimistic side of some things. He's a bit heavy on some ideas and I haven't decided if I agree with his conclusions on others but it's been worthwhile listening.

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR...AAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

Carbon capture and storage. Loved by some, hated by others, essential to many an energy transition modeller for achieving net zero emissions. On today's show we explore some of the science and engineering challenges underlying Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS.) We look at CO2 capture at the stack, from the air and oceans examining the technical possibilities, the energy and material costs and the scaling difficulties.


The history of human influence on the climate system is thought to predate the industrial revolution. For example the Little Ice Age is correlated to massive human population die offs and accompanying reforestation secondary to the Black Death and old world diseases running rampant in the Americas.


Since the industrial revolution the burning of fossil fuels has taken us from an atmospheric concentration of 280ppm to 417ppm of CO2 with an accompanying 1C increase in global average temperatures. The laws of thermodynamics make reversing our centuries long liberation of hundreds of millions of years of stored carbon unimaginably difficult.


Enslaving carbon by emitting a trillion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere to power an army of machines and chemical processes has brought humanity unimaginable wealth, freed slaves and extended lifespans but threatens future prosperity. Truly reverse engineering that process to put that CO2 back underground comes with a near impossible price tag, new infrastructure and energy requirements.


Keeping carbon in the ground and abating emissions as much as possible is an urgent matter however many environmentalists and climate activists chearlead the closure of zero emissions nuclear plants like Indian Point last week. An ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure but in a global society utterly dependent on fossil fuels for energy, transportation, cement, steel, fertilizer and many other vital processes is CCS part of the solution?


I am joined by Sean Wagner a materials engineer with a masters of science in engineering focused on nanotechnology from the University of Alberta. Sean is a master science communicator and lead writer and editor at the Alberta Nuclear Nucleus, a co-founder of Canadians for Nuclear Energy and the lead science advisor for the Decouple Podcast.