Oh, everything's just dandy ...
POSTED BY: rue
UPDATED: Sunday, June 17, 2007 17:12
VIEWED: 13760
PAGE 9 of 15
Geezer- I think you have the notion that WE can adapt while the rest of the world goes down the tubes. But so many effects will be worldwide (lost species, crops and trees; disease; political and economic instability; water shortages) that I think like it or not, we're in this together. I just can't imagine us floating while everyone else sinks.
It's not that I'm saying we shouldn't adapt. I think there are some vital and necessary things to do right now, within our own borders, to brace ourselves for the consequences of global warming. And BTW I'm curious what your list of adaptation would look like. But we can do both. It shouldn't be one or the other.
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Always look upstream.
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bump
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Always look upstream.
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95 - 97% change is from CO2
Unfortunately not everything is out there able to be linked. This link comes closest: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060914095559.htm
"Earth's surface temperature could rise by 4.5 C (8.1 F) if carbon dioxide levels double over pre-industrial levels, but higher warming cannot be ruled out."
"Actually, I am not too confident that the world is going to get on board that easily, especially the developing countries ... That's why I'm more interested in adaptation than mitigation."
As SignyM said, it's possible and preferable to do both.
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It seems that Geezer doesn't exactly have a plan for adaptation either. Like I said: Head in sand. It's just one motion away from kissing your ^ss goodbye.
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Quote:Not really. I suspect that North America and Western Europe will have a harder time adapting, since we haven't actually suffered any nationwide disasters in a while.
Originally posted by SignyM:
Geezer- I think you have the notion that WE can adapt while the rest of the world goes down the tubes.
Quote:
But so many effects will be worldwide ... that I think like it or not, we're in this together. I just can't imagine us floating while everyone else sinks.
Given the attitude of China, India and the developing world, I don't expect them to feel this way. I also note that even the folks who signed on to the Kyoto Accords mostly haven't met their goals. I expect that regardless of what the Western world does, there's gonna be global warming.
Quote:
It's not that I'm saying we shouldn't adapt. I think there are some vital and necessary things to do right now, within our own borders, to brace ourselves for the consequences of global warming. And BTW I'm curious what your list of adaptation would look like. But we can do both. It shouldn't be one or the other.
Adaptation? I'll get to that later. Pizza's here.
"Keep the Shiny side up"
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Quote:You misunderstand me. I'm not saying that we're all going to suddenly realize that we're facing the worst crisis ever and join hands in a burst of sanity and brotherly love. What I'm saying is whether we "feel" it or not we ARE in this together. ALL of us: China, India, Bangladesh, Russia, Europe, Australia... And the USA might be like the one swimmer in a pool of drowning people. The political and economic instability will make it unlikely that we will be allowed to tackle our problems more-or-less unmolested by outside forces.
But so many effects will be worldwide ... that I think like it or not, we're in this together. I just can't imagine us floating while everyone else sinks.-Signy
Given the attitude of China, India and the developing world, I don't expect them to feel this way. I also note that even the folks who signed on to the Kyoto Accords mostly haven't met their goals. I expect that regardless of what the Western world does, there's gonna be global warming.- Geezer
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Always look upstream.
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Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
You misunderstand me. I'm not saying that we're all going to suddenly realize that we're facing the worst crisis ever and join hands in a burst of sanity and brotherly love. What I'm saying is whether we "feel" it or not we ARE in this together. ALL of us: China, India, Bangladesh, Russia, Europe, Australia... And the USA might be like the one swimmer in a pool of drowning people. The political and economic instability will make it unlikely that we will be allowed to tackle our problems more-or-less unmolested by outside forces.
Couple of points before beddie-bye time.
1. Based on the IPCC 2007 estimates, global temperature will, worst case, increase 0.04C per year. That's 4 hundredths of a degree C per year. So if it's 'the worst crisis ever' it'll be a slow one, not like, say, WWII, where 72 million died in six or seven years. This may allow governments to realize that they need to do something before things get too bad.
2. Up until, say, the early 20th century, most folk didn't expect things to stay the same forever. They had to deal with changes in climate, government, economy, etc. as a normal part of life. Expecting everything to stay constant is pretty much a product of western civilization in the last half of the 20th century. it may be a mistaken concept.
Later.
"Keep the Shiny side up"
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You know Geezer, your sanguine concept of what's not going to happen is already cotnradicted by the fact that New Zealand has made special provisions for immigrating Pacific Islanders. WHY are they immigrating to New Zealand, one might ask? BECAUSE THEIR ISLANDS ARE ALREADY UNDERWATER.
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So, adaptation....
Rising sea level to +20 ft
Stop building in low-lying areas prone to floods. That includes, small islands off the east coast and FLA. (They destabilze the dunes which protect coastline from hurricane damage), low-lying costal areas (anything with an elevation less than 30 ft above high tide)
Protect already built-up areas with dikes and big friggin pumps, and move sensitive structures (as much as possible)
Use dolosse or riprap, or create sandbar islands in sensitive areas
The one good things about rising sea levels? Drowned structures make great artificial reefs!
More summer storms of 100-year and 500-year intensity
Stop building on 100-year flood plains
Build structures on 500-year flood plains able to withstand 10 feet of flooding
Restructure rivers to retain and slow as much flow as possible by creating spillover areas, widening river beds etc
Protect against erision by proper farm amanagement and erosion-control techniques.
Less snowpack, drought
Water conservation, including no-till farming and using reclaimed water for non-consumption purposes
Species loss
Create north-south corridors for ecosystems to migrate northward, including Plains
Interplant heat-resistant trees in northerly areas
Electrical power shortages
Electrical energy conservation (efficient light sources such as LEDs, energy efficient building design)
Grid maintenance and investment
Distributed solar energy or backup energy source (eg microturbines)
That's just off the top of my head.
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Always look upstream.
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Quote:What are you talking about!?
Originally posted by SignyM:
BECAUSE THEIR ISLANDS ARE ALREADY UNDERWATER.
Questions are a burden to others. Answers are prison for oneself.
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www.nwf.org/internationalwildlife/article.cfm?articleId=15&issueId=3
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Always look upstream.
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