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Not only this, but as the article touches upon, it may end up being lethal to go outdoors. At over 35C/95F with humidity of 100%, humans and other animals canno

Not only this, but as the article touches upon, it may end up being lethal to go outdoors. At over 35C/95F with humidity of 100%, humans and other animals cannot cool themselves, even naked, in a breeze, in the shade, and die of heat exhaustion. So yet more air conditioning will ensue, consuming more energy, warming oceans further, raising humidity, and thus exacerbating the problem. Positive feedback cycles sure are great. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet-bulb_temperature https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet-bulb_temperature

ythl 10y ago
Well if you don't believe in God, you might want to start since it appears he's the only hope we have left for a doomed climate.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
antisthenes 10y ago
Another unmentioned consequence of rising CO2 levels is the lost productivity and quality of life that will accompany that. Consider the levels of CO2 rising from ~280 in the pre-industrial era to maybe ~700 by 2100. A 420 CO2 PPM outdoors also increases by at least that amount the air indoors, which leads to much higher CO2 concentrations, which are uncomfortable for people to breath in. I notice fatigue, grogginess and reduced cognition at levels above 1500 PPM, which are quite often reached in poorly ventilated offices and bedrooms. So levels that might be okay right now at ~1200 won't be okay by the end of the century. This is assuming a constant CO2 rise for the next 85 years at 3 PPM/year, which is quite optimistic. Depending on how bad the positive feedback cycles are, the rise might be much higher and will result in very poor indoor air quality for most people.
flukus 10y ago
> Not only this, but as the article touches upon, it may end up being lethal to go outdoors. At over 35C/95F with humidity of 100%, humans and other animals cannot cool themselves, even naked, in a breeze, in the shade, and die of heat exhaustion. There are plenty of places in the world that regularly ge t those conditions. People/Animals survive.
- sevenless 10y ago
  I don't think so, not with that humidity. People can't live in conditions where wet bulb temperature exceeds body temperature for long. You simply can't cool down by sweating.
  - madaxe_again 10y ago
    You're correct, but HN isn't a place to post uncomfortable truths, you'll just get downvoted. I'd like to see flukus spend a day in a hot sauna with water continuously dripping on the coals.
  - flukus 10y ago
    How about Bangkok: http://www.holiday-weather.com/bangkok/averages/ http://www.holiday-weather.com/bangkok/averages/ The average high temperature for some months is in the low to mid 30's and with >90% humidity (which goes up locally after rain).
    - madaxe_again 10y ago
      >90%!=100%. Read up on "wet bulb temperature". Or, if you prefer, go sit in a 40 degree sauna at 100% humidity for six hours, then report back.

ythl 10y ago

Well if you don't believe in God, you might want to start since it appears he's the only hope we have left for a doomed climate.

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

antisthenes 10y ago

Another unmentioned consequence of rising CO2 levels is the lost productivity and quality of life that will accompany that. Consider the levels of CO2 rising from ~280 in the pre-industrial era to maybe ~700 by 2100. A 420 CO2 PPM outdoors also increases by at least that amount the air indoors, which leads to much higher CO2 concentrations, which are uncomfortable for people to breath in. I notice fatigue, grogginess and reduced cognition at levels above 1500 PPM, which are quite often reached in poorly ventilated offices and bedrooms. So levels that might be okay right now at ~1200 won't be okay by the end of the century. This is assuming a constant CO2 rise for the next 85 years at 3 PPM/year, which is quite optimistic. Depending on how bad the positive feedback cycles are, the rise might be much higher and will result in very poor indoor air quality for most people.

flukus 10y ago

> Not only this, but as the article touches upon, it may end up being lethal to go outdoors. At over 35C/95F with humidity of 100%, humans and other animals cannot cool themselves, even naked, in a breeze, in the shade, and die of heat exhaustion. There are plenty of places in the world that regularly ge t those conditions. People/Animals survive.

sevenless 10y ago
I don't think so, not with that humidity. People can't live in conditions where wet bulb temperature exceeds body temperature for long. You simply can't cool down by sweating.
- madaxe_again 10y ago
  You're correct, but HN isn't a place to post uncomfortable truths, you'll just get downvoted. I'd like to see flukus spend a day in a hot sauna with water continuously dripping on the coals.
- flukus 10y ago
  How about Bangkok: http://www.holiday-weather.com/bangkok/averages/ http://www.holiday-weather.com/bangkok/averages/ The average high temperature for some months is in the low to mid 30's and with >90% humidity (which goes up locally after rain).
  - madaxe_again 10y ago
    >90%!=100%. Read up on "wet bulb temperature". Or, if you prefer, go sit in a 40 degree sauna at 100% humidity for six hours, then report back.