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I don't like what I'm reading here. Is there any expert here that could at least bring in non-panic arguments ?
by wiz21c 10y ago
I don't like what I'm reading here. Is there any expert here that could at least bring in non-panic arguments ?
- cwal37 10y agoHere is an at least a somewhat optimistic take on this issue in that it's looking for mitigation techniques and IDing possible research[1]. I worked for the lead author one summer at LLNL right around when this was published, and I believe he's continued to work on aspects of this in the interim, although I must confess that I'm terrible at keeping up with people and am not entirely sure. [1] http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es204686w http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es204686w
- mikestew 10y agoThat's why I keep hitting "refresh" on this page of comments, in the hope that someone with more expertise than I have comes along and tells me it's not nearly as bad as I take this to be (i. e., "we're fucked"). Still waiting, BTW.
- kaybe 10y agoSorry, nope. The climate community pretty much agrees on this. How we will deal with the changing circumstances is wide open though, so there is some hope there. Given our history though.. edit: Here's a comment I made for released carbon due to permafrost melting (with literature): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13769896 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13769896
- dreamcompiler 10y agoThere is some hope. We could geoengineer a giant shade structure to reflect sunlight away from earth. It would cost $trillions (twelve zeros) but it could be done with current technology. And it would cool the Earth immediately. Unfortunately it would do nothing to fix ocean acidification, which threatens to starve and/or suffocate us all.
- braymundo 10y agoYou mean this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlander_II:_The_Quickening https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlander_II:_The_Quickening
- zyxzkz 10y agoI always liked that movie...
- cafebabbe 10y agoThat "solution" fucking sucks. We kinda rely on the sun to grow plants and power life, you know?
- idanoeman 10y agoNot in the deserts or the oceans, we don't.
- mirimir 10y agoWe need light on the oceans for phytoplankton that release oxygen.
- semi-extrinsic 10y agoErm, it's not like anyone is suggesting "block all sunlight". We're talking about blocking at most a few percent. On this topic, I've always wondered if you could make such a solar shade that hovers just on the far side of the Lagrange point between sun and earth, balancing radiation pressure and gravity. Does anyone know if that would be passively stable?
- dreamcompiler 10y agoHere you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_sunshade https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_sunshade https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10209794 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10209794 Edit to answer your question: No, it wouldn't be passively stable. But it could be actively stable with solar-powered motors to move mirrors, so it wouldn't need fuel.
- yogthos 10y agoUnfortunately, it's too late to panic. We could've done something about this 30 years ago. It's simply too late now, we're most likely going extinct within a century, and taking most life forms with us. We've started a chain reaction that's now out of our control. There's nothing we can do now but watch it unfold.
- mileshampson 10y agohttp://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/methane-hydrates-and-contemporary-climate-change-24314790 http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/methane-hyd...
- spyder 10y agohttps://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/18/new-pictures-of-the-hole-in-yamal-and-pingo-was-its-name-o/ https://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/18/new-pictures-of-the-h...