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Eventually but that eventually is likely so far away that life will be very different from what we know. Unsuitable for human habitation is a very strong phrase
by Mirioron 7y ago
Eventually but that eventually is likely so far away that life will be very different from what we know. Unsuitable for human habitation is a very strong phrase. Humans are incredibly adaptable. It's all the other stuff we need to worry about.
- ben_w 7y agoIf you’re only thinking of temperature, sure, we can adapt. Trouble is, CO2 concentrations of 1500 ppm turn us into idiots, and from what I’ve seen we could reach that from just known reserves of coal and oil. Worse, if we don’t switch to renewables, exponential growth of energy demand means we burn all the known reserves in my lifetime.
- Mirioron 7y agoThis is actually a very good point. The effects of CO2 on the human mind are probably the most pressing issue. However, we've spent 100 years going from 300 ppm to 410 ppm. It will still take a while even at faster rates to get there.
- ben_w 7y agoExponential growth means the next doubling period is equal to everything before now. Wikipedia’s article on world energy consumption indicates I’ve overestimated the growth rate, and the real doubling period is 36 years — without decarbonisation, 2056 would be 520 ppm, 2092 would be 740 ppm. I’d been assuming the growth rate was more like double every 15, presumably because I’d mixed up “energy” and “money”. Oops.
- imtringued 7y agoOk it will be unsuitable to humans who expect to live in an industrial nation. Subsistence farmers in Canada or Alaska will probably be fine.