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It is very fault tolerant over evolutionary and geologic time scales. The question is what the very short term effects might be and how it may impact us. As Ge
by api 6y ago
It is very fault tolerant over evolutionary and geologic time scales. The question is what the very short term effects might be and how it may impact us.
As George Carlin said, we need to stop framing these issues as “saving the Earth.” The Earth will be fine. This is about saving ourselves.
Same goes for climate change. The Earth has been very warm in the past, even ice free. The Earth will be fine. The question is whether the >10 billion humans that may be on it as climate change starts to really manifest will be fine.
- Gene_Parmesan 6y agoBingo, this is exactly what I was going to say. The Earth sure is fault-tolerant, we just might not enjoy what PIDs get the kill signal to repair the system.
- api 6y agoHomo Sapiens would almost surely survive as a species. Humans are like cockroaches. It might be horribly nasty though, and definitely not something we should invite. I like Elon’s way of putting climate change: sure we may be wrong at least a bit, but is it wise to take our best habitable planet and dump a shitload of CO2 into the atmosphere and then just see what happens because YOLO?
- ganafagol 6y agoIf that's Elon's position then he must have a huge load of cognitive dissonance if he still thinks prioritizing colonization of Mars is a worthwile contribution.
- croon 6y agoI'm rarely one to defend Elon, but that isn't cognitive dissonance, it's trying to have a plan B in face of reality. He certainly can't personally stop climate change, but maybe in theory he can get a step closer to building an ark. Hope/push for the former, prepare for the latter.
- ganafagol 6y agoI disagree. If we bring earth into a state where Mars looks like the better alternative, then we deserve to go extinct. Have you seen how Mars looks like? What the conditions are like? Temperature? Atmosphere? Radiation? Ecosystems (none)? Water (none)? Breathable air (none)? How could that ever be more inviting than earth?
- JMTQp8lwXL 6y agoOver a geological timescale, the Earth will cease to exist once consumed by the Sun.
- rurp 6y agoI've always thought of "saving the earth" as referring to the millions of intelligent and sensitive non-human lifeforms that we are currently obliterating. But I agree, the earth will continue to have life regardless of what humans do, it just won't include anything we currently know and cherish at the rate we're going.
- ganafagol 6y agoI for my part also care about the thousands of species that are going extinct because of our behavior. I don't care tht much about the human species. It's our fault, we deserve to suffer. But the polar bear does not.
- copperx 6y agoI agree. But to have an even small glimmer of hope of changing people's behavior, you need to sell the idea to them like successful companies do. Tell them how THEY're going to benefit. As we have seen in this pandemic, even selling it like that isn't a recipe for success.
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- Yizahi 6y agoI just hate when people refer to that specific part of his standup as anti-environmentalist. I think he didn't meant it like people are quoting him to approve destroying nature. The planet will be fine (c), sure, this stone rock will be fine. Humans won't be, animals won't be, plants won't be. We probably won't be able to exterminate all living things on Earth, and some plankton and bacteria will evolve into something new again. But again, current snapshot of "nature", the one we are all living in will be lost if it continued to be destroyed.