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No. For one, Earth is much further away. But most importantly, we have no clue if our current carbon levels are any sort of maxima in regards to what the plan
by dimitrios1 6y ago
No.
For one, Earth is much further away.
But most importantly, we have no clue if our current carbon levels are any sort of maxima in regards to what the planet can handle. We just have our own little recent industrialized history, and some charts about the past that are, at best, educated guesses.
As George Carlin would say, "The planet will shake us off like a bad cold"
Climate change is more important for our species survival much more so than the planet. The planet will be fine. The planet will recover after we're gone.
- TaylorAlexander 6y agoI’m curious if you’ve read research on this? “The earth cannot become like Venus” seems like a strong positive statement that should come from research. I genuinely don’t think our innate intuition is enough here, even if it aids in comedic punchlines.
- dimitrios1 6y agoThis innate intuition comes from the familiarity of the research. Much of science in this realm is essentially conjecture, useful for securing funding dollars and keeping bright minds entertained. Comedians such as Carlin were highly intelligent, part of what made their genius. His jokes are typically funny because they contain much truth that otherwise few others would say.
- erispoe 6y agoThe planet might be ok after us, but still might not be able to birth another potentially space faring civilization, dooming earth life to extinction. Look at how: - no other earth based space faring civilization has evolved before us. - other intelligent species do not seem well equipped to do so, as it's hard to evolve tools without hands / prehensile organs (cetaceans), or when your lifespan is short or you're not social (octopuses & squids). - we used up pretty much all easily accessible fossil fuels for our industrial revolution and they may take hundreds of millions of years to reconstitute, and it's unclear if anyone could evolve an industrial civilization without that kickstart of easy energy. It's far from certain that if we disappear earth will get another good shot at evolving a space faring civilization before it's too late.
- bregma 6y agoConsidering the industrial revolution had been in full swing for a century before the use of fossil fuels became widespread I think you make a poor argument. Just because we were the first doesn't mean we'll be the last. A billion years is a very very very long time, and there are multiple billions of years in the Earth's future.
- kuschku 6y agoThe industrial revolution's beginning is defined by coal mining and the steam engine. I don't understand what you mean about it having been in full swing for a century before that.
- matthewdgreen 6y agoThe riverfront up and down the Jones Falls in Baltimore is littered with "mills" or factories, which are located there because they needed water power. My understanding is that real industrialization got started with things like the Arkwright water frame, and then the steam engine allowed factories to spread to more convenient locations.
- bregma 6y agoIronically, one of the first uses of coal-powered steam engines was to pump the water in ship canal locks so goods could be moved to and from water-powered factories.
- unloco 6y ago> no other earth based space faring civilization has evolved before us. needs citation
- Nekhrimah 6y agoAnything placed at geosynchronous orbit will stay up there effectively forever. There was nothing up there until Humans placed things there. Therefore, there was no previous Earth based space faring civilisation.
- goatlover 6y ago> But most importantly, we have no clue if our current carbon levels are any sort of maxima in regards to what the planet can handle. We just have our own little recent industrialized history, and some charts about the past that are, at best, educated guesses. The article mentions massive amounts of C02 released 500 million years ago by volcanic activity in the Siberian Traps. The dinosaurs evolved on an Earth with six times the amount of C02 in the atmosphere we have today. So we're nowhere near a maxima. It's just a question of how difficult climate change will be for our civilization and parts of the biosphere we rely on.