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I have family in Australia (NSW and Queensland) who are becoming increasingly concerned with the habitability of Australia over the coming decades. Have you giv

I have family in Australia (NSW and Queensland) who are becoming increasingly concerned with the habitability of Australia over the coming decades. Have you given much thought to this / do you have any practical advice besides emigration?

mastazi 5y ago
The whole of Australia? That seems like an overly simplistic view. Australia is a very diverse country from a climate standpoint, there is everything from deserts to alpine regions[1]. Of course the impact of climate change will be seen everywhere, but in different ways depending on the specific areas, and not unlike the rest of the World. For example, if we look at Koppen climates: it is true that much of Australia is arid (desert) or semi-arid (grassland)[2], but the non-arid regions of Australia (temperate, subtropical, tropical, equatorial) amount to an area equivalent to the surface of several European countries put together[3]. [1] https://theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org/ https://theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org/ [2] http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/climate-classifications/index.jsp?maptype=kpngrp#maps http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/climate-class... [3] Just to give an idea: UK, Italy, Germany and Ireland are here laid over some of the tropical and temperate regions of Australia. https://thetruesize.com/#?borders=1~!MTU5NzgzNzE.MzQ3Mjg3Mw*NTQ2NTc1Nw(ODAxNDU4NQ~!DE*MTYxNjc5OTU.MjU3MTIzOTQ)Mw~!GB*MTQ4MDM2MjE.MjI2MjA1Mzc)NA~!IT*MTU2NjY2NjY.MjYwMzY3Mzk)NQ~!IE*MTUxODg3OTg.MjYzOTQxNDA)Nw https://thetruesize.com/#?borders=1~!MTU5NzgzNzE.MzQ3Mjg3Mw*...
Gustomaximus 5y ago
It doesn't bother me being in Australia. There is going to be much unknown with climate change so dashing somewhere at this point seems getting ahead of oneself. For example northern Europe might actually become colder due to changes in the gulf stream making that less habitable. And I suspect the earlier 'serious' effects will be in middle east and northern Africa. Australia will likely find farming pushed more to the coast, but most people live coastal anyway, and that should offer some temperature protection. Being part of a nation with abundance in food and resources + a wealthy educated population has to be a big advantage in adapting to the changes. Generally I think people catastrophise climate change a bit much from a will we survive perspective. Its going to be bad, but humans are smart and resourceful. This is going to happen over a long time by human standards so there will be plenty of time to respond and adapt, even if that means living in caves or biospheres much of the time. I think the environmental loss will be sad and westerners will see declines in our living standards as we need to readapt to a new world. but overall most western nations should continue on and the worst will be those unfortunate to be in poorer and badly located geographies like Bangladesh which will be hit in multiple ways. And there could be any number of events like serious conflict between now and 50+ years so who knows....

mastazi 5y ago

The whole of Australia? That seems like an overly simplistic view. Australia is a very diverse country from a climate standpoint, there is everything from deserts to alpine regions[1]. Of course the impact of climate change will be seen everywhere, but in different ways depending on the specific areas, and not unlike the rest of the World. For example, if we look at Koppen climates: it is true that much of Australia is arid (desert) or semi-arid (grassland)[2], but the non-arid regions of Australia (temperate, subtropical, tropical, equatorial) amount to an area equivalent to the surface of several European countries put together[3]. [1] https://theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org/ https://theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org/ [2] http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/climate-classifications/index.jsp?maptype=kpngrp#maps http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/climate-class... [3] Just to give an idea: UK, Italy, Germany and Ireland are here laid over some of the tropical and temperate regions of Australia. https://thetruesize.com/#?borders=1~!MTU5NzgzNzE.MzQ3Mjg3Mw*NTQ2NTc1Nw(ODAxNDU4NQ~!DE*MTYxNjc5OTU.MjU3MTIzOTQ)Mw~!GB*MTQ4MDM2MjE.MjI2MjA1Mzc)NA~!IT*MTU2NjY2NjY.MjYwMzY3Mzk)NQ~!IE*MTUxODg3OTg.MjYzOTQxNDA)Nw https://thetruesize.com/#?borders=1~!MTU5NzgzNzE.MzQ3Mjg3Mw*...

Gustomaximus 5y ago

It doesn't bother me being in Australia. There is going to be much unknown with climate change so dashing somewhere at this point seems getting ahead of oneself. For example northern Europe might actually become colder due to changes in the gulf stream making that less habitable. And I suspect the earlier 'serious' effects will be in middle east and northern Africa. Australia will likely find farming pushed more to the coast, but most people live coastal anyway, and that should offer some temperature protection. Being part of a nation with abundance in food and resources + a wealthy educated population has to be a big advantage in adapting to the changes. Generally I think people catastrophise climate change a bit much from a will we survive perspective. Its going to be bad, but humans are smart and resourceful. This is going to happen over a long time by human standards so there will be plenty of time to respond and adapt, even if that means living in caves or biospheres much of the time. I think the environmental loss will be sad and westerners will see declines in our living standards as we need to readapt to a new world. but overall most western nations should continue on and the worst will be those unfortunate to be in poorer and badly located geographies like Bangladesh which will be hit in multiple ways. And there could be any number of events like serious conflict between now and 50+ years so who knows....