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The entire biosphere (forests, forest-dwelling animals, ocean life, the crops we grow, us) as well as most human infrastructure rests on an equilibrium so preca

The entire biosphere (forests, forest-dwelling animals, ocean life, the crops we grow, us) as well as most human infrastructure rests on an equilibrium so precarious that a couple degrees in mean temperature change is going to have first, second and third order effects we can barely predict. No one and nowhere will be “sheltered” in any broad sense. Like, increased heat is already causing rails to heat up, forcing railroad delays[1], which will eventually translate into more expensive shipping for everything. And if we start getting Wet Bulb 95 conditions[2] then an afternoon power outage in any American city will lead to a million dead (the homeless will die either way in these conditions). [1] https://ggwash.org/view/90938/summer-heat-means-longer-amtrak-trips-delays https://ggwash.org/view/90938/summer-heat-means-longer-amtra... [2] https://climate.nasa.gov/explore/ask-nasa-climate/3151/too-hot-to-handle-how-climate-change-may-make-some-places-too-hot-to-live/#:~:text=Blood%20rushes%20to%20your%20skin,operating%20temperature%2C”%20Raymond%20said https://climate.nasa.gov/explore/ask-nasa-climate/3151/too-h....

zosima 3y ago
> The entire biosphere (forests, forest-dwelling animals, ocean life, the crops > we grow, us) as well as most human infrastructure rests on an equilibrium so > precarious that a couple degrees in mean temperature change is going to have > first, second and third order effects we can barely predict. No one and nowhere > will be “sheltered” in any broad sense. This is complete speculation. And the annual variation in temperature of ~50 degrees C many places on earth, does not really support it.
- rando_dfad 3y ago
  > And the annual variation in temperature of ~50 degrees C many places on earth does not really support it. Ummm, hello? so "most anomalously hot month ever" does not suggest a change in the underlying system?? Would you predict that handrails in Arizona now can give 3rd degree burns? https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/24/health/arizona-heat-burns-er/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/24/health/arizona-heat-burns-er/... Because I remember conversations like this when I was growing up: "Mommy, can I go to the playground?" "No, Johnny, the slide will fry your ass"
  - zosima 3y ago
    Please read what you're replying to, before pressing reply. "equilibrium so precarious that a couple degrees in mean temperature change" does not really mesh very well with having annual (and even daily) variation much larger. If you never experienced a hot slide as a kid, maybe you were just coddled? Lots of the modern so-called environmentalism is driven by people having ridiculously little first hand experience with nature or even being outdoors.

zosima 3y ago

> The entire biosphere (forests, forest-dwelling animals, ocean life, the crops > we grow, us) as well as most human infrastructure rests on an equilibrium so > precarious that a couple degrees in mean temperature change is going to have > first, second and third order effects we can barely predict. No one and nowhere > will be “sheltered” in any broad sense. This is complete speculation. And the annual variation in temperature of ~50 degrees C many places on earth, does not really support it.

rando_dfad 3y ago
> And the annual variation in temperature of ~50 degrees C many places on earth does not really support it. Ummm, hello? so "most anomalously hot month ever" does not suggest a change in the underlying system?? Would you predict that handrails in Arizona now can give 3rd degree burns? https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/24/health/arizona-heat-burns-er/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/24/health/arizona-heat-burns-er/... Because I remember conversations like this when I was growing up: "Mommy, can I go to the playground?" "No, Johnny, the slide will fry your ass"
- zosima 3y ago
  Please read what you're replying to, before pressing reply. "equilibrium so precarious that a couple degrees in mean temperature change" does not really mesh very well with having annual (and even daily) variation much larger. If you never experienced a hot slide as a kid, maybe you were just coddled? Lots of the modern so-called environmentalism is driven by people having ridiculously little first hand experience with nature or even being outdoors.