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No amount of climate change short of Venusian runaway heating will scour the earth of humans. If we launch all of our nukes, we might collapse civilization, bu

No amount of climate change short of Venusian runaway heating will scour the earth of humans. If we launch all of our nukes, we might collapse civilization, but even that would likely leave humans around. We might get stuck in our gravity well for a long time, though. Whatever makes us go extinct will either be cosmic or something we haven't invented yet.

account-5 3y ago
I think the amount of climate change that kills off our food or the atmosphere we breath might do it.
huytersd 3y ago
An appropriate virus would do it. Spread through the air, 5 year incubation rate, 90%+ mortality would do it.
rhelz 3y ago
// venusian runaway...// We cool our bodies by sweating, a process which ceases to work at about 95 degrees at 100% humidity, or 115 degrees at 50% humidity. Its been estimated that an average temperature of above 122 degrees F would kill off all mammalian life on the planet. Currently the earth is warming at about 1/3rd of a degree F per decade.
- echelon 3y ago
  Seeing how the summer mean daily maximum in my city is 95.8 deg F and the mean humidity averages 80%, I think we already cross your threshold frequently. It hasn't killed us yet. I would frequently go running in the afternoon during "heat stroke" days. I love that weather. Hot and humid summers are personally invigorating. I grew up with them. I'd like to see your sources. > Currently the earth is warming at about 1/3rd of a degree F per decade. Every decade our technological capability increases dramatically. We're already working on climate engineering. Nothing here will extinct us.
  - rhelz 3y ago
    // I'd like to see your sources // See the July 19, 2022 Issue of the Scientific American, "How Hot Is Too Hot for the Human Body?" // I would frequently go running // Recall, it's 95 degrees at 100% humidity. The more humid the air, the less sweat will evaporate. I don't care if you are Jesus Christ Usane Bolt Superstar, above 95 degrees at 100% humidity, if you run long enough you will get heatstroke. // Nothing here will extinct us // Extinction has happened to every other species of Homo. Every. single. one. I wonder how many of them accurately predicted when and why they would go extinct....
    - echelon 3y ago
      I spent fifteen minutes in a 112 deg F shower today [1] at presumably near total humidity. I do this all the time, and that isn't even hot. I was born and live in heat, so when I hear cold climate SF denizens say the end is nigh, I have to chuckle. I took a look at your source [2]. I'll have to read the underlying literature. The way this is presented to a lay audience doesn't make it clear if they're controlling for acclimation. I'm not educated in physiology beyond an undergrad class, so I'm not sure if their measure is a good proxy. It'll take sixty years to raise the temperature two degrees, after which I'll probably be dead. It'll take centuries to push into dangerous ranges. I think we're already building the tech to deal with this, and very little growth is exponential. This is going to be yet another sigmoid. And in geologic times, just noise. I will say I am worried about loss of species diversity. But I'm more worried about a lack of cheap energy to fuel our ascendent climb to the next stages. And more worried about nukes. As far as green tech goes, I've always been worried about particulate matter in the air leading to cardiopulmonary diseases. So it's not a bad thing and I've never once been against it. What I am concerned about is that we're teaching Gen Z and Gen Alpha to just give up. Go look at /r/GenZ and all the threads about climate - these kids are just giving up on life because of these memes. In reality, their lives will not be impacted by climate change whatsoever. We're scaring them to death and their entire generation is experiencing trauma because of this. We do need to control these systems, and we do need to protect ecosystem biodiversity, but this hysteria is ridiculous. [1] I just measured the water temperature. [2] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-hot-is-too-hot-for-the-human-body1/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-hot-is-too-ho...
- deleted 3y ago
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account-5 3y ago

I think the amount of climate change that kills off our food or the atmosphere we breath might do it.

huytersd 3y ago

An appropriate virus would do it. Spread through the air, 5 year incubation rate, 90%+ mortality would do it.

rhelz 3y ago

// venusian runaway...// We cool our bodies by sweating, a process which ceases to work at about 95 degrees at 100% humidity, or 115 degrees at 50% humidity. Its been estimated that an average temperature of above 122 degrees F would kill off all mammalian life on the planet. Currently the earth is warming at about 1/3rd of a degree F per decade.

echelon 3y ago
Seeing how the summer mean daily maximum in my city is 95.8 deg F and the mean humidity averages 80%, I think we already cross your threshold frequently. It hasn't killed us yet. I would frequently go running in the afternoon during "heat stroke" days. I love that weather. Hot and humid summers are personally invigorating. I grew up with them. I'd like to see your sources. > Currently the earth is warming at about 1/3rd of a degree F per decade. Every decade our technological capability increases dramatically. We're already working on climate engineering. Nothing here will extinct us.
- rhelz 3y ago
  // I'd like to see your sources // See the July 19, 2022 Issue of the Scientific American, "How Hot Is Too Hot for the Human Body?" // I would frequently go running // Recall, it's 95 degrees at 100% humidity. The more humid the air, the less sweat will evaporate. I don't care if you are Jesus Christ Usane Bolt Superstar, above 95 degrees at 100% humidity, if you run long enough you will get heatstroke. // Nothing here will extinct us // Extinction has happened to every other species of Homo. Every. single. one. I wonder how many of them accurately predicted when and why they would go extinct....
  - echelon 3y ago
    I spent fifteen minutes in a 112 deg F shower today [1] at presumably near total humidity. I do this all the time, and that isn't even hot. I was born and live in heat, so when I hear cold climate SF denizens say the end is nigh, I have to chuckle. I took a look at your source [2]. I'll have to read the underlying literature. The way this is presented to a lay audience doesn't make it clear if they're controlling for acclimation. I'm not educated in physiology beyond an undergrad class, so I'm not sure if their measure is a good proxy. It'll take sixty years to raise the temperature two degrees, after which I'll probably be dead. It'll take centuries to push into dangerous ranges. I think we're already building the tech to deal with this, and very little growth is exponential. This is going to be yet another sigmoid. And in geologic times, just noise. I will say I am worried about loss of species diversity. But I'm more worried about a lack of cheap energy to fuel our ascendent climb to the next stages. And more worried about nukes. As far as green tech goes, I've always been worried about particulate matter in the air leading to cardiopulmonary diseases. So it's not a bad thing and I've never once been against it. What I am concerned about is that we're teaching Gen Z and Gen Alpha to just give up. Go look at /r/GenZ and all the threads about climate - these kids are just giving up on life because of these memes. In reality, their lives will not be impacted by climate change whatsoever. We're scaring them to death and their entire generation is experiencing trauma because of this. We do need to control these systems, and we do need to protect ecosystem biodiversity, but this hysteria is ridiculous. [1] I just measured the water temperature. [2] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-hot-is-too-hot-for-the-human-body1/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-hot-is-too-ho...
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]