4 ms·

I don't understand why the assumption that your actions could have an impact on the world is ridiculous?

• briandear 12y ago
  It's a matter of degree. Pissing in the ocean changes the PH, however the question would be, to what degree? The question isn't if humans impact climate, it's how much do they impact the climate. The answer to that is far from 'settled science.'
  • 7952 12y ago
    What about 7 billion people pissing in the sea? Of course the implications of that are not compltely predictable. But it is not just a matter of academic interest but an engineering/managment problem. How do we interact with the environment in an optimal way?
  • facepalm 12y ago
    I'm sure there are aspects of it are not settled, but that is not the same as not knowing anything. We can not predict accurately if it will rain 10 days from now, but we still know it rains every now and then. There are deserts on earth that have been created by humans (Iceland for example, and the "Karst", victims to wooden ship building), and large lakes that are almost gone because of human actions. It also seems obvious that humans pollute water bodies around us to a degree that makes swimming in them or drinking from it impossible, to take up your pissing example.
  • pyre 12y ago
    With complex systems, you will never have irrefutable proof of much. If you're waiting for something air-tight, it will never happen.