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"Earth’s Most Famous Climate Scientist..." Al Gore? "In what may prove to be a turning point for political action on climate change, a breathtaking new study
by themartorana 11y ago
"Earth’s Most Famous Climate Scientist..."
Al Gore?
"In what may prove to be a turning point for political action on climate change, a breathtaking new study casts extreme doubt about the near-term stability of global sea levels."
Unfortunately, for any action to take place, we'll have to lose NYC and Miami. Even then it'll be attributed to an angry, homophobic God instead of human-caused climate change by those who can afford to be air-lifted to their new chateau high above sea level. (We're still patriotically rebuilding New Orleans, FFS.)
I don't have much faith left that any level of terrifying science can have any effect on our plutocracy.
That said, this does feel extremely alarmist, even to me. Seeing all costal cities catastrophically wiped out (and permanently under water) in my lifetime is hard to fathom, no matter how much I appreciate the science.
- jessaustin 11y agoSeeing all costal cities catastrophically wiped out (and permanently under water) in my lifetime is hard to fathom, no matter how much I appreciate the science. Presumably this unfathomability is why people still invest millions of dollars in affected real estate every day.
- themartorana 11y agoIt's interesting, no doubt. I should read everything with healthy skepticism, but really my initial gut reaction of "yeah right" was a little eye opening - if even I had a negative reaction to the assertions, I can't imagine what people who are skeptics of human-created climate change at all must think.
- eli_gottlieb 11y agoAs if capital and real-estate markets were capable of taking a sufficiently long-term view to worry about 50 years in the future!
- jessaustin 11y agoTheir focus on the short term hasn't hurt them yet. Perhaps this phenomenon would spur financial "innovation". More probably, bailouts.
- shenanigoat 11y agoWater bailouts. Har.
- ph0rque 11y agoHmm... is there any way to short coastal real estate that is less than 10 feet above sea level?
- dredmorbius 11y agoThe name of the scientist in question leads the 2nd paragraph of the story. Your cheap shot was quite unnecessary.
- themartorana 11y agoDid anyone ever tell you that you lack the basic human trait of a sense of humor?
- dredmorbius 11y agoThere are some topics, and types of humour, which really don't go down all that well. In particular they have a strong tendency to send intelligent conversation on some topics off the rails. Distinguishing these from appropriate humour, or getting your tone just right, is a key sign of maturity.
- themartorana 11y agoWell hey, listen, when you hit that level of maturity you talk about, we'll have a party or something.