Re: The Climate, Environment and Energy Thread
Reply #40 –
My issue with the whole climate change debate is that it disregards the following:
At least five major ice ages have occurred throughout Earth's history: the earliest was over 2 billion years ago, and the most recent one began approximately 3 million years ago and continues today (yes, we live in an ice age!). Currently, we are in a warm interglacial that began about 11,000 years ago.
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/abrupt-climate-change/Glacial-Interglacial%20Cycles
I have no issues with us attempting to be greener as we have caused more damage to the overall environment than any other species (I doubt you will find any other species that logs, or pollutes to the same levels as humanity) but the answer to these problems is quite simple.
Humanity is a parasite on the earth, and appears hell bent on consuming it, and until we work out that exponential growth of humanity correlates with the exponential growth of pollutants which means that the only real way forward is to live simpler and consume less, and perhaps grow slower and maybe revert back to dying younger. Remember when living past 70 was the exception not the norm? Now the exception is the opposite, and 70 year olds run countries.
The science of climate change is enmeshed within the study past climatic fluctuations Thry. What that tells us is that the climate is changing faster now than at any time in the past.
And we’re not in an ice age now: Glacial = ice age, Interglacial = no ice age.
The geological time scale used Holocene to denote the current geological age. It’s now called the Anthropocene to reflect the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment. The Holocene commenced at the end of the last ice age (or glacial period) about 10,000 years ago. The Anthropocene’s commencement is being pushed back to around 15,000 years as it is argued that human impact on the environment and climate commenced during the last ice age.
Palynological studies suggest that Aboriginal burning practices changed the Australian environment and biodiversity tens of thousands of years before that.
The elephant in the room is the exponential growth of the human population as well as the mantra that economies must continue to grow. We can reduce consumption and waste and minimise environmental impacts but we’ll continue on a path to oblivion as long as humanity continues to breed like rabbits.