Saturday, February 14, 2009

Unintended Consequences


It has been well known for years that Global Warming cannot be reversed. The best that we can hope for is to adopt policies and enact measures that are commensurate to the challenge i.e. reduce the level of emissions to such an extent as to avoid what scientists consider to be a catastrophic outcome.
Unfortunately the latest comprehensive studies and the latest sophisticated computer models done by the EU show that if the growth in carbon emissions is to be maintained at the current global rate of 1.9% annual growth then the catastrophic increase of 2 degrees Centigrade would be assured. That will cause the Greenland Icesheet to disappear, floods to become more frequent and more severe, oceans level to increase, crops to fail, rate of extinction to gain and disease to spread.
As bad as the above scenarios might be, at least they do not threaten to change the globe into a wasteland and to visit upon all species the dangers of strange mutations and nuclear winter. So why would we want to fight global warming by encouraging the wider adoption of nuclear energy? Could it be because Homo Sapiens (wise humans)we are not?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

ALINA DURKOVIC

Reducing your carbon and greenhouse gas emissions will make your personal living space more sustainable. It will also save you money in both the short and long term. Global warming is occurring faster than it was originally expected to. You'll benefit from reduced pollution, a more healthful lifestyle and increased savings by doing simple activities that will not reduce the quality of your life. The first step in reducing global warming is starting locally. Getting educated about global warming and it's a effects is a start. Recycling is another way to help the environment and instead of using a dishwasher, ue minimal water and wash by hand.

Anonymous said...

If we don't do anything we are rather stupid humans. Just because something will not lead to disaster does not mean the situation does not need to be improved.

Dandelion

Anonymous said...

I thoroughly agree with dandelion... the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence, and all great quotes that tell us not to rest on what we assume and risk being blindsided and eventually wiped out by larger factors than us and things we choose to ignore daily. I agree that global warming education is vital. I believe the average American does not believe global warming to be a real and personal threat, let alone that we are the biggest contributors even through our TV's and air conditioners. Politics and economics are trumping the environmental implications, so we continue to push cars we don't need and have 'Green' grammy parties. We need to eradicate the problem even in absence or postponed destruction. The same of course with population etc. When I bring up issues of paradigm shift in my politics class, most other students think I'm being to extreme, that we generally are not willing to do whats necessary for the future and that sustainability is not an issue. Its hard for me as a young person having such insight into the causes and 'solutions' to how the world can work out its issues but realizing that because of human nature, ethics, politics, and economics, the future is very very dim and ruin may be unavoidable.

Emily Ottoo ENV 112

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