- cross-posted to:
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- cross-posted to:
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- [email protected]
About the author’s struggle to find someone among his friends to speak to about collapse. He says, "Most of all, I want someone to hug me and say, “I know. I’m scared, too.” Lots of good links in there for further reading.
I have, and I’ve also skimmed much of AR6. It seems to me like even in the worst case scenario human extinction is unlikely and most climate scientists are not doomers? I’m not saying we should do nothing, I’m saying I believe there is still hope to avoid human extinction and even for humanity to eventually recover and find a different, more renewable path (granted it might be after a century or two of returning to tribalism). I do think the future will necessarily involve an abandonment of our modern infrastructure and extreme de-urbanization, and that the sooner we do it the more likely Florida won’t be underwater. I also think as terrible as it will be, food shortages and the trend we’re already seeing of decreasing birth rates, combined with the near-term depletion of fossil fuels, will force this change rather humanity wants it or not.
Maybe there is hope to avoid extinction and for things to improve. I can’t predict the future any better than anyone else. But almost every climate prediction made so far has turned out to be optimistic including those published by the IPCC. We are entering an era unprecedented in human history. The latest paper from James Hansen states that “Eventual global warming due to today’s GHG forcing alone – after slow feedbacks operate – is about 10°C.” And that’s if we stop all emissions today. The earth hasn’t seen temperatures like that for something like 40 million years. We’re more resourceful than any other creature in history, so it’s possible some of us will survive. But life will look nothing like it does today.
And I think it’s too late for Florida in any scenario.