October 30, 2012
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Thoughts on Climate Change
Of course there are cyclic climatic changes. The atmosphere does have a groove. But central to that groove is a subtle dynamic balance; life itself plays a central role in this balance. For example, the presence in our atmosphere of oxygen (a highly reactive atom, long locked-up on dead worlds) results solely from the transpiration of life. When exobiologists look to distant worlds to see if there is life on board, they’ll first search the atmosphere for life’s signature: oxygen. The Gaia hypothesis even conjectures that the atmosphere, combined with life, constitutes a meta-lifeform — with built-in feedback loops evolved to maintain optimally habitable conditions on Spaceship Earth. Whether or not Gaia is proven real (I tend to suspect it will be), we must certainly at least admit that the properties of our atmosphere owe a great deal to the biosphere.
Life matters to the atmosphere. Interestingly, everything we burn that comes from the ground was once alive. That’s why they call it FOSSIL fuel, and here’s the thing: we’re burning a LOT of previously-living fossil fuel. In fact, right now we’re engaged in voraciously burning a substantial fraction of everything that has ever lived – and throwing it into the atmosphere. What’s more, we’re doing so in scantly more than a hundred years — less than a flutter of Earth’s eye. If we think this isn’t going to leave a mark on the beautiful, delicate jewel we’re lucky to be hurtling through the blackness of space on, we ought to think again.
Comments (19)
yep
I’m not sure that’s why we’re having these storms. I am sure that we must seriously control our inclinations to consume and destroy if we want this world to continue being habitable.
I picture pigs flying over that factory
What people don’t seem to understand is that our entire atmosphere, to scale, is about a single sheet of common kitchen plastic wrap on a basketball. And we’re pumping billions of tons of shit into it every year. OF COURSE it’s having an effect, and Earth is doing its level best to set things back to right. Right might or might not include the human race. It certainly does not include seven billion of us, in any case. The decision facing us now is what we leave behind for the survivors, if any.
@godfatherofgreenbay - actually that was the first thing that came to mind, but i decided to leave it to the reader’s imagination. looks like it worked!
@HappierHeathen - right on. we do live in interesting times.
Let it submerge this rat infested place!
@windoftheforest - sheesh. you get mean when you drink.
I could leave a b-rainy comment.
Instead, I ask for your technical expertise, your nuts, fine mind and very soul
in saving this blue planet…clean water and food for millions of suffering people, a possible first step for ending war.
also included is a share in billions of dollars.
do you want in?
ps: i am not smoking crack,weed, or opium.
well, mebbe a little weed.
but the science is sound.
come talk to me.
i wonder if someone is going to burn our fossilized bodies to run their hover cars after a million years
@kaiori - i’m going to take the sunny side and say i’m sure they’ll have developed alternatives by then. hi there
hai phil ^_^
“A flutter of the earth’s eye.”
No shit. NO SHIT. I can’t even think about it. What’s more, I haven’t time until I’ve finished my Zombie Wall. Time to shore up for the apocalypse, Philly boy.g.
*phew* – Could someone just turn down the earth’s thermostat please. THAT would fix it all in a trice.
You’re welcome.
@wickedgood - nuh uh. YOU’RE welcome.
i thought you ended that very nicely. profound sentence.
@Losertastic - thank you. hi there, LT! *waves across xanga*
I like warm weather though. The world will just have to adjust to us, or become how it becomes. Those anti global warmists can move to the arctic if they can’t take the heat. Why when we talk about global warming do we always focus on the negative aspects of it. Surely there must be just as many benefits of living in a warmer world, no?
Maybe one day we’ll be able to grow bananas in the arctic. It’d be better that way, wouldn’t it? The poles are such a waste of earth at the moment. We can utilize them for crops and people could actually live there. I could finally meet Santa Clause n Ludolph the Led Nose Leindeer. My dreams would finally come true.
@twilike - good points; and the way we’re reducing our carbon consumption (we’re not) we may have to make the best of it – benefits, drawbacks and all. you’re a special case, teamy. no doubt about it. i always appreciate your thoughts.
Gaia <3 and vice versa