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Earth Approaching Tipping Point Say Scientists
Hugh Pickens writes "The UC Berkeley News Center reports that a prestigious group of 22 internationally known scientists from around the world is warning that population growth, widespread destruction of natural ecosystems, and climate change may be driving Earth toward an irreversible change in the biosphere, a planet-wide tipping point that would have destructive consequences absent adequate preparation and mitigation. 'It really will be a new world, biologically, at that point,' warns lead author Anthony Barnosky. 'The data suggests that there will be a reduction in biodiversity and severe impacts on much of what we depend on to sustain our quality of life, including, for example, fisheries, agriculture, forest products and clean water. This could happen within just a few generations.' The authors note that studies of small-scale ecosystems show that once 50-90 percent of an area has been altered, the entire ecosystem tips irreversibly into a state far different from the original, in terms of the mix of plant and animal species and their interactions. Humans have already converted about 43 percent of the ice-free land surface of the planet to uses like raising crops and livestock and building cities. This situation typically is accompanied by species extinctions and a loss of biodiversity. 'My view is that humanity is at a crossroads now, where we have to make an active choice,' says Barnosky. 'One choice is to acknowledge these issues and potential consequences and try to guide the future (in a way we want to). The other choice is just to throw up our hands and say, 'Let's just go on as usual and see what happens.'"
I'd at least consider the possibility that this latest "scientists warn of crisis" scare was anything but BS if the last 20 "scientists warn of crisis" scares weren't, every one of them, BS!
If you live in the US, you're almost certainly one of the "evil 1% of the earth's inhabitants". Well, if you want to go back to a cave, no one's stopping you, but I want to see the other 99% living as well as I do, not give up on modern life due to liberal guilt. If that raises new engineering challenges along the way, so be it - we can figure shit out (for example, we're closing in on figuring solar out, maybe 20 year or so - sorry Peak Oil fans, never gonna happen).
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
Have you ever considered contributing by committing suicide? If you started a movement, you might even get followers.
I thank you for your sacrifice.
You do realize the universe doesn't give a flying fuck about liberal vs conservative, your way of life or the price of tea in China. This idiotic obsession with trying to turn any science you don't like into some ideological position is bizarre. Not everyone in this world is motivated by simplistic dogmatic positions.
By that notion the universe doesn't give a flying fuck about the entirety of human existence and what we may or may not be doing to the planet. So why get butthurt enough to make your comment?