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.'"

Comments

Re:This Announcement Hot on Heels of Bilderbergers

[BlueStrat]

First, they aren't the ones doing the labor to get those things, they are just the ones consuming the most benefit from them.

Second, taking away their ability would not take away our ability to use it, and distribute it in a more equitable form.

So, how do you intend to finance all the labor and materials to get something like a mine or oil field to a "producible" state without "the 1%" to finance it? Government cannot create wealth, it can only transfer it from one group to another, so when there's no "1%", there's very little capital for investment. How will you keep the workers working, keeping in mind that it may take years before the mine or oil field produces enough to even keep up with it's own costs, never mind pay workers?

Probably the same way people with similar collectivist mindsets have historically always done it:

At the point of a gun/sword.

Strat

Re:This Announcement Hot on Heels of Bilderbergers

[drinkypoo]

you do understand that the "1%" (man im sick of that term being thrown around but i digress) who use said 90% of the wealth resources and energy,(id like to see a source on that) they are getting those things, from the ground and sun. it benefits all of us.

You do understand that the way we're utilizing these resources is going to fucking kill us, and the people who are in charge and profiting now are fighting with tooth and nail to prevent us from utilizing these resources in a way that won't?

Prime example, BP and DuPont are sitting on the tech to make Butanol, a 1:1 replacement for gasoline made from any organic material by bacteria, and rather than making the stuff in quantity, they're actually suing other companies to prevent them from doing it.

Another fine example, the practical, minimally-polluting, inexpensive battery technology used in the original Honda Insight was sold to Chevron, who, you guessed it, refuses to license it.

Finally, would you really trade away your future for half-off a blu-ray player? Because, in essence, that is what you are promoting here.