Coral Reefs In Grave Danger, Say Climate Simulations

sciencehabit writes "Nearly every coral reef could be dying by 2100 if current carbon dioxide emission trends continue, according to a new review of major climate models from around the world. The only way to maintain the current chemical environment in which reefs now live, the study suggests, would be to deeply cut emissions as soon as possible. It may even become necessary to actively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, say with massive tree-planting efforts or machines."

Comments

Who cares?

[Anonymous Coward]

So what if all the Coral Reefs die, what do you think? Perhaps that some all-powerful super-destructive aliens will come from deep space to threaten the Earth if they aren't around?

Besides, we all know Brain Coral is trying to take over the planet anyway. The sooner it is gone, the safer we will all be.

Re:Who cares?

[BitZtream]

Yea, perhaps if all reefs died.

But thats not whats actually happening.

Most ACTUAL reefs are deep under water and have been studied very little and as far as current data suggests aren't nearly as frail as shallow water reefs.

Again, this is OMG LETS PANIC PEOPLE type of response.

Yes, you're pretty barrier reef may turn brown, but it really isn't that important in the grand scheme of things.

Stop being a tool.

Re:A wake up call

[Ferretman]

Leaving aside the questionable "science" in this article, how *exactly* is somebody a "so-called skeptic"? Most folks I've met fall into 4 categories on the issue:

• - Unquestioning believers in the AGW theory;
• - Skeptical of either the magnitude, the cause, or the existence of AGW;
• - Don't know (have no opinion whatsoever; consider it all too esoteric and/or complicated);
• - Don't care.

So what's a "so-called skeptic"? Somebody who *says* they don't believe in AGW but who secretly does, just doesn't want to pay for the alleged "fixes"? Some who claims to be a skeptic but who nods their heads with each new AGW pronouncement?

Just curious (which is why I'm a Skeptic, non "so-called").

Ferret

Re:Good Grief.

[rally2xs]

Yeah, their socialistic plan to use the global warming scarecrow to attempt to cart boatloads of money out of developed nations into 3rd-world money pits has had it cover blown repeatedly. Their adamant stance against anything geo-engineering is evidence of what they're up to since such geo-engineering would short-circuit their plans to redistribute wealth. Oh, and we're going to do some tree-hugging, in spite of the fact that they DIE and then they release their carbon back into the air in carbonaceous gases that decompose into CO2... c'mon...

Re:A wake up call

[Man On Pink Corner]

At absolute worst, the global warming "true believers" are putting their faith in scientific consensus; why is this some great intellectual crime?

Because science is not a democracy?

Because, historically, those who have placed their faith in the "scientific consensus" of the day have almost always turned out to be spectacularly wrong?

Re:A wake up call

[narcc]

Ugh.

Skeptic: "This story is related to global warming. Therefore, any claims made in the article cannot be questioned because AGW is true."

Normal person: "AGW is one thing, the claims made here are only superficially related. It seems to me that ... "

Skeptic: "Stupid AGW deniers, pretending to be 'skeptics'! Why, you won't accept any evidence, no matter how compelling!"

Normal person: "We're not talking about AGW, we're talking about coral and ..."

Skeptic: "Shout this guy down! He's a quack out to spread his crazy right-wing anti-AGW propaganda! It's a conspiracy I tell you! The coral is doomed! The oceans will die! We'll all starve to death if we listen to this whack-job!"

The Skeptical movement and the Creationist movement have a lot in common. The bulk of the membership aren't terribly bright, depend completely on a small group of authorities for talking points, and don't understand their own beliefs (even superficially). Members of both groups LOVE to repeat the same nonsense over and over -- even after some misguided soul points out how irrational their absurd claims and beliefs are. It still astonishes me how few so-called skeptics seem to have even a basic understanding of science.