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Climate Damage 'Irreversible' According Leaked Climate Report

New submitter SomeoneFromBelgium (3420851) writes According to Bloomberg a leaked climate report from the IPPC speaks of "Irreversible Damage." The warnings in the report are, as such, not new but the tone of voice is more urgent and more direct than ever. It states among other things that global warming already is affecting "all continents and across the oceans," and that "risks from mitigation can be substantial, but they do not involve the same possibility of severe, widespread, and irreversible impacts as risks from climate change, increasing the benefits from near-term mitigation action."

7 of 708 comments (clear)

  1. What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Are you telling me that spewing into the atmosphere millions of years of accumulated sunlight and cutting down most of the natural CO2 scrubers (trees) of the world will have negative effects? Nah! Imposible!

  2. Delayed action by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We'll never do anything about climate change as long as businesses can dictate law, control the EPA, and guide lawmaking through lobbyists. The Supreme Court has literally ensured this.

    I can't stand the idea that multi-billion corporations can't afford to spend 1/8th of their profit, if even that much, to operate in a more environmentally friendly manner.

    Gotta hoard and accumulate money at all costs, no matter what happens.

  3. Don't Worry! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't worry. Seriously, some very rich people who made a fortune selling gas and coal have assured us that these climate change alarmists are just a bunch of melodramatic liars. There's nothing to worry about.

  4. Re:Damage or Change? by Urkki · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Climate has always changed, the concept of "Damage" is only relevant to those affected by it.

    You mean, the same way as asteroids of various sizes have impacted into the Earth throughout the history of the planet, and "Damage" is only relevant to those affected by it?

    Yes, I agree.

  5. Re:Impacts by Intrepid+imaginaut · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It was kind of going that way anyhow though, either to a tropical earth or back towards a new ice age. And really given the choice the tropical option is less destrcutive. As I understand it we were in an interglacial until people started digging up sequestered carbon and injecting it into the atmosphere. Either way I don't believe it will be possible to stabilise the climate over the mid to long term, at least not with our current technology, so maybe its best just to prepare to adapt to these changes.

  6. Re:Impacts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Those are a lot of conclusions to draw when you openly admit that you have insufficient measurements and cost estimates.

  7. Re:Irreversible? by Solandri · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I have a slightly different take on it. Using absolutes like "irreversible" or "unavoidable" is dangerous is because it decreases public support for what you're trying to accomplish. People will think, "well if we can't do anything about it, then I guess there's nothing left to do but live it up in the time we have left."