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Climatologists: By 2100, the Earth Will Have an Entirely Different Ocean

merbs writes: The ocean is in the midst of radical, manmade change. It can seem kind of crazy that one of the most immense properties on Earth—the ocean washes over 71 percent of the planet—could be completely transformed by a swarm of comparatively tiny, fleshy mammals. But humans are indeed remaking the ocean, in almost every conceivable way. The ocean we know today—that billions swim, fish, float, and surf in—that vast planetary body of water will be of an entirely different character by the end of the century: hotter, higher, trashier, and more acidic.

12 of 417 comments (clear)

  1. This sounds more like ... by ScentCone · · Score: 5, Funny

    hotter, higher, trashier

    Are we sure they're not making predictions about the next generation of Kardashians? They're definitely anthropogenic. Maybe we could bury them under millions of black plastic balls .

    --
    Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
  2. The oceans have radically changed before ... by perpenso · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It can seem kind of crazy that one of the most immense properties on Earth—the ocean washes over 71 percent of the planet—could be completely transformed by a swarm of comparatively tiny, fleshy mammals.

    Why? The oceans have radically changed before due to the actions of microbes. It may have taken them longer but the change were even more dramatic.

    There is no "normal" earth atmosphere, no "normal" earth ocean. To humans there is merely the incarnation of the atmosphere and ocean that we evolved in, that is good for us and the other creatures and plants that evolved "contemporaneously" to us.

  3. Re:Don't worry! by MightyMartian · · Score: 5, Informative

    The oceans are already measurably warmer and more acidic, you fucking idiot.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  4. Slashdot Paradox by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Slashdot is normally science-aligned. But I am surprised at how Slashdotters suddenly seem to become something akin to flat-earthers when it comes to *scientific consensus* on climate change. I don't recall this community always being like this.

    1. Re:Slashdot Paradox by jcupitt65 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm a working scientist, I read the climategate emails, they are completely ordinary, there's nothing to see. A few out of context quotes appeared in the press and gave bad impression, that's all it was.

    2. Re:Slashdot Paradox by KeensMustard · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Thirdly, go re-read the Climategate emails.

      In the 1990's climate deniers told us that the climate wasn't warming.

      They were wrong.

      Then they told us the warming was because of the sun.

      They were wrong.

      Then they told us the warming was due to gravitational lensing.

      They were wrong.

      Then they told us the warming was due to- hey look over there! It's a vast green conspiracy!

      They were wrong. Or lying.

      Then they told us that there was no warming, sorry, we were wrong before when we said there was warming, but here's a single word in an email we heard about that proves the data was manipulated - no! don't look at the data! no!

      They were lying

      Then they told us the slight dip in the rate of warming was magically a reset of the warming and that this disproved the laws of thermodynamics and model mumble mumble magic happens! Unicorns and Fairies!

      They were wrong or lying.

      I tell you this in case you feel like comparing your credibility with the credibility of the science again.

    3. Re:Slashdot Paradox by argStyopa · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's called Crying Wolf effect.

      We've now had 20 years of hyperbolic, ridiculous claims from the AGW advocates, none of which has actually come to pass.

      There have been histrionic predictions about disappearing glaciers, extinct polar bears, 50cm+ rising seas, 50 million climate refugees, catastrophic hurricane seasons, ice-free arctic, all which should have come to pass by now. We've had spurious statistics, cooked data, 'smoothing', manufactured data, bent hockey-sticks, collusive behavior outright mendacity and "dog ate my homework"-level excuses for missing original data. I won't even begin to describe the number of errors in An Inconvenient Truth. Couple that to the near-zealotry exhibited by the faithful, and it's not hard to understand why the moderate middle reacts negatively to the latest FUD.

      I'm not saying that the anti-Global Warming "industry" hasn't been equally egregious in their attack on global warming, but truth isn't determined by whoever shouts the loudest. If you have a radical assertion, that will require significant proof.

      At a certain point, people stop listening.

      --
      -Styopa
  5. Re:They Lie by serviscope_minor · · Score: 5, Informative

    I don't believe you.

    Then you're an idiot.

    In the 70's it was going to be an ice age,

    Nope, never happened. Oooh I see you're confusing journalists in the popular press floundering around with actual science. Do you do that with computer stuff too, or do you only level your skepticism on things you truly don't understand?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    --
    SJW n. One who posts facts.
  6. Re:That's stupid by Gadget_Guy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Man's 3% of emissions seems to matter more than nature's 97%. Anyone who believes the climate change crap is not using their brain.

    When the 97% of nature is in balance, then the 3% of mankind's emissions will be enough to put it out of balance.

    It seems that someone doesn't understand how an equilibrium works. You can use your brain and still be wrong if you don't understand the problem in the first place.

  7. Re:That's stupid by JimSadler · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There is a huge problem. If there is no healthy place for the fish to exist there is no place for them to come back from. One river being polluted can be cured when other waterways exist to restock the river once cleaned up. But what is happening is a holocaust of near 100% efficiency. Before 1492 we had unimaginable fish stocks in the N. Atlantic. Now we have far less than 1% of what we had back then.

  8. Re:That's stupid by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've heard this argument before. Basically it goes like this: If the Christians are wrong, then no big deal, but if they're right, then we're all in trouble unless we believe in Jesus.

  9. All Species have Already Survived Climate Change by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If science is correct and climate change is real and is being caused by humans, then doing something about it means everybody gets to live. If the climate change deniers are wrong, then everything dies.

    Sorry but while I absolutely agree that we should take climate change seriously and do what we can to minimize the effect what you say is clearly not even vaguely correct. The Earth has been through natural climate change cycles in the past and all the species now on the planet have survived such changes.

    What none of these dire predictions seem to take into account is that climate change should open up new areas where plants, coral reefs etc. can grow. 10,000 years ago the planet was in the grip of an ice age. Much of northern Europe and North America was underneath a giant ice sheet which melted. As the climate warmed the regions favourable for plants moved and species started growing in different areas as the climate changed. The problem with man-made climate change is that it might happen a lot faster than most natural change (except for volcanic eruptions, meteor strikes etc. which are even faster). Life has survived all of these disasters and it will survive man-made climate change as will we (unless we do something really stupid like start a nuclear war) but it might be very unpleasant.

    What I would love to see is some sort of balanced, objective look at climate change. Hyped up articles like this that are clearly interested in pushing one point of view regardless of evidence convince nobody and risk a "boy who cried wolf" effect where people will ignore real warnings of problems due to climate change.