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livingwagenow

(373 posts)
Wed Jul 31, 2013, 02:14 PM Jul 2013

Hastening glacial melt..



That 'waterfall' scared the bejesus right out of me.

When glacial melt water pools on top of glaciers, eventually that water will find its way through cracks in the glacier that lead to growing holes in the glacier that leads to the glacier weakening, breaking off, and floating away to melt faster, which continues to cause sea rise etc..

If the worlds glaciers melt, its game over for all life in the northern hemisphere and perhaps all life on earth.
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jimlup

(8,008 posts)
1. Life on the planet will survive glacial melt but...
Wed Jul 31, 2013, 02:47 PM
Jul 2013

It will be dramatically and forever changed. And the effect on human civilization is certainly yet to be determined.

When I was young I used to think that people would all basically freak out and make dramatic changes when it became obvious that CO2 induced warming was really taking place. Now I realize that that view was quite naive. Still I have a hard time accepting the level of obfuscation that is perpetrated by the fossil carbon exploiters interests'.

 

Civilization2

(649 posts)
4. Life in some form sure,. but HUMAN LIFE will grow more and more precarious, and much uglier.
Wed Jul 31, 2013, 07:58 PM
Jul 2013

We are rather needy creatures, and require loads and loads of resources,. without massive shifts from the corporate-military profit motive based systems,. to low impact, sustainable, and even remediation to stabilize the biosphere, humanity is in a bad way.

We really need to be using the remaining perto-resources to build sustainable systems that will make life possible/livable for future generations, or major systems collapses and massive human die-back are the inevitable outcomes.

I don't see the situation as bleak, so much could be done, degrowth, permaculture, etc. however, I do see the lack of actual movement by the major players to be beyond bleak, as time is simply running out, with the last of the petro-fuels and other resources.

jimlup

(8,008 posts)
5. Yes I absolutely agree
Wed Jul 31, 2013, 08:05 PM
Jul 2013

and as our numbers rise the probability of a great human dying becomes more and more likely. Climate change will make this significantly more likely. Not an extinction event I think but it will be well beyond anything our species has ever experienced.

Maybe if we can build a planetary awareness then we could find a sustainable solution and adapt and change enough to support the currently large and exponentially growing human population. I'm unfortunately very skeptical that we will be able to maintain our current state and certainly not without a dramatic awakening that recognizes our precarious situation.

 

Civilization2

(649 posts)
6. Planetary awareness is mandatory for forward movement, the internets should connect all people,.
Wed Jul 31, 2013, 08:57 PM
Jul 2013

and even the biosphere and many systems of the planet as well. We need to know what is happening halfway around the world, as it is important to us too, since this is one world and we are all connected.

The sustainable solutions already exist, we only need to stop the greedy from controlling the resources as they now do. The 1% run the show currently, and the people allow themselves to be deceived, divided, and controlled by the few.

A wave of mass extinction is underway, and we are causing it. If we do not modify our behavior, inevitably we will topple the balance and undermine our own existence. Human dieback is the outcome in this scenario. Extinction is a very real possibility for us humans, if we continue to damage the web of life that gave rise to our existence and sustains it.

Sadly, many folks have convinced themselves that we exist outside, or even above, the natural order. Some have 'faith' that an invisible-man-in-the-sky will whisk them away in his light, or some such makebelieve. Reality is that we are silly hairless monkeys who have great potential to do amazing things, however we must learn that in this universe consequences always rise from every action. Faith is the willful denial of reality, and it is a dangerous tool, used by the greedy few to manipulate and control the many. If we can not move past childhood fantasies, and deal with the greedy 1% that are destroying the planet for short-sighted gain, then we will get what we deserve.

Ezlivin

(8,153 posts)
3. As long as the TV is on and the mall is open...
Wed Jul 31, 2013, 05:09 PM
Jul 2013

...most Americans will live their lives as if this is not happening.

Great clip. The scenery is beautiful; too bad it's a harbinger of a difficult future.

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