The End Of The World? – Part 1: Stopping Global Warming Is Impossible. Our species is in serious jeopardy
Presenter: John Pope
January, 2017
In case you missed it – planet Earth is dying. Our Earth is dying even faster than scientists had predicted it would.
Anthropogenic Climate Disruption (ACD) is accelerating. Environmental feedback loops are causing major disruptions in eons-old weather patterns causing catastrophic weather affecting the disruption of food production, the availability of potable water, species extinctions, sea level rise, major storms, droughts, floods, El Ninos, and also causing massive human (and animal) migrations, and economic chaos.
The news couldn’t be much worse.
Remember, we Humanists have affirmed that we Human beings are completely part of nature, and that our survival is dependent upon a healthy planet which provides us with a life supporting environment (VSHA Principle xii).
If we know this to be true, then for us, serious long-term environmental issues are far more important than short-term economic considerations.
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Below are just a few of the more recent articles which should scare everyone on the planet (and maybe scare them off the planet too!).
Methane emissions: http://www.reading.ac.uk/news-and-events/releases/PR708476.aspx
The year 2016 has been the hottest year on record globally: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/2016-is-hottest-year-on-record-for-singapore-and-the-world
Scientists have discovered the world’s largest tropical peatland in the remote Congo swamps, estimated to store the equivalent of three year’s worth of the world’s total fossil fuel emissions: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jan/11/worlds-largest-peatland-vast-carbon-storage-capacity-found-congo (This was presented as exciting news in economic and financial circles.)
A new independently produced study confirms that the planet and the sea surfaces is indeed warming. There are serious consequences for the planet.
Scholarly articles on the effects of climate change on forests, mountain glaciers, global food production, marine life, endangered species, human health, etc. (Google selected): https://scholar.google.ca/scholar?q=climate+change+effects&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjM2M3AtMLRAhUIzWMKHT0OBoMQgQMIPTAA
Environmental protection as a policy issue remains less certain than many environmentalists (and Humanists) would hope: http://mironline.ca/world-rings-new-year-uncertainty-environment/
Questions
Is there any reason to doubt what the vast majority of the world’s scientists are saying about our environment and our future?
What will our planet’s ecosystems look like in 2100?
How will future generations view today’s climate change deniers?
Why do some people find it difficult to empathize with the environmental health of future generations?
Will technology save us from the devastation brought by climate change?
Will the Trump Administration make things worse?
Where is the good news? (I hope someone comes forward to present Part 2 – “The Good News”, at a later Cafe!)