Submitted by strangeattractors t3_zr8n6f in Futurology
WalterWoodiaz t1_j12cqtu wrote
Reply to comment by Logalicious in Greenland's glaciers are melting 100 times faster than estimated by strangeattractors
I wouldn’t say fucked. Sea level rise is bad but definitely not a civilization ending disaster. The worst thing about it is that the people who will be most affected are in developing countries that cannot prepare for it
reddolfo t1_j12u4rt wrote
It's not sea level rise, it's the destruction of critical ocean currents, acidity changes, etc. The loss of these threaten the ocean's plankton, responsible for up to 80% of the planet's oxygen, as well as the foundation of the planet's food chain.
Containedmultitudes t1_j146kdg wrote
> ocean currents
Including the Gulf Stream, which is what makes most of Western Europe habitable.
lostindarkdays t1_j15cphv wrote
eh, Europe schmeurope. that David statute guy doesn't do it for me, anyway. too skinny.
Yeuph t1_j13hrao wrote
Fortunately as more CO2 is dissolved into the ocean making it more acidic we have these huge glaciers that can keep melting forever injecting non-acidic water to balance things out.
Yay.
NLwino t1_j13kjlw wrote
Combine that with the fact that we can counter global warming with nuclear winter, we really have nothing to worry about. All is fine, carry on.
Z3r0sama2017 t1_j13quhx wrote
Yep. Same way starvation is easy to counter by eating people, two birds with one stone
CO420Tech t1_j14w7nr wrote
Now I need to go listen to Eat All the Old People
[deleted] t1_j13nflb wrote
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Gemini884 t1_j14hnw6 wrote
Information on marine biomass decline from recent ipcc report: "Global models also project a loss in marine biomass (the total weight of all animal and plant life in the ocean) of around -6% (±4%) under SSP1-2.6 by 2080-99, relative to 1995-2014. Under SSP5-8.5, this rises to a -16% (±9%) decline. In both cases, there is “significant regional variation” in both the magnitude of the change and the associated uncertainties, the report says." phytoplankton in particular is projected to decline by ~10% in worst-case emissions scenario.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-01173-9/figures/3
[deleted] t1_j13wmps wrote
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rixtil41 t1_j15cmkp wrote
There is enough air to last us a few hundred years so not that big of a deal if the air we breathe stoped being naturally recycled right now.
Financial_Exercise88 t1_j1d56fh wrote
Are you sure? Do you know what hemoglobin is and how it works?
rixtil41 t1_j1egecv wrote
So although I don't know the exact ways to on how this would work in every detail my point is that it's not impossible to survive and that any attempt at survival is doomed to fail even if only a small percentage of humanity was left.
Financial_Exercise88 t1_j1fmyjj wrote
All humanity relies on a precise balance between O2 and CO2 in ambient air. Hemoglobin binds CO2 100x more than O2; it only works as an O2 delivery system because there's a hyper-abundance of O2 (declining currently, FYI). Genetic engineering or O2 supplementation mechanisms require extensive supply chains that won't exist if only a few survive.
And if we (humanity) survive but we (you & I) don't then the former matters little.
rixtil41 t1_j1g8wnr wrote
But what about the future where genetic engineering requires less and does not rely on a large number of people? Unless you think humanity will die off before that becomes a reality.
Financial_Exercise88 t1_j1hd2ce wrote
Can AI come up with an alternative to Hb that we can genetically engineer babies to have before the imbalance ambient air is lethal? Probably. But no one is working on it. It will probably affect behavior & intelligence in imperceptible ways long before humans see it as an issue worth pursuing. And then we depend on animals... we're going to replace the whole ecosystem with genetically engineered variants that can thrive in higher CO2/lower O2 environment (are we going to also change our dependence on the Krebs cycle which needs O2) ? No, I don't believe that is realistic. Supply chains will be long gone, humanity too, before then. Or, we could just tax the f out of fossil fuels. No. Brainer.
xXSpaceturdXx t1_j12x9l1 wrote
It’s the domino effect that is the problem. With the melting ice caps, poison rainwater, Global warming, waters going barren of life. it’s all downhill from here. they’re starting to backtrack but not fast enough. We can’t turn the clocks back on the damage that’s been done.
Friday_Night_Pizza t1_j13tm8z wrote
Don't forget mass migrations due to flooding and unlivable conditions, massive blows to food & water security/stability. Oh boi!
Gemini884 t1_j14i1mv wrote
>waters going barren of life
Information on marine biomass decline from recent ipcc report: "Global models also project a loss in marine biomass (the total weight of all animal and plant life in the ocean) of around -6% (±4%) under SSP1-2.6 by 2080-99, relative to 1995-2014. Under SSP5-8.5, this rises to a -16% (±9%) decline. In both cases, there is “significant regional variation” in both the magnitude of the change and the associated uncertainties, the report says." phytoplankton in particular is projected to decline by ~10% in worst-case emissions scenario.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-01173-9/figures/3
Huntred t1_j12f0ck wrote
Yes, people in developing counties will have a hard time preparing, but it’s not like Florida is going to be able to build a wall around itself. Some places where the dollar-per-unit of costal protection might be able to afford it (thinking NYC), but other places even in the US will have a harder time practically in the day to day (hard to move ports and what are we going to do about New Orleans?) and looking to the future (mortgage/insurance nightmares.)
COVID showed that the supply chain isn’t very anti-fragile and the climate catastrophe is much more impactful.
Exciting-Pangolin665 t1_j12go5w wrote
Limestone baby we will rise again (florida)
Huntred t1_j12gw1x wrote
Limestone is highly porous and sea-water soluble, so…
EdgarAllanPuss t1_j12j28d wrote
Back to the drawing board
bathroomheater t1_j12te1c wrote
Back to the drowning board*
Sprinkle_Puff t1_j132w0o wrote
If you draw with a sharpie around the limestone it should protect it
spudzilla t1_j14nz7i wrote
Mar A Lardo underwater? A win for society and our nation's secret papers.
chill633 t1_j15lslp wrote
>"...but it’s not like Florida is going to be able to build a wall around itself."
I now have a new fear -- that Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida reads Reddit. PLEASE don't give him ideas!
johannthegoatman t1_j12t6iy wrote
Seems like developing countries also don't have a ton of expensive infrastructure though, so rebuilding further in is not nearly as difficult
Friday_Night_Pizza t1_j13tidd wrote
At current rates, it's estimated that all the ice melting on earth would take about 4000-5000 years. if that were to ever happen, it represents at 225-250ish foot rise in the sea level. It would change the whole globe dramatically
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