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TakoBell22 t1_j8tavaf wrote

Hi, thanks for doing this! I have a couple of questions. :)

  1. What prompted you to study these topics in particular, and how do the conclusions you draw assist in combatting climate change in the present day?

  2. Would you say your research has made you more pessimistic or optimistic about the ways in which governments/international organisations tackle climate change? Are we doing enough, and if not, what is our biggest drawback in this endeavour?

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mit_catastrophe OP t1_j8tedrd wrote

Thanks for your questions!

  1. A large part of the answer is curiosity. We were aware of the great disruptions of the geologic past and wondered whether a quantitative theory could be devised that helped us relate past disruptions to modern environmental change. Of course were were also motivated by the practical importance of the question. But curiosity came first. Perhaps the most important consequence of our conclusions is that they’ve provided a new impetus to study the past, not just because it helps us understand how the Earth came to its pre-industrial state, but also because it helps us understand the risk of disturbing it.

  2. Most fundamentally, the experience has led to a deeper respect for and interest in the people doing this important work!

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