Planet Earth: 2108

[Slytovhand]

Hey gang.

I'm not going to look over the 14 pages or so to see if this topic has come up before, so I'll just start a new one here.

Given all the information and reports regarding climate change etc, what do ppl think it will be like 100 years from now.

Especially bear in mind that climate experts are talking about massive changes if our CO2 emissions don't drop dramatically within 20 years (or less), and the reality that it isn't going to happen cos governments, business and humanity just don't really give a damn - cos that's 20 years away....

(or, any other factors you think are significant... I'm just throwing up one angle).

[Sylvia727]

The Zombie Apocalypse will render all concerns about the environment down to "I hope this tree is strong enough to block the cave entrance." :p

I have a great grandmother who just turned 95 years old. I happily anticipate being even more befuddled by then-contemporary society when/if I am that age, as she is by modern society. She was seven years old when the Nineteenth Amendment passed...which means for the first seven years of her life, she knew her opinions weren't worth pigspit. She grew up and became a teacher...and lied about her marriage, because a wife was legally not allowed to teach. Might expose the little kiddies to pregnancy, y'know. It still boggles my mind. And she cracks me up every time she sees someone's navel. I get to hear about the immorality of modern society for the next hour. My mom put her on a webcam to talk to me, and she spent the whole time trying to figure out how it worked, and how I got my end to work.

I hope that society improves everything that rapidly in the next hundred years. I hope my great-grandchildren will stare at me in confusion and say "You mean certain demographics just didn't have the same opportunities as others? People actually treated other people differently based on appearances? You had school shootings? You still had car crashes? You still used cash?"

What they'll actually be asking me is, "You mean cigarettes were still legal? You're ancient! You remember the invention of the Instantaneous Rejuvenation Treatment? Do you remember dinosaurs, too? Alright, do you remember the Third World War?" :p

[Greenday]

WWIII will have happened by then. Then we'll pretty much be back to the basics. Our technological level will take a step back. Mutally assured destruction for all. We're basically going to blow ourselves up.

[Sylvia727]

I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.

Quoted for truth.

[Machero]

What's to say we haven't already been and done it a few times already?

[crazylegs]

Seeing as we're currently still in an ice age* the temperature will rise, to what extent I don't know. Because of this there will be an extinction event, probably not as severe as the permian but still significant. Think along the lines of penguins, seals and polar bears, arctic foxes and any other animal that lives on the pack ice.

When oil runs out (it will) there will be a huge rush on lithium deposits and andd are capable of generating electricity that is reliable. This will probably cause another war or ten, probably not M.A.D. but still hairy none the less.

Society willl change however there will still be discrimination, hatred and xenophobia.


Other than that I'm done, there are people who were paid vast sums of money and had intellect far in excess of myself and any number of people I know and they didn't have the foggiest as to what society would look like in 30 years, let alone this type of timespan.

*An ice age is defined as any given time when there is solid permenant ice at the poles

[Lace Neil Singer]

I'm hoping for an all over ice age, personally, just to put a spoke in the wheel of the global warming freaks. If global warming was a reality, there would have been, you know, WARM weather over here in summer?

[Bloodsoul]

Heck, we've almost gotten to the point where my future children'll probably be asking, "what are CDs?" :D

[DesignFox]

The current crop are already baffled by film cameras, Bloodsoul.

[Boozy]

I'm hoping for an all over ice age, personally, just to put a spoke in the wheel of the global warming freaks. If global warming was a reality, there would have been, you know, WARM weather over here in summer?

A partial ice age is a possible outcome of climate change. "Global warming" is a term that's been a bit misleading to those who don't have the time or desire to delve into the science of climate change.

It doesn't mean that every summer will be progressively hotter. In fact, the summers in many parts of North America have been cool and rainy due to increased hurricane activity in the Gulf, happening earlier in the year than ever before. This kind of hurricane activity has been strongly linked to the increased temperature of the gulf stream - hence the term "warming". The consequences for weather can go either way, depending on many complex variables.

[blas87]

I really don't care. I'll be dead.

Sorry to sound so apathetic and unsympathetic and cruel, but I really don't care. It's not going to be my problem. And I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings and brings you to tears.

[Sylvia727]

What's the quote? We need to think about how our actions will affect the next seven generations? That's 100-150 years into the future. I'd like to think the future will be a better place for my five-greats grandchildren. Even if I never procreate, I feel parentally responsible for the children of the next century.

If I do my best for society, I'll die content with myself, even if overall society goes down in a freefall.

[Lace Neil Singer]

It doesn't mean that every summer will be progressively hotter.

I never said it would. Just that if the people who bleat about global warming were right, then the English summer weather would improve. The climate over here has always been like this; and summer has always been a bit hit and miss as far as weather is concerned. What annoys me are all the people who say, "It never used to be this way," as if they're suffering from false memory syndrome. I can remember going on holiday quite a few times and it raining every day. The weather hasn't suddenly gone bad; it's always been this way.

In any case, the Earth goes thru cycles; it's incredibly arrogant to assume that a mere 200 years of pollution can affect it in any way. Bottom line is; we don't have the power to destroy the Earth, or save it. But, we do have the power to destroy the human race... or save it.

[Slytovhand]

it's incredibly arrogant to assume that a mere 200 years of pollution can affect it in any way

I'm not sure if you meant that in an absolute sense, or only relative, but...

Yes, there is decent evidence to say that the amount of polution that humas have put into the atmosphere in the last couple of centuries has affected the earth's climate.

CO2 is a naturally occuring chemical. So, too, are most of the other gases and bits we put into the atmosphere...

It just hasn't been happening 'naturally' to this extent in the near past (near, as in couple of million years or so...)

Don't get me wrong - I loathe the whole "OMG, humans are destroying the earth, and it'll never recover" crap (after all - it has numerous times before). But certainly our actions have affected the surface of this planet...

Slyt

[Lace Neil Singer]

But to our own detriment, rather than to destroying the Earth so nothing can ever grow on it again. True, we may destroy the human race, but life will go on after that.

Dammit, it's just so hard to debate seriously with the Duran Duran song running thru my head... X_x

[ebonyknight]

I really don't care. I'll be dead.

Sorry to sound so apathetic and unsympathetic and cruel, but I really don't care. It's not going to be my problem. And I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings and brings you to tears.

QFT

And I thought I was the only sociopath here. ;)

[Seshat]

I never said it would. Just that if the people who bleat about global warming were right, then the English summer weather would improve.

Actually, if the oceanic and atmospheric currents are disrupted enough, English summer weather is likely to get colder - you get warmer weather than others at your latitude because of oceanic and atmospheric currents.


I agree with both "life as we know it is likely to change because of what we've been doing" and "geez, we're not going to destroy all life on earth".

Life is an amazing thing. Suboceanic volcanic vents foster life. Lichens subsist on arctic rocks. Humans, for all we do achieve, aren't going to be able to destroy all life on earth. I think.

But we can mess up the planet enough to destroy ourselves and others who need to live in narrow band of living conditions we find congenial.

[protege]

Life is an amazing thing. Suboceanic volcanic vents foster life. Lichens subsist on arctic rocks. Humans, for all we do achieve, aren't going to be able to destroy all life on earth. I think.

I second that. I was in Centralia, PA over the weekend. For those who don't know, Centralia is the home of a mine fire. Started accidentally in 1962, it's been burning since then. Eventually, the fire came underneath the town, releasing dangerous gases into homes, businesses, and other buildings. As if that wasn't enough, part of Route 61 actually subsided because of the fire. Even now, 46 years later, you can see smoke curling out of the cracks in 61, as well as around the graves in the cemeteries.

Even with the huge amount of carbon monoxide and sulfur released, it still hasn't prevented the town from slowly being reclaimed by nature. It's a bit odd to see streets intersecting in what appears to be a meadow. Route 61 isn't immune from this either--there are trees growing out of the middle of the highway, and both edges are slowly disappearing into the fauna.

I have a feeling that no matter what happens, nature (humans included) will adapt to the changes.

[otakuneko]

The History Channel had a show called "After People" which hypothesized about what would happen (to our buildings, our infrastructure, even our pets) if humans suddenly vanished.

Cats ruled the world. :cool:

They talked about and showed a couple places where humans had been suddenly evacuated, but they didn't mention Centralia at all.

Edit: Whoah, hey, my posts are finally showing up without going to that "mod approval needed" screen...

[Slytovhand]

The BBC did a show called 'Red Dwarf' which included a species evolved over millions of years from the domestic cat.....


oh... sorry :p

[kamn]

I have to agree, humans will adapt. Nature will adapt. Earth will adapt. Most of these "omg warmingz!" people forget, the earth has had times where it was MUCH hotter and VERY MUCH colder than the temperatures we have today. And although we do affect it, we do not affect it as much as some (would) want (us) to believe. We are NOT the center of the universe. We know this, now we have to act like it.



Seriously, cats? Id think rats myself...

[AFPheonix]

It won't do it without a significant loss of life or species shift, though. I think that's what most people who talk about it are concerned with.

Furthermore, while it affects those of us who get the benefit of living in 1st world countries, chances are we'll be able to weather it better than those who lived more exposed lives simply by being in poverty. That concerns me as well, especially since it really isn't their actions that are bringing this about, but they will probably pay a larger price in lives lost through various natural disasters, disease states, and hunger.

[wanderingjoe72]

Global warming? Ha ha. It is the flavor of the week. A fad cause that I hope will die out soon. Then hopefully we'll never have to hear about it again (until another politican figures out they can use it to advance their career).

I remember a time when global cooling was the big menace. Haven't seen a "new ice age" yet. So for any green law that affects me directly, I will celebrate it by cutting down tree and burning a tire.

As far as 2108, same shit different technology.