Quote:
Originally Posted by avandonk
If all the current known fossil fuel reserves were burnt at the current increasing rates we would have a planet that was uninhabitable. We have about ten years before the tipping points of our climate occur.
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It think the consensus in the scientific community is that we can burn no more than 20 to 25% of current known reserves before the feedback loops become stronger climate levers than our own activities. It might even be less.
I have zero confidence that we will avoid that outcome.
Incidentally, here's a bit of an hypothetical question.
If we as a species look set to deplete one planet's worth of resources in the time elapsed since the industrial revolution, would it not stand to reason that any given species with similar social and mental attributes would act in a similar way? Now consider the real possibility that we are not the first species to leave our planet, and consider we will no doubt do so again in search of resources (assuming we survive that long) It follows then that any existing advanced species we might potentially overlap territorially would regard us with some degree of hostility. It would be a natural response for them to sabotage our development to the extent that we could never challenge them.
Would there be a more efficient method of doing this than directing us down the path of self destruction at our own hand?