Carbon tax scrapped

[doppler (Rick)]

Originally Posted by Amaranthus

Correction: the recent 'ice ages' (glacial-interglacial cycles) are a Quaternary phenomenon, i.e. the last 2.5 million years. The dinosaurs got knocked off by a bolide strike about 65 million years ago (well, all except from the birds); at the time of the late Cretaceous, Earth was 4-6C warmer than today.

Its only theory about the dinosaur demise, but we would survive with a lot warmer earth? I moved to Qld because I like warmer weather, but its been unseasonably cold this year.

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by doppler

The dinosaurs and rain forests were doing ok for a few millennia before it cooled down too much (the ice age?)

My question is : is climate change life threatening or just an economic inconvenience?

Depends on the extent. There is some "wiggle room" in which some systems and species can adapt but beyond that we get systemic collapse of ecology, change of natural systems like weather cycles, rainfall patterns, growing seasonss. Loss of many, many species. Anything listed as Vulnerable will probably go.

From a human perspective, think about the redistribution of agricultural areas and massive drop in production, unpredictable and violent climate, changed rainfall patterns. etc. On a catastrophic level, the Monsoon may fail completely, ocean level rise will cause flooding of many cities, such as London,, acidification and subsequent collapse of oceanic ecology. Possible changes to ocean currents including the Gulf Stream.

The one that worries me a hell of a lot is the thawing of the permafrost across Siberia. If that happens, Carbon Dioxide wont be the issue, Methane will make that look like a minor blip.

Before the worst of it though will come the human response to shortage of resources, war, disease, famine. History is resplendent with examples.

Unfortunately, the list of possible consequences is long and not well understood but the very possibility of any of this happening should be enough to scare the bejesus out of everyone, Still the num-nuts stick their heads in the sand and say "It just isn't so"...

[Amaranthus (Barry)]

The K-T boundary asteroid/comet crater found in the Yucatan is not a theory, it is an observation. The vast bulk of evidence now points to post-impact climate and atmospheric effects as being responsible for the die-offs.

Some areas on Earth would be tolerable or even pleasant in a 4-6C warmer global climate, provided one could cope with rapidly rising sea levels and more energetic weather events. However, many areas of the world, not so, due to severe web-bulb physiological constraints: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/04/26/0913352107

[wulfgar]

Originally Posted by doppler

Its only theory about the dinosaur demise, but we would survive with a lot warmer earth? I moved to Qld because I like warmer weather, but its been unseasonably cold this year.

Certainly, we would survive on a warmer Earth. Plass predicted we would hit CO2 at 560 ppmv in 2080 AD which looks rather likely. Arrhenius assumed that level of CO2 would prevent the occurrence of another Ice Age. The exact nature of the climate consequences remain speculations.
However once we reach 800 ppmv we are facing the extinction of Man and most mammal species. You have plans that could deal with that one?

[Amaranthus (Barry)]

I don't think it's credible to say 800 ppm equates to extinction of humanity, but that level of GHG forcing would cause major climatic disruptions, over a century-to-millennial time-scape, compared to the Holocene climate, and would thus require substantial technologically driven adaptation, and likely result is a lot of extinctions due to synergies with land-use change, etc.

[doppler (Rick)]

If you guys are correct this is more serious than most realize. Once the underdeveloped countries catch up with us, I think we will all be stuffed.

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by doppler

If you guys are correct this is more serious than most realize. Once the underdeveloped countries catch up with us, I think we will all be stuffed.

Catch up? You mean economically? Sorry, NOT GONNA HAPPEN! More likely, We will head South.

[colinmlegg (Colin)]

Originally Posted by doppler

If you guys are correct this is more serious than most realize. Once the underdeveloped countries catch up with us, I think we will all be stuffed.

Yes. Here's a study of the possible consequences of 'burning all the fossil fuels'

http://mahb.stanford.edu/library-ite...-fossil-fuels/

[wulfgar]

Originally Posted by Amaranthus

I don't think it's credible to say 800 ppm equates to extinction of humanity, but that level of GHG forcing would cause major climatic disruptions, over a century-to-millennial time-scape, compared to the Holocene climate, and would thus require substantial technologically driven adaptation, and likely result is a lot of extinctions due to synergies with land-use change, etc.

What species are you? I'm a mammal, healthy air for me ends at CO2 800 ppmv. At that point advanced mammals begin to suffer acidosis of the blood as a chronic condition. This leads enviable births, birth defects and an increase in chronic diseases. 800 ppmv may not be extinction itself but it wouldn't take much more to lead to extinction.

If you're so fired up on this CO2 business, then how come you're oblivious to this?

CO2 is a waste product for animals, once the ability to expel it is compromised the end is nigh!

It depends on the species, primitive mammals, avians and reptiles can tolerate higher levels. However a level like 5000 ppmv would see the extinction of most animal forms beyond single cell.

[doppler (Rick)]

Like I said we are stuffed, the rest of the world will do whatever it wants, we have to do what is best for us and our family. I am close to retirement we will buy a property (self sufficient acreage) its just a matter of northern or southern Aust.

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by doppler

Like I said we are stuffed, the rest of the world will do whatever it wants, we have to do what is best for us and our family. I am close to retirement we will buy a property (self sufficient acreage) its just a matter of northern or southern Aust.

By all means head NORTH. Tasmania is a horrible, backward place. Bogans and Liberals everywhere and trees, Damn trees, no money in them....

[doppler (Rick)]

Originally Posted by el_draco

By all means head NORTH. Tasmania is a horrible, backward place. Bogans and Liberals everywhere and trees, Damn trees, no money in them....

You are just trying to keep us away from tassie ha ha but with a a bit of global warming up it might be a nice place.

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by doppler

You are just trying to keep us away from tassie ha ha but with a a bit of global warming up it might be a nice place.

Not if Little Willy Hodgman has his way... and remember Herr Abetz, You'll have to listen to him whining about how AGW is a Greenie conspiracy!!

Besides, Mackay? You're almost as North as you can get. Why travel so far to get South? Waste of fuel!

[doppler (Rick)]

Hey I am a greenie from way back (before it was a political party) Tassie is nice , I have family there , its just a matter of predicting the future and picking the place to migrate to.

[Astro_Bot]

Originally Posted by doppler

... its just a matter of predicting the future and picking the place to migrate to.

Mars?

[doppler (Rick)]

Originally Posted by Astro_Bot

Mars?

Na too much red sand like WA , that red dust gets in everything.

[doppler (Rick)]

Originally Posted by Astro_Bot

Mars?

Some will survive

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by doppler

Hey I am a greenie from way back (before it was a political party) Tassie is nice , I have family there , its just a matter of predicting the future and picking the place to migrate to.

I predict the rest of the world is screwed... Come HOME brother!
Help dig the ditch deeper to keep the mainlanders from boat peopling us to death...

[doppler (Rick)]

[QUOTE=el_draco;1102622]I predict the rest of the world is screwed... Come HOME brother!
Help dig the ditch deeper to keep the mainlanders from boat peopling us to death.

We should be screwing the rest of the world and setting our selves up for the future like they are doing to us

And unfortunately global warming means more cloud cover

[2stroke (Jay)]

Originally Posted by icytailmark

Australia has given up on science and given up on this planet. Science is crap according to tony abbott. Im glad im never having kids.

This video clip is appropriate for today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9c1QYx9ris

Have you herd about the economy? If you had any idea what it was about besides making UN-educated assumptions you would see its not about gas emissions but rather pure economics. By the way whats our emissions vs china vs the USA?