Tag Archives: climate change

Climate Change dominates news coverage at expense of other equally important existential issues

Posted on November 17, 2020 by

Preface. I’ve noticed that in the half dozen science magazines and several newspapers I get practically the only environmental stories are about climate change. Yet there are 8 other ecological boundaries (Rockström 2009) we must not cross (shown in bold … Continue reading →

Posted in Acidification, Biodiversity Loss, BioInvasion, Climate Change, Critical Thinking, Peak Oil, Planetary Boundaries | Tagged , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Methane apocalypse? Not likely.

Posted on July 24, 2020 by

Preface. The four articles below explain why methane from permafrost or hydrates are not likely to erupt abruptly and send Earth into a hothouse hell.  In addition, here are some posts debunking Guy McPherson who believes the world will end … Continue reading →

Posted in CO2 and Methane, Methane Hydrates | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Human over-consumption causes far more biodiversity loss than climate change

Posted on June 9, 2020 by

Preface.  Human ancestors began reducing biodiversity 4 million years ago, when large carnivores in Africa began disappearing, probably due to our ancestors stealing food predators had caught, starving them to death and eventually driving some of them extinct (Faurby, S., … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, Climate Change, Extinction | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

World’s Oceans are losing Oxygen rapidly

Posted on May 25, 2020 by

Preface. Yikes, add deoxygenization to your list of worries. Oxygen levels in the world’s oceans declined by roughly 2% from 1960 and 2010. The decline was largely due to climate change, though other human activities such as nutrient runoff from … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Climate Change, Extinction, Mass Extinction | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change

Posted on May 22, 2020 by

Preface. This is a summary of the National Research Council 2013 study of abrupt changes of climate change. Related: 2019-12-6. Research reveals past rapid Antarctic ice loss due to ocean warming.  “…the sensitive West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapsed during a … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change | Tagged | 1 Comment

Nuclear waste will last a lot longer than climate change

Posted on May 19, 2020 by

Preface.   One of the most tragic aspects of peak oil is that it is very unlikely once energy descent begins that oil will be expended to clean up our nuclear mess.  Or before descent either.  Anyone who survives peak fossil … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Nuclear Waste | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Fall of Akkadian empire due to climate change

Posted on April 20, 2020 by

Preface. Any civilization or region that survives energy decline must then survive climate change for many centuries. As far as the wind systems that collapsed the Akkadian empire, it’s already happening: “Greenhouse gases are increasingly disrupting the jet stream, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Historically | Tagged , | Comments Off on Fall of Akkadian empire due to climate change

A conveyor belt of ocean water that loops the planet and regulates global temperatures could be heading for a tipping point

Posted on March 14, 2020 by

Preface. The conveyor belt (AMOC: Atlantic meridional overturning circulatin) may be slowing down. If it stops, floods, increased sea level rise, and disturbed weather systems. The recent IPCC report on climate change in oceans projects that, while the AMOC will … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A conveyor belt of ocean water that loops the planet and regulates global temperatures could be heading for a tipping point

William Rees: Memo from a Climate Crisis Realist: The Choice before Us

Posted on February 4, 2020 by

Preface. I’m going to put Rees’ conclusion of 11 things to do first (rather than the Green New Deal, which can’t possibly work), followed by his arguments for why this needs to be done (if you haven’t read part 1 … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Experts, Experts | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

William E. Rees: Don’t Call Me a Pessimist on Climate Change. I Am a Realist

Posted on February 1, 2020 by

Preface. William E. Rees is professor emeritus of human ecology and ecological economics at the University of British Columbia. He’s one of my favorite ecological writers and has written about energy, limits to growth, sustainability and other ecological topics for … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Experts, Experts | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments