4 hottest days ever observed raise fears of a planet nearing ‘tipping points’
4 hottest days ever observed raise fears of a planet nearing ‘tipping points’
Since last July, Earth’s average temperature has been at least 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels.
As global temperatures spiked to their highest levels in recorded history on Monday, ambulances were screaming through the streets of Tokyo, carrying scores of people who had collapsed amid an unrelenting heat wave. A monster typhoonwas emerging from the scorching waters of the Pacific Ocean, which were several degrees warmer than normal. Thousands of vacationers fled the idyllic mountain town of Jasper, Canada ahead of a fast-moving wall of wildfire flames.
By the end of the week — which saw the four hottest days ever observed by scientists — dozens had been killed in the raging floodwaters and massive mudslides triggered by Typhoon Gaemi. Half of Jasper was reduced to ash. And about 3.6 billion people around the planet had endured temperatures that would have been exceedingly rare in a world without burning fossil fuels and other human activities, according to an analysis by scientists at the group Climate Central.
These extraordinary global temperatures marked the culmination of an unprecedented global hot streak that has stunned even researchers who spent their whole careers studying climate change.
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Nearing?
We may not have reached a tipping point scientifically, but sociologically we're long past it. No one seems to be concerned. I see all my friends still pumping out kids and I'm like "you'll be lucky if this child makes it to adulthood". The climate in the last 5 years is just changing at an unbelievable pace. Large portions of the world will be completely uninhabitable in like 10-20 years. Resources will be scarce. Mad Max is coming.
People simply can't/won't hear it. Society is clinging to any doubt or contrary viewpoint (and oil companies and their paid shills provide plenty) because it is difficult to envision the delicate and finite nature of our situation. Triggered methane releases are currently ratcheting up the warming, you can't refreeze the permafrost, it rapidly cooks the planet.
No one wants to believe it, but this is the end unless dramatic changes are made. Having children, at this juncture, with what we know, is profoundly selfish. And folks cannot accept this, let alone, the changes that must be made, systemically, for society to survive.
Having children, at this juncture, with what we know, is profoundly selfish
Not just having children, but raising them to continue the same "driving huge SUV everywhere" costco lifestyle that got us into this mess
This is all a red herring. Our SUV’s, stupid as they may be, are statistically barely relevant compared to effects of corporate greed and pollution on the rest of us. Point the blame where it belongs: at the ruling class for having the knowledge and means to have avoided all of this, but chose not to.
You always see this opinion on reddit and lemmy that corporate greed is the root of all evil in a vacuum.
It feels good cause it removes any guilt from the individual, but at the end of the day corporation provides good and service to the society. If people stopped using AI, eating meat, wanting SUV etc, corporation would turn to others products.
If people stopped using AI, eating meat, wanting SUV etc, corporation would turn to others products.
The corporations would probably bribe the government to subsidize AI, meat (more than they already are), and SUV manufacturers.
That is only the illusion of choice. If tomorrow I went full off the grid and before I left I told everyone to do the same, nothing would happen. Nothing would change. The lever pullers have the power to force change and they refuse to. One person can be conscious enough to speak out and they have (see Greta) but with individuals who have no choice but to participate for survival they are not the problem.
In case of politicians, they represent the interest of the people, as the people elects them. If suddenly everyone went off grid to force change they would feel more inclined to make changes in this direction.
Of course they would lag a bit behind so you would see it immediately but they notice the trends.
If suddenly the issue that would sway swing state was climate change (because everyone suddenly show they care in their consumption habits), every politician would promise greener policies.
I agree that this choice implies that one is free to take the greener products, while in reality only the richest are free to choose.
I'm telling you we have made our interests clear. Short of everyone waking up tomorrow ready to change their entire life style there isn't anything else the individual can do. We are speaking out. We are limiting our consumption. We are asking for green policies. The climate won't wait for unification. In order for individuals to act as one they need catalyst and if climate change is already here then it's already too late.
Danish right-wingers calls childless people "unpatriotic" because we will not have anyone to take care of us when we're old. Hahaha, I'll have the last laugh when people realise the world has gone to shit.
Hey! Do you have any data on which areas might become uninhabitable in which scenarios and timeframes?
In the US, heat waves and hurricanes are hitting the south worse every year. The west is on fire and out of water. New York City is flooding more every year.
Move to Minnesota.
One of the things that's happened in models is forest fires so extensive we essentially burn away the entirety of our large forests. And now we're having large out of control forest fires every year instead of every 5-10 years. I'm just going to get in a time machine at this point.
The low areas around the equator are experiencing more days every year with periods of temperature above human survivability. This means temperatures are too high for our natural evaporative cooling to work. Countries in the area do have some work arounds which is why we haven't seen large scale deaths from these heat waves yet. Also AFAIK, these temperatures have only lasted a few hours at a time so far and over heating takes time.
As we go on like this though these periods will happen more often and last for longer, likely overwhelming the ability to compensate. It will also spread outside regions with such cooling infrastructure if we keep pushing it.
This is where we're expecting at least a billion people to pick up and move, and we're not entirely sure when that would happen. It depends on where the breakpoint is in the climate, and how tolerant the locals are of heat wave deaths.
No because they are fear mongering
I don't. But look at all the people dying from heatstroke and the like at alarming rates all over the world. Look at historic high and low temperatures in the last few years. You just won't be able to go outside for more than a few minutes. Certainly won't be able to exercise outdoors.
I'm trying to move somewhere colder. Colorado maybe.
Pacific Northwest Babeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Heat waves, heat bubbles, wildfires, shifting seasons ...
Don’t forget the fault lines
And the volcano!
No no no no no….. it’s terrible here. No one wants to live in the PNW. Rains ALL the time. Especially in the summer. And it’s COLD!
Oh shit! I mean yeah! It's awful! Don't move here.
There ya go.
This isnt going to work though when the PNW is the only inhabitable place on this planet left that has infrastructure though
Not for long
It amazes me how long the messaging is muted. Permafrost started releasing methane in the twenty teens and folks still seem to think we will keep it below 1.5 or even 2 if we stop emitting.
Climate scientists straight up said they don't want to talk about the higher temperature cases because they think people will just zone out.
In other words the bulk of us are not expected to survive that scenario.
So in true human fashion we're going to work like we're limiting it at 2 degrees "because it has to stop there."
Maybe from the other side?
That would imply things getting better
