Apocalypse Soon: Has Civilization Passed the Environmental Point of No Return?

[daaron]

X-posted from Good Reads forum: http://www.democraticunderground.com/101632505#post6

The Background:

Scientific American | By Madhusree Mukerjee | May 23, 2012
Click for link to article.

Don't look now but we are running in midair, a new book asserts. In 2052: A Global Forecast for the Next Forty Years (Chelsea Green Publishing), Jorgen Randers of the BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo, and one of the original World3 modelers, argues that the second half of the 21st century will bring us near apocalypse in the form of severe global warming. Dennis Meadows, professor emeritus of systems policy at the University of New Hampshire who headed the original M.I.T. team and revisited World3 in 1994 and 2004, has an even darker view. The 1970s program had yielded a variety of scenarios, in some of which humanity manages to control production and population to live within planetary limits (described as Limits to Growth). Meadows contends that the model's sustainable pathways are no longer within reach because humanity has failed to act accordingly.

Instead, the latest global data are tracking one of the most alarming scenarios, in which these variables increase steadily to reach a peak and then suddenly drop in a process called collapse.

You get the picture:

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My Question:

What ironic times we live in. These scientists are predicting an 'apocalypse' driven in part by climate change - apparently expecting their research to be received as bad news. OTOH the Good News culminates in a biblical Apocalypse preceded by dramatic climate change, but all the biblical literalists (aka fundies) decry climate change as a "hoax" and "fraud", even while hoards of these nuts (see, http://www.bing.com/search?q=end+times+prophecy and note the top suggested search on RHS) see signs of the Apocalypse elsewhere! An absurd number of fundies believe President Obama is the Antichrist; and we mustn't forget Harold Camping.

Any chance that some of these fundies who believe we are in the End Times are just claiming that climate change is a hoax in order to make sure it comes true? As in: 'God has had 2000 years to fulfill the Bible and prove it true, and He hasn't. Maybe He wants us to meet Him halfway.' That they're obstructing science and picking fights in order to ensure that we experience environmental collapse and war in the Middle East, thereby fulfilling prophecy and paving the way for the return of Christ and a one world theocratic monarchy?

I'm not a conspiracy theorist - this irony just struck me while reading the SciAm article - particularly when combined with the passionate hatred that fundies have for climate science and scientists. Any thoughts on the chances of this being a real phenomenon? Any thoughts on how to stop it if it turns out to be true?

[gordianot]

1. I was hpoing for rapture before apocolypse think of all the free housing.

[cbayer]

2. I have seen several article and programs that highlight how some of

the fundamentalist groups have turned their focus on to environmental issues. They see themselves as stewards of God's earth and feel a responsibility to care for it.

I haven't really associated climate change denial with fundamentalists, but more with other kinds of right wing groups. Is there evidence that there is a link?

[daaron]

4. Copious evidence of a correlation.

Sen. Inhome and "The Family" spring immediately to mind, but the list is so exhaustingly long I must beg to refer you to your preferred search engine for further examples.

[cbayer]

5. I may be thinking more of evangelicals.

[daaron]

6. Yes, evangelicals and fundies have a big overlap, but not the same.

I reserve my ire for the died-in-the-wool fundamentalist mouth-breathers.

[dimbear]

3. Let us remember to be thankful for the Dark Ages, which put off this catastrophe for 1000 years.

Sine qua non of our presently continuing existence.