Global suicide in a nutshell

[pscot]

The most important single issue we face today is not economic depression, health care or war in the middle east. It's not gay marriage or union rights. It's our race toward the Carbon Death, not only of ourselves, but of most other living things as well. We are headed, warp speed, toward self-immolation.

Most of don't believe it and don't want to believe it. What most of us would like to believe doesn't matter. We have both feet firmly planted on the slippery slopes of hell and we're picking up speed. This diary at daily kos spells it out in terms even a moron like Jim Inhof should be able to understand. The graphs reflect the reality, and are compelling. Read it. If it doesn't scare you sane, maybe the experience will. But by then it will be far too late.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/7/19/755099/-Contemplating-Human-Extinction-(updated)


"....So humans have, in the last two centuries, pushed up carbon dioxide concentrations 100ppm. That normally takes 20,000 years to happen based on the Vostok graph and it takes nearly 100,000 years to clear. Worse yet, we’ve pushed it 100ppm outside what’s been the normal range for the last 800,000 years and quite likely for the entire Holocene – the last 1.8 million years.

Modern humans have been around 200,000 years and we nearly went extinct 150,00 years ago. Genetic drift indicates there were fewer than 2,000 individuals came through this time. Notice what happened 150,000 years ago – a major climate change.

We learned to use fossil carbon for energy on a large scale at the very peak of normal atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations two hundred years ago. We’re outside the bounds of what our ancestors experienced during our first near extinction and we’re very likely on a toboggan ride towards reproducing what happened at the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum..." (lots more)

[fascisthunter]

1. If We Cannot Maintain a Balance of Life on this Planet

all other issues will be meaningless. They are not meaningless, but when people all killing themselves at the rate we as a race are, it won't mean shit in the future. After humans are gone, the planet will eventually hide it's scars, scars we have made, and all evidence of our existence will be gone.

This puts things into perspective... it's too bad too many don't want to see.

[ladjf]

7. The human race is too dumb to survive. nt

[niceypoo]

2. It doesnt help to have an apocalyptic suicide cult sharing power in this country

AKA the GOP.

GOP souls for sale, CHEAP!

[defendandprotect]

3. Patriarcy/Patriarchal Religion/Capitalism -- suicidal and deadly trio . . .

"Manifest Destiny" and "Man's Dominion Over Nature" -- insane concepts

If NATURE/CREATION aren't prized, cherished, valued what could possibly be of value --<[br />
a dollar bill?

[Birthmark]

4. This is the most important issue that the nation faces.

Of course the world faces, too. Our window for limiting the damage we've caused to the barely acceptable (and that may even be optimistic) is fast closing. If we don't fix it, then civilization as we know it has less than one hundred years left.

That doesn't, however, mean the end of H. sapiens. Still, the population is going to take a massive hit; perhaps as much as a 90% decrease.

[Wednesdays]

5. K&R

:kick:

[troubledamerican]

6. Republicans intend to kill everybody. One way or another.

[ladjf]

8. Very important post. I hope many people read it. nt

[Martin Eden]

9. just saw the remake of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

If there are intelligent interstellar species I can understand why they'd want to save the earth by eliminating its dominant species.

[AZCat]

10. Insects?

There are far more of them than there are of us.