Global warming causes trouble in Siberia

Discussion in 'Science and Technology' started by YellowSubmarine, Feb 28, 2015.

  1. YellowSubmarine

    YellowSubmarine Vice Admiral Admiral

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    A mysterious crater appeared out of nowhere in Siberia about an year ago. The Internet back then was quick to pinpoint the obvious culprit – aliens. We always know it's the aliens. :alienblush:

    Since then at least seven of these creepy craters have been counted, each one creepier than the previous ones. The one on top looks humongous.

    But it turns out Earth should hurry to issue a formal apology to the aliens, as the actual cause of the craters has been uncovered, and it is, to everyone's surprise, humans. It seems global warming disrupted the permafrost causing methane trapped inside the ground to explode. It's so freaky to picture it that I began fearing the ground under my building exploding – even if I live in an area where an alien intervention is genuinely more likely.

    Global warming is already causing more than a hundred thousand deaths a year, 85% of which children deaths. Some are particularly nasty, like diarrhoea deaths. The number is expected to rise to 250 thousand by 2030-2050, and that's not counting the displaced people. (2004 WHO study PDF, WHO projections) Amidst these direct effects, we are only beginning to understand the strange parts of the ecosystem that become unexpected victims of climate change, such as koalas and trees. And did anyone ever think of the moose?

    And now we have earth literally exploding. Thankfully, the area is sparsely populated. Even though the people are probably not happy about losing parts of that gas, at least nobody is going to die because of this. But the change in climate is making things happen, and some of them are surprising, and none of them are pretty.
     
  2. urbandefault

    urbandefault Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Not to be a wet blanket, but don't you think it's possible that it's just a natural occurrence? The planet was here long before us, and it will be here long after we're gone.

    Just the other day I read something that said global warming is on vacation for a few years, or something like that.

    I live in a place where the weather goes from 80 degrees and sunny one day to snowing the next. It's been that way my whole life, and I'm not a youngster. We have earthquakes and tornadoes and floods and droughts, and we're still here.

    Stay calm.
     
  3. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

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    This is kind of how I feel as well. I'm certainly not denying the existence of Global Warming, but it seems like it's being blamed for every weird thing that happens these days.
     
  4. YellowSubmarine

    YellowSubmarine Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Natural occurrence? Can't be. It's either the aliens or the hoomans. :p

    As for staying calm, explosions in the middles of what's almost a snow desert are less scary than more people dying of extreme heat, so if this is a natural occurrence that won't bring much relief. It is bizarre though.
     
  5. T'Girl

    T'Girl Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Okay, maybe I missed something ... it's a hole.



    :)
     
  6. Lakenheath 72

    Lakenheath 72 Commodore Commodore

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    The impression I get from climate change deniers is that the idea of humans changing is a recent phenomena, like a fad that humans will get out of.

    The first time that humans consider that we were responsible for changing the climate was in the 1790s. So, this isn't new. What has changed is our technology.

    Scientists have been gathering core samples from Antarctica and other locations to build a picture of the climate history of our planet. Our world should be heading to another Ice Age; however, our world is heading another direction.

    The fact that methane is being released is frightening to me. One of the early mass extinction events was caused by a massive release of methane, amongst other things.

    Humans are destructive creatures. Someone mentioned a koala. There is a disturbing video of loggers bulldozing a tree with a koala mother and baby in the tree.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...od-bath-plantations-cleared-record-rates.html
     
  7. MacLeod

    MacLeod Admiral Admiral

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    Well I believe the more accurate term is climate change rather than global warming. And isn't it possible that some regions might see little change, whilst other areas see more change to theri climate.

    Could 97% of the worlds climate scientits be wrong, sure. But lets put it this way if we bring in greener tecnologies and they are wrong what are the consequence of that? However if we fail to bring in greener technologies and the deniers are wrong what are the consequencies of that?

    Many of us may not be around to see the worst effects of climate change but our chuildren and their children might. Surely we should be taking action to try and leave a better world for them.
     
  8. Metryq

    Metryq Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    It's called a Pingo

    The phenomenon appears to be very similar to sinkholes, which are caused by changes in the water table. (No permafrost in Florida.)

    No methane explosion, but you can ratchet up the "mankind is evil" sentiment all you want, if it makes you feel better.
     
  9. YellowSubmarine

    YellowSubmarine Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Thinking about it more, I would be surprised if these craters aren't connected to climate change. That doesn't mean that they aren't a natural occurrence. I am sure it is, I am also sure this has happened long before humans were even around, and that it is not the first time it has happened in that region either. But these particular occurrences, which would seem likely to be triggered by melting of the permafrost, I seriously doubt they would have happened – not in the same number, at least – if if it wasn't for climate change. Attributing the individual occurrences to global warming directly is premature, and I was certainly overdoing it, and we might never be able to. But unnatural and prolonged changes to the weather that's been usual in the region can disrupt long-standing systems that seemed stable, but with prolonged heat, extreme cold and other side-effects of changing climate, no longer are. Things like these are exactly what one would expect to happen more.
     
  10. T'Girl

    T'Girl Vice Admiral Admiral

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    We would have expended a considerable amount of time, effort, resources and treasure on a useless endeavor that could have been employed elsewhere.

    But wasn't.

    :)
     
  11. MacLeod

    MacLeod Admiral Admiral

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    The counter argument to that would be, we would have reduced our dependancy for fuel sources be they oil, coal etc.. from less stable parts of the world, would have improved air quality due to less use of fossil fuels which could proivide health benefits, and sooner or later fossil fuels would have run out and needed replacing anyway.

    I'm still placing that in the win column.
     
  12. JirinPanthosa

    JirinPanthosa Admiral Admiral

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    I am very convinced that manmade climate change is a real thing that could have horrible consequences in the future, but the effects of it haven't had enough impact on most people's everyday lives to convince them to make personal sacrifices. And I don't think it helps that some scientists put on their used car salesman voices to try to convince people that the currently unimpressive statistics are in fact already terrifying when the people with vested interests in convincing them climate change is a hoax are much better connected, much better salesmen.
     
  13. { Emilia }

    { Emilia } Cute but deadly Moderator

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    The problem is that this is a long-term process. The results of our past actions will only be felt in a few decades. So when things are starting to have "enough impact" on most people's everyday lives... it'll be too late to really change shit.
     
  14. MacLeod

    MacLeod Admiral Admiral

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    ^And most of us won't be around then to feel them.
     
  15. Davros

    Davros Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    There is little significant difference between climate change deniers and flat earthers.
     
  16. scotthm

    scotthm Vice Admiral Admiral

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    The big mystery now is how the dinosaurs kept from freezing to death before humans came along.

    ---------------
     
  17. Lakenheath 72

    Lakenheath 72 Commodore Commodore

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    I was reading about the melting ice in the Antarctica region. Scientists are saying that it will take two centuries before the seas rise to several meters. At first, I was alarmed, then, I was like, well, I'll be dead before then. For whoever is living then, that is their problem.

    What I think will happen is that humans will adapt to the changes as best as they can. There will be conflicts and migrations and famines and so on; however, I feel that if isn't affecting people directly, that it will be seen as someone else's problem. As a species, we have been like this for thousands of years.

    There is a great quote from The Pirates of the Caribbean -
     
  18. Awesome Possum

    Awesome Possum Moddin' Admiral

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    That shows a complete lack of long term thinking. Actually you would have wasted money and cleaned up the environment in the process. The environment that we and every other living creature on the planet need to survive. It may not benefit us directly, but future generations would be able to. Ever heard of investing money? It doesn't magically become a lot when you first put money in, it takes a bit of time. Using your logic, it's a waste of money too.

    But if we do nothing and 97% of scientists are right, we will have wrecked the only environment we are capable of surviving in. It's a gamble, but the reward for either scenario outweighs the risk. People waste money all the time, that's how business works. Not everyone gets to become Steve Jobs. But in this case, if 97% of scientists are wrong and we try to do something, we get a cleaner future for our children and develop new technologies that benefit everyone.

    The people who argue against this shouldn't buy smoke alarms since their house may never burn down and they cost money that could be spent on other things. They should probably avoid cancer treatment if they go to 100 doctors and 97 tell them they have cancer. They may be wrong and you don't want to waste money on it, especially since 3 doctors said you were fine. Those 97 doctors do have a vested interest in treating cancer, it probably doesn't exist.
     
  19. MacLeod

    MacLeod Admiral Admiral

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    ^to expand on that Best not to take our car insurance, house insurance or any type of insurance after all the chance of needing is it only 1 in X. Just wasted money. We take out insurance just incase the worse does happen.
     
  20. HIjol

    HIjol Vice Admiral Admiral

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    ...does anyone else hear a Ressikan flute playing?...hmmm.