Very good, as always Richard, but a depressing post.
There is no way that humans en masse will voluntarily give up fossil fuels - we all know that by now. So as I see it there are only three possible solutions that may possibly allow some humans to survive long term:
- An absolute economic collapse, particularly in the big-consumer Western countries, followed by political and social collapse, that leaves the oil industries without a market.
- Some event that pumps huge quantities of sulphates and dust into the air that forces a 3 year or 5 year 'winter' and famine, that kikls off large numbers of humans, especially the Westerners with the biggest consumption habits. That might be a major volcanic eruption, or a nuclear war, or an asteroid strike. I would not be surprised in some country decided to make such a situation take place after preparing their own elites to shelter and (theoretically) survive. Trump is not the only one stupid enough to try it.
- A 'Gaian' event, where the planet itself springs a surprise on us humans, as we are the entire problem, such as a more lethal pandemic, a sudden collapse in the climate that kills ¾ of the human population, or some other combination of 'natural disasters'.
It is sad that we have ended up driving full speed off this climate cliff when many of us have been aware of the issues since the 1970's - a full 50+ years of corporate greed and deliberate political ignorance.
But what's done is done. We are now just along for the ride.
Any of those scenarios address the bottom line, living too high on the hog whether it's overpopulation or overconsumption. What could have been a controlled descent will now be a hard crash one way or another. Enjoy every good day. They are numbered.
Dr James Lovelock proposed The Gaian Hypothesis back in the 1970's that has since become pretty mainstream in climate science. He worked for NASA on a project to try to work out a method of testing if there was any signs of life on Mars, and in the process realised how out-of-balance the climate of Earth actually is, with far too much oxygen, but also how stable it had been for millennia.
His conclusion was that the difference was because of the presence of life on Earth, that was a holistic system of energy and chemistry that maintained an oxygen and climate balance, even through events that should theoretically disrupt and collapse it.
He theorised that there must be mechanisms that would 'automatically' respond to threats to the balanced system and, further, that humans had become a runaway 'virus infection' on this planet that had 'given the Earth a fever' that might kill it. A Gaian event would be the response to this virus of humanity, either reducing human numbers or wiping out humans altogether, so healing the planet systems.
Such an event has been theorised to be perhaps a pandemic, or a climate catastrophe, or famine, or even wars........ Some have drawn comparisons with religions and apocalyptic warnings, but at base his theories are founded on straightforward science and probabilities - if humans release massive quantities of carbon into the atmosphere, then the effects of poisoning the planet, making it overheat, collapse farming and cutting food supplies, and shifting temperatures beyond the ability of humans to survive, then you can expect mass die-offs, including of humans, and that would reduce the damage to the climate.
So my comment was related to a Gaian event, perhaps as mentioned above, or perhaps something we've never really considered before.
We get to see what both a fossil fuel system and an animal agriculture economy (that uses up 40% of habitable land (which is therefore lost to sequestration) for 20% of food calories, mostly for rich Westerners) does to a planet.
I don't think the proverbial "man on the street' has any grasp of what a jam we're in or how colossal are the numbers involved in the energy imbalance. We're talking zettajoules of sequestered energy- more than enough to fry a trillion eggs. And it just keeps getting worse.
As always, I appreciate your effort to digest this information and bring it to us. Thank you, Richard.
The gas company has been replacing lines on my street all spring and summer. I got in a conversation with one of the guys today, and gave him a few basics about global warming and why Buffalo has been 8° to 15° F hotter most days. He was genuinely interested and wants to talk to me more. There are people who want to understand what's going on, but of course the mainstream media doesn't do its job.
I feel a little bit bad initiating the conversation, because I am 99 percent certain we're circling the drain. Maybe I should just let people alone. Maybe I'm selfish wanting people to know and fight for that which appears to be a wholly lost cause.
There is so much available data. I appreciate the analysis that lays out the short term vector we're on. For me, it brings a whole level of comprehension and understanding of the current daily variabilities.
On that topic, this knowledge that will be dispensed throughout the 'public' over the next 18 - 24 months ... well, it will be invisible to the majority of the population. Whatever information that does come through will be mediated by commercial industrialized media and as Kara Swisher says, these owners don't give a fuck.
The orange retard, if he becomes aware, will refund and decommission whatever US resources are used to collect the data.
Bread and circuses will become the only acceptable topics for public discussion. Hunger Games indeed!
It's a given. And these people will be the first to go. No particular loss, they have nothing to offer. But they will exacerbate the issue, whatever that might be, tremendously with their demands and their whining.
I would prefer to see the satellite and staff at NOAA and other climate and weather related institutes, But only because I am curious. I do not see any other need for them, except the parts that warn of an approaching disaster. Why else do we need any of it? We have been warned and shown - all the science has pretty much been made public and tens of thousands of words and articles and new papers come out daily. When it comes to the humans - what you see is what you get. 2024, like 2023 was another record year for fossil fuel consumption and green house gasses.
More information will change nothing. When it comes to the humans - what you see is what you get. Double the number of warnings and research or do nothing, the song remains the same.
It would be nice if I could talk to the conductor and have a few questions answered, but it is not necessary, since I know where this train is headed and nothing is going to stop it.
Very good, as always Richard, but a depressing post.
There is no way that humans en masse will voluntarily give up fossil fuels - we all know that by now. So as I see it there are only three possible solutions that may possibly allow some humans to survive long term:
- An absolute economic collapse, particularly in the big-consumer Western countries, followed by political and social collapse, that leaves the oil industries without a market.
- Some event that pumps huge quantities of sulphates and dust into the air that forces a 3 year or 5 year 'winter' and famine, that kikls off large numbers of humans, especially the Westerners with the biggest consumption habits. That might be a major volcanic eruption, or a nuclear war, or an asteroid strike. I would not be surprised in some country decided to make such a situation take place after preparing their own elites to shelter and (theoretically) survive. Trump is not the only one stupid enough to try it.
- A 'Gaian' event, where the planet itself springs a surprise on us humans, as we are the entire problem, such as a more lethal pandemic, a sudden collapse in the climate that kills ¾ of the human population, or some other combination of 'natural disasters'.
It is sad that we have ended up driving full speed off this climate cliff when many of us have been aware of the issues since the 1970's - a full 50+ years of corporate greed and deliberate political ignorance.
But what's done is done. We are now just along for the ride.
Any of those scenarios address the bottom line, living too high on the hog whether it's overpopulation or overconsumption. What could have been a controlled descent will now be a hard crash one way or another. Enjoy every good day. They are numbered.
The climate is clearly deteriorating. When you say, in Gaian event section, 'a sudden collapse ' what are you referring to...heating or cooling?
Dr James Lovelock proposed The Gaian Hypothesis back in the 1970's that has since become pretty mainstream in climate science. He worked for NASA on a project to try to work out a method of testing if there was any signs of life on Mars, and in the process realised how out-of-balance the climate of Earth actually is, with far too much oxygen, but also how stable it had been for millennia.
His conclusion was that the difference was because of the presence of life on Earth, that was a holistic system of energy and chemistry that maintained an oxygen and climate balance, even through events that should theoretically disrupt and collapse it.
He theorised that there must be mechanisms that would 'automatically' respond to threats to the balanced system and, further, that humans had become a runaway 'virus infection' on this planet that had 'given the Earth a fever' that might kill it. A Gaian event would be the response to this virus of humanity, either reducing human numbers or wiping out humans altogether, so healing the planet systems.
Such an event has been theorised to be perhaps a pandemic, or a climate catastrophe, or famine, or even wars........ Some have drawn comparisons with religions and apocalyptic warnings, but at base his theories are founded on straightforward science and probabilities - if humans release massive quantities of carbon into the atmosphere, then the effects of poisoning the planet, making it overheat, collapse farming and cutting food supplies, and shifting temperatures beyond the ability of humans to survive, then you can expect mass die-offs, including of humans, and that would reduce the damage to the climate.
So my comment was related to a Gaian event, perhaps as mentioned above, or perhaps something we've never really considered before.
Interesting times!
We get to see what both a fossil fuel system and an animal agriculture economy (that uses up 40% of habitable land (which is therefore lost to sequestration) for 20% of food calories, mostly for rich Westerners) does to a planet.
I just finished reading an excellent book about climate change and land use: “We Are Eating the Earth” by Michael Grunwald. I highly recommend it
I’ve written about it myself. Some people are eating a far bigger slice of the Earth than others. That’s mostly us in the West.
I recommend reading and it’s free!
https://jowaller.substack.com/p/the-green-washing-of-white-priviledge
I don't think the proverbial "man on the street' has any grasp of what a jam we're in or how colossal are the numbers involved in the energy imbalance. We're talking zettajoules of sequestered energy- more than enough to fry a trillion eggs. And it just keeps getting worse.
As always, I appreciate your effort to digest this information and bring it to us. Thank you, Richard.
The gas company has been replacing lines on my street all spring and summer. I got in a conversation with one of the guys today, and gave him a few basics about global warming and why Buffalo has been 8° to 15° F hotter most days. He was genuinely interested and wants to talk to me more. There are people who want to understand what's going on, but of course the mainstream media doesn't do its job.
I feel a little bit bad initiating the conversation, because I am 99 percent certain we're circling the drain. Maybe I should just let people alone. Maybe I'm selfish wanting people to know and fight for that which appears to be a wholly lost cause.
Well, at least your article perked me up, lol.
Thanks Richard. Again.
There is so much available data. I appreciate the analysis that lays out the short term vector we're on. For me, it brings a whole level of comprehension and understanding of the current daily variabilities.
On that topic, this knowledge that will be dispensed throughout the 'public' over the next 18 - 24 months ... well, it will be invisible to the majority of the population. Whatever information that does come through will be mediated by commercial industrialized media and as Kara Swisher says, these owners don't give a fuck.
The orange retard, if he becomes aware, will refund and decommission whatever US resources are used to collect the data.
Bread and circuses will become the only acceptable topics for public discussion. Hunger Games indeed!
The circus is no longer an add-on, it IS the narrative.
Yup.
All entertainment all the time.
It's a given. And these people will be the first to go. No particular loss, they have nothing to offer. But they will exacerbate the issue, whatever that might be, tremendously with their demands and their whining.
What about the MIDDLE Richard?! We skipped the middle!
Thanks for another informative article as always.
I would prefer to see the satellite and staff at NOAA and other climate and weather related institutes, But only because I am curious. I do not see any other need for them, except the parts that warn of an approaching disaster. Why else do we need any of it? We have been warned and shown - all the science has pretty much been made public and tens of thousands of words and articles and new papers come out daily. When it comes to the humans - what you see is what you get. 2024, like 2023 was another record year for fossil fuel consumption and green house gasses.
More information will change nothing. When it comes to the humans - what you see is what you get. Double the number of warnings and research or do nothing, the song remains the same.
It would be nice if I could talk to the conductor and have a few questions answered, but it is not necessary, since I know where this train is headed and nothing is going to stop it.
"LOL, this would require “net zero” by 2035. So, realistically it's “fantasy”." Where is this from?