How has climate change affected you?

[Vidar]

One thing I've always found a bit curious is the strong focus on whether the climate change is caused by humans or not. For me that is interesting enough, but much more important still is what consequences the changing climate causes - and if there is anything we can do about (regardless of cause).

This is a problem as some people seem conclude that humans didn't cause this. Somehow that seems to just end the discussion for them, but the reality is the issues still remain. We humans have to live with the climate changes whether they are caused by us, nature or some mixture of the two.

For me the key question then really becomes is there something we can do about it? If so, what should the goal be? A natural goal seems to be to try and stabilize the current conditions or at least delay and minimize changes - simply because society around the globe is so closely knit around the current conditions.


As for local changes in my lifetime we have shorter and warmer winters. I'm not complaining about that. But as a consequence we also increasingly seem to get new plants, insects and animals that didn't make it up here before - and then at the expense of the current ones. Sooner or later some of these will create major problems.

[comis]

As to the causes of the warming up, and whether we should try and stop it, seems to depend on politics rather than rationality.

Personally, there's no further truth than that.  I am not saying we all hug trees from now on, but when politician flat out deny there is weather change/global warming, and take zero precaution and accountability, it's a downward spiral from that point on.

Same here in the UK - much more extreme weather happening in shorter amounts of time. Records are being broken constantly year on year.

Same here in Asia.  We are now seeing more and more super typhoon in summer, where it used to be occurring only once in a decade or two.  Now it becomes annually and bi-annually.

Last time a typhoon got so bad that many high rise buildings in neighborhood were 'swinging' in the wind, and I could seeing tall window bowing/flexing during the strong gusts.  Few tall windows actually caved in and exploded in our building, luckily no one gets hurt.

[Gerhard Gerber]

For me the key question then really becomes is there something we can do about it? If so, what should the goal be? A natural goal seems to be to try and stabilize the current conditions or at least delay and minimize changes - simply because society around the globe is so closely knit around the current conditions.

Exactly, although I doubt we can do something....literally farting against thunder....

Whether change is impossible due to greed and politics or because it's too far along seems immaterial, run&hide seems to be the smart thing to do.

 

[gerleatherberman]

The technology exists to scrub enough CO2 from the atmosphere to delay(and possibly stop) global temperature increase. Problem is that it is insanely expensive, and the only countries that could afford to effectively implement the equipment and processes are under the leadership of people who value personal wealth more than the longevity of our existence.

The efforts to undergo such a task like significantly reducing CO2 buildup would require tens of trillions of dollars and global cooperation of many governments, along with the willingness of civilians to learn what is happening and why such measures need to be taken.

The average human cannot think outside of the average human lifespan. In short, instead of doing something that could benefit us decades/centuries from now, humans generally only acknowledge problems as they occur. The issue with that is some problems are terminal once they reach a certain point. The Earth's capability to effectively harbor human life(as well as countless thousands of other species) is one of those problems.
I do hope that our species develops the technology and understanding to alter weather patterns and CO2 buildup in the near future. Extremely unlikely, but nothing can be written off.

[Gerhard Gerber]

Been trying to avoid saying this because it's not where I was headed, but I'm left with the impression the preppers have it right....... 

would require tens of trillions of dollars

Reading this I couldn't help thing about a discussion I had on Facebook........there was some faulty math involved, but the person calculated that if the money stolen by an Indian billionaire family operating "businesses" in South Africa could be recovered, each citizen  of South African could receive a life-changing sum of money.
Like I said faulty math was involved, but it doesn't matter if the amount was 5 million, 500k or 35K......

A conservative estimate is this one family stole 1.4 trillion.

Just one family, and they are chump change compared to the big players out there.....

The 1% are living the high life off the trillions the planet needs 

[greenbear]

In another life I am a birdwatcher (I'll get my coat) and I have noticed a gradual change in the UK birdlife over the last decade.  There is a member of the Heron family called a Little Egret, a pretty white bird that fishes in rivers and lakes.  A decade ago this was considered a "rare bird" in the UK being more common in Spain and Portugal. They have gradually worked their way north and are now comparatively common in the UK.

Conversely we see less migrants from Africa - Cuckoo are now much rarer and to see a Turtle Dove would be occasional for a celebratory dance.

These changes in birdlife are most likely to be the result of changing climate food availability etc.

[comis]

Exactly, although I doubt we can do something....literally farting against thunder....

Whether change is impossible due to greed and politics or because it's too far along seems immaterial, run&hide seems to be the smart thing to do.

 

Been trying to avoid saying this because it's not where I was headed, but I'm left with the impression the preppers have it right....... 

Reading this I couldn't help thing about a discussion I had on Facebook........there was some faulty math involved, but the person calculated that if the money stolen by an Indian billionaire family operating "businesses" in South Africa could be recovered, each citizen  of South African could receive a life-changing sum of money.
Like I said faulty math was involved, but it doesn't matter if the amount was 5 million, 500k or 35K......

A conservative estimate is this one family stole 1.4 trillion.

Just one family, and they are chump change compared to the big players out there.....

The 1% are living the high life off the trillions the planet needs 

I don't think every effort just fart against thunder, and even some effort and awareness will still make some difference in a long run. 

Can we completely revert the damage we've done?  Doubtful, but at least we could slow down the damage and hopefully finding alternative ways to help alleviate the issue.  Just borrowing the example you made, if some of that money could be used to better public transportation, won't it make a difference?


I know politics is not allowed on MTO, but I think at the minimum, people cannot just always just place their own interest above others, when it comes to climate issues, randomly backing out agreement made for the greater good is just bad juju.

[Aloha]

Lets continue to be mindful of no politics y'all.   

[Gerhard Gerber]

I don't think every effort just fart against thunder, and even some effort and awareness will still make some difference in a long run. 

Can we completely revert the damage we've done?  Doubtful, but at least we could slow down the damage and hopefully finding alternative ways to help alleviate the issue.  Just borrowing the example you made, if some of that money could be used to better public transportation, won't it make a difference?


I know politics is not allowed on MTO, but I think at the minimum, people cannot just always just place their own interest above others, when it comes to climate issues, randomly backing out agreement made for the greater good is just bad juju.

 

YOU think like that and I think like that, the average semi-informed person realizes the truth, but those with the money and power just want more of the same......

if some of that money could be used to better public transportation

Funny enough the family I mentioned ripped off the national electricity provider, the rail transport agency among many others, and in doing so made life worse for especially the poorest people.....

Lets continue to be mindful of no politics y'all.   

Thank you for the reminder but I believe both of us mentioned politics in the same you you do a boil on your rear end.......not picking a team because they all suck 

[comis]

Lets continue to be mindful of no politics y'all.   

 

YOU think like that and I think like that, the average semi-informed person realizes the truth, but those with the money and power just want more of the same......
 

Funny enough the family I mentioned ripped off the national electricity provider, the rail transport agency among many others, and in doing so made life worse for especially the poorest people.....
 

Thank you for the reminder but I believe both of us mentioned politics in the same you you do a boil on your rear end.......not picking a team because they all suck 

In some ways, I do wish we live in simpler time, where things might be less complex.  Or maybe we've made it a more complex than it needs to be, and I should subscribe to how Fuzz solves all the problem around him with "more beef" [size=78%] [/size]

[Gerhard Gerber]

TV, social media and beer to distract the masses while the planet goes to pot 

[Steinar]

Well, if pretty massive changes aren't made, we are well on track to temperature change which will mean human extinction (no, that's not hyperbole), but back to topic. Here, “every” summer sets new temperature records, every winter less snow, also a tendency of weird (scientific term!) weather in spring. Last year there was not enough rainfall to produce enough feed for animals, which is quite simply unheard of in Norway. The mean rainfall for Oslo in September, on the other hand, was this year reached within the first handful of days. We've seen a lot of very intense showers of rain, which also is new. So, economically it means problems producing food, and increased costs rebuilding and maintaining buildings, roads, and railways. We've also seen a collapse of insect populations and the birds reliant on them, but I think that's pesticides and loss of habitat, not climate change.

[Gerhard Gerber]

Just this morning I was reading a short article by a German fly fishing guide about the failure of the Mullet run in the Baltic for the past 3 years, as well as the general decline in sea trout numbers etc etc 

In the news this week, the city where I live has 18 weeks till Day Zero for water....

[Steinar]

A couple of months ago I read about a fisherman who moved house 600 km north because the species have moved further north. (From pretty far north in Norway to about as far north you can get on the Norwegian mainland.) It's in the water we see the movements first.

What happens if you don't get rain?

[gregozedobe]

In the news this week, the city where I live has 18 weeks till Day Zero for water....

There are a lot of country towns in Australia that look like running out of water in the next month or so, and we are expecting a drier than normal spring & summer

[Gerhard Gerber]

What happens if you don't get rain?

There are boreholes and they're pumping water from a flooded mine in the north via open water channels, cost and evaporation being major issues.

We're likely to face interrupted supply which apart from the discomfort leads to burst pipes and geysers.

There are a lot of country towns in Australia that look like running out of water in the next month or so, and we are expecting a drier than normal spring & summer

Same in South Africa.....Cape and Eastern Cape

[lister]

I just read the title as "How has gas chamber affected you?". I think I need my head checked by a professional... 

[comis]

There are boreholes and they're pumping water from a flooded mine in the north via open water channels, cost and evaporation being major issues.

We're likely to face interrupted supply which apart from the discomfort leads to burst pipes and geysers.

Same in South Africa.....Cape and Eastern Cape

China has the same drought problem long time ago, and they started one of the biggest water operation in their history, where they will "move" water from South of the country upnorth via piping.  That's a huge operation and has tremendous impact to many one way or another.  But in light of recent years dramatic climate change, I am sure it will help save lives where it matters.