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I'm a physicist with a background in nonlinear systems and climatology. Although I can endorse most of the content of this post - scientific consensus, light wavelengths, carbon sinks, etc. - the conclusion is simply not true.

Taken in the weakest sense, yes, the conclusion is correct that humans will be affected by climate change. Indeed, humans are already being affected, and have been affected in the past (for instance, by the Little Ice Age). But the implication that humanity is in trouble because of climate change is incorrect. Even presuming enormous heating, the oceanic, tundra, and particularly highland climates will remain protected. For example, even 5 degrees C warming would still leave Edinburgh comfortable for human habitation: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E…

Humanity will respond to climate change through migration, shifts in agricultural production, technology, and cultural adaptation. Yes, the global climate may soon lie outside of our experience, but humans never lived in the global climate; we lived in specific climates, particularly in the subtropical range, and these will not disappear. Moreover we have always been exposed to sudden stressors from droughts, floods, storms, warfare, and the loss of food sources such as game animals. We are descended from the survivors of climate change.

So yes, global warming is an issue. And yes, given our responsibility for climate change we should take it seriously. However, it does not present nearly the same threat to humanity as other problems such as bioterrorism or the rapid development of AI. If we are concerned about the future of the human species as a whole, it is areas such as those which deserve our focus.

How Bad Is CO2?
Jul 5, 2023
at
5:47 PM

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