Bread and Circuses on Nostr: In the usual course of events, Earth’s climate fluctuates naturally. Driven by ...
In the usual course of events, Earth’s climate fluctuates naturally. Driven by subtle shifts in solar energy and the slightly wobbling tilt of our planet in space, Earth will experience periodic glacial maximums (ice ages) followed by interglacials (warmer times when the ice retreats). These changes normally operate over thousands of years.
But now something else has happened. Something new.
In an insanely dangerous gambit, capitalist industrialists decided to extract and burn hundreds of billions of tons of coal, oil, and gas. They counted on this to make them rich and powerful, which it did. What they didn’t count on — or didn’t care about — was the destructive impact it would have on Earth’s climate and environment.
The last time the global temperature changed dramatically, when it heated up overall by about 3° Celsius, was at the end of the most recent ice age. Large amounts of CO₂ were released into the atmosphere and temperatures went up. This was a big shift and had a huge effect on the biosphere, driving many plant and animal species to extinction while allowing others to thrive. But that’s just how it goes. That’s what happens naturally.
The difference between then and now is that the previous CO₂ release and corresponding temperature rise took place over a span of about 7,000 years. In geological terms, that’s considered fast.
Today, however, thanks to greedy murdering capitalists, we are in the midst of a rapid heating event unlike anything ever seen in the whole history of Earth. The planet is heating up so fast that species have no chance to respond or adjust. It’s so fast that scientists have no way of knowing how soon it will end or what all the consequences could be.
#Science #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #Capitalism #BusinessAsUsual
But now something else has happened. Something new.
In an insanely dangerous gambit, capitalist industrialists decided to extract and burn hundreds of billions of tons of coal, oil, and gas. They counted on this to make them rich and powerful, which it did. What they didn’t count on — or didn’t care about — was the destructive impact it would have on Earth’s climate and environment.
The last time the global temperature changed dramatically, when it heated up overall by about 3° Celsius, was at the end of the most recent ice age. Large amounts of CO₂ were released into the atmosphere and temperatures went up. This was a big shift and had a huge effect on the biosphere, driving many plant and animal species to extinction while allowing others to thrive. But that’s just how it goes. That’s what happens naturally.
The difference between then and now is that the previous CO₂ release and corresponding temperature rise took place over a span of about 7,000 years. In geological terms, that’s considered fast.
Today, however, thanks to greedy murdering capitalists, we are in the midst of a rapid heating event unlike anything ever seen in the whole history of Earth. The planet is heating up so fast that species have no chance to respond or adjust. It’s so fast that scientists have no way of knowing how soon it will end or what all the consequences could be.
#Science #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #Capitalism #BusinessAsUsual