GW update: Degassing has started.

[Alyrium Denryle]

Of course, what would make this solution even better for those of us in the First and Second Worlds would be to just form the Purnelle-verse CoDominion and nuke the fuck out of the third world to achieve the same effect. It would certainly work.

Though generally speaking there are plenty of adaptation mechanisms for society. Algae in the oceans will not, for instance, stop global warming, but we can certainly harvest it and process it into food, and algae will certainly be more resilient in the future than any other crop.

Indeed, our society may transition to an algae-based society for food, in which algae is harvested out of the ocean, with a huge surplus of production serving to deal with destruction of the "crop" due to mega-hurricanes, and we essentially have a mono-crop diet of processed algae supporting a population which lives in immense fortified Arcologies powered by nuclear reactors. Such a civilization should prove quite resilient against the effects of even a Permian-Triassic boundary extinction event.

Dont forget giant fermenting vats for certain types of fungus. We can also easily live on Vitamin rich Quorn, use algae to sequester CO2 and recycle the air inside the arcology....

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Of course, what would make this solution even better for those of us in the First and Second Worlds would be to just form the Purnelle-verse CoDominion and nuke the fuck out of the third world to achieve the same effect. It would certainly work.

Though generally speaking there are plenty of adaptation mechanisms for society. Algae in the oceans will not, for instance, stop global warming, but we can certainly harvest it and process it into food, and algae will certainly be more resilient in the future than any other crop.

Indeed, our society may transition to an algae-based society for food, in which algae is harvested out of the ocean, with a huge surplus of production serving to deal with destruction of the "crop" due to mega-hurricanes, and we essentially have a mono-crop diet of processed algae supporting a population which lives in immense fortified Arcologies powered by nuclear reactors. Such a civilization should prove quite resilient against the effects of even a Permian-Triassic boundary extinction event.

Dont forget giant fermenting vats for certain types of fungus. We can also easily live on Vitamin rich Quorn, use algae to sequester CO2 and recycle the air inside the arcology....

Hmm, and we could build giant Sand-Crawler like processor-crawlers, I mean, we already have the space shuttle's transporter and that's extremely old technology. A nuclear-powered modern version that just rumbles in a massive circuit through the countryside over the course of a year or so, ripping up everything of value in the zones rendered dead by the mass extinction event anyway. That could bring in raw materials in a safe fashion.

Yes, civilization will certainly go on even through the PT event, we just need for it to get bad enough that us technocrats can achieve totalitarian dictatorial powers and accept the die-off of a majority of the world's population.

[Alyrium Denryle]

Of course, what would make this solution even better for those of us in the First and Second Worlds would be to just form the Purnelle-verse CoDominion and nuke the fuck out of the third world to achieve the same effect. It would certainly work.

Though generally speaking there are plenty of adaptation mechanisms for society. Algae in the oceans will not, for instance, stop global warming, but we can certainly harvest it and process it into food, and algae will certainly be more resilient in the future than any other crop.

Indeed, our society may transition to an algae-based society for food, in which algae is harvested out of the ocean, with a huge surplus of production serving to deal with destruction of the "crop" due to mega-hurricanes, and we essentially have a mono-crop diet of processed algae supporting a population which lives in immense fortified Arcologies powered by nuclear reactors. Such a civilization should prove quite resilient against the effects of even a Permian-Triassic boundary extinction event.

Dont forget giant fermenting vats for certain types of fungus. We can also easily live on Vitamin rich Quorn, use algae to sequester CO2 and recycle the air inside the arcology....

Hmm, and we could build giant Sand-Crawler like processor-crawlers, I mean, we already have the space shuttle's transporter and that's extremely old technology. A nuclear-powered modern version that just rumbles in a massive circuit through the countryside over the course of a year or so, ripping up everything of value in the zones rendered dead by the mass extinction event anyway. That could bring in raw materials in a safe fashion.

Yes, civilization will certainly go on even through the PT event, we just need for it to get bad enough that us technocrats can achieve totalitarian dictatorial powers and accept the die-off of a majority of the world's population.

I am probably the most misanthropic ecologist here... and if it comes down to that (which I hope it wont) I am fine with die offs like that...

Then again I am also going to become useless. I will become a paleoecologist because the organisms I study wont exist anymore...

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Maybe 1,000 years in the future my uploaded computer-consciousness which runs the totalitarian Montreal Arcology (rising up out of the shallow, algae-infested waters of the Sea of Saint Lawrence) will wake Valdemar out of cryogenic suspension?

Hmm, it seems like we do have a plot for our dystopic movie series after all. Do you like your part, Valdemar?

And don't worry, Ben, we'll find a job for you. *hug*

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Ahh, I even have the plot. It will be a modern-day remake of Soylent Green with a new, topical backstory and development, set a thousand years in the future, and basically to the Charleton Heston classic version what nBSG is today to oBSG. The final scene will have Valdemar being fed into a reprocessor feet first while still alive, screaming that Soylent Green is made of people.

[Adrian Laguna]

The final scene will have Valdemar being fed into a reprocessor feet first while still alive, screaming that Soylent Green is made of people.

Wow, he must have really pissed someone off. I would have ordered something along the lines of, "kill him and dump the corpse in the reprocessors". Of course, if I were the tyrant in charge then that Soylent Green is people wouldn't even be a secret. Anyone who doesn't like eating the reprocessed remains of the dead is free to starve to death if they so desire.

[Thanas]

Actually, I do have a very quick solution that should actually work: We could throw a counter-value targeted nuclear war. Cripple the vast majority of the world's industry, kill enough people to slash their carbon emissions even if they still had crap to buy, which they wouldn't, and engulf the globe in clouds of dark ash which would block substantial amounts of sunlight. Maybe the latest round of standoffs between Russia and the USA aren't so bad, after all.

And you of course will be standing right in Times Square when this happens, right?

Solution to global warming? Use nukes. Right. Nevermind that this would fuck up the western hemisphere as well, what makes you think the rest of the world will just sit by and let this happen?

Yes, let's all become mass murderers. Hooray for civilization.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Actually, I do have a very quick solution that should actually work: We could throw a counter-value targeted nuclear war. Cripple the vast majority of the world's industry, kill enough people to slash their carbon emissions even if they still had crap to buy, which they wouldn't, and engulf the globe in clouds of dark ash which would block substantial amounts of sunlight. Maybe the latest round of standoffs between Russia and the USA aren't so bad, after all.

And you of course will be standing right in Times Square when this happens, right?

Solution to global warming? Use nukes. Right. Nevermind that this would fuck up the western hemisphere as well, what makes you think the rest of the world will just sit by and let this happen?

Yes, let's all become mass murderers. Hooray for civilization. :roll:

I love how people can't read even blatant black comedy for what it is.

I'm sorry, but in light of the world's massive lunatic refusal to deal with this issue realistically, the only thing I can really produce as a coping mechanism is black humour, and this thread makes it pretty fucking blatantly clear that's what this is, dumbass.

[The Yosemite Bear]

somehow I thought that said "De-Gaussing" had began. yeah we are going to lose our precious computers, and other things based on electromagnitism....

[Adrian Laguna]

Really, Thanas, the tone of this thread was set in the first three posts, and it's all sarcasm and black comedy.

[Alyrium Denryle]

Really, Thanas, the tone of this thread was set in the first three posts, and it's all sarcasm and black comedy.

It isnt like we can do anything else. I am sitting here watching the organisms I study undergo a mass die-off with rates of extinction thousands of times the background rate, and because a lot of amphibians are keystone species I also get to watch the ecosystems they occupy spiral into chaos. If I dont laugh I will cry

[Ender]

I see you just completely didn't notice Mayabird's post from like a year ago systematically refuting the notion that was possible.

About a year ago I was deploying overseas to Iraq. So no, I didn't see it.

P.S. billions of people are going to die no matter what. The issue is what the quality of life is going to be for the survivors; nor, however, am I seriously proposing this.

Well it came off as though you were, and clearly I was not the only one who felt so.

[Ender]

somehow I thought that said "De-Gaussing" had began. yeah we are going to lose our precious computers, and other things based on electromagnitism....

Yeah, I screwed up the terminology. Degassing is when gas comes out from a liquid. Thread title should be "Outgassing", which is when it comes from rocks.

[Thanas]

Actually, I do have a very quick solution that should actually work: We could throw a counter-value targeted nuclear war. Cripple the vast majority of the world's industry, kill enough people to slash their carbon emissions even if they still had crap to buy, which they wouldn't, and engulf the globe in clouds of dark ash which would block substantial amounts of sunlight. Maybe the latest round of standoffs between Russia and the USA aren't so bad, after all.

And you of course will be standing right in Times Square when this happens, right?

Solution to global warming? Use nukes. Right. Nevermind that this would fuck up the western hemisphere as well, what makes you think the rest of the world will just sit by and let this happen?

Yes, let's all become mass murderers. Hooray for civilization.

I love how people can't read even blatant black comedy for what it is.

I'm sorry, but in light of the world's massive lunatic refusal to deal with this issue realistically, the only thing I can really produce as a coping mechanism is black humour, and this thread makes it pretty fucking blatantly clear that's what this is, dumbass.

Sorry for misreading your post, but then again you are not exactly known for making balanced and level-headed proposals, are you?

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Sorry for misreading your post, but then again you are not exactly known for making balanced and level-headed proposals, are you?

As a matter of fact, most of them are unserious, or at the most intended to spark better proposals. And on more than a few occasions, I have proposed something which seems extreme, but if you really started asking me questions about my methodology, you'd find that I tend to base such things on a cost-benefit analysis. You tend to get those proposals in response to "we're all going to die", simply to demonstrate that claim or implication in one of these posts is nonsense by saying a way to avert the disaster which will unquestionably work; once we have established that everyone is not going to die, we can then start to, as a society (we may hope), formulate better ideas on how to deal with the problem.

And in this case, it certainly could be that the proposal could have also been in that light; Valdemar is known for generally refusing to discuss solutions to the problems he brings up, and a nuclear war would unquestionably create a negative-carbon society necessary to halt global warming and break the feedback loop.

Now that we've established that humans can in fact stop global warming, I am quite content to leave it to professionals and other experts to determine the best way to go about this, you see? The extreme proposal serves only to demonstrate that mitigation remains possible and has no other purpose.

[Gil Hamilton]

Don't worry, Marina. Most people recognize your tone.

I know, for instance, that my clone-descendant will order the Clavelind-Erre militia of the Great Lakes Free Republic to cross north to Niagara and make an amphibious landing on the coast of Onterian Plantation Zones to attempt to cut off reinforcements attempt to continue the siege on the Torantan Arcology Cluster.

The battle between the Clavlind-Erre Militia and Montrealan Citizen-Soldiers and their Ottawan Auxiliaries will be known for generations as the Battle of Algae Falls, where one photomancer recorded dramatic images of the orange glare of explosions glinting off the thick algae blooming in the balmy February sun.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I don't see how anyone can look upon this world as one big joke. The biggest of them all, in fact. No one's going to alter the course we're on, so forget about it. Laugh. Because if you're going to get so serious about something neither you, nor anyone else on the planet can stop, then you may as well give it up now.

And Marina, I'd much rather be put into one of those nuclear powered tracked beasts. Preferable with a good amount of artillery attached. If I'm going to watch the world burn, I'm going to do it with a front row seat.

It's been a gorgeous day, and it's nearly October. One of the good side-effects of climate change. And in a few years, my house in Anglia may be a beach side property. Can't fault that.

[Gil Hamilton]

I don't see how anyone can look upon this world as one big joke. The biggest of them all, in fact. No one's going to alter the course we're on, so forget about it. Laugh. Because if you're going to get so serious about something neither you, nor anyone else on the planet can stop, then you may as well give it up now.

I have absolutely no intention of giving up, but there is no reason why we can't laugh anyway. The world is a horrible absurd thing and you'll never survive it unless you can see the humor in things.

[Alyrium Denryle]

I don't see how anyone can look upon this world as one big joke. The biggest of them all, in fact. No one's going to alter the course we're on, so forget about it. Laugh. Because if you're going to get so serious about something neither you, nor anyone else on the planet can stop, then you may as well give it up now.

I have absolutely no intention of giving up, but there is no reason why we can't laugh anyway. The world is a horrible absurd thing and you'll never survive it unless you can see the humor in things.

Exactly. for example, as the climate gets warmer, the non-native range of burmese pythons, anacondas, and nile monitors, will extend from florida to the entire SE US and beyond, Burms for example will be able to extend their range as far as west texas and as far north as MD

I can imagine the PSAs now...

"Do you know where your kids are?"

I mean, Nile Monitors are consumate nest raiders... people will have to block up their dog doors and give up the idea of leaving their kids sleeping peacefully in their cribs...

[Admiral Valdemar]

I have absolutely no intention of giving up, but there is no reason why we can't laugh anyway. The world is a horrible absurd thing and you'll never survive it unless you can see the humor in things.

No reason we can't all get along fine with less. I sure do. I love how I can cope with the idea of putting on more layers in winter, to cut fuel bills, but others see it as TEH END OF TEH WORLDZ!!!

Not been abroad since, what, 2002? Hah! Some people find that amazing.

I'll keep solvent, thanks. I know people in debt who are going to be so fucked by even a minor economic problem. I'd feel cruel letting them know they'd wasted that cash anyway when the UK will be the Costa Del Sol soon regardless.

Where's my Soylent Green pizza?

[Broomstick]

I have absolutely no intention of giving up, but there is no reason why we can't laugh anyway. The world is a horrible absurd thing and you'll never survive it unless you can see the humor in things.

No reason we can't all get along fine with less. I sure do. I love how I can cope with the idea of putting on more layers in winter, to cut fuel bills, but others see it as TEH END OF TEH WORLDZ!!!

Well, I do have a tropical pet bird which makes cutting heating here a bit problematic... but she's already been trained to sleep in her own insulated "bag" and during the day she can keep moving or we'll park her under a heat lamp or something.

Not been abroad since, what, 2002? Hah! Some people find that amazing.

Not me. I haven't been abroad since 1982.

I'll keep solvent, thanks. I know people in debt who are going to be so fucked by even a minor economic problem. I'd feel cruel letting them know they'd wasted that cash anyway when the UK will be the Costa Del Sol soon regardless.

That's a key thing - the Other Half and I were able to take a massive pay cut, to 1/3 our prior income, and still remain solvent largely because we have no debt. We're able to live frugal, even more so than we are now (though we'd rather not cut further). That's a survival skill at any time.

[Admiral Valdemar]

If your company threatens lay-offs, you go and convince your boss you can work on two-thirds, half or whatever fraction of pay you can take and still survive. Having a pay-cut is much better than going on the dole. Most people are too full of themselves to accept that, and consider looking elsewhere. In a recession/depression, people ain't hiring, so you better get some stability.

[Broomstick]

I tried that. It didn't work.

On the bright side, since I'm painting physical buildings for a living that can't be outsourced to another country as the cost of shipping the buildings to and from remote locations is prohibitive.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

I don't see how anyone can look upon this world as one big joke. The biggest of them all, in fact. No one's going to alter the course we're on, so forget about it. Laugh. Because if you're going to get so serious about something neither you, nor anyone else on the planet can stop, then you may as well give it up now.

And Marina, I'd much rather be put into one of those nuclear powered tracked beasts. Preferable with a good amount of artillery attached. If I'm going to watch the world burn, I'm going to do it with a front row seat.

It's been a gorgeous day, and it's nearly October. One of the good side-effects of climate change. And in a few years, my house in Anglia may be a beach side property. Can't fault that.

Oh, human civilization will go on. I intend to see to that. But I am a little mad, and a little dreamy, and I will burn my life away if that's what it takes for me to do my bit. Nuclear energy will provide the power--and I'll be working on that soon enough--and then we'll work on sources of food to provide for our progressively more fortified cities as the storms tear overhead. For the moment, I mostly laugh because it's refreshing to laugh. Why can't we adapt? Hell, why can't we build cities in the rock under the ocean and harvest our blossom of algae directly into them? That will protect us from the storms, and the heat.

Do you deny it possible to create an Arcology capable of sustaining its populace, with exterior mineral and algae harvesting? I should think not. You are just saying it will never happen because nobody will care until it is to late. And it's true, most of the billions of people in the world will die, and the tiny fraction of them left will be reduced to the stone age. But not everywhere, by far. The world has always produced some visionaries and individuals of renown, and I will aide them when they come along.

Civilization may indeed be reduced to a couple dozen fortified Arcologies each with a population of a couple hundred thousand at most, etching out a processed existence of resource extraction and algae harvesting in a post-PT scale disaster zone that used to be the planet Earth. Hell, the outgassing may well mean that being the ultimate fate of human civilization is now likely. But we'll have those arcologies. We don't need that much time or energy to build them in, really, not if we're committed to immense sacrifice, and once people start dying by the million in first world countries, I'm rather certain that sacrifice will be made.

[Broomstick]

Maybe I'm hopelessly optimistic, but I don't think it will be that bad... I expect other opportunistic species to survive, so in addition to algae we'll have ratburgers, too.