global tipping points

[montyy0]

An interesting overview of why global environmental changes might be rapidly catastrophic rather than just incrementally bad:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091209193728.htm

Comments

[rebeccax]

Jesus Christ Monty. Are you going to translate the article for us?

[montyy0]

Um, how about:

"The Earth is the sort of system where relatively small changes could screw things up in a big, and irreversible, way"

[rebeccax]

Okay. I coulda guessed. All I understood in that piece were the prepositions and conjuctions.

[hakatrip]

Interesting and scary stuff. I agree with the conclusion... that we'll have to live with ignorance for some time to come. Unfortunately, these are models and predictions so hard decisions won't follow from them. Humans seem to need to be hit over the head before major change happens, because sometimes the models are wrong, meh. We may have tipped by then.

I have another LJ friend who follows the melting of the Arctic. His predictions of the political future resulting from global warming is scary to read as well. Where will all the humans in currently hot climates go?