Will future climate change cause human civilization to collapse?

That is am interesting link, isn’t it Dana? I used it the other day to answer one of Starbuck’s questions: “The world is in a serious financial condition. Is it wise to add further economic hazards now?” http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ag...

Of course the misguided little fellow thought it was an appropriate time to call me a “socialist tree hugger from Canada” as if that is somehow supposed to be a slur.

I answered another question the other day this way

-I know that humans are smarter than bacteria, but collectively, not much smarter.

-An environment will not perpetually support a population that never stops growing.

-Bacteria are incapable of understanding this and will continually increase their numbers until they deplete the resources that keep them alive.

- Humans are capable of understanding this and will continually increase their numbers until they deplete the resources that keep them alive.

-Whenever humans have realized the environment that supports them is on the precipice of collapse, humans usually give it that final shove over the edge destroying that environment along with their own civilizations.

-The only difference between our civilization and past failed civilizations is, we operate on global and not regional scales.

-Our behaviour is no different than past civilizations.

-Past civilizations that were lucky enough to be able to migrate did so whenever their environment was depleted.

-I know due to greenhouse gases we are on a path of self destruction and we will likely not act in time pushing our environment over the edge. This time we are unable to migrate and will likely take out the global human civilization within the next two hundred years.

http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=200...

Which means I do believe that with our past track record as a species, even when we are given the means and offered advantages to succeed, we likely will not.

My thoughts on this are we are not sure what will happen in future for climate change. Some areas will flourish while some will not. This is happening now. Do we really know how the climate will change the next 20yrs plus. I really don't think we do. But as a side note I totally agree with the article in the fact that the climate and economic "crisis" is humbling people. This is the perfect time to invest in new opportunities such as green technology. Because no matter who the culprit is on the current warming there is nothing wrong with cleaning up the environment. Renewable resources are a must even if it doesn't stop the climate from warming at least we won't be hung out to dry when we start to deplete our oil and other non renewable resources, which will happen.

"climage change deniers", what are they then? Ignoring the spelling mistake, are you actually saying you think some people think the climate doesn't change? Just consider that for a moment. The climate does change, that's undeniable. From what I can make out, despite a recent slight downward trend [1], there seems to have been an overall increase in global temperature of about +0.8 degrees C in the last 150 years [2]. Some, if not all of it is certainly natural, some of it could possibly be man made, but the truth is, nobody knows for sure if it is or what percentage. With millions of pounds worth of meteorological equipment, the best brains in the land can't tell what the weather's going to be like tomorrow, yet we're expected to believe they can predict long term events? Over thirty thousand scientists have signed a petition urging the American government to reject the Kyoto agreement. [3] Simultaneous warming on Earth and Mars suggests that our planet's recent climate changes have a natural and not a human-induced cause. [4] In the future, as now. There will be people who question what they're told, and people who just believe it and run around like Chicken Licken.

Forty years ago this was (from a mainstream perspective) wildly speculative radical environmental dogma.

So now it's mainstream. We're making progress. How long before the average person gets it?

I think the Apollo thing is a misnomer. That was one narrowly defined objective on a small scale. Big philosophically maybe, but technically small. Climate change is much bigger. It's an Apollo project for every government, every city, every corporation, every neighborhood, every family, everyone, everywhere.

It is like Apollo in one way - we have the technology in principle - it's just a matter of will.

It's not at all clear whether we can do it.

I foresee suffering on the scale of billions. Whatever way you think best to approach the problem, start now.

First of all, let me state that I believe long-term global climate change is occurring, but I do not have an opinion on the outcome or the significance of mankind's impact on the rate of change.

However, I am convinced that climactic zones will change and shift-that some areas are becoming warmer while others are cooling, other areas are getting wetter while others are getting dryer, and as a result we will see a lot of arable land and many agricultural zones shift from one region to another.

The speed with which this occurs will be a major factor in sustaining civilization, although how one defines civilization would have some bearing on the entire scenario. For example, if the U.S. is unable to sustain agriculture on the scale it presently does, that would almost certainly cause the collapse of this country, but the loss of what one might define as 'civilization' might very well emerge in another zone or region someplace else on the planet.

But a general collapse of civilization into chaos and anarchy world-wide? No, I don't think that would happen. I think there would be a long period of unrest but some semblance of civilization will remain regardless.

THE greatest threat to human kind by far is the next Earth crossing asteroid that comes around. Not AGW or natural Climate shifts. Humans have survived much worse climate shifts in the past and done so without the aid of todays technology. Your question and opinion lacks common sense.

That is sooo funny. Finally some highly educated people get together and come to a conclusion that many many people reached decades ago.

What do i think? I wrote a draft for a sci-fi-fable set around 2552. The basic premise was that we DID NOT resolve these problem sets in time.

Wars broke out, as they have now in Iraq, Afghanistan and Alaska, civilisation collapsed, but out of the ashes a new civilisation calling on remnant indigenous knowledge and equity, justice etc for solutions.

It re-stimulated human civilisation, sure, but only AFTER the massive, global collapse.

Fu*kup this one and there is one NASTY future in store.

The younger you are, potentially, the more you stand to suffer from your complacency and lack of awareness.

The wealthy elite must be imposed upon to donate 60% of their entire wealth to redress global, man-made environmental collapse, and irreversible pollution of the biosphere.

As CO2 levels in the atmosphere rise plants continue to grow much faster as it's the gas they use for photosynthesis. This is extremely beneficial to horticulture and will definitely help to supply more food to the world.

Also a warmer climate is also beneficial to humankind and animal life.

Even though CO2 is a minor greenhouse gas and human hydrocarbon use can't affect the world's temperature The world is both benefiting from the extra CO2 and if the world continues to warm; Great!

NO-it won't. But, it will be a factor in the world mercantile system's collapse as well as tremendouse species extinction. But, man's social evolution will allow the species to continue -albeit in a different social and habitatual environment than it is living presently.

I actually think the list of things that might cause the collapse of civilization is a long and frightening list.

Climate change is probably high on the list.