Climate change could mean the extinction of our species

[trish]

Instability is the order of the day in the theory of non-linear partial differential equations;i.e. chaos theory. If one butterfly flapping her wings in Rio initiate a Texas twister a hemisphere away, then the firing of one neuron on the far side of one selfish brain can initiate a selfless deed. No one is set, fixed or deterministically program by biology. We are responsible agents who too often act irresponsibly.

[martin48]

I doubt a single neuron did fire though.

Instability is the order of the day in the theory of non-linear partial differential equations;i.e. chaos theory. If one butterfly flapping her wings in Rio initiate a Texas twister a hemisphere away, then the firing of one neuron on the far side of one selfish brain can initiate a selfless deed. No one is set, fixed or deterministically program by biology. We are responsible agents who too often act irresponsibly.

[nitron]

Let me put it another way, selflessness is accidental but it does work . Yes, evolution allowed for it. But only because on a social level it was beneficial to more people individually and allowed altruistic traits to pass onto the next generation. Selfishness is also allowed because it also passed on to the next generation and benefited individuals. So to go further I'm pretty sure , statistically ,more folks are socially conservative. And this is a problem for all of us. That means there not as likely to change there behaviors as fast as liberals. At least by sloganeering, or advertising or shame tactics in the media. It's not entirely impossible, it's just as you try to influance more and more conservtvs, you will encounter greater and greater resistance . I feel the logical thing to do is for as many as possible band together and form a union with the view of long term survival, even if it's an underground, or space colony type of survival, because it will be easier than convincing . Perhaps I'm wrong on this point. I know that most of conservs, even the hard to convince types ,would change behavior but only when the really bad shit happens. So why just sit around and waite for them to change. Better to act.

[trish]

Stavros posted this in another thread, but it seemed especially appropriate for this thread. Thanks Stavros, for the link.

[Ben]

From 2007: Rupert Murdoch launches effort to green News Corp.’s operations and programming:

http://grist.org/article/murdoch/

[Ben]

Short-termism dooming humanity:

[yosi]

And now it's global COOLING! Record return of Arctic ice cap as it grows by 60% in a year

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...edictions.html

[trish]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astro..._nonsense.html

http://www.theguardian.com/environme...-ice-delusions

[yosi]

Antarctica

NASA’s Earth Observatory does indeed show a new largest extent of ice across the southern polar region.....


http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/our...ntroversy.aspx

[trish]

Nice link (entitled antarctic ice levels-no controversy!). Thanks yosi.
The brief article explains how the ice levels in Antarctica are not only consistent with IPCC climate models but predicted by them. (The cold southern circumpolar winds obstruct, lift and cool the flow of the warmer winds that would push into the area; an effect that effectively insulates Antartica). The following graphic is from the IPCC link given in your link.