Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tenchusatsu who wrote (313005)	11/28/2006 11:29:46 PM
From: combjelly	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1572709

"And they'll just turn into desert?" No. But desertification isn't required. In the case of tundra, simple melting will suffice. In the case of the chlathrates, a few degrees C is all that is required. As far as the ocean bottom water, there is a reason why soft drinks are bottled at close to zero degrees C. "For example, say that land that was once arid all of a sudden gets more rainfall?" Not a lot of that will happen. Deserts tend to be in belts for a reason. But, ok. Let us assume there will be a lot of new carbon sinks forming. It takes centuries to form a decent carbon sink. Longer for it to reach its stride. There may be things we can do to facilitate the process, but creating a marsh is hit or miss. And we know a lot more about the dynamics of a marsh than we do of a decent carbon sink. But let us examine a very proximate effect of global warming. There are already signs that the Oceanic Conveyor is shutting down. Decreased ice coverage in Greenland means that the downwells in the Arctic aren't as powerful as they were. And that means that at some point, the Gulf Stream will shut down. For the US, that doesn't mean much. But for Europe... Break out a globe. Or a map. Trace the lines of latitude from North America to Europe. In the Houston area of Texas, that puts us in Northern Africa. Much of the population of Europe is where Canada is. Now what is the carrying capacity of Canada? Answer, not a lot. Nowhere near the 350 million people who are in Western Europe. Maybe they can support 150 million, probably not, if the Gulf Stream goes bye-bye. And Russia with all its nukes won't be able to support what they have either. So what happens when 200 million+ people need to find somewhere else to live? Especially when they are an important part of the world economy? Can you say global economic crash? I thought you could...