Jeff Masters: Earth's attic is on fire

[phantom power]

I don't think I've ever seen Jeff Masters say something like this.

To me, seeing the record Arctic sea ice loss of 2012 is like discovering a growing fire burning in Earth's attic. It is an emergency that requires immediate urgent attention. If you remove an area of sea ice 43% the size of the Contiguous U.S. from the ocean, it is guaranteed to have a significant impact on weather and climate. The extra heat and moisture added to the atmosphere as a result of all that open water over the pole may already be altering jet stream patterns in fall and winter, bringing an increase in extreme weather events. This year's record sea ice loss also contributed to an unprecedented melting event in Greenland. Continued sea ice loss will further increase melting from Greenland, contributing to sea level rise and storm surge damages. Global warming doubters tell us to pay attention to Earth's basement--the Antarctic--pointing out (incorrectly) that there is no fire burning there. But shouldn't we be paying attention to the steadily growing fire in our attic? The house all of humanity lives on is on fire. The fire is certain to spread, since we've ignored it for too long. It is capable of becoming a raging fire that will burn down our house, crippling civilization, unless we take swift and urgent action to combat it.

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2237

[CherokeeDem]

1. I was scared about global warming before I read this....

now I'm really scared.

[Gregorian]

2. The future is history.

People have no idea just how large these things we're changing are. What I mean is, the effects of our actions are far far far greater than people realize.

We did what we had to do in the Berlin airlift, BUT just how many tons of CO2 were released into the atmosphere for just that one thing? And that was puny in comparison to the rest of our actions since. Like the Iraq invasion. I estimated over a billion gallons of fuel was used in that counterproductive mess.

[xiamiam]

3. and it continues..the us military uses more fuel than anyone..more than many countries..for what?nt

[stuntcat]

4. +1

With the ridiculous incredible waste of our military and industries I feel pointless turning my lights off and separating all my trash and compost I'll keep working hard on living light, but almost everyone else I know does not care to change one single thing, ever, about their lives. They don't seem to be able to even begin to grasp what's wasted and burned up.

I know too many people who WILL NOT EVER care. I've seen too much from them, over and over, it's made me ashamed of Humanity. I have zero hope for us now. The nice ones who say we're going to change, "Yay, a green revolution is around the corner!" These people are in denial, which is a cute fantasy, cheers them up, but it does not help. The revolution is not going to be as sweet as everyone planting a garden and buying a reusable bottle.

[Gregorian]

5. After graduating as a mechanical engineer, I got a subscription to Design News.

It was about 1992 that the term "green" was coined. And I was immediately repulsed by it. So much so that I asked them to unsubscribe me. I knew then what I know now: that there is only one solution. And that is fewer people using fewer things. It's not just about global warming. It's about garbage, and medical supplies, and food, and fertilizer, and on and on. And we can't just decrease our use now because the number of people who are using things is still skyrocketing.

All I can do now is take care of my own emotions. There is no point in raging or crying about something that is so monstrous that I have no ability to affect it's outcome. Even when I was still a child my dad used to tell me the best thing I could do is write a book about it. That was forty years ago. A lot of damage has been done to my poor body since then. And now I either relax, or die from my own self-induced stress.

My best friend from childhood told me the other day, his default view of humans is that they fuck up everything they come in contact with. I guess I was far too optimistic in my view.

I see answers. That is what makes this so difficult. I see families who don't abuse their children, and a planet that is in natural equilibrium. Oh well. It's a nice dream.

[AverageJoe90]

6. I like most of what you've said here.

However, though, I had to disagree with your statement claiming that we have no ability to affect the outcome of AGW. The science says otherwise. The biggest problem is, are we willing to do what it takes? If you recall another DUer by the name of A Geek Named Bob, he's come up with a solution that's actually pretty darn cheap and doesn't require lots of rocket science.......

[GliderGuider]

7. Can you point to his statement

"claiming that we have no ability to affect the outcome of AGW"?

I looked at his post and couldn't find it.

I personally think we are dramatically affecting the outcome of AGW.

[AverageJoe90]

11. Here's the quote from him.

"There is no point in raging or crying about something that is so monstrous that I have no ability to affect it's outcome." Sorry if I didn't make this clear but I meant a positive outcome. There IS in fact, scientific evidence that says that there is potential to mitigate, halt, and even someday reverse, AGW.

I don't recall if I've posted this yet but, Skeptical Science had a really good article:
http://www.skepticalscience.com/global-warming-too-hard.htm

Also, for a more in-depth analysis:
http://www.skepticalscience.com/global-warming-too-hard-intermediate.htm
http://www.skepticalscience.com/global-warming-too-hard-advanced.htm

And here's another really good piece from that website:

http://www.skepticalscience.com/solving-global-warming-not-easy-but-not-too-hard.html

TBH, as I've stated before, it does kinda bother me that the doomsday advocates and certain amongst the deniers seem to share a very key point in both their arguments: that nothing can be done, and that all we can(or should, in the case of the latter) do is adapt and hope for the best.

[GliderGuider]

12. I have no ability to affect the outcome either (he did say "I", not "we")

The efforts I've made have been more than easily counterbalanced by all the oil/coal/gas being burned by the other 6,999,999,999 people in the world.

Actually I'll go further than that. I don't want to affect the outcome. I actually want to see what happens over the next two or three decades - global warming, species extinctions, food/water/energy shortages, ocean acidification, chemical pollution, overfishing, deforestation, desertification, overpopulation, social breakdown - the whole nine yards. We are in the unique position of living through the real life manifestation of every dystopian SF novel ever written, and I really want to see how it turns out. I feel no particular concern about the fact that I've decided to take my shoulder off the tinker's wheel and instead devote my energies to the things I want to do, the things that I have decided are more important in this situation.

[AverageJoe90]

13. I could have misread him, perhaps.

Actually I'll go further than that. I don't want to affect the outcome. I actually want to see what happens over the next two or three decades - global warming, species extinctions, food/water/energy shortages, ocean acidification, chemical pollution, overfishing, deforestation, desertification, overpopulation, social breakdown - the whole nine yards.

Well, I'm afraid you'll have to look long and hard for fellow environmentalists who support that view because you're not likely to find many on DU. Most of us who accept global warming as a reality, environmentalists or otherwise, WANT to repair the problems that can be repaired.

We are in the unique position of living through the real life manifestation of every dystopian SF novel ever written, and I really want to see how it turns out.

I wouldn't quite go that far. Hey, things are bad. I get that. But then again, I've read a few SF novels in my life, and I've watched plenty of movies; I don't expect to have to worry about Buck Rogers or Mad Max in our lifetimes.....at least not in the First World(the 3rd World may be a different story, though, depending on how things pan out).

I feel no particular concern about the fact that I've decided to take my shoulder off the tinker's wheel and instead devote my energies to the things I want to do, the things that I have decided are more important in this situation.

Fine by me. The majority of us are still going to work on solutions like those outlined in the Skeptical Science article.

[GliderGuider]

16. You'd be surprised.

Well, I'm afraid you'll have to look long and hard for fellow environmentalists who support that view because you're not likely to find many on DU.

Stick around for a while, and listen. There are more than you might think.

I used to want to change things, I hoped to help put out the fire. Then I at least wanted to wake people up to the fact that the roof was on fire in the hope that they would act. Both of those turned out to be forlorn hopes. Now I watch. And sometimes I remind people that there's no shame in being a witness.

[FedUpWithIt All]

17. I'm also a witness.

I still share and warn but on a personal level, i witness.

[Ghost Dog]

19. We can't all be politicians.

And what is required is deep political change before any even remedial measures will even be on the table. As voters, these issues are not even up for a vote. They are not n the party-political agenda.

Meanwhile, time goes by, life goes on...

[Mojorabbit]

18. I am trying to find where the best place would be

to put a small cabin for the nieces and nephews to have down the line on the off chance it doesn't eliminate everything. I do not plan on moving anywhere.There is a ton of conflicting info out there. It might be a pipe dream to do this but I have to try.

[GliderGuider]

8. "unless we take swift and urgent action"

How's that working out for us so far?

"That which must be done to avoid the crisis will be done only as its consequence." ~Charles Eisenstein

[XemaSab]

9. Ahem:

hatrack's principle:

Humans will protect the environment, unless it costs money, or causes any inconvenience whatsoever.

[GliderGuider]

10. Pretty much.

We will act when the (immediate) cost of not acting outweighs the cost of acting.

People not only don't understand exponential functions (h/t to Al Bartlett), they also don't understand the concept of hysteresis. That's a fatal shortcoming in this case.

[hatrack]

14. Aw, shucks, I'm speechless!

[hatrack]

15. It strikes me in the same way that the final extraordinary NHC warning before Katrina did

Except this time it's on the commercial weather broadcasting side of the ledger.