global warming could cause another ice age Issues Beyond Palo Alto, posted by a, a resident of the The Greenhouse neighborhood, on Mar 5, 2008 at 9:48 am
As the world warms up from people increasingly putting CO2 into the atmosphere, I believe there are two scenarios which could result from the warming: a) extreme heat in which only areas near the poles would be suitable for life, or b) another ice age.
I believe that the earth self-regulates, that when it becomes too hot and gets a fever, it sweats just like a human body does in order to cool itself.
This sweating may come in the form of volcanic eruptions, such as the super volcano in the likes of the Yellowstone Caldera. Scientists have said that changes in atmospheric pressure can have an effect on fault lines or areas on the earth where there already is some tension. Where there is tension, atmospheric changes could work to release underground tensions resulting in earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
If the earth becomes so hot that volcanos erupt, the volcanic eruptions would have a cooling effect. The ash in the air would effectively block out a hotter sun and thereby cool the earth.
An eruption of the magnitude of the Yellowstone Caldera could cause the entire North American continent to go into an ice age.
Alternatively, the earth could heat up without volcanic eruptions and earthquakes and simply cause areas near the equator to become uninhabitable and much of the United States to become a desert. In which case only the poles would be habitable and sustainable for agriculture and civilization.
One thing is sure, globla warming will certainly cause systemic and profound changes in the way civilazation may continue.
Posted by a, a resident of the The Greenhouse neighborhood, on Mar 5, 2008 at 3:55 pm
NASA solar scientists say that this upcoming solar maximum could be the hottest on record. In the last solar minimum which occurred around 2005, scientists saw unusual solar flares which occurred around the time of Katrina and the following series of hurricanes.
If the next solar maximum, which is slated to peak around 2010 - 2012, is indeed off the charts, Earth could see record high temperatures, which could spark global earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.
My guess is that the possibilities of seeing drastic Earth changes due to global warming would become evident starting around 2010 to 2012.
Posted by Jarred, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Mar 5, 2008 at 8:47 pm
According to recent computer simulations, increased C02 will lead to bisexual fish, ball lightning, mass psoriasis, and finally, the Singularity itself on June 6, 2012 at 11:54am, followed shortly thereafter by stagflation, goose bumps and copious amounts of government cheese. Don't even bother to argue with me -- the debate is over.
For this and other reasons, everyone should drive a Prius a fly to at least 3 global warming conferences in Bali each year.
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