Comments on: Irrationalism on climate change action http://bravenewclimate.com/2008/08/19/irrationalism-on-climate-change-action/ Getting to grips with the brave new world of future climate and energy - notes from a Promethean environmentalist Wed, 16 May 2012 04:29:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Corey Bradshaw http://bravenewclimate.com/2008/08/19/irrationalism-on-climate-change-action/#comment-382 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:25:14 +0000 http://bravenewclimate.wordpress.com/?p=174#comment-382 That’s certainly an interesting proposition; however, I believe the catastrophic loss of habitat (i.e., generally forests) will engender a whole series of cascading effects that will reduce the quality of human life well before oxygen depletion becomes an issue. Essential ecosystem services such as pollination (for crops, among other plant life), water purification, water availability, flood prevention, waste processing, carbon sequestration, resilience against invasive species (e.g., pine beetles), etc. are being severely degraded (see relevant posts in ConservationBytes.com here and here). Let’s hope that oxygen doesn’t become limiting in addition to water and food. There’s not much good news, is there?

CJA Bradshaw

]]> By: WotWot http://bravenewclimate.com/2008/08/19/irrationalism-on-climate-change-action/#comment-366 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:50:31 +0000 http://bravenewclimate.wordpress.com/?p=174#comment-366 Our actions are also rapidly degrading the Earth’s natural capital. Beyond climate change, there is ongoing deforestation, over-exploitation of fisheries, massive diversion of freshwater surface flows and draw-down of groundwater aquifers, and contamination and exhaustion of soils through unsustainable agricultural practices.

To which we might have to add another, and potentially very serious, problem to the list:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/13/carbonemissions.climatechange

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