Originally Posted by xyzdonna  .....I don't think we had a major melting of the ice caps 6,000 years ago during the Climatic Optimum that Geof referred to. I just allowed his assumptions for the sake of argument.
Sure, we've had these cycles before, but the earth was a lot less populous then. If we go into a sustained warming trend now a lot of people are going to die. The CSP (concentrated solar power) technology that I told Geof about is competitive with $60 a barrel oil. Where is the downside?
I can think of much better uses for oil than sticking it into the atmosphere.
Donna |
How big of you "I just allowed his assumptions". I wasn't really aware I made any, I referred to evidence that does exist showing that the Optimum did occur and did not coincide with any evidence of mass extinctions. You are quite correct major ice caps did not melt (and here is an assumption just to warn you) probably because the time span was too short. However, Arctic ice cover in Northern Canada did melt back dramatically allowing plant growth that subsequently was buried beneath snow and did not re-emerge until the 1950's or 60's (I think, I have a book but it is a while ago since I read it). Here is another assumption for you; probably Alpine snow melted away significantly...that is in the Austrian/Italian Alps. Sufficient for there to be passes that were open to foot traffic in the snow season. Otzi is the evidence for that.
On the CSP front. Yes IF notice the word IF!!!! 0.5% of the world's deserts wer covered. Where are the world's deserts located? Where is most of the energy consumed? Where are the high valleys for the pumped storage to carry through the night. I am sorry to say it but you are displaying the same fuzzy brained thinking as most of the Global Warming Doomsayers who prattle on about "Oh it is easy to cut Carbon Emissions" but do not have clue about what it really entails and how dependent our society is on abundant low cost energy. But you are correct on one aspect there are a lot more people around to die now.
I am dissapointed I thought you might have been capable of intelligent informed discussion but now I see your comment about repartee is apropo.