Are natural disasters more frequently nowadays? - Page 2

In addressing the orginal question i agree that we are going theough a period of global warming, however humanity is only helping this change, it was going to happen anyway. The weather will get worse but in using a homeostasis example externally, humanity will adapt to abrupt weather changes even through another ice age. Though I do hope we will adapt and learn from our mistakes and try to live more in harmony with the enviorment.

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The weather will get worse but in using a homeostasis example externally, humanity will adapt to abrupt weather changes even through another ice age.

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Will humanity adapt? I recently at uni discussed this interesting and important topic. Here are some of my thoughts:

It all comes down to whether or not sustainability is acheivable. Now I refer to sustainability as- to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
We need to deal with sustainability as a multi-faceted concept. It is not just ecological sustainability that is relevant- to be achievable, we need to address social, cultural and economic dimensions simultaneously with the ecological. But technology and huge increases in population won't solve the problem. I believe that for sustainability to be achievable, it needs to be meaningful for all. And yes for all...that means- you, me, your community, area, government, country, societies, the globe. It needs to engage all stakeholders in action.
Meaning needs to be measured. I truly believe that a fundamental and wide-scale political, social and behavioural change must take place for us to achieve sustainability. And all of this needs to be happening right now. However if sustainability isn't socially palatable then people won't contribute to sustainability. The economy is the driver for environmental policy. There is no environmental protection without an economy. Key decision makers are important.

Let me ask a question if you are reading this: Do you care? You may ask...sustainable for what? over what scale and time. You also may be thinking, well if it is achievable, then how can it be achieved?
Well I do believe education is the key. If you show to someone their environmental impact in a way that makes sense to them, then they are more likely to make a change. The cliche line- think globally, act locally. Yet it is very true.

I hope that was some food for thought. I would be interested to hear...what are your thoughts?

Just remember, there is a capacity to respond and change for all.

Most people do not make the connection between the economy and sustainability, they shoudl, it is extremely important. However, humanity as a whole has shown that we are adaptable after all we have already survived one ice age.

The economy itself may change to a form we will not recognize, but will still exsist.

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I truly believe that a fundamental and wide-scale political, social and behavioural change must take place for us to achieve sustainability.

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That is also true, but that kind of change is always happeneing we just do not always see it. Also, it is not always for the better you may wish.

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humanity as a whole has shown that we are adaptable after all we have already survived one ice age

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I think we both agree on the general consensus of this topic. However just keep in mind that this period of global warming, has and probably will have the potential to be the greatest hazard that humans will/have ever confronted. And therefore adaptability is questionable.

Decision makers want certainty of the outcomes of the future. However it is quite realistic that we can't find this absolute certainty. Many key strategies to sustainability are about centralised structures. However we need to deconstruct that, and deal with uncertainty.

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that kind of change is always happeneing we just do not always see it. Also, it is not always for the better you may wish

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As I mentioned, its all about time and scale. It maybe happening, yet it is unfortunately not widescale. Without scale and correct timing sustainability will not be achieved. And I do think that if we are dealing with the necessity of whether sustainability can be achieved and measured, then it will inevitably have to be for the better.

Global warming is a questionable topic. It is argued in the science community of what is actually causing the increase in temperature. Some say it's a natural process that the Earth heats up in cycles or this is caused by human activities. If Global warming is going on and we don't cut back on the emissions then we ruin our planet. But, if we do cut back and global warming isn't going on then the only loss is cleaner air.

Now cutting back is more difficult then people think. There are many problems.
-Fossil fuels are cheap
-It's the existing technology
-Third world leaders having to chose between starving people or the environment

Now one suggestion that I say is that we should convert our energy plants to nuclear power. It's clean (besides the nuclear waste) and the new technology has made it a lot safer. The waste can always just be shot into space anyway if it ever did become a problem. We can also recycle nukes in the process by reusing the plutonium/uranium.

i think the only way that there can be a golabal change in the way our economy/way of life is if a huge catastropic event happens that kills off like a third of the population. and hopefully it will be man enduced and not an astroid that we have no control over. then hopefully our world leaders could rise up together in harmony and construct a world-wide system of government that would benefit all. i think the only way to keep the shit that happened in the past from happening again wuld be heavy governmental regulations over much everyday life. its the only way!!! our human minds are insatiable and will never have enough, which is what sucks with communism. but in its purest form, damn communism would be tight.

well all just have to get over wanting bigger toys than our neighbors, and i just cant see that happening.

maybe our kind is the first of many that will eventually rise and make changes, but i really do think that some crazy shit will happen first that will either kill all of us or judmentday comes and its the end of the world.

...sucks to be our kids, and sucks even more to be their kids

The first thing that needs to be understood about the planet earth and our effects on it, is that we are ruining nothing. The planet is not going to go beyond a point of its own stability before humanity will. Polluting the air is a human concept, we pollute the air so that we cannot breath it, the planet is still fine, just not for our uses.

Secondly the best method for global change is to use the economy agianst the people, not more control. Make it to were it is cheaper to use more energy effective devices and people will respond beautifully.

People, please don't consider that 'oh the economy will sought it out'. It can't solve the entire problem. The reality is, it won't. Re-read my earlier posts.

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The planet is not going to go beyond a point of its own stability before humanity will

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Correct. However if we are dealing with a living planet, then global waming causes a natural imbalanced catastrophe, hence affecting all biological systems.
Although polluting the air is currently a predominate human cause (note: only in the last 200years, since the industrial age) , it is not entirely human induced. The reason why there is an atmosphere, is because 4.5 billion years ago, up to the present, gases have been circulating through the air and lithosphere. For example, unbalanced carbon levels fluctuate naturally over thousands of years, generated by carbon material- life, volcanoes, and at plate boundaries.


keep continuing with the thoughts people...

i read in the times that there are 2800 natural disasters per decade. which is "severely increased".... although it does not say how much it went up or what it used to be, thats a whole hell of alot.

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However if we are dealing with a living planet

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exactly my point, but the living planet will continue it's natural lifecycle, which this is. Humans are worried about the planet insomuch as it is useful to humans. The planet regardless of what we do to it will survive, without us if need be.

to be honest this argument should be spurring us in the race to colonize another world, which is a fascinating thread if someone would start it.

Colonize another world? That would be what Mars the moon. Why would we colonize another planet when the one were on is fine. It'd be a lot more realistic to fix our planet. It's not like it isn't achievable it'll just take sacrifice which no one is really ready to accept yet.

Is it achievable? Just to re-address what I mentioned before: can we achieve sustainability?

It's not impossible if that's what you mean. If there's a will there's a way. There's solutions it's just a matter of getting people moving.