On 3-7-2009 14:35, John VanSickle wrote:
> andrel wrote:
> 
>> Also my personal feeling is that almost any change in any direction is 
>> bad, at least in the short run (upto my grandchildren's grandchildren 
>> at least).
> 
> This is mostly because any change will affect some people negatively.

If it leads to large scale crop failures some people may be negatively 
affected by dying. It is up to everybody themselves to decide how many 
is still acceptable. Whether a few hundred million is too much or if the 
human race can easily cope with 5, 10, or even 50% reduction. You might 
even argue that 90% would be advantageous for humanity as a race, as 
there are now more people than the earth can easily handle. Note that 
being one of the probable survivors or being one that is likely to 
perish might influence an otherwise objective reasoning.

> However, any geologists can confirm that over its history, the 
> temperatures of the earth have varied far beyond the levels that AGW 
> proponents are warning.  The history of the earth is dotted not only 
> with periods that are significantly warmer or colder than the planet is 
> now, but also rapid shifts in temperatures as well.
> 
> This was not good for all of the animals; but others survived and 
> flourished.

I am not worried that life will be able to cope with any change in 
climate, but most people are concerned about humanity, or more precise 
with humanity being able to continue their way of living. One of the key 
differences with earlier climate changes during human's history might be 
that the ecosystems are already very much stressed.

> 
> I'm not worried.  The existence of reality TV notwithstanding, the human 
> race is smart enough to cope.

Some people will find solutions and be able to afford them. If it is not 
too severe you and me and everybody else in Europe and the USA are 
probably safe. Regions probably at risk are Africa and parts of Asia. 
(At least as long as the economic situation remains approximately the 
same.) So if we decide that these people are not really relevant we can 
decide that we agree on most things and wrap up this discussion.

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