In this thought-provoking presentation Guy MacPherson, award winning conservation biologist and Professor Emeritus University of Arizona, gives his assessment of the current global situation. His forecast is, to be honest, very depressing!
The talk is in two halves. The first half is the bad news – a detailed run-through of the most recent research papers published on climate change. The following is a summary quote:
“Methane release will accelerate exponentially, release huge quantities of methane into the atmosphere and lead to the demise of all life on earth before the middle of this century (2031 for the Northern Hemisphere)”
As if that wasn’t bad enough, the second half is the ‘good’ news – the global economy will collapse and, if we’re lucky, it will happen fast enough and therefore CO2 emissions will reduce fast enough, that we may avert the worst climate change outcomes:
“Only economic collapse can prevent runaway global climate change and allows for continued persistence of our species on this planet”
It ends with an exhortation to each of us as individuals to change our ways and adopt a sustainable lifestyle.
Although his predictions are dire, from what I’ve learnt studying climate change his views are based on valid data so he appears to me to be on solid ground, at least for the first half of his talk. If anyone can see any flaws, however, please comment (if only to reassure that things aren’t really as bad as he says!).
Enjoy – but you have been warned!
