Dent Report post Posted April 4, 2005 Anyone want to venture a guess on how the world will end? About 20 years ago I started hearing about the end of the world, in an entirely feasible scenario. I am not talking nuclear war, either. As the years rolled past, I continued to check up on this possibility and nothing in the reports and studies improved my outlook. In fact, in almost all cases, I became more convinced that the end was near. More info below the quotes Here is what I mean: The End !!1 Some exerpts: ----------------- In the early 1960s, scientists began to ask what would happen if the West Antarctic ice sheet were to melt. They estimated that there would be a global 20- foot sea-level rise in an amazingly short period of time - 20 years or so. (After all, we are talking about nearly 10 percent of the world's ice. Antarctica has a few giant ice shelves and several smaller ones that gird most of the continent (an ice sheet becomes an ice shelf when it expands into the ocean). The Larsen ice shelf runs up the east side of the peninsula while two other large ice shelves cover two enormous bays, the Ross and Ronne-Filchner. More than half of Antarctica's ice drainages pour into these two West Antarctic bays. The bottom line: If Ronne or Ross begin to disintegrate, as Larsen is doing right now, then the plug for all of these ice streams will be removed (ice shelves surround 95 percent of Antarctica, retarding the outward motion of the ice streams), and the ice which sits above the continent (as opposed to that anchored below sea level) will move into the ocean, raising sea level. No one knows how the bulk of West Antarctica's ice shelves are anchored. Are they anchored underneath by the islands they overrun, or are they anchored laterally to the Transantarctic Mountains? If the latter, a sea level increase from other global warming factors could lift the West Antarctica ice sheet enough to snap the "moorings" to the Transantarctic Mountains. One half of the world's population lives within areas that would be flooded by a 20-foot sea-level rise. -------------- Some other sites and some quotes: ---------------------- Woe is me ! Professor Chris Rapley, director of (Bas), told the conference that Antarctica could become a "giant awakened", contributing heavily to rising sea levels. Melting in the Antarctic Peninsula removes sea ice that once held back the movement of glaciers. As a result, glaciers flow into the ocean up to six times faster than before. The other region in the continent affected by the changes is West Antarctica, where warmer sea water is thought to be eroding the ice from underneath. ---------------------- Antarctic Glaciers Melting Faster - Study ---------------------- OK. Most of these articles talk about global warming and temperature increases in the range of milimeters per year. No biggie, right? Well.... It turns out that the area that most worries people is sitting on a range of active, semi-active, and quiet volcanoes. Unfortunately, there is no consensus on how many volcanoes there are, nor on their activity. As it happens, a large number of smaller sites may have been removed by the action of the glaciers moving. Also, the region does not lend itself very well to study, so information is spotty. Just recently htere was a new volcano discovered that is very recent. <-- Cite These volcanoes are a part of the Pacific ring of fire. The ring has been especially active recently in Mt. StHelens, in Alaska, in Indonesia, and yes... Antarctica. The western region is and area where 2 plates are separating. Indonesia is one of the locations where the plates are grinding together. If one side of the plate is moving, it only makes sense that the other is too. This is bad news. Anyone got Noah's email addy? looks like we may be needing his services again sometime soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Leeloo Report post Posted April 4, 2005 The last I heard about this is that the arctic is the one that's likely to melt, and it's floating, meaning that it wil not change the sea levels at all. The antarctic is much colder, around -60C, and if the temperature rises that much, we'll have much worse to worry about. Like, a large part of the earth would have temperatures above 100C, the boiling point of water (human consists of 90% water). On second thought, temperatures like that would cause the water in the oceans to vaporize, lowering the see levels, possibly evening out the rise in see levels caused by the ice melting. Don't worry about the ice melting. Worry about the heat necessary to do it instead. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JaneMuffin Report post Posted April 4, 2005 Not to spoil the drama, but I would welcome it with open arms I truely believe we need something drastic like to happen to wake everryone up from their greed and selfishness. I always thought it would be great if the whole world had a #reset command, and with your post it seems like it does! JaneMuffin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soldus Report post Posted April 4, 2005 Nobody knows what will happen...YET. Climate models aren't exact enough yet, Computers not fast enough to really get a foresight on the developement of the climate. Melting arctic ice might even bring us another iceage, as the freshwater in it might cause the climate engine of our world, the gulfstream to stop, or just change it's course or shorten it's path. Rising water temperatures in the oceans will most likely cause CO2 "ice" on the bottom of the deep seas to melt and drastically intensify the greenhouse effect and thus the global warming, but a stopped gulfstream could aswell cause the opposite effect. Either way we have to stop pollution to not make things worse and maybe have the time to develop concepts to save us. Europe is trying to fight pollution, somewhat halfassed tho, Asia is split between ignorance and poverty, China is actually trying to avoid some mistakes the others did make, but the US, wasting more resources than ever before and responsible for more than 25% of the worlds CO2 emissions, is on the best way to "liberate" our planet for good this time... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mad_Raven Report post Posted April 4, 2005 All of this happened because ppl are cutting forests.Just think-rainforests make up to.....well,ALOT of world tree percentage.Already 1/4 of them trees is cut to make farms.Farms need plains.Plains need low height(or however u say it).So if it floods,the farms will BE THEIR OWN DOOM!!!!! Stupid ppl..... <_< Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ryuu Report post Posted April 4, 2005 At the "amazingly" fast rate of 1foot per year, people would just move to higher ground... *looks out window at 4 thousand foot mountain* w00t! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rebootedrock Report post Posted April 4, 2005 cant wait. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Arnieman Report post Posted April 4, 2005 Not too rain on anyone's parade, but one thing is certain: for each of us, the world will end one day. Oh, and here's a collection of how it could happen. Enjoy! Exit Mundi Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JaneMuffin Report post Posted April 4, 2005 Not too rain on anyone's parade, but one thing is certain: for each of us, the world will end one day. Oh, and here's a collection of how it could happen. Enjoy! Exit Mundi LMAO! The world is gonna be taken over by cats! I love it! JaneMuffin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
007 Report post Posted April 4, 2005 Not to spoil the drama, but I would welcome it with open arms I truely believe we need something drastic like to happen to wake everryone up from their greed and selfishness. I always thought it would be great if the whole world had a #reset command, and with your post it seems like it does! JaneMuffin I agree 100% Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daxon Report post Posted April 5, 2005 To Soldus: There are several worse ways to 'liberate.' Keep that in mind. Watch this be deleted. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matrixx_sh Report post Posted April 5, 2005 nooo flood not going to destroy the world Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dent Report post Posted April 5, 2005 hehe I have fun with this sort of thing. to Raven: Forests are a carbon sink, not a net producer of oxygen. The problem isn't so much that the trees are being cut, it is that they are being burned, along with loads of other stuff that releases the carbon into the atmosphere. To Soldus: You got it. Not enough data. What is there, though, points to at least a century of really weird happenings in the atmosphere followed by an ice age of unknown severity. That is IF this sort of thing happens. To Jane: What do you mean? I thought cats had already taken over the world and only let us co-exist to make their lives easier. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LaNora Report post Posted April 5, 2005 Farms need plains.Plains need low height(or however u say it).So if it floods,the farms will BE THEIR OWN DOOM!!!!! do cows float? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daxon Report post Posted April 5, 2005 Farms need plains.Plains need low height(or however u say it).So if it floods,the farms will BE THEIR OWN DOOM!!!!! do cows float? There was this one time.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
foncEmerlin Report post Posted April 5, 2005 I'm scert lol and I not scert to say I'm scert lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LaNora Report post Posted April 5, 2005 LOL DAXON!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: (not sure why i found that SO funny, perhaps lack of sleep!) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JaneMuffin Report post Posted April 5, 2005 (edited) To Jane: What do you mean? I thought cats had already taken over the world and only let us co-exist to make their lives easier. HA! I knew that the only reason that evil kitty keeps me around!! (I was just afraid to say anything cuz I just might look too jumpy) JaneMuffin Edited April 5, 2005 by JaneMuffin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mad_Raven Report post Posted April 5, 2005 Farms need plains.Plains need low height(or however u say it).So if it floods,the farms will BE THEIR OWN DOOM!!!!! do cows float? There was this one time.. ....and this other time..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JaneMuffin Report post Posted April 6, 2005 do cows float? There was this one time.. ....and this other time..... Is that around the same time as The Antelope, The Cantelop and the Boy Scout Troop? JaneMuffin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mad_Raven Report post Posted April 6, 2005 Well,here is the picture ,but i don't know what time it was..... Anyway,it should clear things up a bit Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JaneMuffin Report post Posted April 6, 2005 Your pritty pritty picture reminds me of a song.. ::clears her throat:: ::begins wailing:: ::Middle eastern music plays in background:: Are you ready to obey the cowgod? We live in a country, we can't eat meat Obey the cowgod We live in a country, where there is no, there's no Burger Kings Obey the cowgod We live in a country, where there is no, there's no McDonalds Obey the cowgod Ah dopey, dopey, dopey, dopey I'm a cow, and I'm gonna roam through your village And I'm gonna eat all of your food But you don't care, because I'm a, I'm a sacred cow Obey the cowgod We live in a country, where there is no, there's no Beefcake The Mighty Obey the cowgod We live in a country, where there is no, there's no beef-by products Obey the cowgod You, on your knees You, get on your knees Where's those two boneheads? Get on your knees Hands behind your heads And on your knees You, on your knees You, get on your knees I said, on your knees Get on your knees and pray to the cowgod Eat my burger, for it is my flesh And drink my milk, for it is my blood Obey the cowgod ::bows:: Thank you thank you! JaneMuffin (Song, Obey the Cow God, by Green Jell-O) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mireille Report post Posted April 12, 2005 Typical for the Westerners... It's much easier to imagine that w great catastrophe will happen rather than face reality - that the world is going to *change*. Which will be the greatest catastrophe of all. Imagine USA being run by the Latinos, imagine the Notre Dame cathedral being turned into a mosque. THAT's how the world will end. The world as we know it, at least. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dent Report post Posted April 12, 2005 Most Westerners see a lot of change in their lives and don't consider it an end. The end is an absolute, not a process in the typical western mind, so of course it would require something big. Yes, change can be disconcerting and sometimes shift certain paradigms, but that is hardly the end of the world. A successful society will be able to continuously adapt itself to changing conditions. But that is a whle new can of worms... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mireille Report post Posted April 12, 2005 Yes, change can be disconcerting and sometimes shift certain paradigms, but that is hardly the end of the world. A successful society will be able to continuously adapt itself to changing conditions. 152474[/snapback] No, it won't. My point is that people focus on completely irrelevant things and look for dangers where there aren't any, whereas the real and difficult problems are left out. There's no such thing as a successful society. The world will end, and the end will be a Change - this time, a Change the West has NO influence whatsoever. Interesting times await us. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites