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marmar

(77,078 posts) Mon Jun 16, 2014, 01:35 PM Jun 2014

Atmospheric CO2 Crosses "Ominous Threshold"

Atmospheric CO2 Crosses "Ominous Threshold"

Monday, 16 June 2014 09:01
By Dahr Jamail, Truthout | News Analysis

At the beginning of June, the Obama administration proudly announced the EPA's so-called Clean Power Plan, the goal of which is to cut carbon pollution from power plants by 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. It was trumpeted as the strongest proposal ever put forth by a US president to reign in greenhouse gas emissions.

However, Kevin Bundy with the Center for Biological Diversity's Climate Law Institute was unimpressed, commenting, "This is like fighting a wildfire with a garden hose - we're glad the president has finally turned the water on, but it's just not enough to get the job done."

Given the increasingly rapid pace of the impacts of runaway anthropogenic climate disruption (ACD), Bundy's remark is well placed, and these recent machinations by the Obama administration are clearly too little, far too late.

This April was the second-warmest April on record globally, and marked the 350th month in a row (29 years and counting) that saw above-average temperatures. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/news/item/24370-atmospheric-co2-crosses-ominous-threshold

18 replies

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Highlight:

Atmospheric CO2 Crosses "Ominous Threshold" (Original Post) marmar Jun 2014 OP

K&R nt redqueen Jun 2014 #1

We are already past the point of no return smallcat88 Jun 2014 #2

You think there will be someone around to write history books? Fuddnik Jun 2014 #3

It gives a secondary meaning to democratic underground-democracy written under the surface of the DhhD Jun 2014 #9

Agreed smallcat88 Jun 2014 #15

"We are already past the point of no return" There's no evidence for that, apart from Arctic ice.... AverageJoe90 Jun 2014 #6

It's not so much stupidity as it is greed and ignorance. The oil companies want to sell the last Dustlawyer Jun 2014 #7

I think we all share part of the blame on this, more or less aint_no_life_nowhere Jun 2014 #11

I suspect that most scientists, in moments of candor, would say as much ....... marmar Jun 2014 #8

This scientist came out in 2008... Holly_Hobby Jun 2014 #16

"and these recent machinations by the Obama administration are clearly too little, far too late." Phlem Jun 2014 #4

Yet, we consider ourselves the pinnacle of evolution. Tierra_y_Libertad Jun 2014 #5

well, that is the pinnacle. mopinko Jun 2014 #10

That brings up not only the question of how one evaluates a "pinnacle of evolution", but whether xocet Jun 2014 #12

Some of us do. Not all of us. Phlem Jun 2014 #14

Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Jun 2014 #13

My asthma gets worse every year =*( riseabove Jun 2014 #17

Too little, too late... chervilant Jun 2014 #18

redqueen

(115,103 posts)

1. K&R nt

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 01:37 PM

Jun 2014

smallcat88

(426 posts)

2. We are already past the point of no return

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 02:48 PM

Jun 2014

This is going to be with us for centuries. Assuming our species is around that long. The generations of the 20th and early 21st century will go down in the history books as those who had the scientific information to know what was happening, do something about it and then -

Did nothing. We have yet another definition for too stupid for words.

Fuddnik

(8,846 posts)

3. You think there will be someone around to write history books?

Reply to smallcat88 (Reply #2)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 03:13 PM

Jun 2014

DhhD

(4,695 posts)

9. It gives a secondary meaning to democratic underground-democracy written under the surface of the

Reply to Fuddnik (Reply #3)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 04:23 PM

Jun 2014

ground.

smallcat88

(426 posts)

15. Agreed

Reply to Fuddnik (Reply #3)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 07:08 PM

Jun 2014

It may be the last thing ever written.

AverageJoe90

(10,745 posts)

6. "We are already past the point of no return" There's no evidence for that, apart from Arctic ice....

Reply to smallcat88 (Reply #2)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 03:42 PM

Jun 2014

perhaps. But other than that one thing, there's no evidence that we have yet crossed this mythical "point of no return" we keep hearing about.....

Dustlawyer

(10,495 posts)

7. It's not so much stupidity as it is greed and ignorance. The oil companies want to sell the last

Reply to smallcat88 (Reply #2)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 04:21 PM

Jun 2014

drop of oil. A majority of Americans are ignorant of the problem believing the science on climate change is in dispute thanks to folks like the American Petroleum Institute, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, CNN, and Fox News. Stupidity does play its part as well though.

aint_no_life_nowhere

(21,925 posts)

11. I think we all share part of the blame on this, more or less

Reply to Dustlawyer (Reply #7)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 04:28 PM

Jun 2014

even liberals who accept climate change as a fact and yet continue living as though nothing was happening.

marmar

(77,078 posts)

8. I suspect that most scientists, in moments of candor, would say as much .......

Reply to smallcat88 (Reply #2)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 04:23 PM

Jun 2014

....... but publicly I think they feel obliged to at least pretend that there's still some hope.

Holly_Hobby

(3,033 posts)

16. This scientist came out in 2008...

Reply to marmar (Reply #8)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 08:06 PM

Jun 2014

It keeps me up at night.

http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2008/mar/01/scienceofclimatechange.climatechange

Phlem

(6,323 posts)

4. "and these recent machinations by the Obama administration are clearly too little, far too late."

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 03:21 PM

Jun 2014

this I've heard somewhere before..... hmmm....

Tierra_y_Libertad

(50,414 posts)

5. Yet, we consider ourselves the pinnacle of evolution.

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 03:23 PM

Jun 2014

mopinko

(70,091 posts)

10. well, that is the pinnacle.

Reply to Tierra_y_Libertad (Reply #5)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 04:26 PM

Jun 2014

you reach a peak of reproductive capacity, strip your environment, and slide back down.
not just us. but we are clearly the best at it.

xocet

(3,871 posts)

12. That brings up not only the question of how one evaluates a "pinnacle of evolution", but whether

Reply to Tierra_y_Libertad (Reply #5)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 04:31 PM

Jun 2014

it even makes sense to claim the existence of a "pinnacle of evolution".

Phlem

(6,323 posts)

14. Some of us do. Not all of us.

Reply to Tierra_y_Libertad (Reply #5)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 05:25 PM

Jun 2014

are we still killing each other over which faith is the best? Do we have socioeconomic problems where large sums of wealth are hoarded by the few? Do we decimate the least among us? Is ignorance bliss?

I rest my case.

Uncle Joe

(58,355 posts)

13. Kicked and recommended.

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 04:31 PM

Jun 2014

Thanks for the thread, marmar.

riseabove

(70 posts)

17. My asthma gets worse every year =*(

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 09:19 PM

Jun 2014

I'm on Advair now which is actually pretty good. I don't know what's wrong with the Republicans that can't see the harm unregulated industry is doing to our planet.

chervilant

(8,267 posts)

18. Too little, too late...

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Tue Jun 17, 2014, 01:12 PM

Jun 2014

Our children, and our children's children, will suffer the brunt of our hedonism.

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