James Burke : "After The Warming", 4/11

Watch Entire Show: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=16E277DDB6723CC0&playnext=1

In typical "Connections" style, Mr. Burke takes a look at a possible future world where mankind has taken appropriate steps to forestall the ongoing trend of global warming, presumably primarily due to excess "greenhouse gasses". Burke takes a look at similar global temperature changes that had occurred in the past, of which there are two kinds.

One kind of global climate change happens in regular cycles having to do with alterations in the earth's orbital and also it's tilt with respect to the sun (the so-called minor and major "ice ages"). Burke examines periods in human history and development when these events occurred. Namely how they effected the entire human race, or individual societies.

The other class of changes happen through disruptions in the "temperature regulatory system" of the planet (these are like massive "rivers" deep beneath the oceans). This could happen for instance if a large "wall" of ice, acting as a dam for an even larger fresh-water lake, suddenly breaks releasing a lot of fresh water into a "salty" ocean. It turns out that the driving force behind this "oceanic circulatory system" is, in fact, salt. So if the salinity changes to a large enough degree, then the cycle alters, (or stops alltogether) and this can have dramatic effects on the earth's climate as a whole, and also over a very short period of time (less than a century).

Burke notes that climate change due to humans, being foreseeable, could be forestalled, prevented, or even reversed and presents the show as a news broadcast from the year 2050 wherein his ancestors (ie. our children) had the foresight to be able to prevent much of the catastrophic outcomes that normally result when major climate change occurs on Earth.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• James
• Burke
• After
• The
• Warming
• 2050
• PMA
• Planetary
• Management
• Authority
• Climate
• Change
• Global
• Greenhouse
• Gas
• Carbon
• Ocean
• Cycle
• Gulf
• Stream
• Solar
• Energy
• Renewable
• Wind
• Hydro
• Resource
• Self-sufficient
• Industrial
• Revolution
• Colonialism
• Rain
• Forest
• Deforestation
• Plankton
• ภาวะโลกร้อน

[AlgaeNymph]

"Adequate means of persuasion" (8:26) had me laughing out loud.

Ironic, given that James was talking about the *exact same thing* I hear about in social studies class today. Can't wait until we start mining asteroids, all the raw materials we want and no natives or ecosystems to hurt.

[JamesBurkeWeb]

Me too, and he was "deadly serious" if you'll forgive the pun.

It's funny because you know who he's pointing the finger at, and you know who turned a blind eye to it because well, you know, bananas taste great!

It's funny because it's true?

- JBW

[oker59]

Full-blown Drexlerian nanotech might not happen for another decade or more; but, seems there will be plenty of nanotech to happen between now and then. Not only that, but cloaking devices look to make an impact before this year is out(2011). Will cloaking devices lead to a war before Drexlerian nanotech?

[oker59]

@oker59

the drexlerian nanotech revolution may not happend for another ten to twenty years, but technological revolutions will happen before then!(including nuclear fusion; yes, fusion and not fission)

[oker59]

@oker59

the nanotube revolution may not solve the energy problems, but it can help open up the space frontier; and, from there . . . ;

Also, look out for these batteries recharged by the motions of either you walking about or whatever; this should happen in a year or so!

[oker59]

@AlgaeNymph

check out zyvex piranha by typing it in at youtube here; looks like it is the first nanotube macroscopic product; i'm hearing a nanotube bridge is being built right now; looks like the nanotube revolution is happening right now; i'm wondering when a nanotube rocket(man-rated) will be built?