Climate change is all very well but what will we do if Yellowstone goes up. The caldera generally explodes every 600,000 years and it is currently overdue. I was stuck in Spain when a small volcano erupted in Iceland due to the ash cloud - Yellowstone would be much much worse along with dumping vast amounts of CO2 and SO2 into the atmosphere both of which generate acid rain. As winds generally flow in a an easterly direction at that latitude the North American continent would be severely affected. and Europe and West Pacific could see tidal waves, which with the elevated sea levels due to global warming would also be catastrophic. Anyone interested in a film script?
They’ve already done at least one. It scared the crap out of me.
That will be an extinction level event, I think. I’m fairly close, so probably won’t have to worry about it! However, this article was just posted in the daily thread and says scientists do not currenlty believe it will go within our lifetime.
Here’s a dark thought;
How will the massive global loss of life from covid impact the environmental clock?
I mean 4.3 million is a lot.
So it’s just meteor strikes and gamma ray bursts I need to worry about?
It was a joke
Parents in the ‘developing’ world have more children due to the high infant mortality they see around them. Europe and North America were the same - The Waltons etc (for those of you old enough) in the past. My grandmother was one of 12 (born in 1890) so the statement that the number they have is the number they want is not necessarily the whole truth. Culture and necessity are both at play.
Well, if you want to worry about Yellowstone …
Have you been there? I’m thinking maybe you have since you’re traveled so much in the States. It is one of my favorite places! I feel about it similarly to how I feel about Disney. I leave feeling like I haven’t quite done everything I’d like and need just one more day.
What about what we witnessed during the first lockdown? It was SO encouraging to see clear skies.
Just wear the aluminium hat and pants and you will be fine, or you could try lead if you wanted to risk heavy metal poisoning.
Um. Might have had something to do with the advent of birth control, don’t you think? I’m not sure my grandmother had 10 kids because she was worried they wouldn’t survive. I think she didn’t have a reliable way to prevent pregnancy. Thank God for the Pill!
I think that’s definitely a factor, but also, especially in agrarian societies, large families are needed to work the land.
Unfortunately, after the limited duration, some places had worse air quality than pre-pandemic thanks to people choosing individual assumed clean cars rather than potentially germy public transport
And as for pandemic effect - disposable masks/plastic test kits/plastic ppe
I actually haven’t. When I did my Grand Tour, I actually skipped it because I get way more excited by cities. Well, I did. Maybe now I’d appreciate it.
Nature does scare me. I once almost had a panic attack in San Francisco because I was worried about earthquakes.
I’ve been in several earthquakes. Several when we lived in Utah and one in Hawaii. They are a bit frightening. I’ll take Hurricanes over earthquakes and tornados any day. Hurricane’s don’t employ sneak attacks.
I am guessing if I say I planned for three but have two…that is okay then?
I was especially concerned about that really big one that’s overdue.
They talk about that in Utah too. The SLC Temple has been closed for earthquake reno and preparedness.
No, it is not. But I will sell you my allocation of children. It will cost you a week at the Poly.
I only have three nights and they aren’t for sale!