Comments on: Great Barrier Reef: Gone in 20 Years http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/ The Neat Side of the Web Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:53:16 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Grace Nam http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/comment-page-1/#comment-1834794 Grace Nam Sat, 01 Aug 2009 01:19:45 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/#comment-1834794 Oh gosh I hope this is wrong Oh gosh I hope this is wrong

]]> By: Bursar http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/comment-page-1/#comment-1819880 Bursar Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:39:16 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/#comment-1819880 Sorry to troll, but are you guys really engineers?? Surely you understand the concept of a decimal point? Yes coral reefs have been around for 1000's years, but CO2 normally fluctuates over a period of millions of years. It's like when you try to measure a signal on an oscilloscope and instead of the nice sine or square wave you were expecting you get a flat line and you think there must be something wrong - then you you crank the sample rate knob over to the right and try again -lo and behold, your sine wave appears. We are all living in the trough of a sine wave :-) Sorry to troll, but are you guys really engineers?? Surely you understand the concept of a decimal point? Yes coral reefs have been around for 1000's years, but CO2 normally fluctuates over a period of millions of years.

It's like when you try to measure a signal on an oscilloscope and instead of the nice sine or square wave you were expecting you get a flat line and you think there must be something wrong - then you you crank the sample rate knob over to the right and try again -lo and behold, your sine wave appears. We are all living in the trough of a sine wave :-)

]]> By: Dood http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/comment-page-1/#comment-1819731 Dood Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:51:12 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/#comment-1819731 This is typical panic - coral reefs have been round for thousands and thousands of years as far as I am aware. Co2 and temperatures have fluctuated hugely - just think about Toba event. This just like the Polar Bears dying out, they aint; there's more than ever been. This is typical panic - coral reefs have been round for thousands and thousands of years as far as I am aware. Co2 and temperatures have fluctuated hugely - just think about Toba event. This just like the Polar Bears dying out, they aint; there's more than ever been.

]]> By: skidworth http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/comment-page-1/#comment-1819646 skidworth Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:57:34 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/#comment-1819646 on topic of evolution....it happens so slowly no one will ever see a change. of course we are evolving not only physically but in the etheral sense too on topic of evolution....it happens so slowly no one will ever see a change. of course we are evolving not only physically but in the etheral sense too

]]> By: skidworth http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/comment-page-1/#comment-1819638 skidworth Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:55:28 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/#comment-1819638 do you really think that human intervention is going to cause a biosphere crash in a mere thirty years? the more urgent these global warming climate change hipsters sound, the more skeptical society is of them. we aren't as stupid as you think we are! do you really think that human intervention is going to cause a biosphere crash in a mere thirty years? the more urgent these global warming climate change hipsters sound, the more skeptical society is of them. we aren't as stupid as you think we are!

]]> By: Mytake http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/comment-page-1/#comment-1819593 Mytake Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:54:45 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/#comment-1819593 horned-one thx, I'll look it up. horned-one thx, I'll look it up.

]]> By: Mytake http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/comment-page-1/#comment-1819592 Mytake Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:53:55 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/#comment-1819592 Johnny Cat, I'd say we humans are evolving if knowledge/self-awareness and adaptation are a reliable indication, but that does not apply universally. You could even argue that some or most people are becoming dumber and less adaptable, if stronger from a purely nutritional/immunological POV. Also, adaptation can be self-destructive as you mention. As a layman, I never understood how some biologists argue that human evolution is over. If evolution works, how can it possibly stop? Also, the fact that we are aware of these evolutionary mechanisms and often influence it(saving Pandas from extinction, for instance) adds even more unintended consequences to the whole equation. Johnny Cat, I'd say we humans are evolving if knowledge/self-awareness and adaptation are a reliable indication, but that does not apply universally. You could even argue that some or most people are becoming dumber and less adaptable, if stronger from a purely nutritional/immunological POV.

Also, adaptation can be self-destructive as you mention.

As a layman, I never understood how some biologists argue that human evolution is over. If evolution works, how can it possibly stop? Also, the fact that we are aware of these evolutionary mechanisms and often influence it(saving Pandas from extinction, for instance) adds even more unintended consequences to the whole equation.

]]> By: horned_one24 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/comment-page-1/#comment-1819591 horned_one24 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:53:31 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/#comment-1819591 @ Mytake Read Ishmael by Daniel Quinn and you'll see whay evolution cant be blamed for this. We as humans have stepped past evolution and it is just a matter of time before it bites us. @ Mytake

Read Ishmael by Daniel Quinn and you'll see whay evolution cant be blamed for this. We as humans have stepped past evolution and it is just a matter of time before it bites us.

]]> By: Johnny Cat http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/comment-page-1/#comment-1819540 Johnny Cat Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:00:18 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/#comment-1819540 @MyTake: The thing about evolution is its inherent trait of entropy and Fail. Sometimes the forces of survival screw up and cause the extinction, like the species of bird that was having problems attracting females, so the males evolved to be more colorful, which attracted predators who destroyed the species. So, humans can try grow and grow, but it'll probably just bite us in the ass. Besides, are we evolving? Really? @MyTake:

The thing about evolution is its inherent trait of entropy and Fail. Sometimes the forces of survival screw up and cause the extinction, like the species of bird that was having problems attracting females, so the males evolved to be more colorful, which attracted predators who destroyed the species.

So, humans can try grow and grow, but it'll probably just bite us in the ass. Besides, are we evolving? Really?

]]> By: Mytake http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/comment-page-1/#comment-1819369 Mytake Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:43:16 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/#comment-1819369 Anytime a scientist talks as if s/he's foaming at the mouth or insists s/he has the backing of the entire scientific community there is a loss of credibility, sounds like some rapper dissing a rival from the other Coast. If the Coral Barrier really is doomed, that's it, nothing to do unfortunately. Trying to scare people into action usually backfires because of the very tone of doom and gloom inevitability so prevalent in certain areas these days. Finally, two questions: -carbon cycles: can we even try to control them? Should we blame every single catastrophe on it? -evolution: to what extent can and should we try to influence it? Should all species, including humans, just grow and grow exponentially? Anytime a scientist talks as if s/he's foaming at the mouth or insists s/he has the backing of the entire scientific community there is a loss of credibility, sounds like some rapper dissing a rival from the other Coast.

If the Coral Barrier really is doomed, that's it, nothing to do unfortunately. Trying to scare people into action usually backfires because of the very tone of doom and gloom inevitability so prevalent in certain areas these days.

Finally, two questions:
-carbon cycles: can we even try to control them? Should we blame every single catastrophe on it?
-evolution: to what extent can and should we try to influence it? Should all species, including humans, just grow and grow exponentially?

]]> By: Ashley http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/comment-page-1/#comment-1819289 Ashley Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:00:55 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/#comment-1819289 If I remember correctly, the Reef has died in the past, and... it grows back. Slowly, yes, but very circle-of-life. If I remember correctly, the Reef has died in the past, and... it grows back. Slowly, yes, but very circle-of-life.

]]> By: Josh http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/comment-page-1/#comment-1819189 Josh Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:45:37 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/#comment-1819189 I thought they determined that a sea animal was eating the reefs or something which is why it is dying so fast? I have never once heard CO2 to be the problem. I thought they determined that a sea animal was eating the reefs or something which is why it is dying so fast? I have never once heard CO2 to be the problem.

]]> By: HollywoodBob http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/comment-page-1/#comment-1819152 HollywoodBob Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:01:11 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/#comment-1819152 So I thought the great barrier reef has been around for millenia? CO2 levels have been much higher in the past and it survived them then, so why should it be dying now? Perhaps what is affecting the reefs isn't CO2, but something else? So I thought the great barrier reef has been around for millenia? CO2 levels have been much higher in the past and it survived them then, so why should it be dying now?

Perhaps what is affecting the reefs isn't CO2, but something else?

]]> By: Sandman http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/comment-page-1/#comment-1819102 Sandman Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:59:59 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/#comment-1819102 I'll bet it was an Astrologist. With a fancy hat. And an internet certification of some sort. I'll bet it was an Astrologist. With a fancy hat. And an internet certification of some sort.

]]> By: VonSkippy http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/comment-page-1/#comment-1819041 VonSkippy Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:39:11 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2009/07/17/great-barrier-reef-gone-in-20-years/#comment-1819041 "Once carbon dioxide had hit the levels predicted for between 2030 and 2060" Wow, that must take some fancy science to pin the date down so precisely. "Once carbon dioxide had hit the levels predicted for between 2030 and 2060"

Wow, that must take some fancy science to pin the date down so precisely.

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