The planet will still be here even if it burns down. After London burned down, there was still London. It was just burned down.
replySure, and the planet survived the Permian-Triassic extinction event. Cold comfort to 70% of the terrestrial vertebrate species at the time.
replyThis is a good distinction because its a common idea but its based on a conflation: human civilizationhealth and planet health. Planet health is hard to even think about apart from humans but the planet in no way “needs” us.
replyYou say that, but run away greenhouse gases can sterilize the entire planet, like Venus.
replyFortunately that particular extreme scenario doesn't seem likely. Radiance scales with the fourth power of temperature, and we're not filling the atmosphere with Venus levels of sulfuric acid. Our CO2 output will be self-limiting when it kills us and we stop outputting it.
replySure, it will "only" look like another one of the Big Five extinction events.
replyWe've already caused one of those and it's ongoing. Wiping ourselves out would actually end it.
replyAre you sure it would end it?
replyWe won't kill it, but we can try to burn it. Conflagration comes to mind.
replyLike a burned out brick building, a burned down planet is still there, but still also burned down. Of course it doesn't 'disappear'
replyNot even close chief.
replyEarth has been a rich, life sustaining planet in far hotter conditions then anything we are projected to take it to.
We can kill billions of ourselves, but short of ww3 earth will crack on just fine.
Social media emotional hot-takes dont match the numbers.
We are still screwed though.
There's always the Death Star angle.
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