Bird flu...a bad thing?

[Bordoy 0]

What im talking about is, that the past 3000 years we have begun a new ice-age.

Iceages don't happen from day to day, ya know

It's not because of us, it''s just the circle of things .

Anyway, that the CO2 we pump into our enviroment has of course some influence on the planet.

Just like any other subject - different research groups have different results. Even the IPCC thát you reffered to concluded the following:

"Our judgement is that: global mean surface air temperature has increased by 0.3 to 0.6 oC over the last 100 years...; The size of this warming is broadly consistent with predicion of climate models, but it is also of the same magnitude as natural climate variability. Thus the observed increase could be largely due to this natural variability; alternatively this variability and other human factors could have offset a still larger human-induced greenhouse warming. The unequivocal detection of the enhanced greenhouse effect is not likely for a decade or more. "

To sum it up.

The CO2 incriese happends because of human activity. The temperature increase, however, may or may not be because of the CO2 incriese.

What my point is, it is pretty cryable that we still talk and talk about the greenhouse effect and CO2 levels, but we neglect to discuss all the chemicals that we put into our own food.

Hell, we even put stuff in our groceries that we do not allow to put in pet-food.  

You sound so sure!!

[Sc@tterbrain 0]

I know this has (almost) absolutely nothing to do with ya topic, except the title. But I wanted to express my feelings and I don't believe it deserves its own topic.

My intention in starting this topic was simply to discuss something other than Iran/Iraq/Middle East. These topics have begun to wear on my mind with the many opinion-based posts that seem to take it nowhere. So I just threw this one out there to see if there was any interest.

While everyone has moved away from the basis for the topic, I don't mind at all because it has generated some thoughtful discussion. For that I believe it deserves its place as a topic.

However it has become quite broad, so maybe we should stick with terrestrial threats.

There have also been a few other interesting concepts that may deserve their own topic. So for now feel free to make your own premise for future discussion.

And last, thanks to you all for your deep thoughts.

[xawery 0]

Perhaps the topic should be changed to "What will kill the human race, other than Aliens From Outer Space" It even rhymes!

With regard to global warming: it's true that there is still no consensus on the causes of the temperature changes. However, this is one of those issues where I would rather err on the safe side. We know the greenhouse role CO2 plays in the atmosphere, and we know that the CO2 levels have risen by 40% since the industrial age began. We also know that we're responsible for the majority of CO2 output. It is indeed difficult to say whether global warming is a natural phenomenon or the product of human behaviour. However, this issue is far too important to ignore until the scientific community reaches consensus. If we limit our CO2 output now and later find out that it has little impact on global warning, we haven't lost much while managing to improve air quality. If, on the other hand, human CO2 production turns out to be the major culprit, then at least we've done a bit of damage control. Either way, limiting CO2 output is mildly beneficial at the least and vital to our survival at most.

I'm usually very opposed to acting upon contradictory evidence, but having witnessed two hottest years of the past three centuries in a row, with a difference of 1.6 degrees celcius between them, I'm inclined to err on the safe side. Especially since my house would become an underwater terrarium should the sealevel rise dramatically.

[TrevorOfCrete 0]

most of the bird flu deaths were caused by inadaquete hospital treating in comparison to western standards. The death rate, even in Turkey and other eastern european communitys, was far less dramatic than in Asia. I dont think theres any real worry in the West except perhaps for KFC's profits.

[Ares1978 0]

Our species have not been around for a long time at all when you compared to species that roamed the earth way before we did.

Dinosaurs inhabited the world for over 160 million years, whereas the hominid species first reared it's head about five million years ago.

So we still have about 100 million years to go before we can make any kind of claim to be a long-lived species, I'd say.

I don't think there's any point in comparing a single species (humans) to an entire order or superorder (dinosaurs).

[TrevorOfCrete 0]

Our species have not been around for a long time at all when you compared to species that roamed the earth way before we did.

Dinosaurs inhabited the world for over 160 million years, whereas the hominid species first reared it's head about five million years ago.

So we still have about 100 million years to go before we can make any kind of claim to be a long-lived species, I'd say.

I don't think there's any point in comparing a single species (humans) to an entire order or superorder (dinosaurs).

well it does carry some logic. in the history of the earth we have been around such a short time. but this is going way OT.

[fardwark 0]

Our species have not been around for a long time at all when you compared to species that roamed the earth way before we did.

Dinosaurs inhabited the world for over 160 million years, whereas the hominid species first reared it's head about five million years ago.

So we still have about 100 million years to go before we can make any kind of claim to be a long-lived species, I'd say.

I don't think there's any point in comparing a single species (humans) to an entire order or superorder (dinosaurs).

Okay, if we consider the superorder we belong to (Hominoidea) it has been around for 25 million years.

So I'll revise my statement and say that we have about 75 million years to go before we can make any kind of claim to be a long-lived superorder.

Better?

[Ares1978 0]

Okay, if we consider the superorder we belong to (Hominoidea) it has been around for 25 million years.

So I'll revise my statement and say that we have about 75 million years to go before we can make any kind of claim to be a long-lived superorder.

Better?

No, since you are still comparing it to just one other. And since the focus is actually just on our species, not our superorder.

[fardwark 0]

Okay, the Crocodilia order appeared 84 million years ago (and is still around), Blattodea order appeared roughly 300 million years ago (and is still around), the Selachimorpha order dates back some 450 million years (and is still around).

Now I've compared it to one extinct superorder (which existed for about 160 million years) and three existing superorders that range from 84 to 450 million years old.

And the reason I brought it up was not to get into some pointless discussion about species, order or superorder it was to illustrate the fact that it's not appropriate to say that we (as a species OR as a superorder) have been around for a long time.

[Necromancer- 0]

Whether the next one will have mutated with bird flu, or 500 years later... thats up to nature i guess.

And that would probably not matter in 500 years..

I believe that in 500 years, mankind has mastered nano-technology to control any kind of virus/bacteria.

In fact.. I even believe no human would probably live in a common body.

Even though the media makes a hype of any kind of viral disease.. I think it's a good thing. In my opinion it's a matter of "healthy paranoia" in human nature.

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

Whether the next one will have mutated with bird flu, or 500 years later... thats up to nature i guess.

And that would probably not matter in 500 years..

I believe that in 500 years, mankind has mastered nano-technology to control any kind of virus/bacteria.

In fact.. I even believe no human would probably live in a common body.

Even though the media makes a hype of any kind of viral disease.. I think it's a good thing. In my opinion it's a matter of "healthy paranoia" in human nature.

Healthy paranoia?

lol