Global warming outcome theories?

Question

Could you possibly give you thoughts about what might happen if we do not slow down global warming?

Answer 1

It is all over the internet. Just do a search.

Oceans rise, coastal cities underwater, most places get hotter, some get colder, most get wetter, some get drier.

The deserts expand, the glaciers melt, the large rivers which rely on summer glacial melt dry up in the summer, causing famine throughout China and India, but then they flood in the winter. Many species of animals become extinct, crop failure, sea corals die, fisheries become unproductive, starvation through much of the world.

Any other questions?

Answer 2

It's difficult to say exactly what to expect as there are so many variables in play when we;re talking climate systems.  What we can say for sure is that the average temperature of the planet will increase and the ice-sheets will continue to shrink.  This loss of ice caps and glaciers as well will only contribute more to the problem as white snow reflects a lot more energy back into space than does open water or land.  I would suspect that what you see will vary greatly based on where you live, but I do think that no matter where you are you will notice more extremes and global climate change will effect you.

Answer 3

Well once you get global warming going you can't stop it, once there is enough c02 in the atmosphere more and more of the Sun's rays will be trapped by the green house affect in turn heating up the Earth, melting the ice caps, rising the sea levels, making artic plants that live in countries like the U.K and Denmark extinct because of the warmer temperatures and so on. Plus low level countries like the Netherlands and Bangladesh will be submerged under water permamently.

Answer 4

Just as humans didn't cause the warming there is no way for us to slow it down.  So what will happen?  The world will warm up and it will cool down again, just as has been happening for millions of years.

Answer 5

1.Earths temperature stabilizes (this has already happened. average global temperature has NOT increased 1990 to 2006. (It's gotten cooler since)

2. Increase of CO2 increases plant & crop growth.  (Hortoculturist would like to see CO2 @ 600 ppm  up from current 380ppm)

3. Less Huricanes as already evidenced last 2 years

4. The Southern Ice shelf has been growing, so expect stabile or even lower sea levels. (So don't sell your shore home, buy one)

Answer 6

My gosh Amos!  Everything one could be wrong about, all in one neat little paragraph.  There are only three possible outcomes.  

(1) The Nations of the world will act together as one to halt and reverse the rising CO2 levels while they are still somewhat subject to our control.  

(2) The Nations of the world will not cooperate and CO2 levels will continue to rise to about 4 degrees from the 1 degree we have already raised them.  At that point all life above the single celled level will end.  

(3)  The Nations of the world will not cooperate and CO2 levels will continue to rise until they reach a level short of 4 degrees where people will die in large enough numbers that the remaining social units will be too small and poorly organized to maintain an effective polluting infrastructure.  Human life will survive, in a radically altered world.

Now clearly #1 is desirable from two standpoints, one that more people could end up surviving, and two that a higher standard of living could be maintained.

#2 and #3 both seem more likely.  It's impossible to say which is more likely given our moderate knowledge of the atmosphere and our inability to see the future.  Between #1 and #3, #3 seems far more likely than #1.