What will happen if the earth gets 6 degrees warmer?

Question

according to 6 degrees by Mark Lynas, 95% of life on Earth will perish. Is that true? Are there any other consequences?

Answer 1

That's just the start.  Dr. Stephen Hawkings says the Earths temperatures will soon reach 450 degrees.  6 degrees will just be a summers pick-nick.

Answer 2

Discovery Channel ( you know, the one the skeptics claim is a biased, scare tactic outlet that promotes the great GW hoax...)

ran a Program of that name.

4 University and numerous scientific labs, both Government and private, ran computer simulations of such events starting with a 1 degree increase.

When all the data was compiled, they determined the following:

- water levels would rise forcing millions to move inland...thus putting an unsustainable drain on food, medical, etc.,;

- deserts would expand world wide, wiping out tens of thousands of fertile, farm lands;

- NOADD has already created a Category 6 hurricane level, which we would see many more of;

- World temperatures would experience incredible heat waves, on a disastrous level;

- Salt water and impurities would make drinkable water rare;

- The oceans food chain would be totally disrupted, causing a loss of a food source;

   And so on and so forth.

   Bottom line:  Your estimate of 95% mortality for humanity, within 2 years of the 6 degree event horizon.

Answer 3

Obviously that's not true.

Answer 4

MJV3 ;-----I would believe that could be very close, as an estimate......BUT ,,, Let's not only focus on all the Negatives ;;,,,ON the POSITIVE SIDE ;;;,,,Water will be Plentiful...Anyone that can produce food could do well....Won't need to worry about running into many polar bears anymore...Home heating costs will be cheaper....The bird flu won't matter no-more.....Lots of stuff like that!....

Answer 5

Six degrees is MORE THAN ENOUGH to cause that type of mass extinction.  There have been six mass extinctions and biodiversity experts are sure we have begun the seventh.  Species are going extinct at a rate of 3 per hour, which is faster than in any of the six previous mass extinctions.  We are also seeing other signs specific to mass extinctions, such as "Lazarus species", and the sudden migration of the entire population of species, and the discovery of new species at an unprecedented rate.

The exact mechanism(s) that bring about a mass extinction are still a subject of discussion, but it's clear that more than one exist that could do the job if provided a temperature increase of 4 degrees or more.  When you consider that it has typically taken thousands of years to raise the temperature 4 degrees the fact that humans have raised it 1 degree in only a Century takes on new significance.

Answer 6

Highly unlikely that that will happen, but if it did, it would happen gradually over many generations giving people and most animals time to adapt to the new conditions.

Mark Lynas' comment is not based on any science, and appears to be a figure which was made up simply for it's shock value.

So what really is most likely to happen if the earth's temperature were to increase by 6 degrees?

Some current desert areas may once again be able to thrive due to increased rainfall.

It would probably mean more milder seasons, being less cold in winter months and less hot summer months.

There would probably be fewer extreme weather conditions like hurricanes and tornadoes due to a more uniform distribution of temperatures.

Most areas would see more regular rainfall all year long.

We would be able to save on our heating and cooling bills.

If Antarctic ice were able to melt completely, which is highly unlikely unless a large asteroid struck and changed earth's axis,(in which case we would all be dead anyway), may cause a slight increase in ocean levels.

This increase would be closer to 1/2 inch than the 20 foot increase that the 'doom and gloomers' would like us to believe.

The facts are that even if we did not wish to have any of these benefits in the future, there is absolutely nothing that mankind could do to create it or change it.

We will take whatever nature delivers, either for the better or worse.

I do realize that many people only want to believe the 'doom-mongers' however.

The really sad part of this is that they are playing right into the hands of those whose sole intention is to rip us off!

Because we have been being ripped off by the large oil companies for so long they are willing to be lead astray by those which have intentions just as evil,(if not more so).

If people would just learn some basic science, they would soon realize how far less vulnerable they would be to being 'conned' by 'the rip off merchants'!

Answer 7

If you drive south from where you live to a place where the average temperatures are 6 degrees warmer than where you came from do you perish or do you adapt?

In fact you may even flourish with the warmer temperature, same for all of nature.

Answer 8

Learn to swim, or move into the mountains, become self sufficient

Answer 9

I would get a tan!!

Answer 10

Life as we no it would sease to exist. The main reason for this is the supply of food and and the food chain itself would collapse.

It goes down to a microsopic level to which bacteria in seas would die right through to wheat crops, sugar cain etc then through to animals and eventually to me and you who sit at the top of this food chain.

Polar ice caps would melt meaning mass global flooding as well as other freak weather patterns.

Even by 2 degrees the world would feel it, 6 would be melt down and eventual extincion. 6 Degrees is a bit drastic though and would take centruries.

Answer 11

Well, more heat would cause the glaciers to melt faster, flooding cities close to water like New York, and smaller islands which contain animals and people. Many animals cannot sustain survival with that amount of heat added as well. Some plants fall under this, too.