How Apocalyptic Is Now?
The article seems to completely forget about climate change. The current pandemic is going to look like a tiny speed bump in a few years when we start seeing regular deadly heat waves, crop failures, and other natural disasters. Billions of people are going to be displaced, and we&#x27;ll see wars for the remaining livable land. The effects of climate change are all around us already, and they&#x27;re happening much faster than any of the models predicted:<p>* new research indicates that parts of the Amazon and other tropical forests are now emitting more CO2 than they absorb <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;e360.yale.edu&#x2F;features&#x2F;why-carbon-cycle-feedbacks-could-drive-temperatures-even-higher" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;e360.yale.edu&#x2F;features&#x2F;why-carbon-cycle-feedbacks-co...</a><p>* one billion people will suffer from “unliveable” heat within 50 years, study finds <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;e360.yale.edu&#x2F;digest&#x2F;one-billion-people-will-suffer-from-unliveable-heat-within-50-years-study-finds" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;e360.yale.edu&#x2F;digest&#x2F;one-billion-people-will-suffer-...</a><p>* potentially fatal bouts of heat and humidity on the rise, study finds <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.theguardian.com&#x2F;environment&#x2F;2020&#x2F;may&#x2F;08&#x2F;climate-change-global-heating-extreme-heat-humidity" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.theguardian.com&#x2F;environment&#x2F;2020&#x2F;may&#x2F;08&#x2F;climate-...</a><p>* study finds ocean ecosystems likely to collapse in 2020s and land species in 2040s unless global warming stemmed <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.theguardian.com&#x2F;environment&#x2F;2020&#x2F;apr&#x2F;08&#x2F;wildlife-destruction-not-a-slippery-slope-but-a-series-of-cliff-edges" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.theguardian.com&#x2F;environment&#x2F;2020&#x2F;apr&#x2F;08&#x2F;wildlife...</a><p>* studies show drought and heat waves will cause massive die-offs, killing most trees alive today <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;insideclimatenews.org&#x2F;news&#x2F;24042020&#x2F;forest-trees-climate-change-deforestation" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;insideclimatenews.org&#x2F;news&#x2F;24042020&#x2F;forest-trees-cli...</a><p>* multiple overlapping crises could trigger &#x27;Global Systemic Collapse&#x27; <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sciencealert.com&#x2F;hundreds-of-top-scientists-warn-combined-environmental-crises-will-cause-global-collapse" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sciencealert.com&#x2F;hundreds-of-top-scientists-warn...</a><p>* 246 academics call on government to act now to avoid global collapse <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nationalobserver.com&#x2F;2020&#x2F;02&#x2F;04&#x2F;opinion&#x2F;246-academics-call-government-act-now-avoid-global-collapse" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nationalobserver.com&#x2F;2020&#x2F;02&#x2F;04&#x2F;opinion&#x2F;246-acad...</a><p>* Planet&#x27;s largest ecosystems collapse faster than previously forecast <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nature.com&#x2F;articles&#x2F;s41467-020-15029-x" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nature.com&#x2F;articles&#x2F;s41467-020-15029-x</a><p>World&#x27;s oceans are also acidifying to a similar rate <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Ocean_acidification#Rate" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Ocean_acidification#Rate</a> as the Permian extinction (but again in 100 years instead of 20k-60k), with an anoxic event <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Anoxic_event#Consequences" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Anoxic_event#Consequences</a>
 locked in after 1,000ppm or 360 gigatons <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sciencedaily.com&#x2F;releases&#x2F;2017&#x2F;09&#x2F;170920182116.htm" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sciencedaily.com&#x2F;releases&#x2F;2017&#x2F;09&#x2F;170920182116.h...</a>, which we will reach by 2100 at the latest. So that&#x27;s whatever&#x27;s left wiped out.<p>And here&#x27;s what&#x27;s currently happening with food production. Two different groups of 200+ scientists and academics, separately from each other, each warned of near-term global collapse:<p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sciencealert.com&#x2F;hundreds-of-top-scientists-warn-combined-environmental-crises-will-cause-global-collapse" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sciencealert.com&#x2F;hundreds-of-top-scientists-warn...</a><p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nationalobserver.com&#x2F;2020&#x2F;02&#x2F;04&#x2F;opinion&#x2F;246-academics-call-government-act-now-avoid-global-collapse" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nationalobserver.com&#x2F;2020&#x2F;02&#x2F;04&#x2F;opinion&#x2F;246-acad...</a><p>Examples of record-breaking crop failures currently happening:<p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nationalgeographic.com&#x2F;environment&#x2F;2019&#x2F;06&#x2F;midwest-rain-climate-change-wrecking-corn-soy-crops&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nationalgeographic.com&#x2F;environment&#x2F;2019&#x2F;06&#x2F;midwe...</a><p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cnbc.com&#x2F;2019&#x2F;07&#x2F;19&#x2F;extreme-heat-wave-hits-us-farmers-already-suffering-from-flooding.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cnbc.com&#x2F;2019&#x2F;07&#x2F;19&#x2F;extreme-heat-wave-hits-us-fa...</a><p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.theguardian.com&#x2F;australia-news&#x2F;2019&#x2F;may&#x2F;15&#x2F;australia-to-import-wheat-for-first-time-in-12-years-as-drought-eats-into-grain-production" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.theguardian.com&#x2F;australia-news&#x2F;2019&#x2F;may&#x2F;15&#x2F;austr...</a><p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.theguardian.com&#x2F;environment&#x2F;2018&#x2F;jul&#x2F;20&#x2F;crop-failure-and-bankruptcy-threaten-farmers-as-drought-grips-europe" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.theguardian.com&#x2F;environment&#x2F;2018&#x2F;jul&#x2F;20&#x2F;crop-fai...</a><p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.zerohedge.com&#x2F;health&#x2F;historic-midwest-blizzard-has-farmers-seeing-massive-crop-lossesas-devastating-weve-ever" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.zerohedge.com&#x2F;health&#x2F;historic-midwest-blizzard-h...</a><p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;mobile.abc.net.au&#x2F;news&#x2F;2019-10-02&#x2F;low-rice-crop-leads-to-sunrice-job-losses&#x2F;11566748?pfmredir=sm" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;mobile.abc.net.au&#x2F;news&#x2F;2019-10-02&#x2F;low-rice-crop-lead...</a><p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.telegraph.co.uk&#x2F;global-health&#x2F;climate-and-people&#x2F;climate-change-could-cut-fruit-production-almost-third-study&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.telegraph.co.uk&#x2F;global-health&#x2F;climate-and-people...</a><p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;phys.org&#x2F;news&#x2F;2019-12-climate-whammy-corn-belt.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;phys.org&#x2F;news&#x2F;2019-12-climate-whammy-corn-belt.html</a><p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.telegraph.co.uk&#x2F;news&#x2F;2019&#x2F;11&#x2F;12&#x2F;britain-facing-potato-shortage-failure-dredge-rivers-led-flooding&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.telegraph.co.uk&#x2F;news&#x2F;2019&#x2F;11&#x2F;12&#x2F;britain-facing-p...</a><p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;weather.com&#x2F;science&#x2F;environment&#x2F;news&#x2F;2019-08-01-drought-dam-drive-mekong-river-to-lowest-level-in-100-years" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;weather.com&#x2F;science&#x2F;environment&#x2F;news&#x2F;2019-08-01-drou...</a><p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;phys.org&#x2F;news&#x2F;2020-01-atlantic-circulation-collapse-british-crop.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;phys.org&#x2F;news&#x2F;2020-01-atlantic-circulation-collapse-...</a><p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;phys.org&#x2F;news&#x2F;2019-12-climate-threat-global-breadbaskets.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;phys.org&#x2F;news&#x2F;2019-12-climate-threat-global-breadbas...</a><p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;phys.org&#x2F;news&#x2F;2019-12-large-atmospheric-jet-stream-global.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;phys.org&#x2F;news&#x2F;2019-12-large-atmospheric-jet-stream-g...</a><p>Scientific studies projecting future crop failures:<p>*  Schlenker and Roberts, 2009. Nonlinear temperature effects indicate severe damages to US crop yields under climate change. PNAS, 106(37), pp.15594-15598 <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.pnas.org&#x2F;content&#x2F;106&#x2F;37&#x2F;15594.full" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.pnas.org&#x2F;content&#x2F;106&#x2F;37&#x2F;15594.full</a><p>* Mora et al, 2015. Suitable days for plant growth disappear under projected climate change: Potential human and biotic vulnerability. PLoS bio, 13(6), p.e1002167 <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;journals.plos.org&#x2F;plosbiology&#x2F;article?id=10.1371&#x2F;journal.pbio.1002167" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;journals.plos.org&#x2F;plosbiology&#x2F;article?id=10.1371&#x2F;jou...</a><p>* Schauberger et al, 2017. Consistent negative response of US crops to high temperatures in observations and crop models. Nature Comms, 8, p.13931. <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nature.com&#x2F;articles&#x2F;ncomms13931" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nature.com&#x2F;articles&#x2F;ncomms13931</a><p>* Sakschewski et al, 2014. Feeding 10 billion people under climate change: How large is the production gap of current agricultural systems?. Ecological modelling, 288, pp.103-111 <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;booksc.xyz&#x2F;book&#x2F;30274837&#x2F;03002c" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;booksc.xyz&#x2F;book&#x2F;30274837&#x2F;03002c</a><p>* Liang et al, 2017. Determining climate effects on US total agricultural productivity. PNAS, 114(12), pp.E2285-E2292 <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.pnas.org&#x2F;content&#x2F;114&#x2F;12&#x2F;E2285?collection=" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.pnas.org&#x2F;content&#x2F;114&#x2F;12&#x2F;E2285?collection=</a><p>News articles about projected crop failures:<p>* UN says passing 2C will have a &#x27;very high projected risk&#x27; of global food supply instabilities <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nbcnews.com&#x2F;mach&#x2F;news&#x2F;climate-change-could-trigger-global-food-crisis-new-u-n-ncna1040236" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nbcnews.com&#x2F;mach&#x2F;news&#x2F;climate-change-could-trigg...</a><p>* UN says passing 2C would cause &#x27;multi-breadbasket failure&#x27; <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nytimes.com&#x2F;2019&#x2F;08&#x2F;08&#x2F;climate&#x2F;climate-change-food-supply.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nytimes.com&#x2F;2019&#x2F;08&#x2F;08&#x2F;climate&#x2F;climate-change-fo...</a>)<p>* UN says passing 2C would cause 60% of global wheat to be subjected to &#x27;Severe Water Scarcity (SVS)&#x27; drought events <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.commondreams.org&#x2F;news&#x2F;2019&#x2F;09&#x2F;26&#x2F;new-research-warns-severe-climate-related-droughts-could-threaten-60-global-wheat" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.commondreams.org&#x2F;news&#x2F;2019&#x2F;09&#x2F;26&#x2F;new-research-wa...</a><p>Given that our response to the pandemic has been to largely ignore the science and try to get back to business as usual and we&#x27;re still largely pretending that climate change isn&#x27;t happening, I don&#x27;t really have much hope for continued existence of human civilization.