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Recent Natural Disasters! (pg. 5)
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| DigiNut |
| quote: | Originally posted by Kamka
I must say that this post is the one that has striken me with the most meaning in this thread (at least, up till this post - haven't finished reading all of the discussion yet). I still think it's pretty sad and quite tragic though. I think that the scary thing is how an event like this can happen so unexpectadly and literally "out of the blue"... we think that we as humanity are so technologically advanced but at certain times, it's still to no avail... nature has the upper hand on us. |
Actually, the truth of the matter is that with modern technology we're extremely well-protected against most of what nature throws at us. We have levees and dams for floods, screens for hurricanes, insulating materials for lightning strikes, fire retardant building materials, all sorts of engineering techniques that enable buildings to withstand major earthquakes (have a look at the SAF), and of course we have our HVAC systems to counteract any extreme weather. And so on...
Most of the time (notice I did not say all), these phenomena only have truly catastrophic results in less-developed areas of the world where these technologies and techniques aren't readily available to the public. So the suggestion that all our fancy modern technology can't protect us against the wrath of mother nature is simply incorrect. It can, it has, and it's getting better and better at it. I understand that it was just a bit of philosophical meandering, but it's still off the mark.
There are some things we can't control or mitigate yet. Tornadoes and cyclones are probably the most difficult. But we're already at the point where we can see them coming well in advance, so give it time, I think we'll eventually be able to stop them before they start. |
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| VDub |
I think that the Earth is a living breathing entity and is going through a life cycle...
We had an ice age...now it's going through its hot phase...
And around and around we go... |
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| Yohan |
| I raelly don't like it when Mother Earth has PMS |
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| Kamka |
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
Actually, the truth of the matter is that with modern technology we're extremely well-protected against most of what nature throws at us. We have levees and dams for floods, screens for hurricanes, insulating materials for lightning strikes, fire retardant building materials, all sorts of engineering techniques that enable buildings to withstand major earthquakes (have a look at the SAF), and of course we have our HVAC systems to counteract any extreme weather. And so on...
POST SHORTENED TO CONSERVE SPACE |
I don't disagree with you ;)
I was thinking the same thing when I was writing my post - I am aware of these things even though I didn't bother to mention it. My idea was more along the lines of that we still can't prevent an earthquake or a hurricane from happenning... yes, we can alleviate the harmful results or take protective measures for the population livng in these areas (like evacuation) ahead of time, but we still can't mitigate the actual event from happenning... something like this that I meant. |
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| Yohan |
| quote: | Originally posted by Kamka
I don't disagree with you ;)
I was thinking the same thing when I was writing my post - I am aware of these things even though I didn't bother to mention it. My idea was more along the lines of that we still can't prevent an earthquake or a hurricane from happenning... yes, we can alleviate the harmful results or take protective measures for the population livng in these areas (like evacuation) ahead of time, but we still can't mitigate the actual event from happenning... something like this that I meant. |
lol. weather control machine is only for sci fi |
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| DigiNut |
| quote: | Originally posted by Yohan
lol. weather control machine is only for sci fi |
A lot of things we have today were only sci-fi at some point in time. |
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| Kamka |
| In relation to the global warming discussion that has slightly sprung here, I am in the process of reading an interesting article in a special edition of the National Geographic that's devoted to climate change. It talks about a chemist by the name of David Keeling who first began measuring CO2 levels in atmosphere in 1955. Back then, the levels were mostly 310-315 ppm; in 2007, the levels reached 384 ppm (I'm not sure if this second value is averaged or specific to some certain location?). Also, the long-term satellite imaging that shows ice glaciers disappearing over the poles (and this is documented) at what seems to be a faster-than-ever rate might be another proof that something is indeed happening. Just a thought to consider for all the sceptics. |
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| Yohan |
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
A lot of things we have today were only sci-fi at some point in time. |
true. and one day, we can reach the level of science to be able to manipulate the weather but this will be hundreds of years I think
certainly at least not until we colonize few other planets and such, because you screw up with a weather machine on Earth, we are so screwed! |
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| Kamka |
| quote: | Originally posted by Yohan
lol. weather control machine is only for sci fi |
But preventing earthquake is not weather-control... :nervous: |
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| DigiNut |
| quote: | Originally posted by Kamka
In relation to the global warming discussion that has slightly sprung here, I am in the process of reading an interesting article in a special edition of the National Geographic that's devoted to climate change. It talks about a chemist by the name of David Keeling who first began measuring CO2 levels in atmosphere in 1955. Back then, the levels were mostly 310-315 ppm; in 2007, the levels reached 384 ppm (I'm not sure if this second value is averaged or specific to some certain location?). Also, the long-term satellite imaging that shows ice glaciers disappearing over the poles (and this is documented) at what seems to be a faster-than-ever rate might be another proof that something is indeed happening. Just a thought to consider for all the sceptics. |
The satellite images show no such thing, and it's not in dispute that atmospheric CO2 levels are up, not even among the so-called "skeptics".
Next. |
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| DigiNut |
| quote: | Originally posted by Yohan
true. and one day, we can reach the level of science to be able to manipulate the weather but this will be hundreds of years I think |
I'm guessing 50 years, maybe 100.
You're thinking of it as a full-fledged "weather control machine". More likely it's going to be a lot of incremental technologies. One that will help trigger or delay a volcanic eruption, another that can create or disperse cloud formations, etc.
We already control the weather to a very limited extent using dams. |
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| Kamka |
| quote: | Originally posted by Yohan
true. and one day, we can reach the level of science to be able to manipulate the weather but this will be hundreds of years I think
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I'd rather not... manipulating weather is not something that I think would be a good thing to play with. Besides, I think that Mother Nature would always find ways to just get back at us. It is, after all, only following the laws of physics and biochemistry... you can play around with it, but you can't control it.
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certainly at least not until we colonize few other planets and such, because you screw up with a weather machine on Earth, we are so screwed! |
There don't seem to be any other habitable planets with the potential to hold more than primitive forms of life (and even that's questionable with planets which are of most resemblance to Earth in our Solar system, like Mars and Venus) anywhere near around us, so I think for the moment it's best if we just stick with what we've got. Seems to be the only available option anyways. |
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