Re:Greenland and Antarctica ice loss accelerating
by rwallace on Thursday March 12, 2020 @05:30PM
(#22561976)
You could use that argument to prove Earth is about to be demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass. I mean sure, there is actual evidence that global warming is real whereas Vogons are not, but if you want to make a case, you need to point to the actual evidence, not just handwave about survivorship bias.
Re:Greenland and Antarctica ice loss accelerating
by ForHackernews on Thursday March 12, 2020 @06:52PM
(#22562823)
My point is that dismissing "doomsayers" just because we've averted actual doom thus far is specious.
As a thought experiment, consider what would happen if a planet-killing asteroid were inbound. The doom-sayers would still sound like cranks ("in the 1970s they said the population bomb would kill us all") and normal life would continue right up until the point that everyone died.
Humanity is arrogant about its ability to survive crises because it has taken action and survived previous major crises, but the first time we get it really wrong will also be the last time.