Re:Satellites reveal widespread decline in global lake water...
by SkyPuncher on Friday May 19, 2023 @11:58AM
(#36003461)
The earth as a whole is roughly a closed system, but "usable water" is not.
Most resource problems are not about the quantity of some thing changing as a percentage of earth's matter. Most resources are about density and composition.
If all of the (non-ice) freshwater on earth was suddenly dumped into the ocean, we'd have the same amount of overall water - but little to no drinkable water.
Likewise, we're not really creating new carbon by burning fossil fuels. We're moving and re-distributing it. Compared to being deep underground, the form we create by burning captures much more heat, causing many problems.
Most resource problems are not about the quantity of some thing changing as a percentage of earth's matter. Most resources are about density and composition.
If all of the (non-ice) freshwater on earth was suddenly dumped into the ocean, we'd have the same amount of overall water - but little to no drinkable water.
Likewise, we're not really creating new carbon by burning fossil fuels. We're moving and re-distributing it. Compared to being deep underground, the form we create by burning captures much more heat, causing many problems.