Re:Elon Musk argues that putting a million people on Mars en...
by lmm on Tuesday September 30, 2014 @03:13PM
(#8390485)
Land, and especially coast, which is a lot of the areas most suitable for human habitation. Earth's surface is already 70% water; the ideal is probably 50%, so we should be looking to lower the water level rather than raise it.
Parasites and diseases, much more common in warmer, wetter places. You'll notice that on the whole tropical civilizations have been less successful than those in colder climes; there's a wide variety of possible reasons for that, but the effects of parasite load on health and general intelligence are real. Our technology/economy/etc. has so far been much better at helping us live in inhospitable cold places (Norway) than at dealing with tropical parasites and diseases.
Not to mention that a climatic shift on this timescale, in either direction, has historically meant about 20% of extant species going extinct. How lucky do you feel?
Parasites and diseases, much more common in warmer, wetter places. You'll notice that on the whole tropical civilizations have been less successful than those in colder climes; there's a wide variety of possible reasons for that, but the effects of parasite load on health and general intelligence are real. Our technology/economy/etc. has so far been much better at helping us live in inhospitable cold places (Norway) than at dealing with tropical parasites and diseases.
Not to mention that a climatic shift on this timescale, in either direction, has historically meant about 20% of extant species going extinct. How lucky do you feel?