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Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, November 26 2012 @ 11:47 AM EST |
The current cycle is running about 100,000 years: 90,000yr Glacial phase, 10,000
Interglacial. We are at the end of the current Interglacial. (Think 1,500yrs
left. Maybe. If we're lucky.) During the current Ice Age there have been dozens
of Glacial/Interglacial cycles. There is a long term secular trend over the last
540 million years towards lower global temperatures. It has become particularly
pronounced during the last 65-50 million years. But we digress; back to current
events.
When the Glacial phase gets into its stride, New York City will have about 2,500
ft of ice sitting on it. (In good news the Atlantic coastline will be about 60
miles to the southeast.) (Hint, the Hudson River valley extends out to and over
the edge of the continental shelf.)(But see below for local weather.)
In North America everything North of the latitude of New York City will be under
the ice sheets to a depth of 5,000 to 10,000 ft.
South of that latitude will be a variant of tundra/boreal forest.
Children, the current population of this planet is north of 7 Billion. The
carrying capacity of the Glacial phase is NOT 7 Billion. Its NOT 6 Billion. Its
NOT 5; or 4 or maybe not even 3 Billion. And that assumes the current levels of
technology.
As for the Sahara 'Greening'; its episodic and temporary. During the phase
transitions there is a very temporary change in mosture distribution. It doesn't
last.
The OP point was that the transition from the current warm interglacial to the
normal glacial is quick, maybe faster than 400 yrs.
The issue is not how to increase northern latitude agricultural productivity;
you don't grow anything in an ice sheet. The point is, if we actually can
increase global temperatures, maybe we can prevent or delay the onset of the
next Glacial phase, and the subsequent deaths of some billions of people.
JG
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