Pentagon to Bush: "look up!"

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http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1153513,00.html

― Simon H., Monday, 23 February 2004 03:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Fascinating. Depressing as all hell, of course, but still fascinating. Hm.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Which part was depressing? This is awesome.

― TOMBOT, Monday, 23 February 2004 03:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Heh. ;-) Luv ya, Tombot.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:22 (twenty-two years ago)

So are we primed more for a "Logan's Run" or "Solyent Green" kind of dystopia?

― earlnash, Monday, 23 February 2004 03:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't get it. This is a Pentagon report yet the article focusses on the effects on Europe. A 'Siberian' climate, but I thought the planet was getting warmer (countering that overdue Ice Age nicely)? the planet is carrying a higher population than it can sustain - no, it's just that certain regions are too densely populated and a more balanced spread of people over a wider area (think how much remote but habitable yet scarcely populated land there is still). going by the article and it's vagueness alone it all sounds like scaremongering speculation not worth any more concern than the risk of solar flares or rogue asteroids to me.

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Soylent Green, totally.

― ModJ (ModJ), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, good. I really haven't been worrying nearly enough lately. This should help.

― Prude (Prude), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:45 (twenty-two years ago)

OK SCARY

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:47 (twenty-two years ago)

"What does this have to do with ribs?"

― maypang (maypang), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:49 (twenty-two years ago)

THERE WON'T BE ANY RIBS IN THE FUTURE DO YOU SEE?

― ModJ (ModJ), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, so can someone discredit this? Maybe I'm a sucker -- well, okay, I'm pretty sure of that -- but stuff like this really upsets me...

― Prude (Prude), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:56 (twenty-two years ago)

never trust a story with five sides, hohoho

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I wouldn't worry about it. CIA "consultants" probably predict all kinds of crazy stuff. Remember when Saddam had weapons of mass destruction?

― maypang (maypang), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:00 (twenty-two years ago)

when????

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:04 (twenty-two years ago)

< conspiracy>It could also be an attempt by the CIA/Pentagon to make Bush look real bad.< /conspiracy>

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:12 (twenty-two years ago)

as the earth gets warmer, the ice caps melt. The freed water then absorbs the ambient heat, and the net effect could be an mini ice age. That's the logic, not that it will actually happen that way.

― badgerminor (badgerminor), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:12 (twenty-two years ago)

This sounds nothing like Waterworld at all.

― maypang (maypang), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:22 (twenty-two years ago)

please dear god tell me this is some sort of gag website

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:27 (twenty-two years ago)

gag as in nausea?

― the surface noise (electricsound), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:28 (twenty-two years ago)

as the earth gets warmer, the ice caps melt. The freed water then absorbs the ambient heat...

Actually not quite. The melting arctic cap floods water into the north Atlantic, stopping the Gulf Stream, or "ocean conveyor belt". That means England drops something like 15 degrees minimum.

― Hunter (Hunter), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Can Bush ignore the Pentagon? It's going be hard to blow off this sort of document. Its hugely embarrassing. After all, Bush's single highest priority is national defence. The Pentagon is no wacko, liberal group, generally speaking it is conservative. If climate change is a threat to national security and the economy, then he has to act. There are two groups the Bush Administration tend to listen to, the oil lobby and the Pentagon,' added Watson. - um, is this a joke? when has bushco NOT ignored the pentagon?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Sounds like Jess is as given to panic attacks over things like this as I am.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Well it's been another mild Winter over here...

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:37 (twenty-two years ago)

If you're in UK, that's not really indicative. One of the big deals about the hypothetical is that it's a tipping point scenario and very abrupt and catastrophic.

― Hunter (Hunter), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I'm more prone to panic attacks over this sort of thing than I used to be.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:41 (twenty-two years ago)

All kinds of speculation about why this report, why now, etc.

― Hunter (Hunter), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Here.

― Hunter (Hunter), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Bloggers bloggering shocka!

― maypang (maypang), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:50 (twenty-two years ago)

thanks, hunter. totally forgot the gulf stream.

― badgerminor (badgerminor), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah, relief...(sort of). Nice to see some reason without sensationalism.

― Simon H., Monday, 23 February 2004 04:55 (twenty-two years ago)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=index2&cid=964

I love how many times this story's been sent already.

― maypang (maypang), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Number 3 in that list is a winner too.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:18 (twenty-two years ago)

That most sent photo competition is kind of a landslide.

― Hunter (Hunter), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Jerry Springer Opera Scoops British Theater Awards

Wha??

― Prude (Prude), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:21 (twenty-two years ago)

damn, big ups to cowcat

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:23 (twenty-two years ago)

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040222/i/r1366927604.jpg
Jerry Springer!?!

― Hunter (Hunter), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:23 (twenty-two years ago)

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040212/i/ra3804718417.jpg

― Prude (Prude), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I also love how the "most popular photos" invariably involve either animals or asses. Sometimes both.

― maypang (maypang), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Asses ARE animals. I don't get your joke.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Ignore my last post. Ill-conceived joke.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:46 (twenty-two years ago)

The other kind of asses, you ass. (x-post!)

― maypang (maypang), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:47 (twenty-two years ago)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/040222/ids_photos_en/r1265421317.jpg&e=6
I won't post any more photos here, but photo #5

― Hunter (Hunter), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Apparently I won't post #5 either.

― Hunter (Hunter), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:51 (twenty-two years ago)

What will this do to the Cheney/energy-biz "peak oil" catastrophe scenarios that are supposedly secretly driving Bush foreign policy??

(Conspiracy websites and Guardian scoops collide in multiple global meltdown scenarios showdown!!)

― morris pavilion (samjeff), Monday, 23 February 2004 06:18 (twenty-two years ago)

And wait, what if THE RAPTURE happens too!

― morris pavilion (samjeff), Monday, 23 February 2004 06:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Then Jesus will have SUV's waiting for us in heaven.

― Prude (Prude), Monday, 23 February 2004 06:50 (twenty-two years ago)

My heaven is eco-friendly and powered by tradewinds and the holy flatulence of angels.

― The Second Drummer Drowned (Atila the Honeybun), Monday, 23 February 2004 06:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I just want to say that if this report turns out to be more of a "in the event that sudden climate change does indeed occur, producing the following catastrophic results, this is how we think we should respond" kind of report, I will not be surprised.

― Stuart (Stuart), Monday, 23 February 2004 07:10 (twenty-two years ago)

dear god - stuart otm!

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 23 February 2004 07:17 (twenty-two years ago)

What? Did I say something obvious?

― Stuart (Stuart), Monday, 23 February 2004 07:21 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.stopesso.com/campaign/Pentagon.doc
("this kind of sudden climate change could occur, producing the following catastrophic results, and we need to think about how we should respond.")

"The purpose of this report is to imagine the unthinkable – to push the boundaries of current research on climate change so we may better understand the potential implications on United States national security.

We have interviewed leading climate change scientists, conducted additional research, and reviewed several iterations of the scenario with these experts. The scientists support this project, but caution that the scenario depicted is extreme in two fundamental ways. First, they suggest the occurrences we outline would most likely happen in a few regions, rather than on globally. Second, they say the magnitude of the event may be considerably smaller.

We have created a climate change scenario that although not the most likely, is plausible, and would challenge United States national security in ways that should be considered immediately."

i sure hope it happens, what about you guys

― John (jdahlem), Monday, 23 February 2004 07:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Heh, and I thought the reports about the USDA burying their heads in the sand about the Mad Cow issues in the U.S. was scary enough..(basically, the Yakima guy who slaughtered the "downer" cow in Washington state said the cow was not a downer, because he does not accept "downer" cows, and that only .02% of cattle would be tested for mad cow nationwide... this just seems really wrong to me... like ever worse than the way the UK initially handled it.. not to digress or anything but...)

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 23 February 2004 09:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Sucks for the English though. Will you all turn feral when the snows return?

― John Carol, Monday, 23 February 2004 09:45 (twenty-two years ago)

It's going to snow across Britain again this week. Quick, to the Bread Queue, Igor!

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 23 February 2004 09:55 (twenty-two years ago)

"Turn feral"? Have you never been to the Spanish Bar??

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 23 February 2004 10:24 (twenty-two years ago)

We'll be trapped down there, unable to get out onto the street but for the howling blizzard. Soon, we will run out of paella and face the prospect of losing limbs to the ravenous Hairy Man.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 23 February 2004 10:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I wish the ELF would infiltrate [i]The Guardian[/i]. *Sigh*

Seriously, despite that this is an over-the-top worse case scenario, similarly fucked-up happening are inevitable if we contiue down this road of casual ecocide. In the words of a certain authoritarian vangaurdist dork, "What is to be done?"

Simon H. and I were discussing the posibility of pulling a Killing Joke, freaking out, and fleeing to Iceland. Would anyone else like to come?

― Errico Mahkno, Monday, 23 February 2004 19:24 (twenty-two years ago)

To an island made entire of lava and due for major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions at a moment's notice? Sounds like a safe haven to me, and the chicks are HAWT, let's go!

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 23 February 2004 19:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Alex in NYC might. (Of course, then he'd be Alex in Reykjavik.)

― Prude (Prude), Monday, 23 February 2004 19:31 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.calpundit.com/archives/003326.html

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 23 February 2004 19:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought Jaz's whole escape plan was in New Zealand and not Iceland.. or was it both at certain points?

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 23 February 2004 19:41 (twenty-two years ago)

The Pentagon has an even better escape plan.

"Yes, he's in his office, but he's on an intergalactic cruise."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 February 2004 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

if anyone wants to let a flat in iceland with me i'm game

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 23 February 2004 20:24 (twenty-two years ago)

An X-Ray, made of the stomach of a 62-year-old man who came to the emergency room of Cholet General Hospital in western France in 2002. He had a history of major psychiatric illness, was suffering from stomach pain, and could not eat or move his bowels.

― Leee Majors (Leee), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 00:01 (twenty-two years ago)

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