Brian Malone
Industrial
- Jun 15, 2018
- 399
Just a suggestion: change the title of this forum to Climate Adaptation Engineering or something similar. I certainly believe human actions change / affect weather patterns but I also believe the planet and its systems are fluid and dynamic and free to change for reasons not understandable or observable in the timespan of human existence.
Certainly, many of the challenges seen today are driven by human actions or human presence and that colliding with natural systems often creates less than desirable outcomes for humans.
Humans are dependent on energy. We use it to warm us, cool us, feed us, entertain us, heal us, and protect us, etc. We have to burn something, divert something, or extract / gather something to provide the energy that human society runs on. This by definition will collide with natural systems that operate not by defined expectations and wants, but by adjusting to what is there. As societies become more technology based, more energy is required and this will by necessity cause more potential for colliding with natural systems. I doubt if anyone in modern society wants to reduce the conveniences tech / mechanization provides so the energy needs won't reduce. The question on any level of 'climate change' may never be definitively answered for many generations but the need for energy and minimization of impact with natural systems will always be present with us everyday. Maybe I am being too pollyannish to think by changing the title of the conversation (losing the squabble over whether change is happening because of humans or not) will allow better development and evaluation of technology to help humans accommodate the variations in climate and minimize our impact. The most we will ever be able to do is minimize impact because we need energy/resources and those have to be removed from the environment and we do not return that energy to its original form.
Certainly, many of the challenges seen today are driven by human actions or human presence and that colliding with natural systems often creates less than desirable outcomes for humans.
Humans are dependent on energy. We use it to warm us, cool us, feed us, entertain us, heal us, and protect us, etc. We have to burn something, divert something, or extract / gather something to provide the energy that human society runs on. This by definition will collide with natural systems that operate not by defined expectations and wants, but by adjusting to what is there. As societies become more technology based, more energy is required and this will by necessity cause more potential for colliding with natural systems. I doubt if anyone in modern society wants to reduce the conveniences tech / mechanization provides so the energy needs won't reduce. The question on any level of 'climate change' may never be definitively answered for many generations but the need for energy and minimization of impact with natural systems will always be present with us everyday. Maybe I am being too pollyannish to think by changing the title of the conversation (losing the squabble over whether change is happening because of humans or not) will allow better development and evaluation of technology to help humans accommodate the variations in climate and minimize our impact. The most we will ever be able to do is minimize impact because we need energy/resources and those have to be removed from the environment and we do not return that energy to its original form.
