|
In a New York Magazine piece "The Uninhabitable Earth," journalist David Wallace-Wells depicts a scary doomsday scenario for human existence if climate change spirals out of control. This super pessimistic piece has indeed stirred up quite some controversies surrounding the likelihood of this scenario among climate scientists. To respond to criticisms, the magazine published an annotated edition. As alarming as this piece reads, it is drawing upon from many scientific studies. The author presents a wide range of possibly catastrophic impacts of climate change on the human civilization: from decreasing agricultural output to outbreaks of epidemics, from the "time bomb" - melting of permafrost to ocean acidification leading to massive coral dying, from violence of crimes and wars to ultimate economic collapse, all of which are due to the temperature rise.
For many years, climate change has stayed in the back burner as a typical lukewarm issue. The scale of this problem is too grand in both time and space, which makes it often stay out of our immediate sight. After all, we have limited mental resources and energies. The classic image to portray climate change is a polar bear standing on an isolated ice, apparently indicating the fast pace of ice melting in the pole due to temperature rise. This kind of images can evoke some visceral reactions among animal lovers but they are hard to appeal to sympathy at a mass scale, because they are so distant from many people's everyday lives. Scientists have been trying to reach a large audience. But by the virtue of their training, they are not allowed to use vivid languages to describe their empirical findings or model projections. Attempting to project an objective image, they use numbers and probability percentages that are elusive to many laymen. Now, science journalists are trying to play the role in bridging scientists and the public. The description in this article is certainly more vivid than what plain numbers can capture. I do not know how likely this grim scenario will unfold in the near future. One thing I'm certain of is that we are visual species, naturally drawn to stories that can project vivid images. The strong reaction among readers, the articled has become the most-read article in the Magazine's history, proves it.
21 Comments
Zachary Sandifer
9/28/2017 05:53:12 pm
Wow, this reads exactly like many articles I have read before, yet even more "doomsday" added. I wish this article supplied more info with how I could be of more help as an individual. This is the stuff of nightmares. In fact, with how global warming was explained, with floods, bugs, and disease. You could almost draw a comparison to the bible and the apocalypse. Scary Stuff. Hope the methane stays in the arctic ice a long with all the other bad things.
Samantha Durham
9/29/2017 01:55:49 pm
The apocolyptic picture is dead on. Closing the gap between scientists and the public is not an easy task by any means. People dont relate statistics to "real life" very well which is a shame because they dont realize the impact this actually has.
ghada
9/29/2017 06:46:49 pm
Its scary how climate can cause so much damages. I think its sad how people do not see "the big picture" and realize what's going on. I wish this article would have provided more details of how people like me who read this could help.
Hayoung Nam
9/30/2017 07:12:25 am
I already knew about these problems, but I've never thought about doomsday. I did not care about things that do not happen in front of my eyes(the melting of glaciers and the extinction of animals..etc). We need to think about how can we protect and save our planet. If we keep this, we can have the worst scenario where all of our plants and animals are extinct, the glaciers melt and the Flood causes us all to die.
Breanna Rogers
9/30/2017 09:17:19 pm
I just read the article mentioned, and good for David Wallace-Wells. We need those vivid images to reach the masses and evoke an emotional response from them, even if that emotion is fear. The impending fate of ourselves and the planet is so overwhelming that I'm not sure if it's possible without the majority of us educated and involved. I agree with Zach that this information needs to be more widespread, accessible, and understandable. It seems that I can only find information about what I can do to help if I thoroughly seek it out. Also, the image of the future portrayed of every aspect of climate change killing humans by thousands and more makes me think about the Earth's carrying capacity and how we've almost reached it anyway. It seems that the human race is about due for the catastrophe that we've set in motion.
Chasity Smith
10/1/2017 09:54:45 pm
I think climate change will continue to stay on the back burner and not be taken seriously. It is a very scary thing and will rapidly destroy the Earth. I like the scenario in this article about the polar bear on the rapidly melting ice and the issues of humans not realizing the seriousness of it because it is not something we see everyday and we are also not constantly reminded of it.
Cindy Stollenwerck
10/1/2017 09:56:16 pm
I read the article that David Wallace-wells wrote, it is very informative and i think that the images that he portrays is an eye opening for me and hopefully for others as well. I think that this world is in danger. As the human race continues to pollute our world and keep pouring all kinds of chemicals into our environment we are slowly killing everything in our world. It is so sad to see coral reefs dying, and as the sea levels rise, hurricanes and storms seem to be getting worse. But the biggest thing that has happened to our environment lately is not all the hurricanes and storms; as most people are saying is the worst thing to happen to our environment. In my opinion the worst thing that has happened to our environment is when a 2,240 mile chunk of ice broke off of the Larsen C shelf area and shrunk the shelf by 10%. I do not think that many people understand what that means for our environment. sea levels are on the rise and that chunk of ice did not help our environment. the problem is that the reason that ice broke off is due to the chemicals that we dump into the air polluting the ozone is what is causing global warming and causing the ice to melt and break off. cause in effect. We have to wake up to the damage that is being caused to our world. Maybe it is not as dramatic as he writes, but if we keep on the track that we are on it could all very well happen.
Tony Bibb
10/1/2017 11:53:43 pm
There are a few things that stuck out to me while reading this piece. The big one is how hard it is for the human race to grasp things unless we can see them. Most people see a commercial or an ad with a bunch of numbers and or stats, they are turning the TV to a different channel. But when you put the same information in a more terrifying way, people start to pay attention. It is unfortunate that we as human will not give anything the attention that it needs until it is simply too late.
Jesse Guffin
10/2/2017 09:31:26 am
I think the way this piece helps is that it does everything it can to show the average person what could come. It reads just like a scifi movie. One of the reasons this issue is continuing to grow is it doesn't affect the average person in a way the notice or inconveniences them. Yes on a grand scale it is bad for them but most people automatically tune out the bad news that they feel they can't control. That is how we need to change this. We need to find a way get people to see these issues in their every day lives.
Morgan Leonard
10/2/2017 01:47:13 pm
Reading this really tugged on the heart strings for me. I absolutely love animals and especially the environments in which they thrive. It's not only vital to us that we keep their environments protected, but extremely vital to them. Climate change is such a huge and important topic, and highly controversial at that, and that is why people will continue to avoid discussing the subject. They feel it does not pertain to them. That is why climate change will continue to sit on the back burner until someone decides to step in and pull the topic of climate change forward and is passionate about it. Save animals and save the world from climate change.
Taye Pressley
10/2/2017 06:40:19 pm
WOW! I don’t find it hard to believe that some people would be spectacle. Often time’s people would rather ignore difficult subjects like doomsday. All we have to do is read the book of Revelation in the Bible and we will believe this prediction. Many people are playing with climate change, but I know that we the human bodies have a lot to do with the changes. This world better wake up because it’s all in our faces. Hurricanes, earth quakes, mass killings are all taking place back to back. This article should be on CNN, MSBN, FOX NEWS, ETC because this something that’s affecting every person in the world.
Jamine Streeter
10/3/2017 01:22:25 pm
This is a very influential article. It gives us insight on how damaging climate change really can be. I feel us, the human species, takes climate change for granted. Change in the climate not only affect us and our everyday lives, it also affect the wildlife and their inability to adapt to the new environment.
Andrew Gleason
10/3/2017 02:44:02 pm
Ever since I started reading your articles, I have become more aware of the climate change topic. This is a good read and I really like the truth that is put into this. One thing that was brought to my attention the article is that not only does this affect of as humans, but it affects the animals. Maybe one day the world will convert over to the safer and cleaner ways it needs to and be able to help save our environment.
Dante Everage
10/3/2017 04:22:22 pm
Being a person that's detail orientated, I feel like scientists shouldn't be restricted to just posting stats about the climate. Certain people who are oblivious to climate change should have their heart strings tugged with a little vivid information about what's really going on. If they have animals, I'm sure it will touch them in some kind of way. Even thinking about themselves first & being aware on the impact of the changing climate on their own health. Get the non-believers to think about that & there may be a sure change in their beliefs. In today's society, covering up what's really going on out there is a big issue. Let the people know
Krystal Lloyd
10/3/2017 08:00:46 pm
The said article is probably one of the best ones I have ever read. It doesn't sugarcoat anything and it talks with nothing but facts and logic from people with expertise in the field. I can't say I'm surprised by the hypotheses given by climatologists and other experts. The sections I was surprised by were "Climate Plagues" and "Poisoned Oceans". As I was reading "Climate Plagues", I remembered an article I read a while back about an ancient virus being discovered in permafrost in Siberia (I think) and it all clicked. The same goes for "Poisoned Oceans". The recollection of articles and "Before the Flood" about the dying corals came to mind.
Joanna Hamilton
10/3/2017 08:04:15 pm
I think that this article is very beneficial and people need to be made aware of how climate change is damaging our surroundings but also the lives that inhabit this planet. We need to start to think of ways to control this change or at least educate the public .
James Faust
10/3/2017 09:12:31 pm
I feel that this article is a little over the top on certain things, but none the less accurate. Climate change is a big deal. It affects us all, and is something we all should be concerned about. However I don't think that attempting to strike fear in people will bode well in fixing the problem. We need a way of presenting the issue to the American public that doesn't involve a one sided political agenda. I think that there are still a great deal of people in America that are ignorant to the facts about climate change, and a lot of the reason for that is because of political divide and "global warming" being such a one sided political issue. There are many potential solutions to this issue also, and I don't think that these solutions have been presented to the public in the proper way.
Terrell Andrews
10/3/2017 10:27:29 pm
I think that Climate Change is such a "hard" concept for America because of the lack of knowledge. Many people think that it's all a natural phenomenon that humans have no assistance in. Ignorance is truly bliss when it comes to concepts like climate change. If people don't know about a topic, they tend not to speak on it. It should be encouraged to read articles like this. It's a very scary thing to think about, but it's real and happening.
Kaitlyn Shumate
10/3/2017 10:54:13 pm
This article was really interesting. As an animal lover, seeing things such as a polar bear on a piece of isolated ice, away from land breaks my heart. That won’t encourage everyone to help with climate change though. I agree with some other students I do wish that there was more about how we can help as individuals. I try to do my part to help the Earth by recycling and composting but I really would like to do more for global warming. I will have to read into some other articles as well.
Matthew Little
10/3/2017 11:27:37 pm
As horrific as the outcomes of climate change may be, the true horror lies in the lack of understanding between the scientific community and the general population. As you stated, the public responds better to ideas they can relate or apply personal meaning to, while the scientific community relies on numeral facts. This difference in thinking poses another problem. Do to the stereotypical way in which the public is used to receiving information from the scientific community, a scientist's credentials may be questioned if he or she presents their findings in a more vivid and emotionally appealing way to the public. You yourself display this in questioning the likelihood of the scenario described. This poses the real question. What is the best way to bridge the gap in understanding between the public and the scientific community? How do we display the impact of these "numbers" in a meaningful and inspiring way to the public. Education is key, but everyone cannot be an expert on every subject. You cannot simply give the public random facts. Knowledge without foundation is useless. This implies the need for a layer of trust between the public and the scientific community. I believe the journalist are a good start, but far greater strides are needed in this area, not just for climate change but also for other major issues of the day.
Samuel 'Matthew' Bateman
10/3/2017 11:41:57 pm
There is certainly a lot to think about here. It's a big issue to be sure -- probably one of the central environmental concerns (if not the central) in the entire world. Literally everywhere you go, people are talking about it. Leave a Reply. |
|
RSS Feed