[CasX]

Human extinction within 100 years warns scientist

A top New Zealand researcher is using a prestigious award ceremony in Christchurch to warn that humans face extinction by the end of the century.


Professor Peter Barrett will be presented with the Marsden Medal tonight for his 40-year contribution to Antarctic research, latterly focusing on climate change.

The director of Victoria University's Antarctic Research Centre expects to use his acceptance speech to warn climate change was a major threat to the planet.

"After 40 years, I'm part of a huge community of scientists who have become alarmed with our discovery, that we know from our knowledge of the ancient past, that if we continue our present growth path, we are facing extinction," Barrett said. "Not in millions of years, or even millennia, but by the end of this century."

Barrett won the award – designed to mark lifetime achievement in the sciences – for his research into Antarctica, which began with helping prove New Zealand was once part of the Gondwanaland supercontinent.

He then changed disciplines, to predicting the impact of climate change. The result was a body of research on Antarctic ice sheets "which to our surprise is becoming increasingly relevant to the world as a consequence of global warming".

Barrett's warning underlines comments he made last year that even the Kyoto Protocol on global warming would not be enough to avert a climate disaster. The United States and Australia have refused to adopt Kyoto protocol measures.

"Research on the past Antarctic climate has an ominous warning for the future ..." he said.

"We need an international commitment to an effective solution, if we are to survive the worst consequences of this grandest of all human experiments."

[Iain]

Unfortunately there's nothing there to say why he thinks we'll be gone in century or how he thinks it will happen. I'd be interested in following through his evidence and reasoning.

I'm a little sceptical of predicting trends over as short a period as one century based on ancient historical data (as opposed to recent historical data, where a prediction might be valid). I would have thought that the margin of error would be too great to make judgements that accurate. But then, without seeing his work, what would I know?

[yellow_turtle]

Ah well, we're all going to die anyways. But how could he say that one continent affects us all. Anartica isnt even near the U.S.A and it has diferent temperatures all year round so of course it's going to have different climate and different changes. I dont think that researching one continent will prove anything at all. Sorry dude.

[glinert]

Thank you for explaining why and everything. Unless scientist able to back self I never listen to him.

[Byrath]

Talking about extinction seems a little far-fetched. I could see a major decrease in our numbers happening, but not extinction. Even in the case of say, a large meteor strike, or a massive nuclear war, surely some small fragment would survive.
The only way I could see complete extinction in the next 100 years would be if the sun exploded. BOOM!

[Unperson-S]

Scare tactics, I bet he was behind the '45 Minute' claims

Anyway, I severly doubt that there will be complete human extinction in 100 years, it reminds me of the Bible Code Warnings, which are a load of bull, in my opinion, of course...

Anyway, 100 years is unrealistic, as, once people realise that the climate is changing, and I mean much more seriously than they do now, more emphasis will be put onto clean energy. Also, anyway, Oil is expected to run out in 50 years for gods sake! Although, this will increase the possibility of a Run away warming affect, I doubt this will result in human extinction, it just sounds too sudden.

But either way, the future will show us who is right...

Oh, and also, I agree with Glinert, he doesnt back himself up. Science is supposed to prove things. This sounds like Religion, on the battle bettween Religion and Science, Religion is belief, Science is proof...

[Iain]

How can you say he doesn't back himself up? I haven't read anything that this guy's written so I've no idea whether he backs it up or not.

By all means ask to see more of his evidence but to discount his ideas because that evidence wasn't published in full in a short story on the "Stuff" website, as if the scientist in question had any control over that, seems a little odd.

[Marooned]

I dont think that researching one continent will prove anything at all. Sorry dude.

But it's not just one continent, I can't speak for this guy of course, and I'm no expert in this field, but by researching both the north and south pole scientists are finding evidence for climate change.

And what affects one area of the earth affects all the earth. It's all circulatory. I wish I could explain further, but I just don't remember enough from my geography class to explain further. I'd suggest looking it up more.

Here's an article about the ice in the north pole melting.
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,65647,00.html?tw=rss.TOP

[yellow_turtle]

look we're all going to die anyways why are we making a big fuss? just joking. Although we are all going to die. If the usa is melting or whatever, its because we're burning so much fossil fuels and cutting down all our trees. why cant we live like the old days, and walk around buck naked making houses out of sticks that fall off of trees. Hmm i know why....because we're all greedy! including me. I wouldnt now what to do without my beautiful wood house. Yup they cut down trees for my house. Such sad little folks we are, worrying about our hair and makeup and tools and stuff, instead of our world. So sad...but theres absolutely nothing we can do about it. Because we cant stop the sun from shining. And we cant stop the weather. so lets just all live the best life we can until one day we wake up and the world explodes or melts. However you want it.

[hole in the ground]

you may just reply to this with just joking but that is a realy crappy way of viewing this situation turtle. You say that we do what we do because we are greedy well that is just unatural. Nature, life strives to continue to exists, what is the point in flowers and fruit and

worrying about our hair and makeup

.
What if not every one shares your opinion that life is great today so why cant it be the same tommorrow. People try to extend their own lives as much as possible why?
If we are so selfish and greedy why aren't we trying to extend the life of our species.
And yeah it does matter that one continent is 'melting' because antarctica isone of the most important continents on the planet despite popular belief that it is america. If the ice on antartica melts then the sea levels will rise salinity (levels of salt) and world temperature will fall which will result in quite a major event. I wouldn't go as far as the extinstion of humans but we could see a severe population drop.