The Day After Tommorow

[Kegsay]

TDAT came out worldwide today and that started me thinking.

What if the things that happen in The Day After Tommorow happend? would the world be in total disaray, unable to come back after plummeting into an ice age? Don't say it'll never happend because it could. How? I'll tell you how:

***scientific babble zone***

The polar ice caps are melting due to global warming (The massive CO2 blanket over the world is letting heat in from the sun, but not back out). When the ice caps melt it releases lots of FRESHWATER into the seas, raising the sea level. Meanwhile, the Gulf Stream, the massive stream that takes warm water to the UK from the Americas and such, is doing its cycle. An important part of the cycle is near Ireland, where the water from the Gulf Stream SINKS because of the salt in the SALTWATER. Now, add lots of FRESHWATER to SALTWATER and that'll make the salt be spread over a wider area. That, in turn, will stop the gulf stream water from sinking, stoppping the Gulf Stream.... Bad news for UKers then eh? And the whole of Europe for that matter.

***end scientific babble zone***

Discuss.

[LH]

It'd be bad for humans, good for everything else once it all settles down.

[Peegee]

Are we talking about the polar caps melting or an ice age? I'm confused.

Polar caps melting is no big deal. Some cities might get wet, but I don't think it's that bad. The ocean is huge, and I don't think there's so much ice that it would raise the sea level more than a few meters. If it's actually that life threatening, I would be geniunely surprised.

Ice age is survivable thanks to our knowledge of stuff. Granted rules of overpopulation (population/food source ratio) would force lots of us to die, but so what?

[Shadow Nexus]

The Day After Tomorrow is the classical Hollywood crap movie done basically to sit down and get entretained with great special effects, but all that shows there is an exageration of the actual menace.

However, yes, a dissaster can occur. I doubt it would ever happen as in the movie, because the movie exagerates in order to bring something more spectacular. If the ice caps melt, the level of water will go up and people will have to emigrate from cities because they will be flooded, but nothing to do with big tidal waves as shown in the movie, and an ice age coming just afterwards.

Then again, of course we are facing a problem, that is why I believe goverments and companies should follow some rules, such as the whole Kyoto tract thing.

And then, we, as individuals, should just collabortate with the simple things. I mean, I just don't consume much: I don't want to buy a car because I know it pollutes the air (I use the bus, yes, it also pollutes, but it takes 30 people, not one) and it's quite expensive anyway, and I also try to recycle, buy enviorment friendly producrs, refuse to consume products done by companies that are known to destroy nature for economical reasons (McDonald's, for example) and all that crap. Then the classical colaboration on some projects and all that crap. I can't say I do that much, I just do what it's my responsability, something I prefer to put in front of my pleasure. Yeah, it would be easier to have a car and don't recycle, but hell, it's not like my life is so hard. I already leech enough from the planet, I want to minimize the waste I produce. And well, maybe when I finish the studies or in summer I'll try to do some more stuff, you know, I feel my little gestrues are not enough in proportion to the problems I cause.

Well, I don't have much to say. It's up to us, I guess, but then again, the capital is more important than the enviorment, it seems.

[Anaralia]

I've always thought that the melting of the ice caps would be gradual enough to let humans adjust to the new environment, and we'd survive (for the most part, anyway). How quickly can the caps possibly melt?

The only thing that surprises me about this movie is that nobody thought of it before.

[Kegsay]

but nothing to do with big tidal waves as shown in the movie, and an ice age coming just afterwards.

Well then again... should global warming affect El Nino... then it's a totally different story. El Nino is an unpredictable "strange" weather system the makes monsoons and such (i think). Should that go haywire then who knows what could happen?

The polar ice caps can melt relativly quickly, within a few years methinks.

[Shadow Nexus]

Well then again... should global warming affect El Nino... then it's a totally different story. El Nino is an unpredictable "strange" weather system the makes monsoons and such (i think). Should that go haywire then who knows what could happen?

The polar ice caps can melt relativly quickly, within a few years methinks.

According to a friend of mine, The Day After Tomorrow is one of the worst movies ever, with lines such as:

-Ice age will come in six...

-We have six years?

-..six weeks.

Oh, for God's sake, ice age dosen't come in six weeks, for God's sake.

And ice caps don't melt from one day to another, it is a gradual process that takes years. For example, in south Chile, the glacier of San Rafael has reduced itself in 200 meters since 1981. OK, for the ice caps to melt Waterworld style, you need more than two centuries. Still, in 2050 the water level is predicted to have rised two meters. In all the world! It may not sound like a big deal, but in fact, it is. If the rate of melting continues, in a few centuries whole cities may sink. No, no, I don't think many people would die with that, but take into account the changes in the enviorment, temperature, etc, and how this would affect on natural resources and enviorment. It is not only about humanity surviving, it is also about not destroying this damn world with our filthy greed. Then again, in postmodern times, there is no other ruler, God, law or king than the forsaken money, and well, any pig can burn the Eden to recive an insurance. XXIst century, Man is dead, hail the Capital!

[Big D]

A leading climatologist commented on this film during last night's news. The process, he said, could potentially take as little as two years, in extreme circumstances. Remember, we're dealing with human interference here - something that wasn't a factor in previous ice ages.[q=Immortal]Are we talking about the polar caps melting or an ice age? I'm confused.[/q]The idea in this film is that the melting of the ice caps disrupts the gulf stream, the warm ocean current which is the only thing keeping you northern folks from freezing over. A rise in temperatures melts the ice caps; the gulf stream peters out; everyone gets frozen.[q]Polar caps melting is no big deal. Some cities might get wet, but I don't think it's that bad. The ocean is huge, and I don't think there's so much ice that it would raise the sea level more than a few meters. If it's actually that life threatening, I would be geniunely surprised.[/q]Even a few meters would greatly increase the threat from tidal wives and spring tides, even in relatively high areas. And there are plenty of Pacific islands that will literally be underwater. Some already are - Tuvalu, I think, is actually about a meter below sea level; it's just got a high rim keeping everyone dry. But hundreds of islands are going to be uninhabitable within a few years, or decades, at the current rate. There is one heck of a lot of ice in the North Pole (just look at any globe); that'd make a significant difference to sea levels, as well as all the other climate disruptions.

I haven't actually seen the movie, probably won't...

[DocFrance]

Cities like Amsterdam, New Orleans, and Jerusalem would all be toast if the sea level rose a few meters.

[War Angel]

and Jerusalem

Jerusalem is nearly 700 meters above sea-level, thankyouverymuch. But my home city, Tel-Aviv, would get drenched. I wouldn't be alive when it happens... but still, a pity.

Anyway, I haven't seen the movie, nor read the script... but makes little sense. I mean, it's BOUND to happen at some point... but we should be able to deal with it. Taking the cities on stilts, you know?

[Shadow Nexus]

I mean, it's BOUND to happen at some point... but we should be able to deal with it.

Well, maybe it wont happen. How about...humanity not being stupid? Or am I dreaming too much?

Banned from this forum for a week. --Unne

[Kegsay]

-Ice age will come in six...

-We have six years?

-..six weeks.

I never said it would be THAT quick. Over about 5-10-15 years in extreme conditions. The economic effect would be painful since you'll be loosing lots and lots of towns and cities (NY anyone?). Plus, what's do you expect UKers to do? Freeze our butts off? It would cause chaos in many parts of the world.

[Anaralia]

-Ice age will come in six...
-We have six years?
-..six weeks.

I just saw the movie, and it turns out that even this estimate is too optimistic, the ice age finally arrives in about 48 hours. Which is ridiculous, yes. The moral of the story is the same though: please please please take care of the planet, or this could happen to your children. It's hammered very well into your head.

As a side note (since this is World Events and not The Lounge) I must admit, when I saw the trailers and saw people running for their lives from frost, I thought it was the stupidest thing I ever saw, but it turns out to be entertaining, if you can suspend your disbelief that well.

And, unfortunately, I have to admit that I agree that's it's bound to happen sooner or later. *sigh* The global effect is very hard to imagine, it's too catastrophic. Extremely reduced population, economic shutdown, etc. I wonder if we would still respect the different countries' bounders. What for?

[DocFrance]

So why didn't Captain Planet and the Planeteers come and save the day?

[Garland]

I imagine that if the world is ever to come to an end, it'll probably be due to one of those hundreds of dangerously close asteroids that would get pulled into a collision with the Earth. A freak asteroid impact is much more believable than any overnight icecap melting / iceage garbage that the movie tried to promote. If an asteroid can kill dinosaurs, it can kill us too. The world has already had an iceage, several of them, and for that matter, cave people were able to weather it out. If a club weilding trogladite with a bearskin loincloth can survive an iceage, you can bet modern humans with all our technology can do so also.