Discussion

throwaway5752: CO2 levels are weakening human bone at this level: https://futurism.com/health-medicine/carbon-atmosphere-human...CO2 levels are making you more anxious: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11869-026-01918-5

ltbarcly3: This seems like a reasonable analysis.One thing I think it neglects is the ability of people to adapt, and the fact that people don't adapt until forced to. For example, in many countries will provide shelters when conditions reach the point that it is necessary to do so:https://tribune.net.ph/2025/03/10/doh-directs-hospitals-to-s...https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-society/2025/06/17/5LYKRPNYTJEQ...You can search, there are hundreds of examples.Additionally, individuals and families put thought and effort into solving this for themselves. Setting up a room with a beat up old window AC and salvaged insulation, even if they they can only run during peak times to provide protection for their elderly relatives, for example. People in these countries aren't going to start suddenly dying by the millions when it gets to hot, they will adapt and overcome.However rich western countries should provide some kind of compensation, it's manifestly unjust for rich countries to keep all the benefits while poor people have to reallocate already meager resources to survive the consequences. Rich countries should provide offsetting investments in education and infrastructure.

dgllghr: I agree with you. People are far too optimistic. On a practical level, though, how much of these increasing issues can be temporarily ameliorated by better ventilated houses, schools, offices, etc.? In other words, does reducing the average exposure of CO2 help or is it really about the outdoor level? I could see the average mattering, but I could also see how spending time in an environment that is <400ppm CO2 (basically never happens now) could cause our bodies to rapidly expel CO2 and "reset" our internal levels.

Someone: [delayed]

throwaway5752: My dire warning is in fact secondary to the climate changes, which are much worse and are already causing regional famines and human migration in the Levant and East African.People do not appreciate how fragile modern life that we've become accustomed to can be. A few famines, a few supply chain breakdowns, the wrong conflict escalations - together at the wrong time could effectively end homo sapiens as an advanced intelligent species. Our big break was easily accessibly surface hydrocarbons, which we have mostly burned through. That enabled advanced materials science, electrical engineering, metallurgy that all build upon each other. As the species has gotten larger, it allowed greater specialization. If we have a massive drawdown in population as the result of a self-inflicted climate crisis, there is a nontrivial possibility we we never recover to current levels of advancement.