From: Anders Sandberg (asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Tue Jan 23 2001 - 16:11:38 MST
The question isn't whether a temperature change is 'natural' or not,
or if it has had precedents in the past. The real issue is what will
its effects be, and do we want to change those effects? As
transhumanists, I think we in general do not place any special value
on things being natural rather than man-made, and the same goes for
climate. Do we want the effects caused by increased amounts of carbon
dioxide and particulate matter in the atmosphere? Do we want to
modulate them, or even get rid of these effects - and pay the costs?
>From my perspective up here in Sweden global warming might be a good
thing. The autumns may become rainier and even more depressing if the
models are right, but that will likely be made up by a better spring
(which has a higher value for me personally). On the other hand,
people in Tchad and the Netherlands might not be as happy. An
interesting issue is how to manage a climate with many different
groups having different preferences. According to Martyn Fogg's
_Terraforming_ it is likely technically feasible in the near future to
launch enough dust into the stratosphere to induce a multi-degree
cooling. So what do I do when the Netherlands decide to lower the mean
temperature and I want to raise it?
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension! asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/ GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y
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