Are we there yet?

Midster

Hi, I just wanted to ask the very important question to all you very intelligent people. Are we there yet? As in, in your opinion is the end of the world imminent? And in what form will the total destruction of human kind, earth, and the billions of other earth bound creatures and species come to a tragic end.

Fathom

Climate change occurring. Always ongoing. For billions of years. Biologically speaking the only sure thing you can predict about any species is that someday it will become extinct (or evolve like raptors). Human existence in geological time is but a wink of an eye. 65 million years ago, when an asteroid struck the Earth, creating the Chicxulub Crater in Mexico and causing the extinction of the dinosaurs. On average, an asteroid this size strikes the Earth every 50 to 100 million years. Don't hold your breath. It could be millions of years from now.

Midster

Fathom wrote: »

Climate change occurring. Always ongoing. For billions of years. Biologically speaking the only sure thing you can predict about any species is that someday it will become extinct (or evolve like raptors). Human existence in geological time is but a wink of an eye.

65 million years ago, when an asteroid struck the Earth, creating the Chicxulub Crater in Mexico and causing the extinction of the dinosaurs. On average, an asteroid this size strikes the Earth every 50 to 100 million years. Don't hold your breath. It could be millions of years from now.

Apart from the fact scientists are often asked for there best guesses, I’d have to say an asteroid of that size hitting the earth every 50 to 100 million years is exactly that, and just a guess, and a 50 million year guess at that.
Asteroids often change trajectory due to gravitational pull and push, most of them are made of rock, but some of them are made of solid ice, and with space dust darkening the surface, eventually they become almost invisible.
And there could be any number of those wondering through space getting close enough to other stars and planets to be effected by there gravity, but not close enough to loose there dark outer layer.
For that reason, death by this kind of asteroid/comet could come at anytime.

The more pressing issue right now is the climate changing. Despite nature’s best efforts, it is now clear that we have polluted the air above the level that the trees and shrubs etc can clean.
As the temperature rises, forest fires become more and more regular, further reducing the plants and trees ability to clean the air and further accelerating the warming process.
Floods and rising sea levels will also wipe out more.
Farm land on earth is extensive, but due to the rising temperatures less/lack of rainfall/or to much rainfall, less and less land will be suitable for growing.
Cutting down yet more trees to make way for yet more farmland will be considered under these conditions which would then reduced our tree number to so few, it will only be a matter of time until they are also under threat by hurricane, floods, and fire.

Everyone likes to believe that earths death will be fast, just the same as we like to believe our own deaths might be the same, but in reality, death is often very slow, and extremely painful.

Fathom

JPL tracks space objects. They could give extinction event warnings. What to do? Various plans are being investigated. Unfortunately funding is a problem. A slight bump could possibly divert an asteroid etc.