How much longer can Earth support life ?

[UM-Bot]

Those concerned about the end of the world needn't worry, our planet is likely to last for a long time.

Talk of the impending demise of all life on Earth reached fever pitch in the run up to December 2012, but once it was clear that the end of the Mayan calendar didn\'t translate to the coming of the apocalypse some people were left scratching their heads as to exactly how long we have left.

Read More: http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/255109/how-much-longer-can-earth-support-life

[Doug1029]

Those concerned about the end of the world needn't worry, our planet is likely to last for a long time.

Assuming that the methane gun doesn't do it in the next 200-500 years, there is nothing we know of that has anything other than a miniscule chance of doing it.

Doug

[questionmark]

Assuming that the methane gun doesn't do it in the next 200-500 years, there is nothing we know of that has anything other than a miniscule chance of doing it.

Doug

But then the planet would still be around, and all elements in place to give evolution a new chance at getting it right.

[DieChecker]

From the Front Page article.

we will have either developed well beyond the need for a single planet to live on or we will have already been wiped out long before any such considerations become an issue.

Humans might die out but life likely will survive till the Earth is engulfed by the Sun.

Even nukes, or asteroids are not going to kill off the deep Earth microbes that live off radiation alone.

[Doug1029]

But then the planet would still be around, and all elements in place to give evolution a new chance at getting it right.

Maybe. Depends on how hot it gets. Anyway, if all life does go extinct, we'll never know it.

Doug

[questionmark]

Maybe. Depends on how hot it gets. Anyway, if all life does go extinct, we'll never know it.

Doug

There is life in ocean floor Geysers. I doubt the atmosphere will ever get that hot.

[moonshadow60]

Assuming that the methane gun doesn't do it in the next 200-500 years, there is nothing we know of that has anything other than a miniscule chance of doing it.

As long as nothing destroys this planet in the next 20 years or so, won't matter to me. I will be gone by the end of that time, or maybe before. At my age, very short spans of years are what I think of.

[Technocrat]

But then the planet would still be around, and all elements in place to give evolution a new chance at getting it right.

Evolution is a false doctrine that can not be proved. In fact, it can be disproved.

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread163678/pg1

http://www.ucg.org/science/prove-evolution-false-even-without-bible/

[MissAmber]

I know where I'm going, so I don't care if it happened tomorrow!!

[Hawken]

I think we will do it to ourselves. With a growing world population that's putting a strain on our natural resources, something will give way. 50 years ago the world's population was half of what it is now. Imagine what it will be like in another 50.

[Technocrat]

As long as nothing destroys this planet in the next 20 years or so, won't matter to me. I will be gone by the end of that time, or maybe before. At my age, very short spans of years are what I think of.

Me as well!

[Ugly1]

Knock on wood anyone? Studies like this are what worry me.

[DieChecker]

I think we will do it to ourselves. With a growing world population that's putting a strain on our natural resources, something will give way. 50 years ago the world's population was half of what it is now. Imagine what it will be like in another 50.

@Hawkin... The common opinion among experts is that supposedly the population will top out soon at about 9 billion aroung 2050 and stay there till 2300. Which I think is wrong. People don't change their reproductive influences that quicky. They would have us believe that in 2 generations everyone in Africa, South America, and Asia will have a zero population growth. I might buy 4 or 5 generations, if those intermediate generations get better standards of living and more spending money, but then I don't see that happening either. I would not be surprised if by 2050 the population is up to 12 billion.

[Doug1029]

There is life in ocean floor Geysers. I doubt the atmosphere will ever get that hot.

@Hawkin... The common opinion among experts is that supposedly the population will top out soon at about 9 billion aroung 2050 and stay there till 2300. Which I think is wrong. People don't change their reproductive influences that quicky. They would have us believe that in 2 generations everyone in Africa, South America, and Asia will have a zero population growth. I might buy 4 or 5 generations, if those intermediate generations get better standards of living and more spending money, but then I don't see that happening either. I would not be surprised if by 2050 the population is up to 12 billion.

A few years ago I did a little study (for my own edification) on population growth. I projected that the US would reach ZPG about mid-century and the world as a whole would do it about 2100 at a population just under 10 billion. There is a caveat, though: population growth estimates aren't real accurate beyond 20 years because we can't predict birth rates - too many things influence that. Once born, it is easy to estimate when they'll die. After 2100, I would predict a long, slow "population implosion."

Doug

[Guest]

A few years ago I did a little study (for my own edification) on population growth. I projected that the US would reach ZPG about mid-century and the world as a whole would do it about 2100 at a population just under 10 billion. There is a caveat, though: population growth estimates aren't real accurate beyond 20 years because we can't predict birth rates - too many things influence that. Once born, it is easy to estimate when they'll die. After 2100, I would predict a long, slow "population implosion."

Doug

Which is not very heartening when you consider the impacts a sustained 10 billion population will have before it declines to a sustainable level.

Most of the environmental damage which has happened accompanied the population explosion from the 1970's till now. The rate of ecological damage has accellerated since then. Its easy for the developed nations to ignore this fact - since they have outsourced most of the real dirty industry to the developing world. However look closely at an indicator group such as the butterflies and it will quickly become clear that the ecological system is in freefall collapse.

But ultimately those who say that the planet will survive and prosper are correct, nature will rebound, but that is only small consolation for the generations of humans yet to come.

Br Cornelius

Edited September 25, 2013 by Guest

[jesspy]

Earth started without man and it will end without man.

The earth will last awhile unless there is a major "Earth shattering" event. It's Humans that have a limited time. We could have as little as on hundred years or we could have another billion years. My personal gut feeling is that I wont have great great grandchildren.

[Doug1029]

Evolution is a false doctrine that can not be proved. In fact, it can be disproved.

http://www.abovetops...hread163678/pg1

http://www.ucg.org/s...-without-bible/

This probably belongs in the religion section.

Doug

[questionmark]

This probably belongs in the religion section.

Doug

Nah, not really. It belongs into the trashcan, which is why I chose to ignore it.

[Doug1029]

Nah, not really. It belongs into the trashcan, which is why I chose to ignore it.

Same thing.

[rashore]

I always find it kind of interesting how much we equate the earth to humanity. Like, OMG, the end of the world! No, just the end of humanity, or a great change to humanity that might feel like the end. I think humans are capable of doing enough damage to the earth in a sudden fashion to irreparably damage our capabilities of living like we do on the earth. I think we are capable of overbreeding to the point where the earths resources are no longer enough to support us. But the earth is a pretty amazing gal that can recover from a lot of damage, so I think it's unlikely we could do so much damage as to make it unsupportable for all life.

[questionmark]

I always find it kind of interesting how much we equate the earth to humanity. Like, OMG, the end of the world! No, just the end of humanity, or a great change to humanity that might feel like the end. I think humans are capable of doing enough damage to the earth in a sudden fashion to irreparably damage our capabilities of living like we do on the earth. I think we are capable of overbreeding to the point where the earths resources are no longer enough to support us. But the earth is a pretty amazing gal that can recover from a lot of damage, so I think it's unlikely we could do so much damage as to make it unsupportable for all life.

Humans think human-centric and are very shocked every time they discover that they are wrong (i.e our solar system is Heliocentric and not Terracentric, our planet is at the end of the Galaxy, not in the middle and if humans die out tomorrow nobody would notice).

[jules99]

Humans think human-centric and are very shocked every time they discover that they are wrong (i.e our solar system is Heliocentric and not Terracentric, our planet is at the end of the Galaxy, not in the middle and if humans die out tomorrow nobody would notice).

My dog would notice, because he still hasnt learned how to use a can opener..

[questionmark]

My dog would notice, because he still hasnt learned how to use a can opener..

Why? your remains will still be laying around.

[Hawken]

This is a video about Life After People. Interesting.

http://youtu.be/6XDbcMND7fY

Edited September 25, 2013 by Hawkin

[Mikko-kun]

The greatest challenge for our survival will not be an all-ending asteroid nor a nuclear superwar, nor even a supernova. It will be our impotence as a people to act pre-emptively on these things.

But whether it's good or bad that we're gone... who knows. I bet another species with just as much stupidity (intelligence that it doesn't use even if it could) will come and do "humans" all over again. Might be a good thing some of us would be around to warn against that.

Edited September 25, 2013 by Mikko-kun