Today I came across a graphic which turns out to be from Visual Capitalist (@ visualcap). I hadn’t heard of them. They make some very cool graphics.

But it seems they’re promoters of the ‘rational optimist’ mindset: Pinker, Gates and crew

… @postcarbon have some thoughts about that world view https://overcast.fm/+Q_Eq5peaY 

…There’s plenty of environmental data where there’s been a sudden step change. It’s pretty hard if you’re in the moment beforehand to know when and where it’s coming.

But there are useful clues

…Suppose we transpose this chart ~15,000 years forward to present day Miami, where the inflection point of the leftmost diagonal red arrow could be analogous.

It’s ok, sea level rise is happening but we can manage it. Oh wait…

…These charts feature in @johnenglander’s vital work

…I’m intrigued by the build out of Portsmouth’s sea defences. How the less wealthy areas have the least protection, like the sea is going to just politely not go round the corner

…And by the engineering ‘certainty’ that a 1.5 metre wall raise in Tipner Lake, that’s less than a metre thick, is somehow going to hold back an entire body of water.

Or that 1.5 metres is plenty enough…

…If you divide the inter glacial ~120m sea level rise by the corresponding 5°C rise in temperature, we’re into something like 20 to 25 metres per degree Celsius. We’ve already warmed a degree.

Here’s how that maps to Florida’s pre-history

…It’s so freaking obvious what sort of things we should be doing to prepare for this. But we’re determined to throw our hands up and just wait. Why?

To circle back to the top of this thread, here’s a clue from Visual Capitalist

…Any political project that is not actively educating and incentivising boomers (I’m one) and gen X-ers to be better ancestors is a failed project