Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion Climate Change Forum Tipping Point Looming?

I'm sure we all understand that the planet isn't self-conscious. I think Paul's comment comparing the planet's competence with our species' own was appropriate, especially considering I had already brought up that perspective to explain how a recently evolved soil could "store excess CO2 that is not needed in our atmosphere anymore to keep the planet warm, after the sun itself warmed enough... from a Gaia sort of perspective."

I agree the planet is more competent than is our individual species. In fact the planet could be seen as competent enough to "evolve" a new, "needed" species; especially a species that could utilize fire as a tool to change albedo, as well as the balance of labile biospheric carbon, on a regional and global scale. Nature abhors an empty niche.

Without our signature traits (Fire, Ag, & Tool Use), Ice Age conditions likely would become relatively permanent, extending farther toward the equator as more and more carbon became incorporated into in the newly-predominant, temperate soils. It's as if the planet needed a "caretaker" or a land manager, and so created a fire-wielding, land-plowing species to moderate the Milankovitch influences.

http://farmersforthefuture.ning.com/profiles/blogs/so-god-made-a-farmer


p.s. http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13111
"By the end of this century, without a reduction in emissions, atmospheric CO2 is projected to increase to levels that Earth has not experienced for more than 30 million years."

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