> If sea level rise is a problem, would sea level fall be good? More land,
> less need for coastal defence...or you going to claim that we are we
> optimally adapted to this year's sea level, even in areas which were
> settled and developed many years ago when sea levels were different?
First, I am not saying "change=bad", nor am I saying therefore
"change=good". I leave that fallacious argument to the Exropians, and to
the reader to spot the fallacy and how extropism entails it.
Sea level fall would have the advantages that it would release more land for
agriculture, and provide more space for the rapidly growing population of
the world. However, it would also have a severe cost, in that all ports
would be left high and dry. Sea transport is still the cheapest method of
facilaitating international trade. If you believe in globalisation, which I
imagine all good Extropians do, then this would be a severe cost.
And it shows how we are optimised to the current environment. We have
built our ports at the water's edge. If sea level rises or if it falls the
ports will have to be rebuilt. I am not arguing that sea level change is bad
per se. I am arguing that if we are realistic, then in our circumstances
sea level change is bad.
Of course when I write 'bad' I mean 'costly', but in a post-Thatcherite
where I am writing to an audience of greedy westerners, then I don't expect
any criticism on that score. However, it does point to one advantage of
climate change. If we take a broader perspective of good, rather than the
narrow one of economic cost, then the reduction in global population of
human beings may well be drastically reduced. This could lead to a recovery
of the natural ecosystem, and a return of the Earth to its former glory.
Perhaps the Extropians have a point. Perhaps we should welcome climate
change :-)
Cheers, Alastair.
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