A Gift to the Unborn

Barry, My Liege:

In order to understand our future course as a species, scientists have studied fossil and other geologic records of the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) of 56 million years ago.

Earth's climate endured a rapid warming during this period which was roughly similar to the expected warming from our likely future if global warming continues.

The species die-off during this PETM period was concentrated in non-mammalian species; surprisingly, mammals seem to have adapted and thrived.

However, the likelihood of mankind surviving such an event is unlikely.

The onset of the PETM has been linked to an initial 5 °C temperature rise and extreme changes in Earth’s carbon cycle.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleocene%E2%80%93Eocene_Thermal_Maximum#Life]

Geology suggests that the Earth suffered a massive species die-off during the "Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), alternatively "Eocene thermal maximum 1" (ETM1), and formerly known as the "Initial Eocene" or "Late Paleocene Thermal Maximum". This refers to a climate event that began at the temporal boundary between the Paleocene and Eocene epochs. The absolute age and duration of the event remain uncertain, but are thought to be close to 55.8 million years ago and about 170,000 years of duration.

While massive die-offs are supported by the geologic record, interestingly some of the mammals which appeared in the era, notably horses and primates, appeared and spread around the globe." [Philip D. Gingerich, Geological Society of America, Special Paper 369, 2003, Mammalian responses to climate change at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary: Polecat Bench record in the northern Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, Philip D. Gingerich
Department of Geological Sciences and Museum of Paleontology,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109–1079, USA]

'If we do not reverse current trends by close to 2020, however, we may have failed. Global warming will pass the widely acknowledged danger level of two degrees, since there is an approximately 20 year delay between emission reductions and the halting of their warming effect. This report clearly demonstrates that climate change is already highly dangerous at well below one degree of warming. Two degrees would be catastrophic', Kofi A. Annan, President of the Global Humanitarian Forum, [http://www.ghf-ge.org/human-impact-report.pdf]

'One of the clearest pictures of this future is emerging for the U.S. Southwest and a similar meteorological zone that stretches across Italy, Greece and Turkey. Work by Tim Barnett of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Seager and others predicts that these regions will get hotter and drier—and, perhaps more important, shows that the change has already begun. "The signal of a human influence on climate pops up in 1985, then marches on getting strong and stronger," Barnett says. By the MIDDLE OF THE 21st century, the models predict, the climate will be as dry as the seven-year long Dust Bowl drought of the 1930s or the damaging 1950s drought centered in California and Mexico, Seager says: "In the future the drought won't last just seven years. It will be the new norm."'. [Our Extreme Future: Predicting and Coping with the Effects of a Changing Climate, Scientific American, Final part of a three-part series June 30, 2011 |By John Carey]

The midpoint of the 21st century is 36 years from today.

In an earlier post titled 'Only Way To Prevent Disaster - Zero Emissions by 2070', published here on November 28, 2014, I asked that you create model legislation which will reverse the course of global warming if enacted.

That call is repeated here - For the sake of your grandchildren, during the '4th Quarter' of your time as President of the United States, please write that legislation and present it to the Congress of the United States.

It will not pass, but there will be a record of what we have to do.

So, DO NOT MODIFY THE LEGISLATION TO SECURE PASSAGE.

Political expedience will kill our species.

Your faithful servant,