Optimism for a New Tipping Point

Tom Schueneman has a great post up on TriplePundit that talks about tipping points. Yes, he discusses the environmental tipping points that scientists are warning may be approaching, or quite possibly may already be past us. He also points out that, as with Peak Oil, it can't be known that the tipping point has passed until we're looking at it in the rear view mirror and dealing with the consequences. The use of simple subject as microphone feedback to describe the much more complex system of environmental feedbacks I thinks makes the discussion approachable, at least for me with a technical mind (and a some experience in sound/PA systems).

But, that isn't his point. He espouses the hope that this year will be the year that we can look back and say that 2007 was the tipping point for taking action rather than debate that it isn't happening. And since he points out the YouTube videos by wonderingmind42, remember, even if those of us who think we are approaching a climate crisis are wrong, isn't better to be wrong and spend money on reducing our impact on the planet than to wait and see and deal with much more immediate and unknown hazards if the climate does continue to change and accelerate its change?

If you haven't watched the youtube videos yet, at least watch the first in the series, titled "How it all ends". If you want to see the rest, check out this youtube playlist for the expansion of his arguments (many many hours (over 400 minutes I think)).