You want a downer? How about global climactic change is now almost surely inevitable, even if we changed our behaviors today. That means mass suicide, extinction, displacement, and disruption. That means we should already be apologizing to our children - born and unborn.

A few days ago Roger Pielke Jr. pointed to a paper (PDF) by Tim Dyson of the London School of Economics called “On development, demography and climate change: The end of the world as we know it?” Pielke called it “refreshingly clear thinking on climate change.” That’s true, if by “refreshingly clear” he means “weep-silently-aplogize-to-your-children-and-throw- yourself-out-a-window depressing.” Abandon hope, all ye who download PDF here.

Dyson’s argument unfolds in several stages, but the brutal conclusion is simple: “In all likelihood, events are now set to run their course.”

Total buzzkill, man.

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