Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» 7.2 magnitude earthquake hits western Haiti. No TSUNAMI warnings out yet. The beginning of the middle of the end of the end of times?
Unfortunately earthquakes have always been with us and always will be; and in time to come, with whatever replaces us.
They are an effect of the planet's internal workings - but with tragic consequences to people caught in buildings shaken down by them, or overwhelmed by a tsunami.
So no they are not beginning, middle or end; just part of a continuum.
So you are saying there is no end? It is the endless circle of life? Won't there be an eventuality that renders earth a memory? Or is this it forever after only more so? Eventually homo saps will be wiped out won't they if the climate becomes uninhabitable for them? SIGH. It it's not one thing it's another! Thank you for your reply Durdle! :)
I hear on the News this morning that Haiti has been hit by further tremors, as commonly happenes after major earthquakes.
Earthquakes and their volcanic-eruption relatives are nothing to do with human activities or the climate, are beyond human control, and are extremely difficult to predict in time and intensity.
Those due to plate-tectonics, as the case in Haiti and around the Pacific coasts, have been a natural part of the world almost since the early development of the continents and oceans. They will continue as long as their motive power source, the planet's internal heat by radioactive decay, continues. So, many millions of years yet.
One country that might find itself subject to a lot of smaller, local earthquakes for a few thousand years to come is Greenland. It is losing its ice-cover relatively rapidly, and if that continues sufficiently the Continental Crust will spring very slowly back up from having been depressed slightly into the planet by the sheer weight of all that ice. The changing stresses this produces would be relieved by slight adjustment slips on deep faults, felt as earthquakes.
The Earth itself will end, somehow, when the Sun dies. The star will not simply grow dim and cold, but end as a "red giant", with its atmospere and outer layers expanding and cooling but still extremely hot for a long way out, frying the Earth. It might not destroy the planet but it would destroy all life on it; including whatver might have replaced our species by then. That though has been calculated as not due for some thousands of millions of years yet, so we needn't worry about it.
Can we humans wipe ourselves out? I do not think so at all. We might drastically reduce our numbers and "civilised" societies; but we will not exterminate ourselves.
Those most able to survive things like drastic climate-change and its results might ironically be the least "developed" and remote, although very many will need to migrate to more comfortable regions, or to adapt their ways of life.
Thank you for your very detailed and very helpful reply to my question Durdle. I appreciate it. It just seems to me that humanity is bent on destruction. There are threads and spots and bits and pieces among homo saps who are concerned and are/have been trying to get people to open their eyes to what they are doing to no avail. I think more homo saps are dense and uncaring than are thoughtful and caring. I could be wrong and I hope I am. Thank you for your helpful reply :)
I think those human weaknesses have always been there, but in an increasingly crowdedm, connected, fast-paced world it becomes easier for the destructive ones.
I think too you are wrong about there being more un-caring than caring people. I think most people are thoughtful and caring but are often overshadowed by those who are not.
Quite possibly true m'dear. More caring than uncaring. So why is our fate almost always in the hands of the uncaring SOB's? BAD LUCK? BAD DECISIONMAKING? Or does good turn to bad due to circumstances? Honorable at the start they become corrupt? Either way we get screwed! SIGH. Thank you for your reply Durdle.
Some find their way into power because they want power from the start.
Most though go into politics with the best intentions and a great many stay honourable and caring; but others do lose control and let their power go to their heads. Or fall to temptation and become corrupt.
"....a great many stay honourable and caring....." That may well be true in your country Drudle but in America it is the opposite. The honorable and caring are very rare and when they show up they are attacked and driven out of politics. It makes the others look so bad you see so they simply "do away with" the good ones. Thank you for your reply! I wonder if everyone can be corrupted if the lure is irresistible? I shall ask. :)
I think if enough are corrupted so it becomes "normal" it would be very hard and dangerous for anyone to stay honest, or for the honest ones to stay involved.
Well we showed for all the world to see what a corrupter can do to a country. GUANO and his GUANOHEADS dam* near took us down and out on January 6, 20221. They are still working arduously toward that end. The LIES continue unabated and those who believe them believe even stronger harder deeper wider broaded. Why? Beats me! I ascribe to a very low level ol intelligence. EVERYONE with a brain realize GUANO is stark raving insane except them. Which means they share the insanity. Right now it seems hopeless. The more insane GUANO beccomes the stronger they bond with him. I am talking about at least 76 million American homo saps who voted for him in 2020 after the adject failure disaster of the 4 years he held us hostaage. I hope I'm wrong. I fear I"m not. Thank you for your reply Durdle! :).
Durdle 