From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Msuck: nntp://news.gmane.io/gmane.science.mathematics.categories/5317 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Joyal=2C_Andr=E9?= Newsgroups: gmane.science.mathematics.categories Subject: Dangerous times Date: Tue, 1 Dec 2009 23:03:25 -0500 Message-ID: References: Reply-To: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Joyal=2C_Andr=E9?= NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1259798970 32005 80.91.229.12 (3 Dec 2009 00:09:30 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2009 00:09:30 +0000 (UTC) To: Original-X-From: categories@mta.ca Thu Dec 03 01:09:22 2009 Return-path: Envelope-to: gsmc-categories@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from mailserv.mta.ca ([138.73.1.1]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1NFzG5-00070e-0w for gsmc-categories@m.gmane.org; Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:09:21 +0100 Original-Received: from Majordom by mailserv.mta.ca with local (Exim 4.61) (envelope-from ) id 1NFykj-0006Ql-81 for categories-list@mta.ca; Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:36:57 -0400 Original-Sender: categories@mta.ca Precedence: bulk Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.science.mathematics.categories:5317 Archived-At: [Note from moderator: this is posted following the context of recent messages, but is quite far off-topic, so further discussion should be off-list. Thanks, Bob ] Dear fellow category theorists, The following message will probably surprise you. You may not be aware that we are presently living extraordinary times. The time when the fate of humanity was decided. You probably know that climate warming is posing a serious threat to the = biosphere and to our civilisation. The danger is particulary insidious because the warming is imperceptible = when compared to the everyday variation of the weather and to the yearly = variation of the seasons. The scary thing is that the climate may cross an unpredictable tipping = point leading to irreversible catastrophic consequences.=20 Of course, we all hope that the problem will be attacked vigorously this = month in Copenhagen: http://en.cop15.dk/ However, there are reasons to be pessimistic about the Copenhagen = meeting.=20 Please, read the piece "Never-Give-Up-Fighting-Spirit", recently posted = by Jim Hansen: http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/ You can also watch a video: http://vimeo.com/7908590 It is becoming quite clear that the problem of climate warming=20 cannot be solved by cap and trade mechanisms, or by ordinary political = actions. The usual "wait and see" strategy can only lead to more serious = problems. The real solution may require deep social transformations involving = cultural changes.=20 We the scientists, may have a responsability in discovering, inventing = and making the changes. We may need to develop a new wisdom for ourselves, our science and our = societies. This can be a very exciting time. What do you think? Andr=E9 =20 =20 [For admin and other information see: http://www.mta.ca/~cat-dist/ ]