Yellowstone Volcano?

[Galaril]

I generally am pretty level headed and not quick to jump to conclusions or panic but this does have me surprisingly concerned. There has been a lot of volcano's up at the Yellowstone national park which is actually the calderas of a super volcano that is 20,000 years over due for an eruption. Living south of Denver we would be greatly affected but I guess the whole us and even the planet would be severely affected by the ash cloud. If anyone remember Mt. Saint Helens this one would put 2,500 times bigger. I guess my 401k or my house pricing dropping 15% isn't the worst thing that could happen to my me.........In anycase, the story is linked from the front page of the news.

Scientists eye unusual swarm of Yellowstone quakes - Yahoo! News

[sterlingice]

My mom's a geophysicist and has mentioned Yellowstone a couple of times. General consensus is that we're all pretty effed when it goes off, on a mass extinction scale. This isn't one of those "if you live in Wyoming, you're hosed". It's a "if you're a human, you're hosed".

It has "small" eruptions which cause continental extinctions and global disruptions (the likes of which people have no idea) but that's not really what's due. The bigger concern is the "larger" ones every ~600K years which cause global extinctions. It's been about 640K since the last one.

So, yeah, no one would be talking about the economy if it went off...

SI

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

My mom's a geophysicist and has mentioned Yellowstone a couple of times. General consensus is that we're all pretty effed when it goes off, on a mass extinction scale. This isn't one of those "if you live in Wyoming, you're hosed". It's a "if you're a human, you're hosed".

It has "small" eruptions which cause continental extinctions and global disruptions (the likes of which people have no idea) but that's not really what's due. The bigger concern is the "larger" ones every ~600K years which cause global extinctions. It's been about 640K since the last one.

So, yeah, no one would be talking about the economy if it went off...

SI

I've already got an 'ash bailout' in the works. So I've got that going for me........

[jeff061]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

My mom's a geophysicist and has mentioned Yellowstone a couple of times. General consensus is that we're all pretty effed when it goes off, on a mass extinction scale. This isn't one of those "if you live in Wyoming, you're hosed". It's a "if you're a human, you're hosed".

It has "small" eruptions which cause continental extinctions and global disruptions (the likes of which people have no idea) but that's not really what's due. The bigger concern is the "larger" ones every ~600K years which cause global extinctions. It's been about 640K since the last one.

So, yeah, no one would be talking about the economy if it went off...

SI

This is why I can't get behind the whole green movement. Like the planet is fragile enough to need our help. I'm just not that arrogant.

[Kodos]

I agree. Let's go pollute!!!11!1

[Kodos]

Also, this falls under the category of things I can't do anything about where there's a slight chance it might kill me. No sense worrying about something that we can't do anything about. I'll spend my time worrying about the coming zombie apocalypse instead.

[Warhammer]

This is the one thing that scare the bejebbers out of me. One massive belch there and we're all toast.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Also, this falls under the category of things I can't do anything about where there's a slight chance it might kill me. No sense worrying about something that we can't do anything about. I'll spend my time worrying about the coming zombie apocalypse instead.

+1

[QuikSand]

Warhammer's cavalier indifference to the coming zombie apocalypse should serve as inspiration to us all.

[PackerFanatic]

Volcano insurance. Better look into it.

[Kodos]

Just don't get burned.

[Warhammer]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Warhammer's cavalier indifference to the coming zombie apocalypse should serve as inspiration to us all.

I figure with the holy symbols around the house I'd be alright. That and I know this guy that plays a 20th lvl cleric in a local RPG group and....

Oh crap...

[jeff061]

Originally Posted by Kodos

I agree. Let's go pollute!!!11!1

Extrapolate much? I didn't say that.

[cartman]

The eruption will happen Dec. 21st, 2012.

[Kodos]

Note to self: delay all Christmas shopping until December 22nd, 2012.

[CamEdwards]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Also, this falls under the category of things I can't do anything about where there's a slight chance it might kill me. No sense worrying about something that we can't do anything about. I'll spend my time worrying about the coming zombie apocalypse instead.

+1... well, except for the coming zombie apocalypse.

[Anthony]

zombie apocolypse. i like it. i'd see the movie.

where will the 1st outbreak be? who will be Zombie Zero (the first reported case of zombieism)? will it be some backwoods farmer who emerges from the woods on an unsuspecting teen couple? will it be Mitchu: the jungle boy that Dr. Ace Winters, noted tribal researcher, brings back from the deep jungles of Brazil?

[Swaggs]

Originally Posted by Anthony

zombie apocolypse. i like it. i'd see the movie.

where will the 1st outbreak be? who will be Zombie Zero (the first reported case of zombieism)? will it be some backwoods farmer who emerges from the woods on an unsuspecting teen couple? will it be Mitchu: the jungle boy that Dr. Ace Winters, noted tribal researcher, brings back from the deep jungles of Brazil?

World War Z

[Anthony]

i know, i read the book. but Zombie Apocalypse is too good of a title to not make a movie out of.

and guess who we got to play the part of Dr. Ace Winters:




look at him. he know's they're out there. somewhere on the horizon a zombie horde that threatens humanity is inching its way. and only he can find the cure to stop it.

only he. preferably while shirtless.

[MJ4H]

The cure?

Here's the cure.

[Sun Tzu]

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

some other guy's war manual

I honestly would have expected better from you, of all people, on this subject.

[Anthony]

this movie needs to be made NOW:

[Anthony]

btw, that's a pic of Dr. Ace Winters holding the FB100, aka "The Freebird", that shoots bullets laced with Professor Mookie Platt's newly invented Doomsday serum.

[chesapeake]

It sucks that Professor Mookie's brains got sucked out just after passing the formula off. Ace is going to agonize about that for at least 12 minutes. Then he will have sex with the Professor's hot graduate assistant.

[Anthony]

and look who just signed on to play the part of Professor Mookie Platt:

[flere-imsaho]

I love this thread derail.

[Anthony]

ok, the hardest working man in Hollywood couldn't pass up the opportunity to play the cold, hardened and primitive Colt McKnight.

[Galaril]

I agree with whoever said, as far the volcano goes no reason to worry about something that can't be controlled and I am shocked that 26 people posted in this thread albeit 21 them were about zombies

[Crim]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

I honestly would have expected better from you, of all people, on this subject.

Bravo, QS!

[Karlifornia]

My favorite part is when Ace Winters flies the helicopter completely upside down right above the ground, slicing thousands of zombies in half within seconds, all while giving himself an insulin shot.

[chesapeake]

That was pretty cool.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

I honestly would have expected better from you, of all people, on this subject.

SI

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

World War Z

Excellent book

SI

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by jeff061

This is why I can't get behind the whole green movement. Like the planet is fragile enough to need our help. I'm just not that arrogant.

Sorry, further threadjacking...

1) The planet will survive. It's a giant mass of rock hurtling through space that will be around until the sun expands and wipes it out in another, oh, 5 billion years. So, yes, the planet is strong enough to survive pretty much anything we could do to it, short of us actively trying to actually destroy said ball of rock- some sort of doomsday device drilling down to the core or smashing Venus into it or something. I'm sure Cobra Commander is working on this as we speak.

2) The planet surviving is not what we should be worried about, see above. Being habitable for human life- that's a bit more important for us. And I'm not sure who that is being arrogant to, if you hold that belief. Dolphins? Other large apes? Maybe you'd like to see algae back as the dominant species. I dunno.

I just don't understand this mentality. Doing environmentally friendly stuff is a good thing. I guess that's unless you're the type of person who posts something anti-environment 4 posts into a thread about something only very loosely related. We know we can survive and even thrive on earth in its current state so we should be worried if we're actively changing it substantially.

We decided to go after the ozone hole problem and it's not as if the world suffered greatly for it. It's not like we used kittens or third world children to patch it up. Our industries didn't all go into the toilet- they adapted. And, frankly, it's easier to change the way we pass around those little green pieces of paper we use as currency than to use them to find a new habitable planet or clean up messes we make on this one.

SI

[Buccaneer]

SI, I think part of the backlash has to do with the motivation of some of the environmental activists; namely, being anti-capitalists/corporations and anti-population growth. To them it is not about preserving future sustainability but in destroying the products of man-made greed. Also, it is about reducing population, which is not so bad, but that manifests itself into promoting various measures of population control and in not promoting advances that extends human life.

I have been a long-time conservationist and to me, it is about a positive message to use technologies and innovations, as we have been doing for a long time. It is not about revenge or elitism and those are some of the messages we have been hearing from certain environmental groups, which can be a turn-off.

I recall a National Geographic article not so long ago trumpeting the efforts of one Vermont farmer to be self-sustainable and very earth-friendly. That's cool and somewhat ironic since many in our past used to be that way. But then they went on to promote this as a future model (i.e., everyone should start adopting this lifestyle). We can do that once we get rid of all of those nasty urban centers and all those undesireables that will only mooch on those working for self-sufficiency and sustainability.

[jeff061]

I simply don't think we are as capable of altering the planet, as it relates to our survivability, as much as we like to think.

I don't really care, I'm certainly not anti environment. It's just an observation, I find the rush to be green these days to be humorous. Certainly not harmful or even worth debating(oops).

The irony of it all is I get paid well in large part to cut down on energy consumption in data centers. Which has been in huge demand in recent years.

[molson]

Originally Posted by jeff061

I simply don't think we are as capable of altering the planet, as it relates to our survivability, as much as we like to think.

True, but should we not clean our yards because we might die of a heart attack tomorrow?

I think there's two kinds of environmentalism. The first makes sense no matter what....reduce smog, pollute less, destroy less of the natural world. That can all make us happier today.

I agree that the second kind - obsessions with long-term climate change, etc, can get a little silly.

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by molson

True, but should we not clean our yards because we might die of a heart attack tomorrow?

I think there's two kinds of environmentalism. The first makes sense no matter what....reduce smog, pollute less, destroy less of the natural world. That can all make us happier today.

I agree that the second kind - obsessions with long-term climate change, etc, can get a little silly.

I think the case for the first is easier for people to swallow if it isn't couched in the hysterics of the second.

[QuikSand]

By the way, just in case you noticed the serendipity like I did...

Today's zune apocalypse is quite clearly just one small early stage in the coming zombie apocalypse.

[BrianD]

All of this talk about the zombie apocalypse really has me wanting to blow off the rest of the work day and play lots of Left 4 Dead.

[jeff061]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

By the way, just in case you noticed the serendipity like I did...

Today's zune apocalypse is quite clearly just one small early stage in the coming zombie apocalypse.

This was not lost on me . I had pulled out my copy of World War Z for a second go around yesterday.

[sterlingice]

Not your audiobook copy of World War Z on your Zune, I hope

SI

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Yeah! Another super volcano to chat about? Anybody want to meet up for a drink before the world ends?

Scientists Say 'Super Volcano' May Be Brewing Beneath Mount St. Helens

[Lathum]

Sweet, I'll be in the front row

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Sweet, I'll be in the front row

We can likely just cross you out when we do the FOFC Supervolcano roll call to see who's left.