[watertom]

It was the rise of phytoplankton that created the atmosphere necessary for human life.

It will be the collapse of the phytoplankton that will eliminate the the atmosphere necessary for human life.

Humans won’t be around to see the planet warm.

[gattilorenz]

The paper claims the opposite, instead of a collapse of phytoplakton there will (likely) be an increase:

> Our study indicates that positive summer temperatures and a sufficient nutrient supply are key factors determining the present-day distribution of green snow algae on the Antarctic Peninsula. With the IPCC’s projected 1.5 °C global temperature increase, it is predicted that the 0 °C isotherm will increase in elevation and that positive degree days will become more commonplace and occur further to the south. This will likely open up new snow for colonisation by green snow algae, should an appropriate dispersal mechanism allow transfer to new areas. [...]

> A warming Peninsula, therefore, may see a shift towards fewer, larger snow algae blooms, resulting in a significant increase in biomass on larger outlying islands and the mainland. The coupled loss of blooms from smaller islands would be insignificant with respect to biomass and may be mitigated by southward range expansion or an earlier growth season. However, with multiple and often unknown species recorded within patches of green snow algae, and little known about the dispersal mechanisms, life cycles and plasticity of snow algal species, losses from these islands could represent a reduction of terrestrial diversity for the Antarctic Peninsula.

[ahevia]

This is unnecessary doomerism. Yes our situation is not exactly the brightest but is doomposting on HN really the best action you can take?

Humans will still be around to see the planet warm. The question is will individuals & society band together to limit that warming & adapt?

[adflux]

The main problem with doomtalk is the defeatist attitude that usually accompanies it. Utterly useless way of thinking

[rc_mob]

First step to solving a problem is acknowledging that the problem exists. It feels like you have yet to take that first step.

[TeMPOraL]

No, they did take that step. But the very next step is correctly scoping the problem. It's the one at which so many people fail.

[ripper1138]

Ridiculous. Humans burning fossil fuel for 200 years is nothing compared to the mass extinctions that have occurred in the past, and yet the atmosphere is still here.