[hn_throwaway_99]

There is no need for "whataboutism". There are plenty of very similar missives and warnings against, for example, the dangers of climate inaction, and I rarely see people claiming that the signatories of the latest IPCC report are "virtue signaling".

[biscottigelato]

Climate change is not even close to humanity ending. At max wipe out a few coastal cities. And even that is unlikely because those that screams 'climate change' the loudest has the most assets in coastal prime real estates. Humans will still be the apex predator of the planet even if there's human caused climate change catastrophe.

AI literally can end humanity, every single individual potentially. But definitely replace humans as the apex predator of the planet. It is also consistently voted the highest likelihood cause if humanity is to end in the next 100 years. https://riskfrontiers.com/insights/ranking-of-potential-caus...

We should stop the climate change fear mongering. Yeah we shouldn't burn fossil as if its consequence free. But New York and Santa Monica beach should've been under water 20 years ago if the climate alarmist are correct. That's a far cry from pretending it's some number 1 priority. It shouldn't be even close. Having climate to distract us from things that will actually end us is the dumbest own goal possible for our species.

[popol12]

It’s not just about sea level or temperature increase, it’s about humanity screwing all other life forms For instance we’ve lost about 50% of insects since 1970, how is this « fear mongering » ? It’s the nº1 tragedy, by far, and it’s currently happening, unlike hypothetical AI threats https://www.businessinsider.com/insect-apocalypse-ecosystem-...

[revelio]

The sorts of studies that proclaim loss of 50% of insects don't check out when looked at closely. As you might guess, counting insects is quite hard, doing so reliably over time is much harder still and then assigning causality harder yet again.

[popol12]

Could you please provide details/source ? I'd be very happy to learn that this 50% figure is wrong :)

[revelio]

It's not about insects specifically but this paper points out statistical problems in a very similar claims about vertebrates:

https://www.sfu.ca/biology2/rEEding/pdfs/Leung_et_al_Cluster...

But it's a common theme. These claims get attention and journalists don't check, so they proliferate. Dig in to any given claim and you'll find they're all built on statistical quicksand.

[pazimzadeh]

Based on our current trajectory the apex predator will be an antibiotic-resistant bacterial strain. Probably Acenitobacter baumanii.