• TopRamenBinLaden@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    I don’t think we’ll be around to see the oceans dry up. We probably will be around to see water wars, floods, and civilization collapsing. Look on the bright side, you’re probably more likely to die from cannibalism than lack of oxygen.

    • jabathekek@sopuli.xyz
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      1 year ago

      The oceans won’t dry up, the life in them (specifically phytoplankton) will die off when the water is too acidic and hot to support them. Phytoplankton produce the vast majority of the oxygen we breath and without them every oxygen breathing species on this planet will die, which obviously includes us. They are called a keystone species for a reason.

      • TopRamenBinLaden@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        I misread your comment, sorry. Also, I didn’t know that, thanks for explaining. So shouldn’t the surplus of trees and plants due to high CO2 offset that a bit? Besides that, I think that society will collapse and the majority of the population will die off before we ever see that happen, but you are right, some of us might be around for that.

        • jabathekek@sopuli.xyz
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          1 year ago

          IIRC terrestrial plants only create ~20% of the worlds oxygen, and this percentage is further reduced with areas being ‘developed’. Not to mention all the land that is used for forestry and agriculture. Plants are growing faster since they can create sugars at higher rates with all the CO2, but I highly doubt it’s enough balance out the potential loss of marine ecosystems. Losing those wouldn’t only affect oxygen levels, but it would also affect any and all animals that depend on those ecosystems as a food source. Thus, plants that rely on animals for pollination or spreading seeds will eventually die off too, leaving only plants that rely on wind even further reducing oxygen production.