Sunday, September 17, 2006
the up-side of global warming
I'm certain I'm going to hell just for thinking like this this. Polar bears are drowning, the oceans are filling up, glaciers are melting, indigenous people are losing their way of life, not to mention it's getting freakin' hot for people like me who do not enjoy the sun's cruel touch.
But think of all the cool new stuff that could show up!
I keep fantasizing that the thaw is going to uncover the most intact mammoth specimen ever, and I can finally get that mammoth hybrid Ive always wanted. I don't dare dream of a mammoth clone, since freezing explodes the DNA into even smaller pieces so it can't be used for any Jurassic-Park-like experiments. But maybe some other treasure, like a homo sapien predecessor that has been frozen for tens of thousands of years in a block of ice, lying there in mid-scream with a spear in his ass, just like Kennewick Man, only this time with something covering his bones. Maybe under all that ice, some clue is going to show itself that could reveal how the first people came to North America.
On the other hand, if the oceans are actually getting higher, the water could be covering up some as-yet-undiscovered archaeological site. There is a theory that man came to North America by boat, traveling along the Bering Strait and/or the Aleutian Islands, and because the sea levels are higher now than they were 30,000 years ago, their possible camp sites along the beach would be long gone by now. There is no way we could suck up some of the ocean long enough to look.
New islands are appearing from under the melted icebergs; maybe a pre-historic site will show up on one of those islands. It's so sad, yet intriguing. At the very least, some sort of new artifact, uncovered by the melting ice would be an awesome find.
That doesn't mean that global warming isnt horrifying, but I cant help but wonder about what is going to turn up!
But think of all the cool new stuff that could show up!
I keep fantasizing that the thaw is going to uncover the most intact mammoth specimen ever, and I can finally get that mammoth hybrid Ive always wanted. I don't dare dream of a mammoth clone, since freezing explodes the DNA into even smaller pieces so it can't be used for any Jurassic-Park-like experiments. But maybe some other treasure, like a homo sapien predecessor that has been frozen for tens of thousands of years in a block of ice, lying there in mid-scream with a spear in his ass, just like Kennewick Man, only this time with something covering his bones. Maybe under all that ice, some clue is going to show itself that could reveal how the first people came to North America.
On the other hand, if the oceans are actually getting higher, the water could be covering up some as-yet-undiscovered archaeological site. There is a theory that man came to North America by boat, traveling along the Bering Strait and/or the Aleutian Islands, and because the sea levels are higher now than they were 30,000 years ago, their possible camp sites along the beach would be long gone by now. There is no way we could suck up some of the ocean long enough to look.
New islands are appearing from under the melted icebergs; maybe a pre-historic site will show up on one of those islands. It's so sad, yet intriguing. At the very least, some sort of new artifact, uncovered by the melting ice would be an awesome find.
That doesn't mean that global warming isnt horrifying, but I cant help but wonder about what is going to turn up!
