End Notes: 2100 Or Bust

Last week in his Earthweek column, syndicated writer Steve Newman quoted “two of the world’s most respected scientists” saying that human civilization has only a 50 percent chance of surviving until 2100 without being done in by a nuclear threat, climate change, overpopulation — or perhaps an asteroid or electromagnetic solar storms that fry our electronics. Neither Newman, nor the scientists, are chicken-little types. Then this week we had the story about the melting of Arctic ice which means that sea levels could rise as much as 5 feet this century. In the sci-fi movie A. I. Artificial Intelligence , the sea levels have risen dramatically. Helicopters fly to offices in the top floors of Manhattan skyscrapers, for instance, because those are the only floors left not underwater/ Rebecca Nappi , End Notes. More here.

Question: Do you think we’ll make it to 2100?