When I was at school, (admittedly, quite a while ago, though definitley after the Jurassic Period), I recall being taught that the level of CO2 was around 330 ppm. Now its 420+ ppm. That's quite a hike in one human (at least, I claim so) lifetime. That the levels of CO2 (and methane, for that matter) have been much higher in the distant past, perhaps as high as 4000ppm, is not an excuse for us to keep releasing ever more fossil CO2 in to the atmosphere. Whilst 4000ppm CO2 may be good for some organisms it would not be good for all and it would certainly wipe out human "civilisation". I doubt the planet will go the way of venus and become a cooking pot planet as we are too far from the sun. However, the life that survives if we continue to burn fossil fuels willy nilly will be different from the world we have today. Perhaps, a long time after the human race has made itself extinct (along with a good proportion of currently existing species), CO2 might return to a level of between 300 and 400 ppm and all will be rosie again (assuming roses are one of the species which do survive). Most likely some species of insects will survive. Bacteria will, of course, survive. And so, if we are not careful over the next few decades, the meek will most certainly inherit the earth but our great great great etc.. grandchildren will not!
The real question of today is not how do we keep inflation to 2% per annum, but how do we provide a future for all those little darlings who don't yet exist?
The real question of today is not how do we keep inflation to 2% per annum, but how do we provide a future for all those little darlings who don't yet exist?
