Melting of ice is slowing planet’s rotation and could disrupt internet traffic, financial transactions and GPS

The climate crisis is causing the length of each day to get longer, analysis shows, as the mass melting of polar ice reshapes the planet.

The phenomenon is a striking demonstration of how humanity’s actions are transforming the Earth, scientists said, rivalling natural processes that have existed for billions of years.

The change in the length of the day is on the scale of milliseconds but this is enough to potentially disrupt internet traffic, financial transactions and GPS navigation, all of which rely on precise timekeeping.

  • MeekerThanBeaker@lemmy.world
    34·
    4 months ago

    And when the planet overheats, it will heal itself of its virus… and continue on for billions of years more.

    We had a good run.

    • Fuckfuckmyfuckingass@lemmy.world
      22·
      4 months ago

      You know, I see this sentiment a lot, and I hate it. Are people perfect? Fuck no. Are we destroying our own futures? Certainly. But we don’t have to be a virus. The people who run the world are amoral and corrupt and they assume everyone is just like them. Those people push this narrative, because it suits them and their power.

      We can and will be better, because there’s no other choice.

      • TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world
        13·
        4 months ago

        You’re right, humans are not a virus. We’re animals, and just like most other animals we will increase our population and our consumption as long as we have resources to consume. Usually when an organism exceeds the carrying capacity of their ecosystem, they experience a population crash that brings them back within the ecosystem’s sustainable boundaries. We are currently exceeding the carrying capacity of our ecosystem, so a significant decline in population and/or consumption levels seems inevitable.

      • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
        11·
        4 months ago

        Overcoming this bullshit is how humanity gets to become what it needs to be

        Right now we’re like a teenager living on our own, in way over our heads, with a couple different paths we could wind up going down

      • Franklin@lemmy.world
        4·
        4 months ago

        And this is why we need to guillotine the rich. Or introduce a wealth tax. I am open to either.

    • Kowowow@lemmy.ca
      4·
      4 months ago

      The worst part is we’ve used so much of the resources no other species from earth could make it nearly as far as we have

    • srasmus@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      3 months ago

      Ecofacist talking points.

      Edit: I’m literally right Referring to humanity as a “virus” is textbook ecofacism. If you’re offended by this, do some reading.