Remember when Judith Curry endorsed Joe Romm's completely insane book "Hell and High Water"?

2006: Hell and High Water: Joe Romm's new book

"Joe Romm brings a unique combination of expertises in climate science and energy technologies and policies to address the challenges of enabling a clean energy future and reducing our addition to oil. HELL AND HIGH WATER is an important and timely contribution that deserves careful consideration in the dialogue and debate on U.S. energy and climate policy."
- Judith Curry, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology

APS Physics | FPS | Hell and High Water

Dr. Romm divides his analysis into 3 periods. The first is "Reap the Whirlwind, 2000-2025." Katrina, forest fires, and floods are already symptoms of wild weather resulting from human produced greenhouse gas warming of the oceans. During this period we can expect stronger hurricanes farther north along the US Atlantic coast and more intense storms earlier and later in the season.

Next, "Planetary Purgatory, 2025-2050." This is a period of extreme drought and gross shortages of water. If we start the eight monumental efforts mentioned above in 2010, then we can live through this period with hope that the apocalypse can be avoided. If we continue our current path until 2025, the "easy" technology-based strategy will not be enough. A much greater and more expensive effort will be necessary to avoiding a grim fate for the next 50 generations.

Third, "Hell and High Water, 2050-2100." Sea-level rise of 20-80 feet will be all but unstoppable by mid-century if current emission trends continue. Some 100 million people will be displaced. All the US gulf and Atlantic coast cities will be below sea level and facing super hurricanes.