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A common argument from climate change deniers is that the planet was warmer before and things were fine then. So I guess the comment plays into that, as the changes we are facing might not be new for Earth, but they are new for a Earth with humans.

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Having a more accurate image of what is happening is important. I think many people imagine the planet becoming an inhabitable desert, all life dying and oceans boiling off. This is a wrong image and causes unnecessary pain and anxiety. I know a young person who killed themselves because of climate anxiety.

I'm optimistic that humans and most animals could adapt into a warmer planet.

That is the point of the comment. No matter how bad it gets, biological creatures will adapt as they always have while lots of existing species will become extinct; none of this is new. The question is can people adapt and remain what we think of as people in what we think of as our civilization. Given the current horrific weather (droughts/floods/heat/cold/storms/fires etc) how will humanity adapt without seriously changing what we think of as life. Perhaps we can live underground, or all move to the poles, or try a new planet somewhere. But if weather continues to get worse and worse eventually fewer and fewer people will survive, and we might become like the majority of species that no longer exist.

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