A Gloomy, yet Optimistic Outlook: Adaptability

As we discussed today, the drive towards halting anthropogenic climate change will require a massive revolution on the parts of both individuals and major organizations: governments, industry, etc. (we couldn't even decide on which would be more influential). While individual actions will make a huge difference, industries will keep pumping carbon into the air - unless the individuals mess with the economy - and vice-versa, legislation and industry-initiated action will not be sufficient unless individuals are not invested in reducing their footprints from heating and transportation by-products. As of now, it doesn't seem like we are anywhere close to either side revolutionizing: People are not invested enough to give up some luxuries such as two homes and multiple gas-guzzling cars and many influential politicians won't even admit that there is an issue with climate change - and some who do embrace it. Thus, we should expect significant climate change within the next few decades. 

Given that life on Earth has survived significant disturbances in its history - from meteors to volcanic eruptions - life will continue on Earth regardless of what humans due to it, short of nuclear war (even then some microbes will thrive). The species that survived those disturbances were either the most resilient or the ones that adapted the most to the new conditions - both behaviorally and evolutionarily. If climate change were to cause significant change, it most likely will not be in a "Day After Tomorrow" fashion where the Northern Hemisphere slingshots into an ice age in three days; it will be over decades, with punctual changes throughout. For example, the melting ice is currently buffering the increase in temperature of ocean temperature; when the ice is gone, there will be no more buffering and ocean temperatures will increase significantly. This could have all kinds of effects, ranging from salinity changes, ocean current changes, microbial blooms, storm patterns, etc. Also, there is methane locked in ice - called clathrates - and permafrost, and when this is released it will drive greenhouse gas-based global warming over a shorter time. Decades are long enough for most species to adapt to climate change. Aside from megafauna, most species have life spans of less than a decade. Insects have spans as short as days, and microbes as short as hours. Therefore, those species that can adapt to climate change within that period of time will survive. This will include many humans. Life on Earth will live regardless.