Massive Global Warming Ahead?

Known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), the period was marked by a rapid rise in greenhouse gases that heated Earth by roughly 9° F (5° C), in less than 10,000 years. The climate warming caused widespread changes including mass extinction in the world's oceans due to acidification and shifts of plant communities due to changes in rainfall.

It was due to large increases of carbon in the atmosphere:

“The last time carbon was emitted to the atmosphere on the scale of what we are doing today, there were winners and losers,” Caldeira added. “There was ecological devastation, but new species rose from the ashes. Luckily for us, our ancient primate ancestors were winners. Who knows who the winners and losers will be in the next go round?”

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