NASA says Antarctica is actually gaining ice ( 2 days ago)

[PonoBill]

It's strange that it rarely gets discussed...we have no idea that climate change isn't a good thing. Is a warming planet with rising CO2 levels worse than a cooling planet that is dessicated?

The problem is not whether the change is good or bad, the problem comes from the change itself. Mankind has been able to successfully adapt to just about every climate condition on earth. The trouble comes when farm areas that did not need irrigation become dry, or when areas that have adapted to a desert environment suddenly become tropical. If sea levels change drastically, either plus or minus, established surf spots will disappear and reappear in new spots.

I'm pretty sure if the change was perceived as good that we wouldn't be trying to change the world economy because of it. The rest of what you say is of course built into any change. That's obvious but if the net effect is improved conditions for man why all the hand wringing.

Because that's only one likely outcome, and the most evidence says it's not what happens in the short term--meaning 10 to 100 years. Having most of the eastern seaboard under water is not an attractive situation.

More implrtantly, the carbon economy isn't sustainable anyway, and we've made good pregress in replacing it. You can't see that from current energy consumption and CO2 production stats because the rest of the world is coming up to US energy consumption levels. But the change is underway. Photovoltaic cells used to be very expensive and the notion of using them to replace thermal generation was laughable. Now they cost about as much as the structure required to hold them in place. It's no longer laughable, it's feasible. One of the reasons I feel pretty good about the world economy in the longer term is the cost and effort required to move to a more sustainable power generation approach. It's a large scale infrastructure project with tangible benefits. Those tend to be good things.

[eastbound]

New York will lose some newly valued real estate, but largely be fine. Much of the city stands on good elevation bedrock.
The porosity if the geology combined with uniform low elevation in Miami make it uniquely vulnerable. The effects are showing clearly already, and will certainly get much worse.

Agreed there are places around the world where humanity will take a hit like we will never see in Miami, but Miami is close to home for many rich and powerful. Might help to wake some up.