Report: America’s Climate Choice
The National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council have recent issued a report on climate change connected with greenhouse gas emissions (click here for full report ). A key point reinforced by this report is the urgency of acting now given the magnitude and time scale of climate change. In particular:
“In the judgment of this report’s authoring committee, the environmental, economic, and humanitarian risks posed by climate change indicate a pressing need for substantial action to limit the magnitude of climate change and to prepare for adapting to its impacts. There are many reasons why it is imprudent to delay such actions.”
The authors go on to make several points about why action is needed now. One reason that makes global warming crucially different from other problems is the difficulty of “putting the Genie back in the bottle”:
“Some climate change impacts, once manifested, will persist for hundreds or even thousands of years, and will be difficult or impossible to “undo.””
The report is short and simple to read. One point not covered, though, should always be kept in mind: Climate change is difficult to predict, but there are scenarios that have devastating impacts on mankind as we know it — widespread dislocations, outbreak of war, and economic devastation. Even if unlikely, such catastrophic events are worth avoiding.
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