Submitted by John Leonard (not verified) on Sep. 18, 2009.
hi clint ... i'm saddened by your sense that there is myth involved. i've studied climate change carefully and there is evidence, not myth, that supports our need to pay attention to the changing climate. the evidence comes in the form of key changes in measurable numbers in dozens of arenas.
and even if it weren't true that the climate is changing even much faster than previously thought, there are at least a couple of good reasons for us to start making changes. the first is that we all will have a healthier quality of life. The second is economics. If the U.S. will be in the forefront of new technologies related to improving the climate, we will again become the economic leader and powerhouse of the world. We will surpass china and india' economic trajectory. so, if for no other reason than simple profit, leading the band wagon instead of coming late to the parade will be in our country's best interest.
finally, what happens if i and thousands of other scientists are wrong and we still go ahead with initiatives to improve the climate on all fronts? There's only a win-win and that's that our grandchildren will be living in a healthy world AND they'll be living in an economically strong and vibrant society.
what happens if we're right and we do something about it? Same as above.
what happens if we're right and we don't do enough about it as soon as is needed? there will be global changes that will lead to violence, war, increased poverty, further u.s. economic tragedies and the loss of opportunity with its accompanying sense of no hope which feeds the first 3 items in this sentence ... and ... there will be catastrophe of major proportion in various parts of the globe environmentally and thus societally. Such catastrophe is neither sound science nor wise economic policy.
There's only a win-win if we engage fully and as a leader in the needed policies and technologies. Anything less than thorough systemic change, including eventual life-style changes, will most likely be the cause of our country's fading glory. Furthermore, continuing on our current slow, non-systemic path will most likely lead to climate change results we would never want for ourselves nor for our children and their children.
hi clint ... i'm saddened by
hi clint ... i'm saddened by your sense that there is myth involved. i've studied climate change carefully and there is evidence, not myth, that supports our need to pay attention to the changing climate. the evidence comes in the form of key changes in measurable numbers in dozens of arenas.
and even if it weren't true that the climate is changing even much faster than previously thought, there are at least a couple of good reasons for us to start making changes. the first is that we all will have a healthier quality of life. The second is economics. If the U.S. will be in the forefront of new technologies related to improving the climate, we will again become the economic leader and powerhouse of the world. We will surpass china and india' economic trajectory. so, if for no other reason than simple profit, leading the band wagon instead of coming late to the parade will be in our country's best interest.
finally, what happens if i and thousands of other scientists are wrong and we still go ahead with initiatives to improve the climate on all fronts? There's only a win-win and that's that our grandchildren will be living in a healthy world AND they'll be living in an economically strong and vibrant society.
what happens if we're right and we do something about it? Same as above.
what happens if we're right and we don't do enough about it as soon as is needed? there will be global changes that will lead to violence, war, increased poverty, further u.s. economic tragedies and the loss of opportunity with its accompanying sense of no hope which feeds the first 3 items in this sentence ... and ... there will be catastrophe of major proportion in various parts of the globe environmentally and thus societally. Such catastrophe is neither sound science nor wise economic policy.
There's only a win-win if we engage fully and as a leader in the needed policies and technologies. Anything less than thorough systemic change, including eventual life-style changes, will most likely be the cause of our country's fading glory. Furthermore, continuing on our current slow, non-systemic path will most likely lead to climate change results we would never want for ourselves nor for our children and their children.
thanks, JL.