Monday, December 1, 2014

Grist published a short 10-point summary of the recent IPCC report...   The news is very grim, if you take the time to read it.  We are assured of going past a rise of 3.6 degrees F, and maybe far beyond it.  Scientists agree that is a 'tipping point' where we will get serious effects on availability of fresh water, on agriculture, on the oceans.   I predict international political conflicts will be one result, possibly a nuclear war.  It could be very bad. We have to make BIG changes over the next few decades, and we have to get started now.  Remember we knew about this back in 1990.  We have wasted a quarter century and will bear costly consequences.
   Climate change is a classic collective action problem.  The incentives facing any one actor---me, who needs gas today; the Koch bros. who want to extract their tar sands riches, Republicans and some Democrats in Congress who want to keep the money flowing from carbon-intensive energy interests--- lead them to behavior that, all added together, produces a bad outcome.
   There is recent good work on how to approach this, a 'building block' strategy that stands a chance of working.  At home we have to continue to promote awareness of what is happening.

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