This seems like a disingenuous comment to me. For example, let's say that if we don't make HUGE changes, in 12 years there will be no way to stop sea levels from rising such that ONE BILLION people will be displaced from their homes in the next 30-40 years. (This BTW, is a pretty plausible estimate.) Would all life on the planet cease to exist? Of course not. But imagine what impact ONE BILLION homeless people would have on society. Society as we know it would - in fact - cease to exist.
So
@shmogie - what's an acceptable degradation of our environment to you? Such that you can smugly say "well, the planet still exists".
What are the HUGE changes do you propose be made in the next 12 years ? How are you going to get China, India, Russia and the rest of the world to make these huge changes ? The US and Western Europe have made giant strides at cutting carbon emissions, at the cost of of billions of dollars, yet it doesn´t mean a lot with the rest of the world just polluting away.
I am personally leery of science´s predictions. I was around when science declared that the world had run out of oil, that was almost 50 tears ago. I was around when science declared overpopulation would destroy human society and institutions bringing massive starvation by the year 2000. I was around when a major well respected news magazine had a science inspired cover staring ¨ How to Prepare for the Coming Ice age" and had articles following this them. Al Gore, America´s climate change prophet, who has become very wealthy in that role, has made numerous predictions he sayś are based in the science, that have been foolishly wrong. Science, in my view, based upon itś past predictions, has become the little boy crying wolf ! wolf ! Is the real wolf here ?
In the US, climate change radicals demand that the most robust economy in the world be destroyed to meet their demands, is the rest of the world going to do the same ?
Climate change has been occurring since the creation of the earth. It most likely was a huge contributing factor to the extinction of the Neanderthal people.
We are told that the current climate change is accelerated by human activity, OK.
Do you know for a fact what humans can do to stop it ? Do you know for a fact it can be stopped ?
Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease, have you done an unemotional stark analysis of benefits versus overall costs ? I am reminded of the old joke, the surgery went perfectly, but the patient died.
So, what do we know for a fact. The climate appears to be warming. The physical status quo of the earth may be effected as a result. Human activity is likely contributing to this effect. Based on these, significantly curtailing human caused Co2 emissions could result in stopping the rising of the earths temperature.
Why has 12 years become the magic number and drop dead date ? Who came up with this based on what ?
Many believe that this whole issue is being manipulated to centralize power and control over individuals. To strengthen central power, and reduce individual liberty. In effect, climate change reduction efforts on a vast scale will impact individuals in most facets of their life, and eliminate individual freedom in those areaś, do you have a comment on this aspect ?
Obviously, a well thought out program, adopted on a worldwide basis, with verification of compliance and a method dealing with cheaters and non compliers.
This will not happen in 12 years, guaranteed. So, if in 12 years there is no hope to deal with the problem, then each nation should use itś resources to prepare itś people to adapt to the reality of what might occur.
Worldwide climate change martial law is not going to happen. Nations destroying their economies on climate change strategies is not going to happen in 12 years.
It may, or may not ( based on the track record of science in predicting disasters) be a massive problem, for which no comprehensive, affordable, doable plan exists to combat it. There are many who believe the situation is not as dire as predicted, including some climate scientists.
I, myself, am on the fence, I simply don´t know.
If 12 years is the drop dead certainty, then expect it. No matter what the US and Western Europe tries, they alone cannot unilaterally change the direction of the ship, though I support reasonably possible efforts.
So, climate change purists can terrify children, block traffic, and all the other stuff they pull, it is not going to change the attitudes of the world quickly, certainly not in 12 years.
Then of course there are nations that will take this massive effort as an opportunity to extend their national and international power, with little sympathy for the true effort.
Facts, and all the wailing will not change them. I don like to rain on peoples parades, but I am a pragmatist, I try to objectively face reality. So, IF climate change is going to wreak havoc in 12 years, I hope I am wrong in my observations, butvI don think I am.
