Science has spoken in detail about climate change. Altogether 91 top scientists from 40 countries put out an urgent message that the tipping point in global warming could be just a dozen years away. The point is whether the human race will find the collective political and moral will to fight climate change. Will we be able to take dramatic steps to cut back on fossil fuels and greenhouse gases in time to make any difference — to limit the rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times? The UN’s IPCC spelt out the message in life and death terms. It’s up to world leaders who meet later this year to try understand all that’s being said, such as the work of the year’s two Nobel economics laureates suggesting ways to fight global warming, including a universal carbon tax.
The IPCC report says failing to prevent just an extra degree of heat could expose millions and ecosystems to life-threatening conditions in the next few decades. Poorer countries, which may have had less to do with creating global warming in the Industrial Revolution, will, however, suffer more. A rise in temperatures can lead to far more deaths in the summer heat. The irony is that we need electricity for cooling in remote rural areas too, for which India will have to burn more coal for thermal power. This kind of dilemma will be faced by developing nations that are committed to reducing emissions. Climate apocalypse isn’t too far away. Is the world listening, and can it convince America’s Donald Trump to come back on board to make a real difference?
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