›

When does Climate Change get Real?

BullfrogBullfrog Shipmate
in Purgatory
Why Trump wants to spend $1 billion on Great Salt Lake

Apparently the president who denies climate change is going to spend an awful lot of money trying to address with the environmental consequences of climate change, in at least one very politically expedient location.

I keep wondering what the line is going to be. Where will climate change's consequences become pragmatic enough that these "practical" people will start trying to address it, or at least acknowledge its existence?

Could this be a line?

Tagged:

Comments

  • Alan Cresswell Alan Cresswell Admin, 8th Day Host
    The problem is that the worst impacts of climate change will happen after any reasonable steps to address climate change can be taken. There seems to be wilful ignorance in some people to the reality that the system doesn't respond rapidly to changing inputs, we need to significantly reduce net global carbon emissions in the next 5 years to reduce the chances of near catastrophic impacts at the end of the century. How many times do scientists and informed activists need to clearly repeat that cutting emissions won't change things in a year or two, but that we need to be acting now to change what happens in 50y.

    And, many people seem to be wilfully ignorant of the reality that reducing our impact now is going to be cheap compared to dealing with the mess in coming years (indeed, we're already seeing the costs of mitigation, including the Great Salt Lake, and also costs of more frequent and severe wildfires and storms).
  • Barnabas62Barnabas62 Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    Climate change is a major aspect of the shrinkage. But as I read it, so is water diversion upstream for human use, preventing some of the inflow of fresh water which, historically, moderated the increasing salinity as well as the shrinkage.

    I suppose it is possible to acknowledge the latter cause and still deny the former? I have only a limited knowledge of this matter. Perhaps some Shipmate knows a lot more?
Sign In or Register to comment.