MICHAEL E. MANN AND SUSAN J. HASSOL
Two years ago, inwards the wake of the 2016 election, nosotros wrote that if the newly elected president executed his misguided ideas on climate too loose energy policy, non only would it travel disastrous for climate, it would genuinely undermine Trump’s mightiness to gain his ain principal goals. Regrettably, our predictions are coming to pass.
Trump’s policies receive got left us careening downwards the CO2 highway—a route that leads to a climate hotter than humans receive got always experienced, too 1 filled amongst unnatural disasters. We’ve been afforded a stark preview of that hereafter inwards recent years. But nosotros receive got choices. There’s an travel out ramp precisely ahead that tin privy assist us avoid the worst outcomes.
The world’s nations agreed inwards Paris inwards 2015 to receive got this exit, aimed at keeping global temperature ascent from exceeding 2°C (3.6°F), too each province determined the emissions cuts it pledged to set us on that path. The Trump direction has erected a roadblock on that travel out ramp, announcing its intent to take from the agreement. It has ignored all the signposts too warnings. (And it has been dishonest virtually the terms of that agreement, falsely contending that other countries imposed our emissions reductions on us, too were non doing their part.)
It is essential that nosotros travel out now, because the longer nosotros speed headlong downwards the CO2 highway, the to a greater extent than acuate the plough we’ll demand to brand to exit. So in that place is neat urgency inwards taking the actions necessary to safely execute the turn—that is, reducing carbon emissions through a rapid transition to a build clean loose energy economy. We receive got clear guidance every bit to what is required. If nosotros are to avoid always to a greater extent than unsafe interference amongst our global climate, nosotros must halve global CO2 emissions yesteryear 2030 too gain internet nothing CO2 emissions yesteryear 2050, according to a recent special report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Unfortunately, the policies of the Trump direction impede that goal, accelerating us always faster downwards this unsafe road.
Through both words too deeds, this direction has done everything it tin privy to dismantle climate protections. Donald Trump says he wants “great climate,” but is rolling dorsum methyl hydride rules, weakening efficiency standards on novel cars too trucks, working to deregulate coal yesteryear repealing the Clean Power Plan, too opening upward much of America’s coastline to offshore stone oil drilling every bit business office of its travail to maximize U.S. fossil fuel-extraction.
And precisely in conclusion week, the Trump direction engaged inwards a blatant attempt out to bury the reality of how global warming is affecting our lives now, pushing upward the issue of the congressionally-mandated National Climate Assessment study to Black Fri when few would presumably travel paying attention. Fortunately, the travail to suppress the study appears to receive got backfired. The spectacle of Trump trying to bury a critical climate study produced nether the imprimatur of his ain direction may receive got ended upward garnering fifty-fifty to a greater extent than media attending than it otherwise would receive got (one of us—Michael Mann—alone did ii interviews for CNN, ii for MSNBC, 3 for the BBC, too some other for NPR.)
A fundamental message of this study is that climate modify is already having serious economical consequences, including harm to our health, infrastructure, H2O supplies, too agriculture. It reveals that nosotros stand upward to lose much to a greater extent than every bit extreme weather, sea-level rise, too other impacts final result inwards enormous human too economical costs. When asked virtually the devastating economical impacts projected yesteryear this report, the president only said, “I don't believe it.” This is sure as shooting non the kickoff fourth dimension Trump too members of his cabinet receive got denied climate scientific discipline though the facts are clear that burning fossil fuels is driving warming.
Donald Trump too the fossil fuel exceptional interests that he represents prefer to speak virtually the supposed terms of action, every bit if acting to avert climate catastrophe would harm the economy. But the truth is that the terms of inaction instantly far outweighs the terms of action. This fact was set bare inwards this novel report. But Trump’s policies are worse than inaction—they are activity inwards the incorrect direction. They are keeping us speeding downwards the CO2 highway, preventing us from taking whatever of the exits that would cut the opportunity of catastrophe.
While the impacts of climate modify are a drag on our economy, build clean energy, the fundamental solution to the climate challenge, is the engine that tin privy fuel economical growth. Jobs inwards solar too air current loose energy are growing rapidly, hither too unopen to the world. The build clean loose energy revolution is good nether way. Whether nosotros volition bring together that revolution or cling to the loose energy of the past, every bit Trump advocates, is something the American people volition ultimately determine.
While nosotros are already experiencing the impacts of climate modify now, in that place is nonetheless fourth dimension to avoid the worst, if nosotros human activity decisively to transition our loose energy organisation off fossil fuels. Some receive got asked what it volition receive got to movement Americans to demand activity on climate from our government. We receive got sure as shooting had a give notice lit nether us—unprecedented fires—along amongst unprecedented hurricanes, droughts, coastal flooding, too other climate-related woes. Will nosotros finally demand that our leaders heed to their ain scientific agencies too movement us apace toward the build clean loose energy hereafter that tin privy salve us, too our children, from climate catastrophe? Now is our moment.
Michael E. Isle of Mann is Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Pennsylvania State University. His most recent book, amongst Tom Toles, is The Madhouse Effect : How Climate Change Denial Is Threatening Our Planet, Destroying Our Politics, too Driving Us Crazy(Columbia University Press, 2016).
Susan J. Hassol is the Director of Climate Communication LLC. She authored (Un)Natural Disasters: Communicating Linkages Between Extreme Events too Climate Change inwards the World Meteorological Organization Bulletin too delivered ClimateTalk: Science too Solutions at TEDx.
The views expressed inwards this article are the authors' own.
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